Kolkata: Rabindra Bharati University (RBU) is coming up with an archive of masks, musical instruments and various articles of daily domestic use of different caste and communities of the state.
The aim of the university is to acquaint the present generation with the tradition and culture of these communities and encourage research activities involving these communities' lifestyle.
Most of the articles belonging to the communities that will be exhibited in the archive have become extinct now.
"We have at present around 80 articles in our collection that we have been accumulating for the last seven years. We have plans to take this to over 100 before univeiling the archive," said Haimanti Chattopadhyay, member secretary of West Bengal State Akademi of Dance Drama Music and Visual Arts, RBU.
The collection includes a dhak made of cane used more than 2,00 years back, a mask made of gourd used by the Rajbanshi community, the flutes of the Mech, Rava and the Rajbanshi communities, exquisite musical instruments like Tungna of theTamang and those of Limbu Lepcha , Dhimal, Munda and other communities. It will have a variety of old masks of Chaau from Purulia district, the masks worn by the Lepchas, the Rajbanshis and the Mech too.
A major attraction will be a few specimen of the Dashabatar Cards that had originated at Bishnupur in Bankura way back in the 16th century. Bir Hambir, the king of Bishnupur, invented this card. It is a unique example of Bengal's folk art. "We have not yet set any timeline for setting up the archive as we have to come up with audio and video documentation and most importantly a text on description of the objects mentioning the place from where it has been procured. Our Vice-Chancellor Sabyasachi Basu Ray Chaudhury who is the chairman of the akademi is constantly encouraging us in our endeavour," Chattopadhyay said.
As per plans, the archive will come up in a room at the second floor of the building that houses the office of the State Akademi of Dance Drama Music and Visual Arts.