The Tollygunge Academy of Folklore organised its annual two-day international seminar and convocation on 29 and 30 March. Hosted at the Jadavpur University, the theme of this year’s seminar focused on ‘Diversity of forms and customs in Bengali folk tradition’. The seminar brought together academicians, scholars, and cultural enthusiasts from diverse backgrounds. This seminar aimed to examine ancient Bengali folk traditions while analysing the relevance and evolution of these traditions in contemporary times.

The first day commenced with a welcome speech by Madhuri Sarkar, General Secretary of the Academy of Folklore. This was followed by an introduction to the theme and address by Prof. Sauren Bandyopadhyay, Vice-Chancellor of West Bengal State University and President of Academy of Folklore, and Prof. Pabitra Sarkar, former Vice-Chancellor of Rabindra Bharati University (RBU). The highlights of the day were four insightful lectures offering unique perspectives on the theme.

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The first lecture on ‘Folk traditions and Bengali literature’ was given by Shreela Basu, associate professor at Visva Bharati University. The talk highlighted the role of folk traditions, beliefs, and customs in Bengali culture and how they are reflected in literature. Basu asserted that even modern society has not completely distanced itself from these traditions, which is reflected in events like marriage and childbirth. The second lecture by Debtushi Misra Chowdhury, assistant professor at Sarojini Naidu College for Women, was on ‘Women-centric folk customs’. Here, she discussed the daily rituals of women, religious observances, and customs that were deeply intertwined with their surroundings, families, husbands, children, and even their own well-being. These customs reflect the role played by women in the past and reveal their emotions and social standing.

Speaking to The Statesman, Prof. Bandyopadhyay emphasised the significance of folklore, “Folklore is interconnected with our manners, rituals, and identity. Even in elite circles, where people distance themselves from these customs, some folk practices remain.” He further added, “People may get modern, but they will never completely abandon folk rituals.”

Munmun Gangopadhyay, professor at RBU, presented the third lecture of the day, titled ‘Religion-based folk customs’. She explored how religious folk customs have been incorporated into medieval Bengali literature. She further examined medieval books like Srikrishna Kirtan, Mangal Kavya, Vaishnava Padavali, and other works. The study also highlighted how folk customs, which are connected to society and culture, became literary elements. It was followed by the lecture of Swapankumar Thakur, folklorist, on ‘Extinct and endangered folk customs’. In the session, he discussed the several unique and diverse rituals that once were an integral part of Bengali domestic life.

“Folklore is embedded in our daily lives. The way we greet each other, the way we conduct rituals – are all elements of folklore,” Prof. Pallab Sengupta affirmed, adding, “Some customs have faded because they were no longer needed. However, some traditions remain as they are crucial to survive in a society.”

The first day ended with a presentation of selected papers, which continued on the second day. These presentations explored topics like the underlying philosophy behind folk traditions, wedding-related folk customs across different religions, food-centric folk traditions, the role of folk traditions in modern society, and many more. The two-day seminar concluded with a convocation ceremony. Bengali author Kinnar Roy presented the convocation address, and students of folklore studies were awarded certificates by the academy.

In conversation with The Statesman, Madhuri Sarkar stressed the enduring importance of conducting the seminar, “Every year, we organise a seminar on folk culture and traditions, followed by the convocation. The primary aim is to promote the understanding of folklore’s significance in society and its impact on cultural heritage.” She further noted that folk customs are not mere superstitions but may have underlying scientific rationales, “If we try to understand them scientifically, we will realise that some customs were designed for practical purposes. Folk traditions are important as they continue to shape the cultural consciousness of the community.”