Arts of West Bengal

Last updated

The Indian state, West Bengal has a rich cultural heritage. Due to the reign of many different rulers in the past, arts and crafts in West Bengal underwent many changes giving an artistic diversity today in the forms of traditional handicrafts, terracotta, painting and carving, dances and music.

Contents

Music

Baul Santiniketan.jpg
Chaitanya sankirtan.jpg
Left: Baul singers in performance at Santiniketan, India; Right: Some Vaishnavism sub-traditions believe in public kirtan performance, with songs and dance. A painting of a 19th-century performance by Chaitanya group in Bengal.

The music of West Bengal includes multiple indigenous musical genres such as Baul, Bishnupuri Classical, Kirtan, Shyama Sangeet, Rabindra Sangeet, Nazrul Geeti, Atulprasadi, Dwijendrageeti, Probhati Sangeet, Kantageeti, Ganasangeet, Adhunik Gaan, Bengali rock etc. West Bengal has a rich culture with the classical and folk songs.

The Bishnupur Gharana is the sole Classical ( Drupad ) gharana of Bengal. It originated in Bishnupur, Bankura with the court musicians of the Malla Kings. [1] The bauls are a mystic group of singers and musicals, immensely popular in the countryside. They perform using a khamak, ektara and dotara. Rabindra Sangeet, also known as Tagore songs, are songs written and composed by Rabindranath Tagore. [2] They have distinctive characteristics in the music of Bengal, popular in India and Bangladesh. [3] [4] Rabindra Sangeet has been an integral part of Bengal culture for over a century. [4] [5] Shyama Sangeet is a genre of Bengali devotional songs dedicated to the Hindu goddess Shyama or Kali which is a form of supreme universal mother-goddess Durga or parvati. It is also known as Shaktagiti or Durgastuti.

Kirtan is also a true song which describe the mythological epic.[ clarification needed ] Chaitanya Mahaprabhu starts the Hare Krishna movement from Nabadwip.

Other songs like Hapu song, Bhadu song, Gombhira, Tusu song, Bhatiyali song, Patua Sangeet, Bolan Song etc. are all Bengali folk songs.

Dance

Dance with Rabindra Sangeet - Kolkata 2011-11-05 6669.JPG
Performance of Chhau dance of Purulia.jpg
Left: Dance with Rabindra Sangeet in Kolkata; Right: Chhau Mask dance parforming in the field.

Songs and dances are connected with each other. The rich cultural heritage and creative minds of the people of Bengal are best reflected in their traditional folk dances like the martial dance or the harvest dance. In modern West Bengal rural Bengal takes the lead in keeping the old customs and the associated song and dance. The folk dances of West Bengal deal with a variety of themes such as religion, prayers, festivals and rituals; others talk about society. [6]

GuruMahua.jpg
Left: Performance of Gaudiya Nritya by Mahua Mukherjee; Right: Gaudiya Nritya.

Gaudiya Nritya

Gaudiya Nritya (Bengali : গৌড়ীয় নৃত্য) or Gauriya Nritya, is a Bengali classical dance tradition. [7] [8] [9] It originates from Gauda, also known as Gaur, in Bengal. [10]

It has been reconstructed by Mahua Mukherjee. [9] [11] It is not recognised as an Indian classical dance by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, [11] but study of it is eligible for scholarships from the Ministry of Culture of India. [12] Scholarly reception of the reconstruction ranges from caution to scepticism. [13] [14] [15] [16]

Dhali Dance performance Dhali Dance.jpg
Dhali Dance performance

Martial dances

As a cultural tradition there are many Bengali folk dances describing the mythological wars. These martial or war dances are Purulia Chhau dance, Raibenshe dance, Stick dance or Laghur Nritya, Ranapa Dance, Dhali and Paika Nritya, Kukri Nritya etc. [17]

