Take a break from the urban lifestyle and cosmopolitan ambience of Kolkata this month. Ride an express train or drive a car to Shantiniketan, a national seat of learning, an international center of fine arts, and a land of folk culture in Bengal. Shantiniketan is famous for Rabindranath Tagore, Visva-Bharati University, and Poush Mela. The inception of Poush Mela dates back to the 1894 in connection with the anniversary of the Brahma Mandir founded by Maharishi Devendranath Tagore in 1891 in Shantiniketan.

Shantiniketan’s Poush Mela is one of the popular cultural fairs in Bengal. This fair provides a window to the rural heritage and folk culture of Bengal. What had started as a small rural fair is a great hit with tourists in winter, today. Held for three days in the last week of December, Poush Mela of Shantiniketan holds a mirror to the life and culture of rural Bengal. Travel Beats, a portal for Indian communities abroad shares gripping glimpses of Poush Mela to introduce you to the Bengali cultural heritage in Shantiniketan.

Catch up with Baul Singers

Poush Mela is a celebration of Bengal’s rural life and folk culture which remain an incomplete picture without mention of Baul Sangeet or Baul Gaan, a Bengali folk music. Bengal is home to the community of traditional Baul singers who are identified with their unique musical instrument Ektara. Poush Mela is a famous stage for their performance. They sing about the common aspects of day-to-day life. The atmosphere they create by playing the Ektara feels spiritual.

Marvel at Live Graffiti

No need to explore the lanes and alleys of Shantiniketan in search of graffiti. You will find graffiti as a live art on the faces of small children around you on the fairground. Their painted face and motley guise add to the colorfulness of the fair. The local children disguise themselves as priests, princes and gods to entertain the visitors in Shantiniketan’s Poush Mela.

Legends of Madhubani Painting

Learn about Local Culture

Poush Mela is a great time for the people of Shantiniketan and the neighboring villages. The locals including men and women actively participate in different rural games, which make the air of the fairground feel vibrant. Their exuberance and joy that the fair fills their day-to-day life with are sure to make you feel happy. You can learn a lot about their simple lifestyle and rural culture.

Music & Dance Festivals of India

Shop for Handicraft Items

Bengal has its own heritage of rural handicraft. The handicraft of Bengal comprises different forms of handcrafted art including terracotta. Bengal is a leading exporter of home décor items of cane, jute and terracotta, which you can shop for in Poush Mela. The fairground of Poush Mela is a great temporary marketplace for the folk artisans and rural craftsmen to sell their merchandise.

The Lesser-known Artists of Raghurajpur

Taste Local Sweetmeats

The fairground of Poush Mela in Shantiniketan is a makeshift culinary market with innumerable food stalls facing each other in several rows. The local sweetmeat sellers gather on the fairground to treat the visitors to the delicacies of rural Bengal. If you are a foodie, you must taste some because those local delicacies are not available out of Bengal.

Air travel to Bengal was never so cheap as it is now, because of Indian Eagle’s cheap flight deals for Kolkata throughout the year. Even cheap last minute travel to Kolkata is guaranteed at Indian Eagle. 

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Folk art, culture and tradition are the attractions of rural tourism in India. Many foreign scholars and travelers take to off-the-beaten paths of villages in quest of the folk art forms of India every year. Indian Eagle connects them with Indian culture and heritage to promote rural tourism as its social responsibility. Like the previous article,”The Art and Craft of Raghurajpur in the State of Orissa”, our take on the Madhubani Painting of Bihar is an effort towards achieving the goal.

Connection with legends ?

Madhubani Painting is a famous rural art of Madhubani, a village in the Mithila region of Bihar State, India. The origin of this art form is traced to the time of the Ramayana when Lord Ram was the King of Ayodhya in North India. If the legends are to be believed, a group of artists was commissioned to decorate the wedding venue with beautiful paintings on the occasion of the marriage of Ram and Sita by Janak, the King of Mithila.

