The Legacy of Bhikhari Thakur: Bhikhari Thakur Festival 2011 in Kolkata

For those who don't know much about Bhikhari Thakur I would like to elaborate his contribution to Bihar. Bhikari Thakur has earned immortality by virtue of his superb creative genious with his commitment to eradicate horrible social evils e...ating into the vitals of Bihar once known throughout the world as "Temple of learning" to enlighten the world through the teachings of buddhism in order to accomplish his noble mission, he began to write a folk poetry in vernacular language to sensitize people of this reason to the debilitating social evils like 'Sati Pratha' , wailing of the widow by means of his folk drama "Bidhawa Bilaap". His creative genious through folk drama worked wonder making the people realise the futility of burning the widow alive under the social evils of superstition and bigotry widow remarriage began to take place in Bihar under the spell of amazingly persuasive literary works. Similarly the other equally pernicious evil of child marriage was also effectively combated through his folk drama and people were made to realize the importance of adult marriage replacing the child wedding for the huge benefit of socio-economic realm. It is not too much to say that had Bhikhari thakur lived today many of the evils like casteism and corruption could have disappeared from the horizon. The pristine glory of Bihar in terms of the world leader of intelligentsia must have revived placing this state ahead of others in the same way as the two universities, first in the world of their kind - Nalanda and Vikramshila Vishwavidyalaya enlightened the world from five centuries from 5th to 10th century AD. It is incumbent upon each of us to celebrate the genious of Bhikhari Thakur and carry his visionary social reform forward to the benefit of the suffering humanity of the world.

Bhikhari thakur wrote about the economic drain from the human point of view vis a brides poignant tale whose husband has gone far away from his village in search of livelihood.This was due to the rise of ‘factory’ or mills around newly industrial hub created in around kolkata to serve colonials masters or investors in UK. This was classic form of colonial trick to exploit wealth of India. It has very profound impact on social, moral, economic and political landscape of India.Bhikhari thakur choose to write on the subject from emotional angle. It was same as Premchand did with moral and socilogical aspect of Indian society and institution of family. Bhikhari also wrote from gender perspective. Women’s pain and agony was freely examined and highlighted in his plays. His plays deconstruct entwined web of economy, emotional loss, politics, colonialism, rural life of bhojpuri speaking people/land and impact of contemporary world on it.

Assamese singer and Bhojpuri icon Kalpana Patowary has here created an album that sums up what she is all about. There is integrity in the integration of the artist's personal vision with the legacies of the past, and in her solidarity with the outstanding supporting music. Kalpana sings heart rending here. Her singing indeed is a great communicator. Like a Renaissance history painter, Kalpana Patowary masterfully brings this historic legacy to life with the beauty of her voice and the skill of her delivery coupled with the accuracy of her research. A painter once said that to arrive at truths you have to lie a little. Here, Kalpana Patowary has told the truth and arrived at artistic truth at all levels of understanding. A Must Listen Musical Documented Album.

रविवार, 27 मार्च 2011

Bhikhari Thakur Festival 2011 in Kolkata

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