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Theculture of Bengal defines the cultural heritage of theBengali people native to eastern regions of theIndian subcontinent, mainly what is todayBangladesh and theIndian states ofWest Bengal, Assam'sBarak Valley,Tripura, parts ofJharkhand, where they form the dominant ethnolinguistic group and theBengali language is the official and primary language. Bengal has a recorded history of 1,400 years.
TheBengalis are the dominant ethnolinguistic group. TheBengal region has been a historical melting point, blending indigenous traditions with cosmopolitan influences from pan-Indian subcontinental empires.Dhaka (Dacca) became the capital ofMughal Bengal (Bengal Subah) and the commercial (financial) capital (1610-1757) ofMughal India.Dhaka is the largest and richestBengali (Bangali) mega city in the world and also the 3rd largest and richest mega city in (Indian sub continent) afterMumbai (Bombay orMMR) andDelhi (NCR).Dhaka is aBeta (β) Global City (Moderate Economic Centre). As a part of theBengal Presidency,Bengal also hosted the region's most advanced political and cultural centers duringBritish rule.[1]
Bengal has produced leading figures ofIndian classical music, includingAlauddin Khan,Ravi Shankar andAli Akbar Khan. Common musical instruments include thesitar,tabla andsarod. TheBaul tradition is a unique regional folk heritage. The most prominent practitioner wasLalon Shah. Other folk music forms includeGombhira,Bhatiali andBhawaiya (Jhumur). Folk music in Bengal is often accompanied by theektara, a one-stringed instrument. Other instruments include thedotara,dhol,bamboo flute, andtabla. Songs written by Rabindranath Tagore (Rabindra Sangeet) andKazi Nazrul Islam (Nazrul geeti) are highly popular. Bangladesh is the center ofBangla rock, as well asindie,Sufi rock and fusion folk music.
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Bengali theatre traces its roots toIndian classical drama under theGupta Empire in the 4th century CE. It includes narrative forms, song and dance forms, supra-personae forms, performance with scroll paintings, puppet theatre and the processional forms like theJatra.
Bengal has an extremely rich heritage of dancing dating back to antiquity. It includes classical, folk and martial dance traditions.[2][3] Dances in Bengal includes-
Miniature and scroll painting flourished inMughal Bengal.Rickshaw Painting adorns colorful hoods featuring intricate designs like minarets and floral patterns with the word "Allah" and other islamic motifs,[5] are recognized as UNESCO-listed intangible heritage.[6] ThePatua community specializes "Patachitra", with the Gazir Pata being their renowned artwork, depictingGazi Pir.[7]
Kalighat painting or Kalighat Pat originated in 19th-century Calcutta, in the vicinity of Kalighat Kali Temple ofKolkata, and from being items of souvenir taken by the visitors to the Kali temple, the paintings over a period of time developed as a distinct school of Indian painting. From the depiction ofHindu gods other mythological characters, the Kalighat paintings developed to reflect a variety of themes.
Modern painting emerged in Calcutta with theBengal school.East Pakistan developed its own contemporary painting tradition underZainul Abedin. ModernBangladeshi art has produced many of South Asia's leading painters, includingSM Sultan,Mohammad Kibria,Shahabuddin Ahmed,Kanak Chanpa Chakma,Kafil Ahmed,Saifuddin Ahmed,Qayyum Chowdhury,Rashid Choudhury,Quamrul Hassan,Rafiqun Nabi andSyed Jahangir among others.[8]
The earliest fortified cities in the region includeWari-Bateshwar,Chandraketugarh andMahasthangarh. Bengal has a glorious legacy ofterracotta architecture from the ancient and medieval periods. The architecture of theBengal Sultanate saw a distinct style of domed mosques with complex niche pillars that had no minarets.Ivory,pottery andbrass were also widely used in Bengali art. The style includes many mosques, temples, palaces, forts, monasteries andcaravanserais. Mughal Dhaka was known as theCity of Mosques and theVenice of the East.Indo-Saracenic architecture flourished during the British period, particularly among thelanded gentry. British Calcutta was known as theCity of Palaces. Modernist terracotta architecture in South Asia by architects likeMuzharul Islam andLouis Kahn.
Bengali village housing is noted as the origin of thebungalow.
Ancient Bengal was home to thePala-Sena school of sculptural art.[9]Ivory sculptural art flourished across the region under theNawabs of Bengal. Notable modernist sculptors includeNovera Ahmed andNitun Kundu.