From tradition to profession

Madhubani Painting has been an age-old tradition that women in the countryside perpetuated as a practice to decorate their huts from outside as well as inside on social and religious occasions. It has evolved from a folk culture tradition into a popular form of Indian art with the wheeling of time. In the bygone times, signs and symbols of sexual pleasure used to be painted on the walls of the rooms where newlywed couples spent the first night of marriage. With menfolk in the villages of Bihar having taken up Madhubani Painting as a profession, women have lost the monopoly over it.

Themes with religious bearings ?

The theme of Madhubani Painting is mostly influenced by the religious motifs and beliefs of Indians. Both practitioners and professionals of this traditional Indian art form are driven by love for nature and devotion for the Hindu deities. They depict the popular legends of Rama, Krishna, Durga, Kali, Shiva, Lakshmi, Saraswati and Indra, the abstract scenes from the courts of kings, and the familiar objects of day-to-day life through a palette of colors on cloth as well as canvas.

Close to the world of nature?

Lively illustration of natural objects such as the sun, the moon, flowers, birds and herbal plants like tulsi is popular with the artists of Madhubani Painting. The artists of the past years used organic colors derived or made from natural things like cow dung, charcoal soot, turmeric, flowers, plants, leaves, rice powder, sandalwood and indigo. The paintings on the walls and floors were close to simplicity and far from sophistication. Though the beauty of themes, the delicacy of sketching, and the flamboyance of colors are the mainstay of Madhubani painting even today.

Poetic and trantric connection

According to some art curators, Madhubani Painting was associated with the tantric culture of ancient India though it is still debated. The Mithila region of Bihar has been a seat of tantric practices for the Saiva and Sakti communities. References to the tantric connection of Madhubani Painting are found in the literary work of the poet Vidyapati who belonged to the 12th century.

Role of rural womenfolk ?

When the female members of Brahmin and Kayastha families were instructed to abide by the rules of the Panji System in 1326, differences appeared in the theme and style of Madhubani Painting based on their socio-economic status, lifestyles, creative levels and exposure to the outer world. The women from the upper reaches of society hardly experimented with themes, styles and motifs due to lack of exposure into the world beyond their confined existence. So their thought and imagination was limited to religious motifs and household rituals. Their Madhubani paintings became stylistic and intricate though variety was missing.

Socio-economic differences?

The paintings made by the women of lower castes like the Harijan exuded raw originality. Their paintings were less intricate and sophisticated than the works of the women of higher castes. They put emphasis on depth and beauty rather than ornamentation. Evidently, the socio-economic differences were apparent in the Madhubani Painting of? the previous eras. Gobar, Godana, Bharmi, Geru, Kachni and Tantric are some of the popular styles of this traditional art form.

International contributions?

With art-loving tourists from around the world having taken interest in the rural tourism and heritage of India, Madhubani Painting has gone beyond the confines of Mithila to touch international heights. India owes the worldwide popularity of Madhubani Painting to Japan, Germany, France and America in particular. The Mithila Museum in Tokamachi, Japan, exhibits some 900 paintings of different styles from Madhubani. ?The Women Painters of Mithila?, a book on Madhubani Painting by a French journalist was adapted into a film. The Master Craftsmen Association of Mithila, founded by an American in 1977, helps the artists of Madhubani with the sale of their creations through exhibitions.

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The recently held Lakme Fashion Week shows took India’s wedding culture and bridal fashion beyond the bounds of traditionalism. The bridal fashion of India is still ethnic in look though modern in cut and style. Both ace designers and the budding ones redefined it through their avant-garde creativity at Lakme India Fashion Week 2015, but most of their signature ensembles reflected oomph of ethnic charm with raw appeals. In this exclusive beat, Indian Eagle takes on the beauty and diversity of India’s bridal fashion from a few leading designers’ repertoires.

