193
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
Rukhsana et al. (eds.), Habitat, Ecology and Ekistics, Advances in Asian
Human-Environmental Research, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-49115-4_11
Chapter 11
Gajan: A Cultural Heritage
of the Marginalized People in Kulpi CD
Block, West Bengal
Moumita Ghosh and Lakshminarayan Satpati
11.1 Introduction
In the present time of post globalization period, popular cultural is becoming dominant day by day, and diffusion of popular culture around the world has put the existence of many folk cultures into great danger because folk culture always have an
unique origin and it spreading into the local communities so folk culture also termed
as indigenous culture or mother culture. Globalization has overlap boundaries of
states, which resulting increasing economic activities in one hand but in the other
hand movements of social, cultural and political elements, popular traits and ideas
throughout the world, slowly reducing diversity of many folk culture. Presently the
Iroquois of Western Canada, the Amish of North America and the Hutterites of
North West United States are also some marginal groups, and their cultural festivals
are also subsided by popular culture. So folk culture of rural people and their cultural heritage become marginalised in various part of our globe in national and
international platform. Gajan of West Bengal, India, is also one of the marginal
culture mainly practiced by poverty stricken, downtrodden people of the study area.
Preparation of Gajan begins towards the end of Falgun (March). The villagers
begin to thrive with life and vitality as the festival approaches. Gajan committees
are formed, responsibility is allotted, list of subscriptions is prepared, and collection
is done. Performers are selected and scripts are written. Rehearsals for Gajan are
held in club, veranda’s of some villagers, chandimandap, etc. The rich even show
least interest in the festival, so poor are the sole organizers and most of the financial
responsibility goes to them. Towards the evening after a day’s hard struggle, Gajan
M. Ghosh (*)
Department of Geography, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
L. Satpati
Professor, Department of Geography and Director, UGC-HRDC, University of Calcutta,
Kolkata, West Bengal, India
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
Rukhsana et al. (eds.), Habitat, Ecology and Ekistics, Advances in Asian
Human-Environmental Research, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-49115-4_11
Chapter 11
Gajan: A Cultural Heritage
of the Marginalized People in Kulpi CD
Block, West Bengal
Moumita Ghosh and Lakshminarayan Satpati
11.1 Introduction
In the present time of post globalization period, popular cultural is becoming dominant day by day, and diffusion of popular culture around the world has put the existence of many folk cultures into great danger because folk culture always have an
unique origin and it spreading into the local communities so folk culture also termed
as indigenous culture or mother culture. Globalization has overlap boundaries of
states, which resulting increasing economic activities in one hand but in the other
hand movements of social, cultural and political elements, popular traits and ideas
throughout the world, slowly reducing diversity of many folk culture. Presently the
Iroquois of Western Canada, the Amish of North America and the Hutterites of
North West United States are also some marginal groups, and their cultural festivals
are also subsided by popular culture. So folk culture of rural people and their cultural heritage become marginalised in various part of our globe in national and
international platform. Gajan of West Bengal, India, is also one of the marginal
culture mainly practiced by poverty stricken, downtrodden people of the study area.
Preparation of Gajan begins towards the end of Falgun (March). The villagers
begin to thrive with life and vitality as the festival approaches. Gajan committees
are formed, responsibility is allotted, list of subscriptions is prepared, and collection
is done. Performers are selected and scripts are written. Rehearsals for Gajan are
held in club, veranda’s of some villagers, chandimandap, etc. The rich even show
least interest in the festival, so poor are the sole organizers and most of the financial
responsibility goes to them. Towards the evening after a day’s hard struggle, Gajan
M. Ghosh (*)
Department of Geography, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
L. Satpati
Professor, Department of Geography and Director, UGC-HRDC, University of Calcutta,
Kolkata, West Bengal, India