Paan

Paan

The betel leaf is popularly known as paan India. It is a medicinal plant whose leaves are taken as a spice. Paan is evergreen and available all round the year. The leaves are glossy and heart shaped. It grows to about 1 metre in height. Paan belongs to the division of magnoliophyta in the plant kingdom. This slender aromatic creeper with long stalks class is magnolipsida, order is piperales, family is piperaceae, genus is piper and the species is P.betle.
It is grown extensively in India. Malaysia is said to be country of origin. At one time it covered the Far East, India and went on to Madagascar and East Africa. There are many varieties of betel leaves and the best one is called magahi from the region of Magadh, which is in Bihar,India. In Tamil it is named vetrilai.
From the leaves of paan betel oil is obtained which belong to allylbenzene group of compounds – chavibetol, chavicol, estragole, eugenol methyl eugenol and also hydroxycatechol. Also present are two monoterpenes and two monoterpenoids, together with eucalyptol as well as carvacrol. In addition two sesquiterpenes are also present.
Warm humid climate is ideal for the cultivation of paan, which is a fast growing creeper. It can tolerate some amount of drought but is too sensitive to grow in regions outside the tropical belt. The flowers are white and become greenish brown upon maturing. Root division like cuttings is used for propagation. This is done in spring and summer. The soil has to be rich and there must be sufficient shade. It requires regular caring with plenty of nourishment and water. It will thrive in winter if shifted to a warm cozy niche.
The paan leaves are generally chewed either by itself or in combination with slaked lime, betel nuts (areca variety) and other exotic stuff like aniseed and sometimes tobacco etc. Preparation of paan is an art and the secret technique is passed down from generation to generation. An entire caste is engaged in this. Chewingthe leaves and nuts promotes red colored stimulating salivation. This has been in practice for thousands of years. It was a craze among aristocrats. There are several ways a paan can be folded. This it is a special branch of the paan culture. Asian history is incomplete without the paan.
Paan is a vital part of Hindu life. Money is placed on it while payments are made to priests. In Bengali weddings the bride enters the marriage podium covering her face with two palm leaves. She will remove them at the auspicious time of exchange of first glances with the groom. All through the ceremony she will keep two whole betel nuts tucked in her cheeks. A tray full of well-decorated paan is an essential part of the wedding trousseau. The fish too has an important role in the wedding. The fish is dressed as a bride with vermilion and a nose ring together with a folded paan in its mouth. Bengali grooms go to the house of bride carrying a betel nut cracker. These used to be made of silver, gold or brass and were exquisitely carved making them a collector’s delight today. As a gesture of hospitality, all overIndia , paan is offered and is considered to be very holy. At one time paan served the purpose of lipstick. The pouting red lips of young women have been the theme of many folk songs as well as classical literature.
Medinipur and 24 Paraganas districts are the main producing centres of Paan. The famous Benarasi pan are the leaf from Bengal. 
The paan is also a part of Vietnamese culture. There is a saying that the betel leaf starts off the conversation. It kicks off formal gatherings and sort of breaks the ice. In South East Asia the groom, as a token of exchange, traditionally offers the parents of the bride paan. The phrase ‘matters of betel and areca’ are synonymous with marriage in Vietnam.
Paan is an antiseptic that freshens the breath and is also an ayurvedic aphrodisiac medicine. Myriad are the uses of paan. It cures headaches, joint pain and arthritis as well as toothaches. In some places it serves the purpose of an antibiotic and a digestive medicine. It cures constipation, congestion and helps in lactation. It even helps in ridding the body of worms. Unani stream of medicine claims that paan is a sweet smelling stimulant that prevents flatulency. It stops bleeding. Applying heated paan as a foment, especially in the case of children cures stomach troubles. Drinking betel leaves boiled with black pepper can cure indigestion. An application of ground paan leaves on the temples, or few drops of its juice on the nostrils, gives relief from headaches. In cases of acute constipation a well-greased stalk can be inserted in the rectum can give instant relief to children. Paan leaves placed on an open wound works wonders within a day or two. Greased with oils and placed on the breasts of nursing mothers, paan promotes lactation. Eating paan is good for colds and coughs. In acute cases heat the leaf and rub it with oil on the chest. Coriander and mint kept tucked in paan retain their freshness. It may be taken as a concoction of tea for good health. This eliminates body odour emanating from sweat and menstruation. Gums and teeth are kept healthy by chewing it. Betel leaves relieves nerve disorders, exhaustion and pain and in many cases a concoction with diluted sweetened milk eases urination. Mixed with honey it is a good tonic. It helps in respiratory trouble that affects the lungs of young and old. Sore throat, inflammation is cured with the local application of paan paste. Boils can be treated with paan.
Scientists in Calcutta (Indian Institute of Chemical Biology) claim that in paan lies a potential cure for leukemia. A molecule from it has destroyed cancer cell without harmful side effects. This discovery has led to the experiment being carried out in other parts of the West and Japan. In all cases leukemia cells are totally destroyed. The same effect showed on experiments with mice. Clinical trials with humans have yet to be started. If successful, cancer treatment will become cheap and affordable. The journal of the Hematological Society of America has accepted this study for publication in its journal. There is a growing fear about the connection between paan and oral cancer but this has not been conclusively established
Paan is often used for cooking. Meat is cooked wrapped in paan leaves and cooked. Other fillings like shrimps, shallots and peanuts are often used inSouth East Asia. Platters are decorated with paan leaves.
Reference to the use of betel leaf goes back more than two thousand years, in an ancient Pli book of Srilanka, ‘Mahawamsa’. In the Vedas too there is reference to paan being the first offering to the guru. Bulath Pdhaya is a special dance mentioned in the Kohomba Kankariya of Srilanka. According to legend a king was troubled by divodasa – a recurring nightmare that made him ill. But a dance carrying paan leaves performed before the king cured him. Here the sacred and practical are entwined in poetic beauty excellence. The West too has taken up the paan culture with gusto.