Nargis Fakhri in the Suneet Varma Show

At Lakme India Fashion Week 2015, the Suneet Varma Show was a signature statement on the bridal fashion of India. Glamorized by the face of Nargis Fakhri, the Suneet Varma collection of bridal lehengas in crimson red and golden yellow is an interface between retro and metro bridal fashions. Nargis Fakri, the showstopper for Suneet Varma, was draped in a richly embellished traditional bridal outfit teamed with stunning kundan jewellery. The magnificent ensemble from Sunnet Varma’s repertoire for Lakme Fashion Week 2015 bears out to the agelessness of India’s unique bridal fashion culture.

Ileana Dsouza in the Anushree Reddy Show

In contrast to the Suneet Varma show was the showcase of lively bridal lehengas with minimalistic details by the designer duo Anushree Reddy and Arpita Mehta. Weaved of satin with layers of net, the bridal lehengas in soft shades of pink, yellow and gold are accentuated with silver embellishments. The face of the Anushree Reddy and Arpita Mehta show was Ileana Dsouza in a set of pastel pink lehenga, crystal-studded blouse and netted dupatta with zardousi border. The collection is suitable for the happy-go-lucky women who prefer minimalism to extravagance.

Kareena Kapoor in the Anamika Khanna Show

Anamika Khanna’s bridal ensembles for Lakme India Fashion Week 2015 made a distinct departure from the traditional bridal fashion of India. Anamika Khanna’s signature saree and lehenga designs in glittering white and intimate black stole the show with the contemporary brides of Indian origin across the world. Bollywood actresses Kareena Kapoor, Deepika Pudukone and Jacqueline Fernandez graced the Anamika Khanna show with their dazzling appearance in her embroidered, embellished, elegant black & white ensembles.

Shabana Azmi in the Mandira Bedi Show

Actress Mandira Bedi who debuted as a fashion designer in 2013 showcased her line of traditional Indian sarees in khadi silk. The brilliance of colors from the kaleidoscopic palette is the mainstay of the Mandira Bedi show at Lakme India Fashion Week 2015. Somewhat retro and somewhat metro, Mandira’s khadi silk fashion is a perfect miasma of simplicity in design, richness in texture, and effervescence in color. Veteran actress Shabana Azmi in a sunset orange saree with golden border walked the ramp as showstopper for Mandira Bedi.

The Soumitra Mondal Show

Designer Soumitra Mondal wooed the fashion critics with his simple definition of Indian ethnic fashion at Lakme India Fashion Week 2015. Soumitra’s signature lehengas are inspired by the beauty of anarkali fashion. The ethnic fashion by Soumitra is a sensuous magic of the few soothing colors in his palette. The delicate zardousi work on the pastel shades of fiery oranges and creamy white turned the heads on. The aura of sophistication that his ensembles exude is simply unmatched!

Viday Balan in the Gaurang Show

The ethnic fashion of India with raw appeals in mélange with urban styles was the show-stealing attraction of Lakme India Fashion Week 2015. Designer Gaurang unveiled his latest collection of saree and lehenga designs inspired by the rural arts of India. Dipped in pastel shades of yellow, red, orange, purple and magenta, Gaurang’s signature ethnic ensembles exude a raw charm to woo the women with artistic senses and aesthetic tastes. Vidya Balan in a soft pink saree with broad golden border was the showstopper for him.

About Indian Eagle

Indian Eagle is a USA based leading international travel organization inspiring tourists to travel and explore India. Indian Eagle’s digital publication Travel Beats represents the heritage, culture and tourism of India.  

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Today is International Dance Day; the day to celebrate dance as a manifestation of creativity and an art of imagination across the world. India too celebrates its classical dance culture, a priceless heritage of the ancient times. The Indian classical dance forms have made it to international heights from the four walls of temples and royal courts. A cultural legacy for generations, the classical dance heritage of India is worth a tribute today. Indian Eagle briefs the classical dances to celebrate International Dance Day.

