Bangladesh Folk Tradition

Introduction

Every country has its type of culture, festivals, games. This diversity is important because the place we live there are a variety of race and ethnic groups. By this, we can learn about a different culture and cultural activities. The word ‘Culture’ comes from the French term which means cultivation and nurture. Culture defines the norms, behavior, knowledge, belief, values, symbols, habits, laws, arts, traditions of a community, society, country. It means ‘the way of life’. Cultural diversity gives a colorful fabric to a nation and it makes countries unique. Every country has its own cultural activities which are different from other countries. Each has a different language, different music type, different dance.

Bangladesh Folk Culture

Bangladesh is no exception from that. The people of Bangladesh have a fixed fictional heritage. They have a very diverse culture. It has four main religions with different beliefs which are very unique. Those religions are- Muslim(majority), Hindu, Christianity, Buddhism, some minor religions. These religions are practiced all over the country with peace and harmony. The culture of Bangladesh was threatened by a foreign power, they tried to impose their culture and systems. But the people of Bangladesh fought for their language and got independence by fighting for 9 months. The people of this country follow various rituals. These rituals are drawn from the seasonal rhythms of rural life. Bangladeshi traditional music is almost similar to Indian sub-continent music. Bengali tribal dances are very popular among the girls. They have a habit of dancing to popular folk music. The dances don’t need any rules or regulations, it just needs rhythm and boldness.

Theater and drama are also very popular.

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Folk Culture

Folk culture is the passage of oral tradition and a strong community. The people in rural areas mostly practice folk culture. The local environment influences folk culture. Folk culture can be divided into 4 categories-

1. Material
2. Formalized
3. Functional
4. Performing

Types of Folk Culture

Folk culture includes music, tales, ballads, folklore, riddles, proverbs, myths, etc.

Folk music

Folk music is the major folk tradition of Bangladesh. The country has a variety of traditional music roots. The community, poets, singers usually perform music and songs. They express their emotion through melody and songs. Those songs represent joy, sorrow, excitement, harmony, empathy, nature and human eternal relation, etc. The rural life is expressed by their song.

There is a different form of folk songs. Those are- Jarigan, Shari gan, Jatra gan, Bhawaiya gan, Bhatiyali gan, Baul, etc.

Jarigan

Jarigan is a song of sorrow. These songs are based on the sufferings and the death of the Hazrat Imam Hossain grandson of the Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (SM) and the members of the family at Karbala. These songs are sung in Marsiyas and digres in Urdu for the Muharram on the first ten days. Jarigan is found especially in the Mymenshingh district.

Sharigan

Sharigan is sung by the boatmen and worker groups before and after a traditional boat race called ‘Nouka Baich’. During the race, competitors take part with gusto. Big crowds gather beside the river to cheer and celebrate the race. The boatmen and crew race by rowing boats and singing sharigan all day long. To celebrate the occasion, people sing sharigan after and before the competition. The song is sung by the male chorus. This song is very popular in Faridpur, Rajshahi, Pabna, Sylhet, Dhaka, Jessore, Khulna, Barishal, etc.

Baul

The Baul is a unique sect of folk music. Baul gan is mainly sung by the Bauls who do not believe in religion. They are humanists who believe all humans are equal. They believe that God resides in the heart of men. Music will help them in finding God. To them, Baul songs are spiritual songs. The Bauls rejects family life and sing songs while roaming around from one place to another.

Bhatiyali gan

Bhatiyali gan is traditional music in both Bangladesh and West Bengal. The word ‘Bhatiyali’ means ‘downstream’. It is a river or Boat song. The origin of this sing is Mymenshingh along the Brahmaputra river. The boatmen sing this song while sailing downstream.

Bhawaiya gan

Bhawaiya gan is folk music in Northern Bangladesh in Rangpur and Dinajpur district. The word ‘Bhawaiya’ means ‘Mood’. The Brahmin, Muslim, and Khen sing this song. Some of the popular Bhawaiya songs are adopted in cinemas as well.