চন্দ্রকেতুগড়

(উইকিপিডিয়া, মুক্ত বিশ্বকোষ থেকে)

চন্দ্রকেতুগড় বাংলার গুরুত্বপূর্ণ একটি প্রত্নস্থল। পশ্চিমবঙ্গের চব্বিশ পরগনা জেলায় এবং কলকাতা শহর থেকে ৩৫ কিলোমিটার উত্তরপূর্ব দিকে একদা ভাগীরথী নদীর অন্যতম প্রবাহ বিদ্যাধরী নদীর কূল ঘেঁষে এর অবস্থান। প্রত্নস্থলটিতে একাধিকবার উৎখনন পরিচালিত হয়েছে। উৎখননে প্রাপ্ত প্রত্নসামগ্রী চন্দ্রকেতুগড়ের প্রাচীনত্ব ও প্রত্নতাত্ত্বিক গুরুত্ব প্রমাণ করে। এখানকার নিদর্শনাবলির প্রধান অংশ কলকাতার আশুতোষ মিউজিয়াম ও প্রত্নতাত্ত্বিক জাদুঘরে সংরক্ষিত রয়েছে। এছাড়া বেশ কিছু নিদর্শন শহর এবং শহরের বাইরে ব্যক্তিগত সংগ্রহেও রয়েছে।