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Muslin production in Bengal dates back to the 4th century BCE. The region exported the fabric toAncient Greece andRome.[9]
Bengalisilk was known as Ganges Silk in the 13th centuryRepublic of Venice.[10]Mughal Bengal was a major silk exporter. The Bengali silk industry declined after the growth of Japanese silk production.Rajshahi silk continues to be produced in northern Bangladesh.Murshidabad andMalda are the centers of the silk industry in West Bengal.
After the reopening of European trade with medieval India, Mughal Bengal became the world's foremost muslin exporter in the 17th century. Mughal-era Dhaka was a center of the worldwide muslin trade.
Mughal Bengal's most celebrated artistic tradition was the weaving ofJamdanimotifs on fine muslin, which is now classified by UNESCO as anintangible cultural heritage. Jamdani motifs were similar to Iranian textile art (buta motifs) and Western textile art (paisley). The Jamdani weavers in Dhaka received imperial patronage.[11]
Modern Bangladesh is one of the world'slargest textile producers, with a large cotton basedready made garments industry.
In rural areas, older women wear theshari withhijab while the younger generation wear theselwar kamiz with hijab, both with simple designs. In urban areas, theselwar kamiz and the combination ofniqab-burqa-chador is more popular, and has distinct fashionable designs.Islamic clothing is really common amongBengali Muslims.World Hijab Day is an annual event founded by aBengali-American, Nazma Khan in 2013, taking place on 1 February each year. Traditionally urban Bengali men wore thejama, though costumes such as thepanjabi[12] withselwar orpyjama have become more popular within the past three centuries. The popularity of thefotua, a shorter upper garment, is undeniable among Bengalis in casual environments. Thelungi andgamcha are a common combination for rural Bengali men. During special occasions, Bengali women commonly wear eithersharis,selwar kamizes, covering their hair withhijab ororna; and men wear apanjabi, also covering their hair with atupi,toqi,pagri orrumal.
Jama is the long, loose fitting, stitched garment of Bengali Women. Jama was originally worn by Bengali Women in theMughal court as a symbol of status and wealth. Over time, it has now been more widely adopted by women in other parts ofBengal, includingBangladesh. Jama may also fulfill some interpretations ofIslamic rules. Jama is similar todress.
At Jorashanko (Rabindranath Tagore's home inKolkata) different drapes of sari were improvised on so that women could step out of the andarmahal (inner house) where they were relegated. This had Tagore's sister-in-law,Jnanadanandini Devi, bringing theParsi way of draping the sari fromMumbai to Bengal.[13]Chitra Deb, in her book 'Thakurbarir Andarmahal', describes the entire process of how the Parsi sari was adapted into Bengali culture.[14] Before Devi's invention, Bengali women used to wear sari without a blouse underneath and stay in "Andarmahal" to follow "purdah", a concept of modesty bought byMuslims native to Bengal and was followed by both Hindus andBengali Muslims.Dhakai is another attire of women unique toBengal. There are several variations ofShari (BengaliSari) such asJamdani,Tant,Muslin,Tangail,Kantha,Rajshahi Silk, Dhakai reshom,Baluchari etc. Bengali women also wearFotua,Bengali Kurti andKapor which are also unique toBangladesh. Men wearGamucha, Panjabi,Lungi,Mujib Coat, Genji and Kaabli which are unique to the men ofBangladesh.
Bengal has produced several of South Asia's leading fashion designers, includingSabyasachi Mukherjee,Bibi Russell, Rukhsana Esrar Runi and Rina Latif.
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Rice is the staple food of Bengal.Bhortas (lit-"mashed") are a really common type of food used as an additive too rice. there are several types ofBhortas such as Ilish bhorta shutki bhorta, begoon bhorta and more. Fish and other seafood are also important because Bengal is a reverrine region.
Some fishes like puti (Puntius species) are fermented. Fish curry is prepared with fish alone or in combination with vegetables.Shutki maach is made using the age-old method of preservation where the food item is dried in the sun and air, thus removing the water content. This allows for preservation that can make the fish last for months, even years in Bangladesh.[15]
Bengali pickles are an integral part of Bengali cuisine, adding a burst of flavors to meals. These pickles are made by preserving various fruits, vegetables, and even fish or meat in a mixture of spices, oil, and vinegar or lemon juice, which is why pickles of Bangladesh are unique to the country.