Harvest Dances

The cultural folk dance is mostly related with seasons, sowing of seeds, rains, harvesting in West Bengal. It is celebrated with a lot of ardor by village folks, especially the farming community. Gombhira dance of Malda district is associated with mythology. Tushu dance, Nabanna dance, Nnoila broto etc. are also related with farming. Some tribal dance like Santhali dance, Rabha dance, Mundari dance, Rajbanshi dance etc. performed to the accompaniment of a number of musical instrument and are quite elaborate in nature. [18]

Masks

Tribal bamboo mask from Dinajpur Mask of West Bengal made from bamboo stock.jpg
Tribal bamboo mask from Dinajpur

Mask or Mukhosh of West Bengal, as it known and it has a mysterious history. Mostly it is used for the Mask Dance, a folk dance of West Bengal. The wearing of these masks is connected with early types of folklore and religion. There are various types of masks made of clay, wood, sponge wood or shola, pith, paper etc. Generally, half masks are made up of clay, pith and paper, and wooden masks are very rare. Some of the masks came from the Tribal[ clarification needed ] of West Bengal. Geographically, West Bengal comes well within this mask using culture zone. Masks in West Bengal are mostly used in folk dance. [19] [20] UNESCO selected The Rural Craft Hub of Bengal to showcase their artwork in Paris in 2015. [21]

Chhau mask

Chhau dance is listed on UNESCO's world heritage list of dances. [22] The main difference between the Purulia chhau and Orisha chhau is in the use of the mask. Purulia chhau used the mask in dance, but Orisha does not have the mask thereby adding facial expression with body movement and gesture. [23] Purulia chhau dancers wear earthy and theatrical masks which represent the mythological characters.

Gambhira mask

Gambriha mask is a part of Gomira dance which originated in North and the South Dinajpur of West Bengal. The word Gomira is colloquial from Gram-Chandi, a female deity. The origin of this craft is no doubt very old and some of the craftsmen claim it is at least as old as the beginning of Kali Yuga . The Gomira dances are organized to propitiate the deity and to usher in the good forces and drive out the evil forces. [24] This mask is used in the war dance. It is also called Mukha Khel meaning the game of masks.

Others

Ghurni region of Krishnanagar has been a notable center of clay art for a long time. Their clay masks of Durga and others are well known for their beauty and the masks follow a contemporary style. Kolkata Kumartuli is well known for clay masks. The masks are made in clay and then sun-dried and finally coloured and decorated with sponge wood or foil. Potters have been receiving a lot of attention for sculpting Bengali deities. Dokra is unique folk art of West Bengal. Metal casting dokra mask is created various contemporary sculptures with this art form. Gita Karmakar, a female artist from Bankura, has been awarded the President's award. Her works of Dokra art are equally popular in other countries. Durga face is a well known shola mask of Murshidabad. It's mainly used as a decorative ptece. For making this masks, shola is pulled from water and dried. Then it is cut with the knife according to the design. The most attractive fact, Murshidabad is recognize for the shola work. [25] [ unreliable source? ]

Terracotta art

Architecture

Jor Bangla Temple Arnab Dutta 2011.JPG
Stone chariot of Bishnupur.jpg
Terracotta work on Jor Bangla temple, Bishnupur 3.JPG
Terracotta work on Shyamrai Temple Bishnupur 8.JPG
From top left to bottom right (a) Jor Bangla temple of 16 century in Bankura; (b) historic stone chariot of Bankura; (c) Terracotta relief of temple of Bankura; (d) Terracotta motif.

There are significant examples of fine arts in Bengal from earlier times such as terracotta art of Hindu temples. The roofing style of Bengali Hindu temple architecture is unique and closely related to the paddy roofed traditional building style of rural Bengal. [26] Roofing styles include the jor-bangla, do-chala, char-chala, at-chala, deul, ek-ratna, pancharatna and navaratna. Bishnupur in West Bengal has a remarkable set of such temples which being built from the Malla dynasty are examples of this style. Most of these temples are covered on the outer surface with terracotta reliefs which contains plenty of secular materials making these important to reconstruct the social structure from these times.