প্রত্নস্থলটিতে বর্তমানে দেবালয়, হাদীপুর, বেড়াচাঁপা, শানপুকুর, ঝিক্‌রা ও ইটাখোলা গ্রামের বিস্তৃত এলাকা জুড়ে বসতির চিহ্ন পাওয়া যায়। যাহোক, একথাটি বেশ জোর দিয়েই বলা যায় যে, এখানকার অবকাঠামোগত স্তরগুলির কালানুক্রমিক সম্পর্ক সঠিক ও সন্তোষজনকভাবে নির্ধারণ করা সম্ভব হয়নি। মাটির তৈরী বিশালদুর্গ প্রাচীর প্রত্নস্থলটির মূল কেন্দ্র ঘিরে আছে; আকৃতিতে আয়তাকার এবং মোটামুটিভাবে এক বর্গমাইল এলাকা জুড়ে বিস্তৃত। মাটির তৈরী এ দুর্গপ্রাচীরের অভ্যন্তরেই চন্দ্রকেতুগড়, খনা মিহিরের ঢিবি, ইটাখোলা এবং নুনগোলা ইত্যাদি স্থানে খননের মাধ্যমে পাঁচটি পৃথক সাংস্কৃতিক স্তর বা পর্বের সন্ধান পাওয়া গেছে।

প্রাথমিক স্তর

প্রথম পর্বটি প্রাক্‌-‘উত্তর ভারতীয় কালো মসৃণ মৃৎপাত্র’ (Pre-NBPW) পর্যায়ের স্তরকে নির্দেশ করে।
[সম্পাদনা] দ্বিতীয় স্তর

৪০০ থেকে ১০০ খ্রিষ্টপূর্বাব্দ পর্যন্ত সময়কাল ঘোষণা করে দ্বিতীয় স্তর। এই স্তরের বৈশিষ্ট্যমণ্ডিত নিদর্শনাবলির মধ্যে লম্বা গলার লাল মৃৎপাত্র; কানাবিহীন বড় গোলাকার পেয়ালা ও বাটিকা; কালো, সোনালি এবং বেগুনী রং-এর উত্তর ভারতীয় কালো মসৃণ মৃৎপাত্র; ধূসর রং-এর সাধারণ মৃৎপাত্রের টুকরা; তামার তৈরী চোখে সুরমা লাগাবার দণ্ড (Antimony rod); ও হাতির দাঁতের সামগ্রীর খণ্ড; ছাপাঙ্কিত তাম্র মুদ্রা; লিপিবিহীন ছাঁচে ঢালা তাম্র মুদ্রা; এবং বেশ কিছু পোড়ামাটির সামগ্রী যার মধ্যে প্রচুর পরিমাণে পুঁতি, নামাঙ্কিত সীল ও সীলমোহর রয়েছে।
[সম্পাদনা] তৃতীয় স্তর

তৃতীয় স্তরটি কুষাণ যুগের সমসাময়িক এবং স্তরটি আপাতদৃষ্টিতে সর্বাপেক্ষা সমৃদ্ধ। এ স্তর হতে রোমক ‘রুলেটেড’ (নকশা করা) পাত্রের অংশ বিশেষ; কালো অথবা অনুজ্জল লাল (mat-red) রং-এর ‘অ্যামফোরা’ (amphorae) বা গ্রীস দেশীয় মৃৎপাত্রের বেশ কিছু ভাঙ্গা অংশ; ছাপাঙ্কিত নকশাযুক্ত মনোরম লোহিত মৃন্ময়; ধূসর মৃৎপাত্র; এবং নিখুঁতভাবে ছাঁচে তৈরী পোড়ামাটির ক্ষুদ্র মূর্তি পাওয়া গেছে। এ পর্বকে খ্রিষ্টীয় প্রথম তিন শতাব্দীর মধ্যে ধরা হয়।
[সম্পাদনা] চতুর্থ স্তর

