BALURGHAT: Samit Kumar Saha — professor in the department of Bengali at Balurghat College, renowned researcher and poet — has released his research-oriented book titled “Obibhakta Poshchim Dinajpur Jelar Loksanskriti” (Folk Culture of Undivided West Dinajpur). His methodical approach has brought to light the richness of Bengal’s rural heritage, offering an invaluable contribution to the field of folk studies. The book has recently been published from Kolkata.
In this comprehensive research work, Saha delves deep into the folk culture of the undivided West Dinajpur district, covering both historical and socio-cultural perspectives. His fieldwork-based analysis offers a unique and thorough representation of the region’s folk traditions — something that had not been extensively documented before. The book presents a detailed study of various aspects of the folk culture of both North and South Dinajpur districts.
It explores traditions of the Rajbanshi and Deshi Pali communities, including folk rhymes, riddles, proverbs, songs, deities, art, instruments, beliefs, taboos and other cultural elements.
The concluding section highlights the transformation and evolution of these folk components over time with remarkable insight. An appendix enriches the work further, featuring a wealth of field-collected materials such as folk songs, dramas, sayings and details on local deities, offering future researchers a valuable foundation.