Terracota Panel of Pratepshbra mandir, Kalna Terracota Panel on Pratapeswartemple DSC 5494.jpg
Terracota Panel of Pratepshbra mandir, Kalna

The temple structures contain gabled roofs which are colloquially called the chala, For example, a gabled roof with an eight sided pyramid structured roof with be called "ath chala" or literally the eight faces of the roof. And frequently there is more than one tower in the temple building. These are built of laterite and brick bringing them at the mercy of severe weather conditions of southern Bengal. Dakshineswar Kali Temple is one example of the Bhanja style while the additional small temples of Shiva along the river bank are example of southern Bengal roof style though in much smaller dimension.

Terracotta dolls

Terracotta horses and elephants in Bishnupur Bishnupur Terracotta Horse 3.JPG
Terracotta horses and elephants in Bishnupur

Terracotta or clay craft has been the symbol of man's first attempt at craftsmanship, just as the potter's wheel was the first machine invented to use the power of motion for a productive purpose. However, its association with religious rituals has imbibed it with deeper significance. In West Bengal, terracotta traditions are found from the earliest times. They are symbols of fulfillment of aspirations of village folk. In order to cater to the commercial requirements of the modern global market, the village potter is often combining the traditional rural abstractions with refined urban tastes to show pieces of terracotta art. [27]

Bankura Horse

In Bankura, potters create terracotta horses and elephants. Over the centuries they have moved away from a realistic presentation to a representational presentation. Potter-artists of different regions focused on different parts of the animal body in such a manner that representation of the same became more important than representation of the entire body of the animal. [28]

Manasa chali

Manasa chali of Panchmura Manasa chali Panchmura mnsaa caali paaNcmudd'aa.jpg
Manasa chali of Panchmura

Manasa chali is the idol of Goddess Manasa. It is a unique terracotta sculpture of Panchmura, West Bengal. Manasa chali has a small figure or a group of three figures in the middle, with rows of snake hoods fanning out in a half moon shape. [29]

Painting

Pattachithra

Kalighat pictures sep sheets 81.jpg
The goddess durga on her lion kills the demon mahishasura, 1880, kalighat school.jpg
Boating (6124606361).jpg
From top left to bottom right (a) Kalighat kali mata in Kalighat Patachitra; (b) Durga and Mahishasura, c.1880; (c) Jamini Roy boating painting as kalighat painting; (d) Manisha mata in Jamini Roy's painting.

Patachitra painting is a true cultural heritage of West Bengal. The patua community of West Bengal has an ancient history practicing the craft of patachitra. A quaint little village of Paschim Medinipur, Naya is home to around 250 patuas or chitrakars. Bengal patachitra has various aspects, like Chalchitra, Durga Pat, Medinipur Patachitra, kalighat Patachitra, mud wall painting etc. D. P. Ghosh mentioned different style of Bengal patachitra in the districts of West Bengal in his book Folk Art of Bengal. [30]

The patachitra of different districts of West Bengal are characterized by many peculiarities in colour and design. The patachitra of Manbhum, now known as Purulia can easily be distinguished by their preference for one particular shade of burnt sienna relieved by white and yellow patches and densely packed composition. The seated figures of Dasaratha and Chand Sadagar of Medinipur crowning the Ramayana and Kamale-Kamini scrolls are impressive and monumental. [30] In the scrolls of pot of Birbhum, Bankura and Burdwan preference for Indian red background usually found, the scrolls of Hooghly preferred a dark brown. The Hooghly and Manbhum 'pats' are peculiar and definitely modernistic with the abstract linear treatment. [31]

Chalchitra

Chalchitra, a part of Bengal patachitra, referred to the background patachitra of the Durga Pratima Chalchitra Kumartuli, Kolkata.jpg
Chalchitra, a part of Bengal patachitra, referred to the background patachitra of the Durga Pratima

Chalchitra is a part of Bengal patachitra, It referred to the Debi Chal or Durga chala, the background of the Durga pratima or idol. [32] Patua, the artists of Chalchitra called it Pata Lekha, meaning "the writing of Patachitra". [33] 300–400 year old idols of Nabadwip Shakta Rash used Chalchitra as a part of Pratima. At one time, the use of Chalchitra had become faded, but now it has a great popularity. [34] Chalchitra artist of Nabadwip, Tapan Bhattacharya said- It's good to see a lost painting coming back around.

