Bengali culture refers to the culture and way of life of the Bengali people, who primarily live in the eastern regions of the Indian subcontinent, including Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura, and Assam.
Bengali culture is characterized by its rich history, diverse religious and linguistic influences, vibrant music, art, literature, and cuisine. The language spoken by Bengalis, known as Bengali or Bangla, is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world.
The cultural heritage of Bengal dates back to ancient times, with contributions from various dynasties, including the Mauryas, Guptas, and Pala dynasties. Bengali culture has been shaped by the influence of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam, as well as British colonialism.
Some of the notable features of Bengali culture include the rich tradition of folk music and dance, including Baul and Chhau, the iconic saris worn by Bengali women, and the delicious and unique cuisine that includes popular dishes like fish curry, rasgulla, and mishti doi.
Bengali literature is also renowned, with celebrated authors such as Rabindranath Tagore, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, and Kazi Nazrul Islam, among others. Bengali cinema has also made a significant impact on the Indian film industry, with notable directors like Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak.
Overall, Bengali culture is a fascinating blend of ancient and modern influences, with a rich and vibrant heritage that continues to evolve and thrive in contemporary times.
Historically, the area was investigated as Banga after the local people (Bang) who settled the area over 1000 years ago. This ancient term is used by many modern names. These include the Bengal region, Bengal (or Bengal) and Bengal (literally “the country of Bengal”).
Bengal has always been led by many political empires. It was ruled by the Buddhist Pala Dynasty from the eighth to the twelfth century AD. By the end of the sixteenth century, it became part of the Mughal Empire. In the mid-eighteenth century, the British established a colonial base there. Bengal was under British rule for almost 200 years. It was from here that the British expanded and took over the rest of India.
British forces were driven out of the area in 1947. They partitioned the subcontinent into two countries, India and Pakistan.. East Bengal, the most Muslim region, became part of Pakistan. As we all know, East Pakistan became an independent state of Bangladesh in 1971 after a bloody civil war between Bengalis and West Pakistanis.
The population of Bangladeshis is just over 174 million. The majority live in Bangladesh (106 million).The rest live in West Bengal, India (68 million). Large Bengali-speaking communities, probably in excess of ten million in total, are spread across other northeastern states of India. Bangladeshis also immigrated in large numbers to the UK, Canada and the US. The global population of Bangladeshis, including non-resident communities, is estimated at approximately 205 million.
The low plains and vast deltas of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers lie in the center of the Bengal region. Many rivers run through the land, providing important means of transportation. They also impede overland travel. Frequent flooding in the region has caused widespread damage and loss of life. In the far north, a narrow strip of West Bengal juts into the foothills of the Himalayas.
The language of the region is Bengali. The dialects of the western regions are very different from the dialects of the eastern regions.
Bengali folklore is rich and varied. A popular folk tale known throughout the region and even forming the basis of a movie is “Seven Brothers and a Sister Palu”. Champa and Parul are native trees.
Once upon a time there was a king who was said to have married seven queens. When the most beloved little queen gave birth to seven sons and a daughter, the barren queen was jealous. They killed the babies, buried them in the garbage, and replaced them with puppies and kittens.Afraid of witchcraft, the king exiled the youngest queen. Seven champa trees and a palu tree grew from the rubbish dump where babies were buried.
When the evil queen, or even the king, tried to pluck the flowers from the tree, the flowers ran away. They demanded that the exiled queen be brought to them. She plucked the flowers, and from each champa a boy grew, and from each palu a girl grew. They were reunited with their mother and father, the king. When the king learned the truth, he killed the jealous queen and lived happily ever after with his remaining wife and children. The theme of the story is that jealousy leads to wrongdoing, which is eventually discovered and punished.
More than 60% of Bangladeshis are Muslims. Even in India, a Hindu-majority country, more than 20 percent of West Bengal’s population is Muslim. Most Muslim Bengali belong to the Sunni sect.
Bengalis in India are mainly Hindu. Among mainstream Hindus, there are some unusual sects. Vaishnavas followers the Hindu god Vishnu. But the Bengali Vaisnavas consider Krishna to be the supreme god, not an incarnation of Vishnu.
Shaktism is a religion based on the worship of the feminine energy (sakti, literally “energy”). The Bengali form of sexism involves the worship of the Goddess Kali. Kalighat in Calcutta, which performs animal sacrifices in the name of the goddess, is one of the main Shakti centers in the region.
Bengalis celebrate major festivals of the Muslim and Hindu faiths. For Muslims, these include Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha (Bakra-Eid) and Muharram. Bengali Hindus celebrate Holi, Diwali and other important religious festivals. Durga Puja is especially important to them. Dedicated to Goddess Durga, who is an avatar of Shakti, the celebration lasts nine days. A few months before the festival, Durga makes special images. These show her riding a lion and slaying the evil demon Mahishasura. The images are ornately painted and decorated. They are worshiped every day of the festival.
On the tenth day, the icon is decorated with flowers and carried around the streets.The procession goes to the river or sea and the statue of Durga is thrown into the water to be carried away with the current or tide.
The Bengali rites are similar to those followed by other Muslims and Hindus. However, they have a distinctly Bengali flavor.