Bharatanatyam

One of the most celebrated classical dance forms of India, Bharatanatyam is unique to the Dravidian culture of South India. Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, the South Indian states, have been basking in the glory of Bharatanatyam for generations. The origin of this classical dance is associated with the 2000-year old Devdasi tradition in the temples of South India. Bharatanatyam is mythically believed to be introduced by Lord Brahma and documented by Sage Bharata in the Natya Shastra, a Sanskrit text. Devdasis or temple dancers who were dedicated in service to the presiding deities used to perform Bharatanatyam in temples. Mridangam, Veena, Flute, Violin and Talam are some of the instruments used in this dance performance.

Kathak

If Bharatanatyam is the mainstay of South Indian culture, Kathak is intermingled with the culture of North India. The recitation of mythological tales in rhythm with music and dance in ancient India is believed to be the origin of Kathak. Therefore, this classical dance form is associated with the recital art of storytelling. In the bygone days, kathakars or bards or poets used to depict mythological stories from the scriptures through facial expressions and hand gestures in villages as well as temples. It became sophisticated and popular in the Mughal regime. Kathak has been patronized in Banaras, Lucknow and Jaipur. The story of Radha and Krishna is the predominant theme of Kathak. Such instruments as Tabla, Pakwaj, Harmonium, Sarengi and Talam are used in Kathak performances.

Kathakali

Kerala has its own share of the Indian cultural heritage and that is for Kathakali, a classical dance form. Heavy makeup and colorful costume are the most amazing facets of Kathakali. The painted face and colorful appearance of Kathakali dancers are identified with the culture of Kerala. A most sophisticated form of imagination, Kathakali dance is a highly creative medium to depict the stories of the Hindu epics and mythologies. As it is a group performance, each dancer wears a different makeup as per the role or character. The dancer playing a noble hero or god wears green makeup on the face, while the dance playing a demon smears his face in green with red marks on the cheeks. It has become a popular dance drama over the years. Chenda, Cymbals, and Maddalam are the instruments used in Kathakali shows.

Kuchipudi

Kuchipudi has risen to international fame from a village in the South Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. This classical dance of India owes its origin to the Telugu Brahmins in Kuchelapuram Village, who were known for their expertise in staging the mythological legends through dance, drama and music. Kuchipudi has evolved from the Bhagavatmela tradition and differed from other Indian classical dance forms by the use of speech. The Kuchipudi dance moves are faster than those of any other classical dance. It is performed to both the Carnatic music and the Hindustani Music. There are a few variations of Kuchipudi.

Manipuri

Manipuri, a distinguished classical dance heritage of northeast India, deserves a mention here. Woven into the life and culture of Manipur, a northeastern state amidst hills, Manipuri is known for its poetic charm, colorful costumes and delicate moves. Since the time when the gods, as it is believed, dried a lake in the countryside of Manipur to make space for dance, this classical dance has been part of the socio-religious culture of the state. Ras Leela and Sankirtana are the devotional themes of Manipuri dance. The Manipuri dancers wear colorfully embroidered skirts with transparent embellished veil.

Odissi

One of the classical dance forms of ancient India, Odissi is the cultural pride of the state Orissa or Odisha. Like other forms of Indian culture, Odissi has its own story of survival. It has evolved through modifications over years. Nritya and Abhinaya are two most interesting highlights of Odissi. In Nritya, the dancers make delicate body movements to create ornamental moves. In Abhinaya, the dancers make myriad facial expressions to interpret a religious story or mythical legend. Odissi is performed in a multiple different styles including tribhangi.

Indian Eagle shares with NRIs their love and respect for the culture of India. That is why IndianEagle.com offers the cheapest air tickets to them.