Durga pot

Durga sara, an aspect of Bengal Patachitra Durga sara Bengal Patachitra.jpg
Durga sara, an aspect of Bengal Patachitra

Durga pot or Durga sara is recognised as the worshiped patachitra. It is worshiped in the Hatsarandi Sutradhar society of Birbhum district on Durga puja time. This type of patachitra is also worshiped is Katwa. Durga Pot has a semi-circular patachitra where patachitra of Durga is in the middle position. Ram, Sita, Shib, Nandi-Vringi, Brahma, Vishnu, Shumbha-Nishumbha are painted on this kind of Chalchitra. Krishnanager Rajrajeshwari Durga is seen to be uniquely noticed. In the middle of the Chalchitra, there is Panchanan Shib and Parvati is beside him, on one side there is Dasha-mahabidya and the other side, there is Dashabatar. [35]

Handicrafts

Clay art

Bankura horses Bankura Terracotta Horses.jpg
Bankura horses

Clay art has an indigenous history in West Bengal. Ghurni of Nadia district is very popular for making the clay idols. West Bengal has an ancient heritage of dolls. Dolls have been customarily crafted by women from the potter communities. Dolls made of soft clay and fired-clay are available all over West Bengal. Each of these dolls are made differently. The terracotta dolls of Panchmura, hingul and tusu dolls of Bishnupur, jo dolls of Midnapore, kanthalia dolls of Murshidabad, sasthi dolls of Coonoor, manasha pots of Dakshindari and Shiva heads of Nabadwip are very famous.

Kantha

Kantha of Bengal Kantha (bed cover), West BengalHonolulu Museum of Art 3928.1.JPG
Kantha of Bengal

Kantha Stitch is one of the most popular handicrafts of Santiniketan in the Birbhum district of West Bengal, India. [36]

Dokra

Dokra art is the most interesting and creative art of West Bengal. The Dokras are now dispersed over the western part of West Bengal in four districts namely Bankura, Purulia, Midnapore and Burdwan and are mainly concentrated in Bankura and partly in Purulia. The Dokra artisans of Bankura make various kinds of images and figurines of gods and goddesses, birds and animals, like Lakshmi, Lakshmi-Narayan, Shiva-Parvati flanked by Ganesh and Kartik, elephants, horses, owls, peacocks etc. [37]

Wooden art

kaatther peNcaa, ntungraam pshcimbngg.jpg
Bengal handicrafts 09.jpg
Left: Wooden owl of Natungram; Right: Wooden Gomira Masks of Dakshin Dinajpur.

Wooden art is a very old tradition of West Bengal. Wooden protima or idol is seen in Indian Museum. The art-making wooden dolls have been an age-old practice in West Bengal and Natungram is one of them. Natungram, a village of West Bengal makes wooden dolls like Gouranga, Krishna, Bor-Bou, Gour-Nitai, owl etc. [38] Gomira masks of North and South Dinajpur in West Bengal are also made of wood. [39] [40]

Bamboo craft

Bamboo Craft of West Bengal Bamboo Craft Stall - West Bengal State Handicrafts Expo - Milan Mela Complex - Kolkata 2014-12-06 1168.JPG
Bamboo Craft of West Bengal

Bamboo crafts are a very old and indigenous tradition in West Bengal. Different shapes and patterns of baskets are made using local traditions and techniques. In West Bengal, a tray-like bamboo basket is traditional. Different types of baskets, hand-held fan, sieves etc. are also made and painted with auspicious symbols and are used in marriage and other ceremonies. [41]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bankura district</span> District in West Bengal, India

Bankura district is an administrative unit in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is part of Medinipur division—one of the five administrative divisions of West Bengal. Bankura district is surrounded by Purba Bardhaman district and Paschim Bardhaman district in the north, Purulia district in the west, Jhargram district and Paschim Medinipur district in the south, and some part of Hooghly district in the east. Damodar River flows in the northern part of Bankura district and separates it with the major part of Burdwan district. The district head quarter is located in Bankura town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of West Bengal</span> Overview of musical genres in Indian state of West Bengal

The music of West Bengal includes multiple indigenous musical genres such as Baul, Ramprasadi, Bishnupuri Classical, Kirtan, Shyama Sangeet, Rabindra Sangeet, Nazrul Geeti, Dwijendrageeti, Prabhat Samgiita, Agamani-Vijaya, Patua Sangeet, Gambhira, Bhatiali, Bhawaiya, Bengali Rock.