চতুর্থ স্তরটিকে গুপ্ত এবং গুপ্তোত্তর যুগের বলে চিহ্নিত করা হয়। এ স্তরের বৈশিষ্ট্যপূর্ণ নিদর্শনের মধ্যে রয়েছে সীল ও সীলমোহর; পোড়া মাটির সামগ্রী; ছাপাঙ্কিত নকশাযুক্ত ও ছাঁচে নির্মিত মৃৎপাত্র। এ স্তরের সবচাইতে গুরুত্বপূর্ণ নিদর্শন হচ্ছে ১৪ ফুটের বেশি উচুঁ ‘সর্বত-ভদ্র’ রীতির ইট নির্মিত বিশাল একটি মন্দিরের ধ্বংসাবশেষ। কোন বিশেষ দেব-দেবীর সঙ্গে সম্পর্কিত করা যায় ধর্মীয় এমন কোন নমুনা মন্দিরের ধ্বংসাবশেষ থেকে পাওয়া যায়নি। তবে, গুপ্ত স্তর থেকে সূর্য্য দেবতার প্রতিকৃতি একটি বেলে পাথর ফলকের নিম্নাংশে পাওয়া গেছে। পঞ্চম স্তরের প্রত্নতাত্ত্বিক সাক্ষ্যপ্রমাণ খুবই কম, এগুলি সম্ভবত পাল পর্যায়ের বলে ধরে নেওয়া হয়।
[সম্পাদনা] নিদর্শন

প্রাপ্ত শিল্প নিদর্শনের ভিত্তিতে সুস্পষ্ট যে, মৌর্য থেকে গুপ্ত যুগ পর্যন্ত এ প্রত্নস্থলের প্রধান শিল্প মাধ্যম ছিল ছাঁচ নির্মিত পোড়ামাটির সামগ্রী। সার্বিক বিবেচনায় এ শিল্পটি শিল্পরীতিতে ৩৫০ খ্রিষ্টপূর্বাব্দ থেকে ৫০০ খ্রিষ্টাব্দ পর্যন্ত সময়কালে গাঙ্গেয় ভারতের শিল্পকলার নিদর্শনাবলির সঙ্গে সম্পৃক্ত বলে মনে হয়। এগুলির বিস্ময়কর বিষয় বৈচিত্র্য অত্র অঞ্চলের শিল্পরীতির বিশেষ বৈশিষ্ট্যকে প্রকাশ করেছে। এখানে ধর্মীয় ও আচার সংক্রান্ত নিদর্শনাবলি যা পাওয়া গেছে তার মধ্যে আদিম ধরিত্রি-দেবী, যক্ষ, যক্ষিণী, নাগ, পুরুষ বা নারী মুর্তি, কখনও পশুচালিত যানে দণ্ডায়মান এবং পাখাযুক্ত দেব-দেবী রয়েছে। আবার ধর্মের সঙ্গে কোন সম্পর্ক নেই এমন বস্তুও পাওয়া গেছে। পোড়ামাটির সামগ্রীতে বিশেষ করে পোশাক অথবা শারিরীক সাধারণ বৈশিষ্ট খ্রিষ্টীয় প্রথম তিন শতাব্দীর গ্রেকো-রোমান যোগাযোগের গভীর প্রভাব দেখা যায়। প্রেমবিলাসী কামার্ত যুগলের কিংবা ‘মৈথুন’ ভঙ্গিতে চন্দ্রকেতুগড় প্রত্নস্থল থেকে অগণিত পোড়া মাটির মূর্তি পাওয়া গেছে। অলঙ্কারযুক্ত পুরুষ ও নারী মূর্তিসমূহ থেকে ইঙ্গিত পাওয়া যায় যে স্বর্ণকারের শিল্পের অনুকরণ করা হতো।

বর্তমানে প্রত্নস্থলটি সুনিশ্চিতভাবে শনাক্ত করা সম্ভব হয়নি। কিন্তু এমন বিশ্বাস করার যথেষ্ট কারণ রয়েছে যে, চন্দ্রকেতুগড়ই সম্ভবত ‘পেরিপ্লাস’ এবং টলেমী সূত্রে উল্লিখিত প্রাচীন ‘গাঙ্গে’ বা গঙ্গারিডাই।