Side Dishes or (Torkari) are commonly eaten with meals in Bengal which are cooked with specialBengali spices. The main dish is almost always served with side dishes. Some typical Bengali dishes areShorshe Ilish,Machher Jhol,Kala bhuna,Shutki Shira,Bhorta,Chingri Malaikari,Daab Chingri, Katlar kaliya, Dal, Padar jhal, Ilish Pulao, Chingri Pulao, Rui Pulao,Haji biryani, etc.Bengali sweets likeChomchom,Rasmalai,Mishti Doi,Curd of Bogra, Muktagachhar monda,Sandesh,Roshogolla,Chhanamukhi andPithas are even popular outside ofBangladesh.Shemai originally came from theBengali Muslim community, but most other Bengali sweets were invented by Hindu and Jain sweetmakers of Bengal.
Shutki maach is made using the age-old method of preservation where the food item is dried in the sun and air, thus removing the water content. This allows for preservation that can make the fish last for months, even years inBangladesh.[16]
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Kolkata is the only city in India to have a tram network. The trams are claimed to slow down other traffic, leading to groups who currently voice abolishing the trams, though the environment-friendliness and the old charm of the trams attract many people.
Kolkata was also the first city in South Asia to have anunderground railway system that started operating from 1984. It is considered to have the status of a zonal railway. The metered-cabs are mostly of the brand "Ambassador" manufactured byHindustan Motors (now out of production). These taxis are painted with yellow colour, symbolising the transport tradition of Kolkata.
Bangladesh has the world's largest number ofcycle rickshaws. Its capital city Dhaka is known as theRickshaw Capital of the World. The country's rickshaws display colorfulrickshaw art, with each city and region have their own distinct style. Rickshaw driving provides employment for nearly a million Bangladeshis. Historically,Kolkata has been home to the hand-pulled rickshaw. Attempts to ban its use have largely failed.
There are 150 different types ofboats andcanoes in Bengal. The region was renowned forshipbuilding in the medieval period, when its shipyards catered to major powers in Eurasia, including the Mughals andOttomans. The types of timber used in boat making are from local woods Jarul (dipterocarpus turbinatus), sal (shorea robusta), sundari (heritiera fomes) and Burma teak (tectons grandis).
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Bengali weddings includes many rituals and ceremonies that can span several days. AlthoughMuslim andHindu marriages have their distinctive religious rituals, there are many common secular rituals.[17][18] TheGaye Holud ceremony is held in Bengali weddings of all faiths.
Major organisations responsible for funding and promoting Bengali culture are:
Both Bangladesh and West Bengal have many festivals and fairs throughout the year.
| Muslim | Hindu | Buddhist | Christian | Secular |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eid al-Fitr | Durga Puja | Buddha Purnima | Christmas | Pohela Boishakh (New Year/ Summer); Wearing colour: |
| Eid al-Adha | Kali Puja | Madhu Purnima | Easter | Pohela Falgun (Spring Festival); Wearing colour: |
| Muharram | Saraswati Puja | Kathin Chibardan | Barsha Mangal (Monsoon salutation); Wearing colour: | |
| Milad un Nabi | Lakshmi Puja | Nabanna (Harvest Festival); Wearing colour: | ||
| Shab-e-Barat | Dolyatra (Holi) | Poush Sangkranti (Winter Festival) | ||
| Laylat al-Qadr | Janmashtami | |||
| Chaand Raat | Jagaddhatri Puja |
Kolkata and Dhaka are the centers ofBengali cinema. The region's film industry is notable for the history ofart films in South Asia, including the works ofAcademy Award winning directorSatyajit Ray and theCannes Film Festival award-winning directorTareque Masud.
Traditional Bengali sports consisted of variousmartial arts and variousracing sports, though the British-introduced sports ofcricket andfootball are now most popular amongst Bengalis.