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The worth of Indian art and culture is immeasurable. Apart from the thriving cultural heritage of India in the capital cities, the country’s artistic potential is nipped in villages like Raghurajpur. As focus of the tourism industry is mostly concentrated in adventure, food, beach and luxury sectors; rural areas are neglected in the public eye despite their rich handcraft culture. Most of the folk art forms and tribal cultures remain hidden in the wilderness due to their lack of exposure to the light of civilization. For example, the art and craft of Raghurajpur in eastern India. Indian Eagle, out of its social responsibility, highlights what makes Raghurajpur a must-visit art & culture destination.

Raghurajpur is a handicraft village at a 14-km drive from Puri, the best pilgrimage destination where the most famous Rath Yatra festival is held in the state of Orissa. 50 km away from Bhubaneswar, Raghurajpur is a village of artists, painters and craftsmen who live in art, dream of art and drink to art. A micro presence on the macro cultural map of India, this Oriya village is worth the value of a tourist destination not just for its opulence of art but also for its idyllic setting amidst coconut, palm, jackfruit and mango groves on the southern bank of the Bhargavi River. Most of the houses are made of mud in the village, and the outer surface of the walls of the houses is decorated with beautiful mural paintings which visually depict mythological glimpses from two great Indian epics – the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

Raghurajpur, the cradle of artists, is one of the thousand places in rural India where handicraft has been a chief source of livelihood for generations. This village in Puri district takes pride in not a single artwork but an assemblage of artworks including stone engraving, wood carving, mask making, Tussar painting, palm leaf engraving, and pata chitra. Craft, carving, painting and dance form the cultural excellence and artistic treasure of Raghurajpur.

Pata chitra painters create enchanting poetry on pieces of cloth, dried palm leaves and paper with the magic of creativity and colors. Pata chitra is an age-old folk art which today’s artists have traditionally inherited from their forefathers. In this art form, a variety of miniature painting, mythological stories and religious themes are depicted as delicately as possible. Natural dyes are used to beautify the painting done on the polished surface of a piece of cloth and a palm leaf.

The most popular theme that most of the pata chitra painters work on is the Dashavatara, the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu including Matsya, Kurma, Vaman, Varaha, Narasimha, Buddha, Rama, Krishna and Kalki. The stories of each of these incarnations are depicted meticulously using a complete palette of colors made from natural ingredients. Paintings of Ramlila, Raslila, Ayodhya Vijay and other scriptural themes on Tussar saris are influenced by pata chitra.

Orissa tourism basks in the glory of Raghurajpur art and craft. Besides handicraft, Gotipua Dance is another highlight of this art-loving village. This traditional folk dance form is integral to Orissa’s tribal culture and is performed by boys in the guise of girls. The dance is performed as a worshipping ritual to please the Deity of the Puri Jagannath temple. The performers are called Gotipuas. Some of the Gotipuas like Kelucharan Mohapatra have made their way to international stages abroad. Kelucharan Mohapatra, a legendary Gotipaus, was born in the village.

Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage brought Raghurajpur to the light of civilization and put it on the list of cultural tourist destinations by declaring it as a heritage handicraft village. It is one of the villages to be developed under the purview of rural tourism in India.

Indian Eagle connects NRIs with Indian culture, art and craft by booking the cheapest flights for them to India throughout the year. Do check the available lowest airfare on IndianEagle.com.

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“Gujarat is a land of captivating contrasts.” The contrast of colors is best reflected by the state’s textile handicraft that is rich, flamboyant, elegant, and ethnic. It is a cultural identity of the Gujarati folks who are known for their passion for colorfulness, aestheticism, ethnicity, and traditional fashion. The Gujarati textile handicraft is expressive of their artistic personality and cultural heritage, a legacy that is passed on from generation to generation. The Gujarati textile handicraft is distinctly identifiable in the multiregional milieu of Indian art and crafts. With Indian Eagle, take a tour of Gujarat’s most ethnic handcrafted textiles.