* Chandraketugarh : A Treasure House of Bengal Terracottas - Enamul Haque. Dhaka, The International Centre for Study of Bengal Art, 2001, 416 p., 678 illustrations including 400 in colour, figures, plates, maps, ISBN 984-8140-02-6. [১]
* Chandraketugarh : A Lost Civilization - Gourishankar De and Shubhradip De. Kolkata, Sagnik Books, 2004, 109 p., 34 photos, [২]

বহিঃসংযোগ

* Banglapedia article
* Website concerning Chandraketugarh
* Photos
* Interview with Prof. Joachim K. Bautze
* Timeline of excavation with photos
* collection of relics
* Chandraketugarh
* A plaque of Chandraketugarh
* A travel article on Chandraketugarh by Rangan Datta
* A Travel Article on Archeological Sites near Calcutta by Rangan Datta
* Rangan Datta's Home Page

Shiqdar

Shiqdar a medieval institution. Shiqdar was the head of an administrative unit called shiqq, which was equivalent to a province or part of a province. Originally the shiqdar held a military rank, but later acted as a revenue officer. During the time of SHER SHAH, shiqdar was an officer of the pargana, and he held the military post, while amin was a revenue officer. The term shiqdar survived into the 18th century. In modern time the office of shiqdar no longer exists, but some people in Bengal take the family title of Shiqdar.

WoodCarving

The village community halls also known as chandimantaps, which were the centres of rural culture had the best of pillars, brackets beams etc. made out of beautifully carved wood. Some of the chandimandaps can be seen at Antpur and Sripur-Balagarh in the Hooghly district and also in Ula-Birnagar in Nadia district. The examples of wood carving of West Bengal can best be seen in the wooden images of village temples. Some domestic shrines are also made of wood and beautifully carved. Carved figures in classical tradition though simple are very expressive. The style is folk and the subject includes folk gods, goddess and figures. The wood from Bel and neem is used for carving and the figures are then painted with colours.
In Burdwan district of West Bengal, the wood carvers are known as sutradhars and are best known for huge platters and bowls which are made out of mango wood. In south Bengal, in the districts of 24-parganas and Howrah, both Hindu and Muslim community practises this craft form. Beautifully wood carved furniture is made here with teak, sisham and mahogany. Delicate and fine carving can be seen on wood panels and furnitures here. Bengal is also famous for the Raths which are made of wood and festooned with carved panels. The panels of the raths have figures carved into geometric and floral motifs. The raths usually also have a pair of horses.
Wood is widely used for making toys and decorative panels. Kalighat dolls & Natungram wood carvings are worth mentioning. Image made in wood relate back to traditional icons, deities some of them stylised to a modern look.
New materials and innovative techniques are being used by the artisans to produce useful and aesthetic products. Folk motifs and ingredients are being effectively used for a greater market.other decorative itmes.

WoodCarvingOfBengal

The village community halls also known as chandimandaps, which were the centres of rural culture had the best of pillars, brackets beams etc. made out of beautifully carved wood. Some of the chandimandaps can be seen at Antpur and Sripur-Balagarh in the Hooghly district and also in Ula-Birnagar in Nadia district. The examples of wood carving of West Bengal can best be seen in the wooden images of village temples. Some domestic shrines are also made of wood and beautifully carved. Carved figures in classical tradition though simple are very expressive. The style is folk and the subject includes folk gods, goddess and figures. The wood from Bel and neem is used for carving and the figures are then painted with colours. Apart from these areas one can find wood curved chandimandaps in various other parts og Bengal.
In Burdwan district, the wood carvers are known as sutradhars and are best known for huge platters and bowls which are made out of mango wood. In south Bengal, in the districts of 24-parganas and Howrah, both Hindu and Muslim community practises this craft form. Beautifully wood carved furniture is made here with teak, sisham and mahogany. Delicate and fine carving can be seen on wood panels and furnitures here. Bengal is also famous for the Raths which are made of wood and festooned with carved panels. The panels of the raths have figures carved into geometric and floral motifs. The raths usually also have a pair of horses.
Wood is widely used for making toys and decorative panels. Kalighat dolls & Natungram wood carvings are worth mentioning. Image made in wood relate back to traditional icons, deities some of them stylised to a modern look.
New materials and innovative techniques are being used by the artisans to produce useful and aesthetic products. Folk motifs and ingredients are being effectively used for a greater market other decorative itmes.