<i>Chhau</i> dance Indian semi classical martial dance originating in East India

Chhau, also spelled Chhou, is a semi classical Indian dance with martial and folk traditions. It is found in three styles named after the location where they are performed, i.e. the Purulia Chhau of West Bengal, the Seraikella Chhau of Jharkhand and the Mayurbhanj Chhau of Odisha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bishnupur, Bankura</span> City and municipality in West Bengal, India

Bishnupur is a city and a municipality of Bankura district in the state of West Bengal, India. It is known for its terracotta temples built by the Malla rulers, historic Radha Krishna temples built during 1600–1800 CE and the Baluchari sarees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gurusaday Dutt</span> Indian writer, folk literature researcher and civil servant

Gurusaday Dutt was a civil servant, folklorist, and writer. He was the founder of the Bratachari Movement in the 1930s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bankura horse</span> Terracotta horse produced in West Bengal

Bankura horse is the terracotta horse, produced in Panchmura village in Bankura district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It has been praised for “its elegant stance and unique abstraction of basic values.” Originally used for village rituals, it now adorns drawing rooms around the world as symbols of Indian folk-art. It is the logo of All India Handicrafts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mallabhum kingdom</span> Kingdom ruled by the Malla kings of Bishnupur, in present-day West Bengal, India

Mallabhum was the kingdom ruled by the Malla kings of Bishnupur, primarily in the present Bankura district in Indian state of West Bengal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pattachitra</span> Traditional art work of West Bengal and Odisha, India

Patachitra or Pattachitra is a general term for traditional, cloth-based scroll painting, based in the eastern Indian states of Odisha, West Bengal and parts of Bangladesh. Patachitra artform is known for its intricate details as well as mythological narratives and folktales inscribed in it. Pattachitra is one of the ancient artworks of Odisha, originally created for ritual use and as souvenirs for pilgrims to Puri, as well as other temples in Odisha. Patachitras are a component of an ancient Bengali narrative art, originally serving as a visual device during the performance of a song.

Culture of Bankura district refers to the culture of Bankura district in the Indian state of West Bengal.

Manbhumi or Manbhumi Bengali is the local Bengali dialect spoken in the district of Purulia, and adjacent area of other districts of West Bengal and Jharkhand, previously Manbhum, in Eastern India. It is one of the Bengali dialects, having some influences of neighbouring dialects of Hindi and Odia in it.

Patrasayer is a village in the Patrasayer CD block in the Bishnupur subdivision of the Bankura district in the state of West Bengal, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masks of West Bengal</span>

Mask or Mukhosh of West Bengal, as it is known for has a mysterious history. Mostly it uses for the Mask Dance, the folk dance of West Bengal. The wearing of these masks is connected with early types of folklore and religion. There are various type of masks made up of clay, wood, sponge wood or shola, pith, paper, metal etc. Generally, half of these masks are made up of clay, pith and paper and wooden masks are very rare. Some of these masks come from the Tribal of West Bengal. Geographically, West Bengal comes well within this mask using culture zone. Masks in West Bengal is mostly used in folk dance. UNESCO selected The Rural Craft Hub of Bengal to showcase their artwork in Paris in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chalchitra</span> Art form of West Bengal, India

Chalchitra is a part of Bengal Patachitra. It referred to the Debi Chal or Durga chala, the background of the Durga Pratima or idol. Originally, these were used to give a proper proportion to the structure. This tradition is very ancient and is still maintained.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chhau mask</span>