Folk Dance

There are different types of folk dance in Bangladesh. Folk dance can be performed solo or in a group. Mainly group dance is more common. Bangladeshi folk dance is three types- Religious, Social, cultural. These dances are passed down from generation to generation. The rhythm, style, and tempo of these dances vary from one to another. The most common dance is Baul dance, Chokra dance, Fakir dance, Dhali dance, Jari dance, and puppet dance.

Baul dance

We know that Baul songs are spiritual. While singing Baul song, the Bauls start dancing to these songs on stage. Those Bauls wear bells on their ankles and sometimes hold an ‘Ekatara’ which is a musical instrument.

Chokra dance

These are the dance featuring young boys playing the role of women/ girls. This dance is popular in Murshidabad and Maldah in West Bengal.

Fakir dance

The followers of Madhar pir perform these dance.

Puppet dance

The tradition of puppet dance has been performed for about a thousand years. This dance is performed by using puppets. The puppeteers entertain viewers by playing the puppet on stage while they are backstage in an unseen position. There are four kinds of puppets. Wired puppets, Stick puppets, Tressed, and Shadow puppet.

Folk Literature

Bangladeshi folk literature contains a significant amount of Bengali literature. The folk literature is Oral literature that contains Ballads, poems, dramas, proverbs, etc. The Bengali literature developed in a considerable amount in the medieval period. In the late nineteenth century, modern Bengali literature began.

Folk Arts

Bangladesh has a vast range of folk arts which includes- Nakshi Katha, Shital Pati, Alpona, Mehedi, Bamboo craft, Terracotta, etc.

• Nakshi Katha – Nakshi Katha is practiced in the rural areas of Bangladesh for centuries. The material is Cloth and colorful thread. Various beautiful colorful designs and patterns are stitched on the cloth. Nakshi katha is now produced commercially but once it was produced for family.
• Shital Pati – Shital pati are mats that feels cold. It is made from a plant name Murta plant. Unesco has recognized Shital Pati as Intangible Cultural Heritage Humanity. It is used as a prayer mat, sitting mat, and wall hanging.
• Alpona – Alpona is a colorful painting that is done with hands. Rice powder mixed with water is used as white color. The green color is created from green tree leaves and red color is created from Sindur. Alpona is a folk art in Bangladesh. Now a variety of colors is used in doing alpona.
• Mehedi – Mehedi is Henna applied to hands in beautiful design and patterns. It is applied before special occasions or festivals. It is originated in the Indian sub-continent.
• Bamboo Craft-Bamboo craft is a traditional craft where bamboo is used as a raw material. It is used to make mats, decorative items, utensils, baskets, traps, and even musical instruments such as flute and ektara.
• Terracotta –Terracotta (baked earth) is a clay-based ceramic. Clays are burnt and baked to make terracotta. Various items are made from terracotta. For example- Flower vase, Pottery, Lamps, Coin banks, dolls, etc.

Folk Festivals

There are 4 major folk festivals in Bangladesh.

1. Barsha utshob
2. Nabanna utshob
3. Pahela Boishakh
4. Pahela Falgun

• Barsha utshob- Barsha utshob is a monsoon festival celebrated in Bangladesh. The date of this festival is set according to the Bengali calendar. The first day of the third month of Ashrah is celebrated as Barsha utshob. This day is celebrated by playing drama, singing songs, dancing, puppet show, poetry performances, and other various programs.
• Nabanna utshob – Nabanna is a harvest celebration festival celebrated in Bangladesh. This festival is celebrated on the first day of Agrahayan which is organized by the National Harvest Festival Committee. The local people and villagers gather together to celebrate the day. Singers, poets, bauls come to the gatherings. Various types of cultural activities take place on this day.
• Pahela Boishak- The first day of the Bengali calendar is celebrated as Pahela Boishakh. 14th April is the Pahela Boishakh. It is also called ‘Nobo borsho’ where ‘Nobo’ means new and ‘Borsho’ means year so Nobo Borsho means new year. This day is a Public holiday in Bangladesh. Pahela Boishakh is celebrated by the Muslim majority and Hindu minority of the country. Businessman starts this day by creating a new ledger by clearing out the old one. People wear Red and white color dress. Many delicious dishes are made on this day which includes Hilsha fish fry, White rice, and pastes. The main celebration of Pahela Boishakh starts at dawn in Ramna, Dhaka. Pahela Boishakh is the pride of Bangladeshi people disregarding age, gender, caste, and creed.
• Pahela Falgun- Pahela Falgun is the first day of spring. It is celebrated in Bangladesh and West Bengal. In 1991 the students of the University of Dhaka, Faculty of Fine Arts started this festival. Pahela Falgun is also known as ‘Boshonto Utshob’. Different social and cultural programs held on this day.

