Nabanna
Encyclopedia
Nabanna is a Bengali
harvest celebration usually celebrated with food and dance and music. It's a festival of food; many local preparations of Bengali cuisine
like pithe are cooked and offered.
which are called nabanna mela. Its one of the numerous festivals that gave the name "baro mase tero parban" (thirteen festivals in twelve months ) to the land okjkf Bengal
. Although the nabanna parban is somewhat different from other ones since its not connected to a religion like Ratha Yatra. The villagers and locals from both the major religious groups join the festival with equal participation. There are also several fertility rituals which make the festival truly a harvest ritual. The festival gets a lot of support from the creative
army of Bengali culture
. Several poets, musicians baul
and painters flock in into such mass gatherings. There is a famous play written on nabanna by the play writer Bijon Bhattacharya
which depicts the sad incident of the great Bengal Famine
of 1943.
Below is a description found on one such mela website.
Several dance and music forms have grown out of the ritual accompanied with the festival. Examples will be chhou, bihu
etc. Also the name nabanna is associated to several rural welfare projects and banks.. It has also been associated with the IPTA
movement of Bengali theatre
.
the path-breaking production "Nabanna" of the Indian People's Theatre Association IPTA
in the 1940s, has been a motivating force in the left tilted political approach of the next few decades on the stage
where luminaries like Utpal Dutt
will glow with brilliance.
Bengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
harvest celebration usually celebrated with food and dance and music. It's a festival of food; many local preparations of Bengali cuisine
Bengali cuisine
Bengali cuisine is a culinary style originating in Bengal, a region in the eastern South Asia which is now divided between the Indian state of West Bengal and the independent country of Bangladesh. Other regions, such as Tripura, and Barak Valley region of Assam also have large native Bengali...
like pithe are cooked and offered.
Celebration
The festival is celebrated with melaMela
Mela is a Sanskrit word meaning 'gathering' or 'to meet' or a Fair. It is used in the Indian subcontinent for all sizes of gathering and can be religious, commercial, cultural or sports. In rural traditions melas or village fairs were of great importance...
which are called nabanna mela. Its one of the numerous festivals that gave the name "baro mase tero parban" (thirteen festivals in twelve months ) to the land okjkf Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
. Although the nabanna parban is somewhat different from other ones since its not connected to a religion like Ratha Yatra. The villagers and locals from both the major religious groups join the festival with equal participation. There are also several fertility rituals which make the festival truly a harvest ritual. The festival gets a lot of support from the creative
Creativity
Creativity refers to the phenomenon whereby a person creates something new that has some kind of value. What counts as "new" may be in reference to the individual creator, or to the society or domain within which the novelty occurs...
army of Bengali culture
Culture of Bengal
The culture of Bengal encompasses cultures in the Bengal region, which today consists of the independent nation of Bangladesh , and the Indian federal republic's constitutive state of West Bengal. The two geographical entities share many cultural traits which root from their historical...
. Several poets, musicians baul
Baul
Baul .Though Bauls comprise only a small fraction of the Bengali population, their influence on the culture of Bengal is considerable. In 2005, the Baul tradition was included in the list of "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" by UNESCO.-Etymology:The origin of the word...
and painters flock in into such mass gatherings. There is a famous play written on nabanna by the play writer Bijon Bhattacharya
Bijon Bhattacharya
Bijon Bhattacharya was a prominent Indian theatre and film personality from Bengal.Bijon was born in 1917 at Faridpur in a Hindu Brahmin family, and was early a witness to the destitution and penury of the peasantry of that land...
which depicts the sad incident of the great Bengal Famine
Bengal famine
There have been a number of significant famines in the history of Bengal including:*Bengal famine of 1770*Bengal famine of 1943*Bangladesh famine of 1974*Bengal Famine , a movie by Bimal Roy...
of 1943.
Below is a description found on one such mela website.
"people from several villages of Howrah and even from other districts of West Bengal come here. People not only come to visit the Mela. In addition, they participate in many cultural programmes and competitions like 'Pithe Making' (Preparation of different sorts of Bengali Cakes), Seat-and Draw, Senior Citizens' Walking Competition etc. An "Art-Camp" may attract creative minded people where artists from different states will participate. Some rare items of rural Bengal as "DhenkiDhenkiThe dhenki is an old style rice mill found in rural India.. It is usually made of strong wood. It has a fulcrum supporting a weight. Due to the force of the weight upon the rice in the pods, the rice and the golden brown husks separate. The dhenki usually was operated by the village girls...
" (Old-style Domestic Rice Mill), paddy of different varieties directly from the farmers' house are to be exhibited in the Exhibition ground. You can taste some delicious Bengali dishes like Pati-sapta, Payesh (the latest addition is 'Vegetable Payesh'), Jilipipi (not Jilipi) etc. during the festival. Bengal's time-honoured culture and heritage will be presented to you in forms of BaulBaulBaul .Though Bauls comprise only a small fraction of the Bengali population, their influence on the culture of Bengal is considerable. In 2005, the Baul tradition was included in the list of "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" by UNESCO.-Etymology:The origin of the word...
song, Chhou-dance, JatraJatraJatra can mean:* Jatra street festival* Jatra street festival or Carnival* Jatra form of entertainment* Jatra...
,
TarjaTarja (folk poetry contest)Tarja is a form of folk poetry contest from Bengal with a long tradition. Historically it used to be performed in the village gathering around a chandimandap or altar for village god, mela and other social events, in streets, and marketplace religious festivals...
, Kobi-gaan etc. These artiste come from different parts of the state to perform their talent and expertise in front of thousands of appreciative gatherings. Moreover, you can refurbish your collection of folk arts from the 'Exhibition-cum-sale' stalls of handicrafts made by rural artisans."
Social and Cultural effects
Bihu
Bihu denotes a set of three different cultural festivals of Assam and celebrated by the Assamese diaspora around the world. Though they owe their origins to ancient rites and practices they have taken definite urban features and have become popular festivals in urban and commercialized milieus in...
etc. Also the name nabanna is associated to several rural welfare projects and banks.. It has also been associated with the IPTA
Ipta
IPTA can refer to:* Indian People's Theatre Association* International Pulsar Timing Array...
movement of Bengali theatre
Bengali theatre
Bengali theatre primarily refers to theatre performed in the Bengali language. Bengali theatre is produced mainly in West Bengal, and in Bangladesh. The term may also refer to some Hindi theatres which are accepted by the Bengali people....
.
the path-breaking production "Nabanna" of the Indian People's Theatre Association IPTA
Ipta
IPTA can refer to:* Indian People's Theatre Association* International Pulsar Timing Array...
in the 1940s, has been a motivating force in the left tilted political approach of the next few decades on the stage
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
where luminaries like Utpal Dutt
Utpal Dutt
Utpal Dutt was an Indian actor, director, and writer-playwright. He was primarily an actor in Bengali Theatre, where he became a pioneering figure in Modern Indian theatre, when he founded the 'Little Theater Group' in 1947, which enacted many English, Shakespearean and Brecht plays, in a period...
will glow with brilliance.