Lathi khela (stick-fighting) was historically a method of duelling as a way to protect or take land and others' possessions. TheZamindars of Bengal would hirelathials (trained stick-fighters) as a form of security and a means to forcefully collect tax from tenants.[19] Nationwidelathi khela competitions used to take place annually inKushtia up until 1989, though its practice is now diminishing and being restricted to certain festivals and celebrations.[20]Chamdi is a variant oflathi khela popular inNorth Bengal during festivities such asEid andShab e Barat.Kushti (wrestling) is also another popular fighting sport and it has developed regional forms such asJobbarer boli khela (wrestling ofJobbar/the great) andMokkar Boli Khela (wrestling ofMecca) which was introduced in 1889 by Zamindar Qadir Bakhsh ofChittagong. A merchant known as Abdul Jabbar Saodagar adapted the sport in 1907 with the intention of cultivating a sport that would prepare Bengalis in fighting against British colonials.[21][22] In 1972, a popularcontactteam sport calledKabadi was made thenational sport ofBangladesh. It is a regulated version of the ruralHadudu sport which had no fixed rules. The Amateur Kabaddi Federation of Bangladesh was formed in 1973.[23]Butthan, a 20th-century Bengali martial arts invented by GrandmasterMak Yuree, is now practiced in different parts of the world under the International Butthan Federation.[24]
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TheNouka Baich is a Bengali boat racing competition which takes place during and after the rainy season when much of the land goes under water. The long canoes were referred to askhel nao (meaning playing boats) and the use ofcymbals to accompany the singing was common. Different types of boats are used in different parts of Bengal.[25]Horse racing was patronised most notably by theDighapatia Rajas inNatore, and theirChalanbeel Horse Races have continued to take place annually for centuries.
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The oldest native football clubs of Bengal wasMohun Bagan A.C., which was founded in 1889, andMohammedan SC, founded in 1891. Mohun Bagan's first major victory was in 1911, when the team defeated an English club known as the Yorkshire Regiment to win theIFA Shield. Since then, more and more clubs emerged inWest Bengal, such as Mohun Bagan's main rivalEast Bengal FC, a team of East Bengali Hindus who had migrated to West Bengal following the 1947Partition of India. The rivalry also portrayed the societal problems at that time as many of the Mohun Bagan fans wereGhotis who hated the East Bengali immigrants, though Hindu.Mohammed Salim ofCalcutta became the firstSouth Asian to play for a European football club in 1936.[34] In his two appearances forCeltic F.C., he played the entire matches barefoot and scored several goals.[35] In 2015,Hamza Choudhury became the first Bengali to play in thePremier League and is predicted to be the firstBritish Asian to play for theEngland national football team.[36]
Bengalis are very competitive when it comes to board and home games such asPachisi and its modern counterpartLudo, as well asLatim,Carrom Board, Chor-Pulish,Kanamachi andChess.Rani Hamid is one of the most successful chess players in the world, winning championships in Asia and Europe multiple times.Ramnath Biswas was a revolutionary soldier who embarked on three world tours on a bicycle in the 19th century.Shakib Al Hasan,Mushfiqur Rahim,Mashrafe Bin Mortaza,Tamim Iqbal,Soumya Sarkar,Liton Das from Bangladesh andPankaj Roy,Sourav Ganguly,Manoj Tiwary,Wriddhiman Saha,Mohammed Shami from West Bengal are internationally known cricketers .[37]Local games include sports such asKho Kho andKabaddi, the latter being the national sport of Bangladesh.
Bangladesh'sProthom Alo is the largest circulated Bengali newspaper in the world. It is followed byAnanda Bazar Patrika, which has the largest circulation for a single-edition, regional language newspaper in India. Other prominent Bengali newspapers include theIttefaq,Jugantor,Samakal,Janakantha andBartaman. Major English-language newspapers in Bangladesh includeThe Daily Star,New Age, and the weeklyHoliday.The Statesman, published from Kolkata, is the region's oldest English-language publication.
Bengal has one of the most developed literary traditions in Asia. A descent of ancientSanskrit andMagadhi Prakrit, the Bengali language evolved circa 1000–1200 CE under thePala Empire and theSena dynasty. It became an official court language of theSultanate of Bengal and absorbed influences fromArabic andPersian. Middle Bengali developed secular literature in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was also spoken inArakan. TheBengali Renaissance inCalcutta developed the modern standardized form of the language in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.Rabindranath Tagore became the first Bengali writer to win theNobel Prize in Literature in 1913, and was also the first non-European Nobel laureate.Kazi Nazrul Islam became known as theRebel Poet of British India. After the partition of Bengal, a distinct literary culture developed inEast Bengal, which later becameEast Pakistan and Bangladesh.
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The works of ancient philosophers from Bengal have been preserved at libraries inTibet,China andCentral Asia. These include the works ofAtisa andTilopa.[38] Medieval Hindu philosophy featured the works ofChaitanya.
Sufi philosophy was highly influential in Islamic Bengal. Prominent Sufi practitioners were disciples ofJalaluddin Rumi,Abdul-Qadir Gilani andMoinuddin Chishti. One of the most reveredSufi saints of Bengal isShah Jalal.
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