For example, Muslims follow the custom of reciting the prayer (azan) to newborn babies. However, the umbilical cord is cut by midwives, who are usually Hindu.. Muslim boys undergo the most important ritual of circumcision (sunnat).
Like other Hindus, Bengalis cremate their dead. Funeral pyres are usually lit on the banks of rivers or streams. The necessary rituals are performed by the eldest son of the deceased. Death is followed by a mourning period (of varying lengths), purification ceremonies, and at the end of the mourning period a sraddha or death feast.
Hindu Bengali people greet each other by saying Namaskar, placing their hands in front of their bodies, palms together. This greeting is common in India. Muslim Bengali people greet each other with Salaam or Salaam alaikum.
Living conditions in rural Bangladesh vary widely. House types and architecture reflect local environmental conditions. Inside, the house is constructed using mud, bamboo and shrubs. The roof is thatched. Now the more prosperous ones use corrugated iron sheets.
In Bangladesh, a typical village house consists of several huts surrounding a large courtyard. On the opposite side of the compound is the main house, with a porch leading to the living area. These may include one or more bedrooms, a living room and a kitchen. Other cottages on either side of the compound are used for storage and a cowshed.
Such a lifestyle and standard of living stand in stark contrast to the urban elite who enjoy all the modern conveniences of city life. The lifestyles of some wealthy industrialists and business owners in Calcutta (India) rival those of the wealthy in the United States.
Like all Hindus, Bengali Hindus belong to a caste (jati). Caste is the social group in which people are born.It determines their place in society, whom they can marry, and often what kind of educational and employment opportunities they will have. Caste does not change.
Marriage is arranged by parents. Hindu marriages are governed by caste rules. Muslims, by contrast, have no caste restrictions, although marriage partners are usually chosen from families of similar social status. Cousin marriage is common among Bangladeshi Muslims.
In rural areas, Muslim men wear a lungi, a (usually checkered) piece of cloth wrapped around the waist. Hindus wear a dhoti, which is a long white cotton cloth wrapped around the waist and then pulled between the legs in a loincloth fashion. Men in the village are usually shirtless but sometimes wear a vest or a long shirt called a Punjabi as a top.
Women wear sarees (long cloth with one end forming a skirt and the other covering the head or shoulders) and blouses. Young Muslim girls may prefer a salwar (loose trousers) and kameez (tunic) combination. Rural women are barefoot. Women of all classes wore a variety of rings, bracelets and other adornments.
In cities, safari suits or Western-style suits are common. Young urban women may also wear Western fashion, but keep sarees for formal occasions.
Boiled rice is a staple food in rural Bangladesh. Serve with vegetables such as onions, garlic, eggplant, and various gourds, depending on the season. Fish and meat are favorite foods. Their cost puts them beyond the reach of most villagers. Vegetables, fish and meat are made into spicy curry dishes.
Beef and buffalo meat are very popular among Muslims. Hindus consider cows sacred. They don’t eat beef. However, most Bengali Hindus are not vegetarians, and besides fish, they eat goat, duck, chicken and eggs.
Upper-class cuisines include pilaf and biryani (rice dishes with meat and vegetables), kebabs (cuts of grilled meat) and meat dishes called korma. Milk is an crucial part of the diet. Milk candies are popular throughout the region.
Bengalis have one of the affluent literary traditions in the Indian subcontinent. The earliest known writings in Bengali are Buddhist books from the 10th and 11th centuries AD. Islam also donate to medieval Bengali literature.
Modern Bengalis have created a literature recognized worldwide. Robindranath Tagore (Rabindranath Tagore, 1861-1941), a Bengali poet and writer, won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. Bengalis hads expertise on dance & drama.
Satyajit Ray (1921-1992), an internationally renowned Indian director, was of Bengali origin.
Bangladeshi children play games common to South Asian children. These include tag, hide and seek, kite, marbles and spinning tops. Cricket, football and hockey are the main spectator sports and many children also play these games at school. Tennis, golf, horse racing, etc. were popular with the urban middle class who absorbed sports and recreation from Western countries.
Recreational activities for Bengali vary widely. The villagers probably derive the greatest pleasure from fairs and religious festivals. They also enjoy Bengali folk traditions such as jatra (travelling folk theatre), bhatiali (songs of rowers) and baul (mystical songs performed by wandering minstrels).
City dwellers can enjoy radio, television, theatre, cinema, museums and other cultural events.
Crafts and Hobbies:
Bengal’s folk crafts reflect the variety of its people and the skills of its artisans. Products produced include hand printed textiles, embroidered quilts, pottery dolls, toys and religious icons.
Alpana paintings are religious designs prepared by Hindu women. They are made of rice paste on walls, floors and patios. Boat decoration is a thriving folk art in the delta. Copper and brass metalwork, pottery, weaving, weaving, and woodworking are among the many activities practiced by artisans in the region.
Problems vary widely among Bangladeshis. Some problems, such as frequent flooding in Bangladesh, are of natural origin. Bangladesh is also one of the impoverished countries in the world. It has endured civil strife, the suspension of democratic rights and an authoritarian military government.