The Chhau mask is a traditional cultural heritage of Purulia in the Indian state of West Bengal. The Chhau mask of Purulia is registered on the List of Geographical Indications. As the basic difference of Purulia Chhau the mask is unique and traditional.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patua Sangeet</span> Cultural tradition in Bengal

Patua Sangeet or Poter Gan is a cultural tradition of Bengal Patachitra. It is performed by a Patua. It is famous in the village part of West Bengal like Birbhum, Jhargram, Bardhaman and Murshidabad as a folk song of West Bengal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manasa chali</span>

Manasa chali, or Manasa bari, is a type of idol of Debi Manasa made of Terracota in Panchmura, West Bengal, India. It typically features a small figure or a group of three figures in the middle with rows of snake hoods fanning out in a half moon shape. Chali or bari is Bengali for 'the shade of something'. Chali is referred to here as 'the shade of idol' or 'the besh of idol', like Chalchitra. These idols have two basic colors, reddish-yellow and black.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charida</span> Village in West Bengal, India

Charida is a village in the Baghmundi CD block in the Jhalda subdivision of the Purulia district in the state of West Bengal, India.

The National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of India is an attempt to recognize the diversity of Indian culture embedded in its intangible heritage. It aims to raise awareness about the various intangible cultural heritage elements from different states of India at national and international level and ensure their protection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swarna Chitrakar</span>

Swarna Chitrakar is a Patachitra artist from Pingla, a changemaker and a community leader.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terracotta temples of West Bengal</span> Temples in West Bengal, India

Radh Bengal is a region in West Bengal also known as the Temple Town. This region consists of arrays of temples in varying sizes and devoted to different gods and goddess but the common thread unifying this group is that the temples are constructed in terracotta. The region consists of following districts Birbhum, Bankura, Burdwan, Purulia and parts of Murshidabad. The construction style originated in 16th century and lasted till the 19th century. This period is also referred as a golden age of temple in West Bengal. Reason for development of this construction technique was the rich red laterite soil of the region and lack of construction worthy stone. The skill of creating daily objects from like vessels, pottery, seal and toys evolved into a construction technique in the time of need. These temples are baked terracotta panels or bricks. This particular style spread outside the present day West Bengal as well, to Jharkhand, Bihar, Assam and Tripura.