TheSantals

The Santals are one of the largest ethnic groups in India. They occupy primarily the Chotanagpur Plateau, with their settlements distributed over an area of 350 miles, from the Ganges to the Baitarani, between long. 86 degrees-88 degrees E and lat. 22 degrees-26 degrees N. Politically, this region extends through the states of Bihar, West Bengal, and northern Orissa. Within each of these states, the SANTAL population is concentrated as follows: Bihar--districts of SANTAL Parganas, Manbhum, Singhbhum, Bhagalpur, Hazaribagh, and Monghyr; West Bengal--districts of Bankura, Birbhum, and Midnapore; Orissa--districts of Mayurbhanj and Balasore.
Their social organization of the community is very complete; each village has its headman or manjhi, with his assistant the paranik; the jogmanghi is charged with the supervision of the morals of the young men and women; the naeke is the village priest, the godet is the village constable. Over a group of villages is the pargana or tribal chief. The Santal are divided into following exogamous sects/clans with respect to their surnames and Totem associated 1. Hansda 2. Murmu 3. Kisku 4. Hembram 5. Soren 6. Marndi 7. Tudu 8. Besra 9. Baskey 10. Pauria 11. Chaney 12. Bedea. Their social observances are complex, e.g. while some relations treat each other with the greatest reserve, between others the utmost freedom of intercourse is allowed.

