195
into the shadow of zamindars, but their disguised Shiva hood gained them the status
of superior, almost God-like. According to the Foucauldian discourse analysis,
power relationship in the society expressed through language and practice and this
festival is the form of resistance of marginal downtrodden group of people towards
the power structure and power exercise of upper class of the society as where there
is a power, there is a resistance, and power is multidirectional and resistance is
another form of power (Foucault 1980). Gajan is the festival of bloody sacrifice and
influence of Hinduism and Buddhism especially tantric rituals can be found on the
mythmaking of this festival; it is also the festival of liberation of two types of marginalized group of society – the Namsudras (caste of untouchables) and a section of
women (Fig. 11.1).
11.3 Study Area at a Glance
Kulpi community development block is an administrative division of Diamond
Harbour Subdivision of South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal; it is situated in
extended Sundarban region only 6 m above sea level. It is a low land area with
marine delta in the south and marine riverine delta in the north formed by deposition
of sediments by river, but there is scarcity of non-saline water can be found so agriculture irrigation and cropping pattern is Monsoon dominated. Economically it is an
agricultural area, and most of the population of this area is directly and indirectly
depending on agriculture for their livelihood, so society also can say an agro-based
society (Fig. 11.2).
This agriculture-based area of Sundarban had a historical background of farmer
or peasant movement which is also termed as Tebhaga Movement occurs in Bengal
during the famine of 1943 and continued till 1950 with the implementation of
Bargadar Act 1950. The objective of this movement was improving the share of
farmers who were engaged in share-cropping. So agriculture and cultivation process
has a very deep influence on the economic, social and cultural life of the people in
this region. As people of this region worshipping land as mother earth and imagine
the earth as a fertile womb took an important part in their rituals. Gajan and Charak
festival is carnivals of farmers, in this festival peoples want to satisfy God by various sacrificing rituals discuss later part of this paper. People of this region mostly
observe this festival before the harvesting period of crops mainly paddy on Visuvat,
the vernal equinox (Ferrari 2010).
According to 2011 census, total population of Kulpi CD Block is 283,197, with
51% male (144,773) and 49% female (138,424) population, within it 1/3 population
is under schedule caste and schedule tribes (SC-84,020, ST-315) who are the culturally marginal group in study of marginality and Gajan festival, and when in festival
time, these people are dressed like Sannyasi and gained Shiva hood for the month of
Chaitra, and these under developed, poor people were given respect for this month.
So for various aspects, people of this area involve themselves full heartedly in this
carnival at the end of the year and in threshold of a new year.
11 Gajan: A Cultural Heritage of the Marginalized People in Kulpi CD Block, West…
into the shadow of zamindars, but their disguised Shiva hood gained them the status
of superior, almost God-like. According to the Foucauldian discourse analysis,
power relationship in the society expressed through language and practice and this
festival is the form of resistance of marginal downtrodden group of people towards
the power structure and power exercise of upper class of the society as where there
is a power, there is a resistance, and power is multidirectional and resistance is
another form of power (Foucault 1980). Gajan is the festival of bloody sacrifice and
influence of Hinduism and Buddhism especially tantric rituals can be found on the
mythmaking of this festival; it is also the festival of liberation of two types of marginalized group of society – the Namsudras (caste of untouchables) and a section of
women (Fig. 11.1).
11.3 Study Area at a Glance
Kulpi community development block is an administrative division of Diamond
Harbour Subdivision of South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal; it is situated in
extended Sundarban region only 6 m above sea level. It is a low land area with
marine delta in the south and marine riverine delta in the north formed by deposition
of sediments by river, but there is scarcity of non-saline water can be found so agriculture irrigation and cropping pattern is Monsoon dominated. Economically it is an
agricultural area, and most of the population of this area is directly and indirectly
depending on agriculture for their livelihood, so society also can say an agro-based
society (Fig. 11.2).
This agriculture-based area of Sundarban had a historical background of farmer
or peasant movement which is also termed as Tebhaga Movement occurs in Bengal
during the famine of 1943 and continued till 1950 with the implementation of
Bargadar Act 1950. The objective of this movement was improving the share of
farmers who were engaged in share-cropping. So agriculture and cultivation process
has a very deep influence on the economic, social and cultural life of the people in
this region. As people of this region worshipping land as mother earth and imagine
the earth as a fertile womb took an important part in their rituals. Gajan and Charak
festival is carnivals of farmers, in this festival peoples want to satisfy God by various sacrificing rituals discuss later part of this paper. People of this region mostly
observe this festival before the harvesting period of crops mainly paddy on Visuvat,
the vernal equinox (Ferrari 2010).
According to 2011 census, total population of Kulpi CD Block is 283,197, with
51% male (144,773) and 49% female (138,424) population, within it 1/3 population
is under schedule caste and schedule tribes (SC-84,020, ST-315) who are the culturally marginal group in study of marginality and Gajan festival, and when in festival
time, these people are dressed like Sannyasi and gained Shiva hood for the month of
Chaitra, and these under developed, poor people were given respect for this month.
So for various aspects, people of this area involve themselves full heartedly in this
carnival at the end of the year and in threshold of a new year.
11 Gajan: A Cultural Heritage of the Marginalized People in Kulpi CD Block, West…