The Rāmāyana in Bengali Folk Paintings

The Rāmāyana in Bengali Folk Paintings
Author: Mandakranta Bose
Publisher:
Total Pages: 139
Release: 2017
Genre: Folk art
ISBN: 9789385285554

The images presented in this book take us into the heart of the rich folk tradition of India. Of that heritage, the display of paintings accompanied by comments recited or sung has been a part of since very early times, as attested by references and legends in Sanskrit sources, including the Harsacarita, a 7th century work by Banabhatta. Known as patacitras or patas in short, these illustrated narratives on rectangular fabric or paper as well as on scrolls are a type of performed art that reaches out to audiences, mostly rural, conveying the artists' responses to legends and social themes of common knowledge across a wide range of audiences from varied social and cultural bases. A particularly powerful class of such paintings that come from the Bengali-speaking region of eastern India comprise the depiction of events from the Ramayana in the form of scrolls that are unrolled as the painter displays and explicates them. The vividly colourful images presented in this book occupy a special niche in the history of Indian art, remarkable because they are not only visual objects but narrative expositions of a text that has been part of vast numbers of the Indian people and often their source of moral guidance. Especially remarkable is that these patas by Bengali folk painters diverge so often from the magisterial Ramayanas of adikavi "First Poet" Valmiki, leave out important parts of it and import into the Rama saga episodes from local narrative caches.

Patuas and Patua Art in Bengal

Patuas and Patua Art in Bengal
Author: David McCutchion
Publisher: Firma Klm Pvt. Limited
Total Pages: 216
Release: 1999
Genre: Folk art
ISBN:

This Book Looks At The Life And Art Of Patua Painters In Bengal. Each Volume Contains An Original Scroll Painting In It.

Scroll Paintings of Bengal

Scroll Paintings of Bengal
Author: Amitabh SenGupta
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Total Pages: 167
Release: 2012-06-14
Genre: Art
ISBN: 147721383X

Th e art of vernacular painting in India is not only varied and rich but also intriguing for several reasons. With such observations the book addresses certain issues, like the validity of the historical information on Indian Art that excludes vernacular trends. The information on vernacular art in India has either been ignored such as in ancient literary discourses or inadvertently misconstrued within the theoretical purviews of modern days. If the hierarchy of the Hindu caste system has marginalised the culture of the lower rung groups, the lexicon of twentieth century anthropological studies has seen this art as material evidence of undeveloped societies; both creating the same value: to be patronised but not ‘art’. Can art be weighed on a scale of development? Arguments have been developed within the specifi c focus on scroll paintings by the itinerant painter bards in Bengal. Th e bardic tradition has been known to exist in India since a pre-Christian era and still continues within two vibrant trends of vernacular art forms – Bangla and Santhal pat. Th e book redefi nes and repositions the notion of art with contemporary folk art. As the picture Plates are self-evident, the book draws attention on a world of art that has not been present in Indian Art History.

Historical Dictionary of the Bengalis

Historical Dictionary of the Bengalis
Author: Kunal Chakrabarti
Publisher: Scarecrow Press
Total Pages: 605
Release: 2013-08-22
Genre: History
ISBN: 0810880245

The Bengali (Bangla) speaking people are located in the northeastern part of South Asia, particularly in Bangladesh and two states of India – West Bengal and Tripura. There are almost 246 million Bengalis at present, which makes them the fifth largest speech community in the world. Despite political and social divisions, they share a common literary and musical culture and several habits of daily existence which impart to them a distinct identity. The Bengalis are known for their political consciousness and cultural accomplishments The Historical Dictionary of the Bengalis provides an overview of the Bengalis across the world from the earliest Chalcolithic cultures to the present. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 750 cross-referenced dictionary entries on politicians, educators and entrepreneurs, leaders of religious and secular institutions, writers, painters, actors and other cultural figures, and more generally, on the economy, education, political parties, religions, women and minorities, literature, art and architecture, music, cinema and other major sectors. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the Bengalis.

Village of Painters

Village of Painters
Author: Frank J. Korom
Publisher:
Total Pages: 124
Release: 2006
Genre: Art
ISBN:

Highlights the state's rich cultural and natural landscapes and attractions with fifty-seven photographs in a week-at-a-glance format.

Performers and Their Arts

Performers and Their Arts
Author: Simon Charsley
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 230
Release: 2020-11-29
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1000084183

Introduction Part I: Caste, Community and performance A ritual performance of Kerala, Vayala Vasudevan Pillai The Patuas of Bengal, Makbul Islam Bards and goddesses: The Pombalas in Tirupati, Anand Akundy Explorations in the art forms of the Cindu madigas in Andhra, Y A Sudhakar Reddy and R R Harischandra Caste identity and performance in a fisher-village of Assam, Kishore Bhattacharjee Part II: Performance Beyond Caste Telugu pady natakam in Andhra: Performance dynamics, P Subbachary Modernising tradition: The yaksagana in Karnataka, Guru Rao Bapat Kalarippayatt as aesthetics and the politics of invisibility in Kerala, P K Sasidharan India People’s Theatre Association in colonial Andhra, V Ramakrishna Gaddar and the politics and pain of singing, D Venkat Rao Reviving moghal tamsa in Orissa, Sachi Mohanty Part III: Classical Dance and its Successors New directions in Indian dance, Sunil Kothari Transpositions in kuchipudi dance, Aruna Bhikshu The impact of commercialization in dance, K Subadra Murthy Art addressing social problems, Ananda Shankar Jayant

Narratives and New Voices from India

Narratives and New Voices from India
Author: Alankar Kaushik
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 322
Release: 2022-07-21
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9811924961

This volume focuses on indigenous knowledge in analyzing the traditions and communication processes within various communities of Northeast India. It deals with the historical and theoretical trajectory of communication for social change as a discipline, bringing together a series of interesting case studies from the sphere of meaningful learning where individuals and communities engage in a cooperative and dialogic environment to promote change at multiple levels. The case studies cover a range of media - radio, video, ‘forum theatre’ - and considers both practitioners and audiences. The authors’ focus on narration, diversity, participation, and interaction is timely, and expands knowledge relating to these areas by linking them in new ways. It is of interest to an academic audience as well as practitioners researching and working in areas of education, communication, community development, and social work.

South Asian Folklore

South Asian Folklore
Author: Peter Claus
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 741
Release: 2020-10-28
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 1000101223

With 600 signed, alphabetically organized articles covering the entirety of folklore in South Asia, this new resource includes countries and regions, ethnic groups, religious concepts and practices, artistic genres, holidays and traditions, and many other concepts. A preface introduces the material, while a comprehensive index, cross-references, and black and white illustrations round out the work. The focus on south Asia includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, with short survey articles on Tibet, Bhutan, Sikkim, and various diaspora communities. This unique reference will be invaluable for collections serving students, scholars, and the general public.