Folk Games

Bangladeshi folk games are played for entertainment. Folk games are very amusing and entertaining. These games are marvelous for social interaction. Various games are played indoors and outdoors. Folk games are divided into three environmental groups – water, land, and sky. The folk games are- Rumalchori, Kanamachi, Dariabandha, Kabadi, Lukochuri, Bauchii, Chikka, etc. These folk games are very traditional.

Ethnic Group of Bangladesh

Majority of the population are Bengalis. The percentage is nearly 98%. The Bengalis are part of the Indo Aryan ethnic group. Almost 27 ethnic groups are in Bangladesh. Some of them are-

• Chakma- Total of 3% of the population are Chakma. They reside on the hill tracts of Chittagong in the southern part of the country. The Chakma people have 46 clans among themselves. The majority of them practices Buddhism. They speak the Chakma language which is similar to the Assamese language.
• Meitei- Only 0.1% of the population are Meitei people. They live in the Sylhet region. They speak the Meitei language which comes from Tibet-Burma. Most of the Meitei people practice Hinduism.
• Marma- The second largest ethnic group is Marma. They are of Burmese ancestry. They also practice Buddhism and speak Marma. They have their tradition and culture. The Marma groups were established when the Arakanese invaded the southeastern part of the country.
• Tripura- The Tripura live on the Hill tracts of Chittagong. Their language is called ‘Kokborok’ and their main festival is ‘Boishu’.
• Santal- The largest ethnic group of Bangladesh is Santals. They live in the northwest region mainly in Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Panchgarh of Bangladesh. They have their own language and culture but they can speak Bengali too. Most of the Santal people are Christian. They have 12 clans.
• Manipuri- One of the major ethnic group of Bangladesh are the Manipuris. They live in the Sylhet region. They migrated from Burma during the Manipuri Burma war. Their literature is very remote. The Manipuris can’t marry from their own clan.

Unity of Diversity

Folk culture, games, festivals, and different ethnic groups altogether play an important role in Bangladesh. Together they create diversity which has become a tradition of Bangladesh. Each of these has it’s own uniqueness. Some may be similar and some maybe not similar but these all have an ancient tradition. Bangladesh has a very strong cultural heritage. The folk tradition has resided in the country for thousands of years. In handling social norms, Folklore has an important role. The cultural forms, folk tradition, and ethnicity form the structure of society. In society, the inherited folklore culture and elements can be seen. The folk tradition is the key to understand the Bengali culture. The forms of folk grow and diversifies.

Bangladeshi folk culture is considered as a potential asset. These can be used in building an infrastructure to practice tradition. These folk elements can be used as a representation of the country to the world. Due to advancements in technology and science, a big change occurred to the folklore elements. The cultural diverseness creates the way of life of the Bengalis. In Bangladeshi rituals and rites, there is no gender inequality. The folklore culture opposes the power and caste system. Also, these are the source income of many people of this country which benefits the economy of the village and local people. These all create a diverse Bangladesh which is represented worldwide.

Conclusion

Bangladesh’s identity is its folk elements and ethnicity. These are the driving aspects of nationalism. It all involves different traditional activities. After the 1971 war, Bangladesh got dignity and its status. The globalization is degrading the cultural identity very much. By updating folk forms can benefit the situation a lot. Commercialization can be done to hold out the folk forms. Folk forms must be preserved and the representation pattern should be altered. Different cultural programs, public cultural events can help in maintaining the long tradition of Bangladesh folk tradition.

References

• Culture: Definition and Elements
• Folk Culture – Banglapedia
• The importance of preserving cultural traditions in the face of globalization – The Conversation
• Policies to promote folklore, traditional culture, and cultural diversity – UNESCO
• Traditional Cultural Values and Heritage Preservation – Academia.edu