References

  1. "Culture of Bishnupur". Archived from the original on 5 February 2012. Retrieved 5 December 2011.
  2. Sigi, Rekha (2006). Gurudev Ravindra Nath Tagore A Biography. Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd. p. 90. ISBN   978-81-89182-90-8.
  3. Tagore, Rabindranath (2007). Boyhood Days. Penguin Books India. p. xii. ISBN   978-0-14-333021-9.
  4. 1 2 "Magic of Rabindra Sangeet". Deccan Herald . Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
  5. Dasgupta, Sanjukta; Guha, Chinmoy (2013). Tagore-At Home in the World. SAGE Publications. p. 252. ISBN   978-81-321-1084-2.
  6. "West Bengal Dances - West Bengal Folk Dances, Folk Dances Bengal India". www.bharatonline.com. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  7. Roma Chatterji (2005). Folklore and the Construction of National Tradition Archived 12 February 2018 at the Wayback Machine . Indian Folklife19 (Folklore Abroad: On the Diffusion and Revision of Sociocultural Categories): 9. Accessed January 2014. "a classical dance tradition that has vanished from the urban areas".
  8. "West Bengal Tourism: Dance". Department of Tourism, Government of West Bengal. 2011. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
  9. 1 2 Bharatram, Kumudha (9 April 2011). "Dance of the ancients". The Hindu. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
  10. Mukherjee, Mahua (2000). Gaudiya Nritya (in Bengali). Kolkata: The Asiatic Society.
  11. 1 2 Rajan, Anjana (26 December 2006). "The wheel has come full circle". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 8 November 2012.
  12. "Scholarship to Young Artistes, 2005". Ministry of Culture. Government of India. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013.
  13. Utpal Kumar Banerjee (2006). Indian performing arts: a mosaic. New Delhi: Harman Publishing House. ISBN   9788186622759. p. 79: "re-creating Gaudiya Nritya as one of the acceptable classical styles will need a formal framework".
  14. Leela Venkataraman (2006). Negotiating the Extremes: dance. India International Centre Quarterly, 33 (1): 93-102. (subscription required) "one may have reservations about the classical dance repertoire visualised by [Mukherjee]".
  15. Roma Chatterji (2005). p. 9: "Mukherjee tries to reconstitute a Bengali aesthetic within the perspective of pan-Indian civilisation".
  16. Susan Leigh Foster (2009). Worlding dance: Studies in international performance. Basingstoke; New York: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN   9780230205949. p. 125: "I urgently distance my project from that of Kolkata-based scholar, Mahua Mukherjee".
  17. "West Bengal folk dance". Indian Classical Folk & Tribal Dance. 2 March 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  18. "5 popular folk dances of West Bengal". MYTHICAL INDIA. 11 May 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  19. Masks of West Bengal_Publisher:Indian Museum_kolkata_Author: Sabita Ranjan Sarkar
  20. Masks of West Bengal.
  21. Roy, Tasmayee Laha (5 February 2016). "West Bengal rural craft hubs help artisans double their incomes". The Economic Times. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  22. "Chhau Dance: West Bengal's Performing Art Treasure | Utsavpedia". Utsavpedia. 30 July 2015. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  23. "The Official Website of Purulia District". purulia.gov.in. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  24. "Mask of Siknidhal (a malevolent deity)". Museum of India.
  25. "The Mask". Biswa Bangla. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
  26. 3.http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/wb/wbtemps.htm
  27. "Arts". Bankura Pottery. Suni Systems (P) Ltd. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
  28. Ghosh, Binoy, Paschim Banger Sanskriti, (in Bengali), part I, 1976 edition, pp. 69-71, Prakash Bhaban
  29. Dasgupta, Samira; Biswas, Rabiranjan; Mallik, Gautam Kumar (2009). Heritage Tourism: An Anthropological Journey to Bishnupur. Mittal Publications. ISBN   9788183242943.
  30. 1 2 Craft council of west Bengal-1985-86, The Jarana Patachitra of Bengal- Mahamaya, p-112
  31. D. P. Ghosh, FOLK ART OF BENGAL, Visvabharati, p-4
  32. tarapada santra (2000). Paschimbanger lokoshilpa o lokosamaj. Kolkata: Kolkata: lokosanskriti o adibasi sanskriti kendra. p. 12.
  33. Giusti, M. and Chakraborty, U. (ed.). Immagini Storie Parole. Dialoghi di formazione coi dipinti cantati delle donne Chitrakar del West Bengal. Mantova: Universitas Studiorum, 2014, ISBN   978-88-97683-39-1
  34. বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়, দেবাশিস. "পটচিত্রের চাহিদা বাড়ছে নবদ্বীপের রাসে". Anandabazar Patrika (in Bengali). Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  35. ভট্টাচার্য, বিভূতিসুন্দর. "অবক্ষয় আর অবলুপ্তির মাঝে বাংলার চালচিত্র - Anandabazar". Anandabazar Patrika. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  36. Roy, Paramita; Biswas, Sattwick Dey (December 2011). "Opportunities and Constraints of the Kantha-stitch craftswomen in Santiniketan: a value chain analysis". Journal of Social Work and Social Development.
  37. Bhattacharya, Sourish. "Dhokra Art and Artists of Bikna: Problems and Prospects" (PDF). The Chitrolekha Journal on Art and Design.
  38. "Natungram of Bardhaman district is the hub for wooden doll making in West Bengal". Hand Made Toys. 6 August 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  39. "Mask of Siknidhal (A malevolent deity)".
  40. Singh, Shiv Sahay (9 July 2017). "Last of the Gomira mask-makers see silver lining". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  41. "Cane & Bamboo of West Bengal | The Craft and Artisans". www.craftandartisans.com. Archived from the original on 20 July 2008. Retrieved 25 April 2018.