Maajhi/Boatmen of Bengal

The boatman/maajhi’s presence is woven into the fabric of rural Bengal. You can’t imagine the Bengal countryside without its stretch of river and a few boats plying on the surface. Rivers came before roads were even dreamt of.
On the map of West Bengal, rivers appear like so many veins on a leaf. And, rising like a mist from the rivers, is the figure of a boatman as the ages have known him. He is dark and sinewy with muscles like so much rope running down shoulder and arm. The furrows lie deep on his forehead, for the sheer effort of rowing causes him to crease his brow. Atop the heavily tanned face rests a thin turban, more a sunscreen than an ornament. The oars are held by chapped, work worn hands. The eyes are screwed against the harsh light of the sun on running water. He is thin, he is overworked. As likely as not, it’s the plug of tobacco in his mouth that keeps him going, unless it be the brave, indomitable spirit of his forefathers.
The boatmen of Bengal come of different stocks. Many belong to the Bagdi caste which is spread over a wide area in the districts of Burdwan, Hooghly, Midnapore, Bankura, Birbhum and the 24 Parganas. Bagdis are mostly agricultural laborers but their passion for fishing has lured them to the waterways.
There are members of other communities too, among the boatmen of Bengal, chiefly Muslims. But there is little to tell them apart from one another save perhaps the mode of dress which extends to a lungi and skull cap as well as a full beard. For the rest they are the same – with similar lifestyles and the same fears, the same concerns. Both Hindus and Muslim villagers offer prayers before a river journey. The deities differ from place to place.
Along the Ganges, worship is offered to images of the Ganga riding a makara (a mythical aquatic animal with the body of an elephant). Teesta, the most turbulent river of north Bengal, is personified as Teestabudhi (old lady Teesta) and is offered ceremonial worship to the accompaniment of music and dance. A certain river deity in Bengal is known as Dariy-Pir. He is said to be a deified Muslim saint who presides over rivers in general. Members of all communities offer worship in his name, in the hope of having a safe journey by boat. In the coastal region, the names of goddess Ganga, Bahruddin Ghazi and the (unspecified) Five Pirs along with Dariya-Pir, are chanted by Muslim boatmen before setting out on a journey on any big river.
The method of ceremonial worship is very simple. A small pit, symbolizing a river, is dug in the ground. It is filled with milk and two small human images are taken across the pit a number of times symbolizing a safe journey by river Uncooked food is also offered to the deities and legend of Dariya Pir is narrated to focus on his miraculous powers.
And well might the boatmen worship his gods for his life is fraught with dangers. Even he has grown to manhood on that same river, handling an oar when others handled no more than a hoop, even if he understands all the signs and portents, he is at the mercy of the elements. There’s danger from storms and cyclones, particularly in coastal areas. In and around Midnapore district for example, cyclones are fierce and frequent and for the light country boat out by itself on river or sea, the lashing, howling winds spell terror. Even the sudden localized storms known as Norwesters can whip up the waves to a fury. A savage shark is no friend, neither is the tall wave known as a ‘bore’ that suddenly goes riding upstream from the mouth of the Hooghly. And every time a ship plies the waters, even on a peaceful, windless day, it sends the surface of the river and the country boat into a tizzy.
One sometimes wonders why boatmen remain boatmen. It must be because they are trained for no other profession. Or why else would they live out their lives precariously balanced on the poverty line? Like other unskilled/Semi-skilled laborers, they are haunted by insecurity, fear of illness and a sudden, unavoidable financial drain. In recent years, with the advent of fishing trawlers and power driven ferries and motor launches, the country boat is less in demand. A fisherman cannot match the performance of a trawler and a motor ferry will leave the best country boat far behind. But, plying a row boat or sail boat, skiff or catamaran, the boatman is here to stay.
Rivers are the lifeline of rural Bengal and worship of rivers (as distinct from river deities) is also deeply ingrained in the psyche of the rural population. During the ‘Sedo’ festival, which falls on the last day of Paus (December-January), Hindu women prepare small, floatable, boat-like structures out of banana trunks, placing inside them small round balls of jaggery and lighted candles. Decorated with marigold flowers and laced with prayers, these boats are floated down the river at sundown. To a villager, a boat is highly symbolic. It is a means of reaching somewhere, be it the opposite bank, the next village, the open sea or the shrine of the river goddess itself. At the time of fairs and festivals, country boats are much in demand. The Ganga Sagar mela (fair) held on an island at the mouth of the Hooghly, witnesses whole fleets of country boats converging on the sacred ghats.
To the boatman, his boat is a home away from home. If he wanders far, a rough canopy of wood and tin offers a place to cook and sleep and a little niche to keep his things safe against the ever flying spray. And when loneliness grips him, he sits in the prow of his boat and sings. Most often his songs are based on the style known as Bhatiyali. This is regional in Character, inasmuch as it is sung all over the lower regions of the eastern districts of Bengal, known as Bhati (the lowlands). The whole region of Bhati is covered by vast stretches of water, particularly during the rainy season. The boatmen playing their boats in this area sing such songs. Bhatiyali is never sung in groups, but always individually, expressing the deepest feelings of love and devotion of the human soul. This is essentially a song of loneliness, sung by boatmen during their leisure, helm in hand, while the boat floats on by itself down the river, at low tide.
Bhatiyal is a-rhythmic, as compared to Sari, that other sytle of singing which is rhythmic and often fast. Sari is the style adopted during manual work, a perfect example being the pulling of oars in unison during the boat races sometimes held in lower Bengal.
The boatmen of Bengal have long been a motif of great inspiration to painters. How many have depicted the Bengal countryside: paddy fields – an incredible shade of green, coconut palms rising to meet the sky, and the river floating by with one lone boat on its bosom. Or a clutch of country boats, supremely river-worthy craft, with sails unfurled. Tattered sails made of canvas and patched with other materials, in different colours. Or else the silhouette of a boatman in the prow of his boat gliding into the sunset.(Collected)