With the growth of Internet culture, the popularity of traditional forms of entertainment is seeing a decline. And with the pandemic, many folk artists had to give up on the art that survived the years and offered a glimpse into our history. However, there is still hope as one such folk art is trying to revive itself. One of the oldest forms of Bengali folk culture, the Bolan anthem of West Bengal is on the verge of extinction.
Bolan Gaan is a Bengali folk form where performers paint their faces in vibrant colors and sing, dance and recite folk tales. It is usually performed during the Gajan festival, which is dedicated to the Hindu god, Lord Shiva. According to a report in Anand Bazar, the Bengali dictionary shows that the word ‘bolan’ means a salutation or saying. The report also states that a group of folk researchers think that the Bolan song may have originated from the Bengali word for travel. It is believed that Bolan Gana Geet was sung on the occasion of Gajanan of Lord Shiva after the Turkish invasion of Bengal. There are four types of Bolan songs in this folk art: Damra Bolan, Pala Bolan, Sakhi Bolan and Cremation Bolan. At one time, Bolan songs were prevalent in large areas of Birbhum, Nadia, Burdwan and Murshidabad regions of West Bengal.
However now the cast of Bolan’s anthem find themselves struggling. According to a recent report in The Indian Express, Tarapada Mandal, a Bolan artiste who has been associated with folk culture for the past decade and a half, said, “The pandemic brought it to a temporary halt. But now it has started again. However, the situation is hopeless.”
Mandal said that now not many people show interest in Bolan. Sujan Manjhi, 35, who is also a Bolan artist, told the national daily that her team had a dozen members, but now they have only half left. Manjhi told The Indian Express that the younger generation is no longer interested in folk art as they have mobile phones for entertainment. Now this art is preferred only by the elderly people of rural West Bengal areas.
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