Patola – rich and flamboyant

Bearing a testimony to the richness and flamboyance of Gujarati handicraft culture is Patola that means “Queen of Silks”. Patola is a traditional silk-weaving art which was patronized by the Solanki Rajput rulers in the 12th century. This textile handicraft of Gujarat is believed to have originated and evolved from the age-old tradition of decorating mud-walled houses with murals and terracotta designs in the rural areas of Kutch. Patola silk sarees are woven in geometrical patterns and dyed in flaming colors. Folk motifs dominate the multicolored and delicate designs of Patola sarees with dazzling borders. High color durability is the mainstay of Patola silk sarees which are also available with zardosi embroidery and kundan work to be worn on festive occasions. Patola became a cultural symbol of Gujarat as well as a status symbol of the affluent people due to the efforts made by the Salvi weavers who migrated from Karnataka and Maharashtra.

Bandhani – a riot of colors

The riot of colors that is seen during the holi festival all over India is best captured on fabric through Bandhani, by the handicraft textile weavers of Gujarat. Attributing colorfulness of the ethnic fashion of the state is Bandhani handiwork, an age-old tie and dye technique. The craftsmen, who are mainly women, create a poetry of emotions through eloquent designs on the fabric woven from superfine cotton ‘mulmul’. Bandhani with zari work is the secret to the unmatched beauty of gharchola odhni, worn by Gujarati as well as Marwari brides, and festive sarees. Interspersed with the lifestyle and culture of the Jat, Meman, Rabari, Kumhar, and Harijan communities, Bandhani is done in different styles in different parts of the state. Jamdani is one of the most popular Bandhani styles. Identified with the beauty of Indian brides, this traditional craft of Gujarat thrives in Bhuj, Mandvi, Mundra and Jamnagar.

READ MORE Village Life in Gujarat

Needlework – delicate and elegant

The most spectacular textile based handicraft of Gujarat is needlework or embroidery, a chief source of living for thousands of artisans in the state. A pride of Gujaratis, embroidery is a woman-based handiwork that is known for elegance, delicacy and splendor the world over. At least, one thing of embroidery is sure to be found in every household in this Indian state. Toran, Chakla, Bhitiya and Pachhitpatis are some of the embroidered items which are the best buys here. Toran is a hanging flap used for doorway decoration. Chakla is a square piece of embroidery to beautify the upholstery of furniture. Bhitiya is a wall hanging that does up the interior. The ethnicity of Gujarat is best reflected by the varieties of patchwork, a kind of needlework. Abhala and Ari Bharat are the most popular variations of Kutch embroidery. Ari Bharat is mainly the applique work, while Abhala is the blend of embroidery and mirror work. The popularity of Gujarati needlework is leveraged in a contemporary fashion by ethnic textile designers.

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Zari – an ethnic fashion statement

Zari refers to the silver or golden thread used in the weaving of chunri, turbans, and borders of sarees and lehengas. Surat is the hub of zari work or zardosi or gold embroidery in Gujarat. The origin of this Gujarati textile handiwork dates back to the Mughal era of India. Surat is known for manufacturing high quality zari which is exported aboard as well. Zari is the main material used in the making of wedding outfits for brides and grooms in the Gujarati and Rajasthani communities. Modern-day designers having obsession with ethnic fashion are blending zari and other materials into the making of chic handbags, cushions and kurtas.

Hand Painting – a timeless tradition

Hand painting on fabric is one of the timeless handicraft traditions of Gujarat. Hand-painted cloth is used for making home improvement items including upholstery such as cushion covers, bed sheets, table covers, wall hangings, window curtains, etc. The hand-painted designs of the cloth are tailored according to the items to be made. The motifs of design are mainly inspired by the mythology of India. The Vaghari Harijans of Ahmedabad are known for their unsurpassed skills in hand-painting of fabric. Tales from the Puranas are meticulously depicted on a large piece of cloth through hand-painting. Buy a piece of hand-painted item as a cherished memento of your travel to Gujarat.

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