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personalities, rise and fall of government and various social issues. Sometimes they
dressed like Gods and Goddesses, and people touch their feet and belief them as
disciples of lord Shiva and convey their sufferings and struggle for survival.
11.7 Lyrics Writer of Gajan Gan
The writer of Gajan songs are not so-called educated in formal education; in my
study area Kulpi Block of South 24 Parganas mostly have very little education, so
they write those lyrics with their own experience, mental sweetness and feelings of
heart which is closest to the earth and different aspects of lives of a rural poor and
their struggle for existence. In the stage their performance, speech, speaking style
and presentation are commendable; if these artists get favourable environment and
opportunity, they also can flourish themselves. This ancient culture is dying today
due to lack of proper steps taken to revive the art and culture. This festival also has
religious integrity and also non-secular in nature; both Hindu and Muslims are associated with this culture. In the research site Kulpi CD Block of South 24 Parganas
district, most of the people have very little education that means education index is
low and percentage of poverty ratio per households is very high (Source:-HDI
report, South 24 Parganas 2009), so they write those lyrics of Gajan songs with their
own experience of daily life, mental sweetness and feelings of heart which is closest
to the earth and different aspects of lives of a rural poor and their struggle for existence (Karanjali 2006).
11.8 Transgenderism and Sacrificing Rituals Associated
with Gajan
Gajan is a very unique festival, where we can found reversal of gender roles and
cross-dressing of actors. In a Gajan play male actors dressed like female to play
female characters and to express the emotions and pain of the female. So we can see
“Transgenderism” as is evident in the evolution process of various rites. Male artists
dressed and acted like females and try to imitate the pain of womanhood and mainly
the pain of menstrual cycle and childbirth (Knight 1992).
“One is not born a woman, but rather becomes one”- Simon de Beauvoir.
As “transgenderism” is the state in which a person’s identity does not match with
conventional ideas of male or female as gender. In various Indian ancient texts like
“Chitrangada” by great Poet Rabindranath Thakur and epic like “Mahabharata”
portrays character of Shikhandini to represents that woman can be warrior, ferocious, angry and thirsty almost manlike. This power of woman also represents by
Goddess Kali according to Hindu mythology. In present times many rituals of this
unique festival Gajan become out of practice as poor and marginalised people of the
society are associated with this local folk culture of this region. Representation of
11 Gajan: A Cultural Heritage of the Marginalized People in Kulpi CD Block, West…
personalities, rise and fall of government and various social issues. Sometimes they
dressed like Gods and Goddesses, and people touch their feet and belief them as
disciples of lord Shiva and convey their sufferings and struggle for survival.
11.7 Lyrics Writer of Gajan Gan
The writer of Gajan songs are not so-called educated in formal education; in my
study area Kulpi Block of South 24 Parganas mostly have very little education, so
they write those lyrics with their own experience, mental sweetness and feelings of
heart which is closest to the earth and different aspects of lives of a rural poor and
their struggle for existence. In the stage their performance, speech, speaking style
and presentation are commendable; if these artists get favourable environment and
opportunity, they also can flourish themselves. This ancient culture is dying today
due to lack of proper steps taken to revive the art and culture. This festival also has
religious integrity and also non-secular in nature; both Hindu and Muslims are associated with this culture. In the research site Kulpi CD Block of South 24 Parganas
district, most of the people have very little education that means education index is
low and percentage of poverty ratio per households is very high (Source:-HDI
report, South 24 Parganas 2009), so they write those lyrics of Gajan songs with their
own experience of daily life, mental sweetness and feelings of heart which is closest
to the earth and different aspects of lives of a rural poor and their struggle for existence (Karanjali 2006).
11.8 Transgenderism and Sacrificing Rituals Associated
with Gajan
Gajan is a very unique festival, where we can found reversal of gender roles and
cross-dressing of actors. In a Gajan play male actors dressed like female to play
female characters and to express the emotions and pain of the female. So we can see
“Transgenderism” as is evident in the evolution process of various rites. Male artists
dressed and acted like females and try to imitate the pain of womanhood and mainly
the pain of menstrual cycle and childbirth (Knight 1992).
“One is not born a woman, but rather becomes one”- Simon de Beauvoir.
As “transgenderism” is the state in which a person’s identity does not match with
conventional ideas of male or female as gender. In various Indian ancient texts like
“Chitrangada” by great Poet Rabindranath Thakur and epic like “Mahabharata”
portrays character of Shikhandini to represents that woman can be warrior, ferocious, angry and thirsty almost manlike. This power of woman also represents by
Goddess Kali according to Hindu mythology. In present times many rituals of this
unique festival Gajan become out of practice as poor and marginalised people of the
society are associated with this local folk culture of this region. Representation of
11 Gajan: A Cultural Heritage of the Marginalized People in Kulpi CD Block, West…