Bratachari Movement:Origin,historical perspectives and inclusive traditional dance form of Bengal

'Sarigan' are being performed during Bratachari training  Gurusaday Dutt reassembled all available Bengali traditional folk songs from all parts of Bengal province and made some addition and alteration with lyrics and compositions, but sincerely he remained the original theme and mood of those songs. 'Sarigan' was a popular folk medium of pre-colonial period.among the 'Majhi' community who used to sail boats around riverine Bengal. With a proper lyrics and composition Gurusaday incorporated 'Sarigan' into Bratachari Movement. The famous 'Sarigan' often performed by Bratacharians is "kaiye Dhan Khailo Re". In the same way he attached  Bratachari with 'Kirtan','Jhumur','Baul','Bhatiyali','Bhawaiya,,'Dhali' etc. Actually GuruSaday Dutt's motive was to archieve every collectable folk formats. "Holo matite chander uday ke dekhobi ay" is a famous bawl song written by him. He...

Bratachari training at elementary school Bratachari was introduced as a combined Indian folk form of songs and dances, but now a days it has got more relevance as a tool of physical education and rhythmic physical exercise. Apart form spiritual objectives Pre-independent national consciousness Bratachari movement may gradually developing into a pivotal practice in the educational institutions especially in school level. GuruSaday Dutt felt our obligation to develop our youth brigade for the sake of nation construction as prescribed by Swami Vivekananda. Political compulsion has changed now but the appropriations have not.   We are in the age of post modernism where typical Indian joint families are fragmented into nuclear ones. Children of those families are virtually social but they are merely nourish affinity or social concurrence, rather than they are becoming self-centric. They are more affiliated with the virtual games rather than real games which was usually playe...

Students of Kishore Bharati ,DumDum during their Bratachari Training,.  Picture Courtesy- Rajarshi Mukhopadhay  Bratachari Movement was originated from our root and cultural ethnicity.  Bratachari may have some different aspects or objectives but the ultimate aim of this movement is to construct a healthy and prosperous youth society for the service of domicile. During the colonial period Bratachari was being taught in some National and vernacular institutes, they had their own Bratachari Group who used to perform Bratachari acts.But gradually in West Bengal during congress regime Bratachari considered and evolved as a better form of Physical Education and it was introduced into School Curriculum. Bratachari got their initial success when it was included into school curriculum,proportionately it was being taught maintaining balance with physical exercise. Students took it as a space for fun and joyful learning after a hectic schedule with the text books. Not only i...

Bratachari training camp in Kishore Bharati Vidyalaya,DumDum(picture taken by Rajarshi Mukhopadhay) The elucidation of 'Bratachari' is observer of some certain duties and oath to serve towards mankind. GuraSaday Dutt believed that Bratachari ideologies should be observed by a Bratachari Disciple in his everyday life.Not only in his life but also in all Physiological and mental attitudes,in his body,soul,nature,character and behaviour. By following these discipline he may succeed in his life. So, to achieve a certain goal a Bratachari would have to to honest and devote himself for the principle and ideology. These ideology is for love, affinity, inclusiveness,discipline, peace and widespread. Gurusaday Dutt first emphasised on Friendship and Unity.He formed a slogan in Bengali. "স-খ্য ডোরে সকল ব্রতচারী জীবন গাঁথব,স-ঙ্ঘ গড়ে সবাই মিলে কৃত্য নৃত্য সাধব"  Batachari Movement (from vrata, vow) a movement for spiritual and social improvement.Each and every Bratachar...

Various types of paper pulp masks GuruSaday Museum in Thakurpukur,Kolkata is actually a paradise of indian folk art,crafts and culture.Where ever GuruSaday Dutt was posted as ICS, he collected the epitomes of the certain area,it could be folk craft or stone sculpture. In Gurusaday Museum these items are displayed,such as 'Dasavatar Tas' (a set of cards named after ten avater of hindu faith) from Bankura, 'Sujani Kantha'(a decorated steatched blanket)  from Jessore. Various types of 'PotChitra' were collected by him.'Jorano pot',#1.Kalighat Pot#2,Chowka pot#3 are stored in the museum. 'Pot Chitra' was a folk media of communication , it may be called one kind of folk cinema where 'Pot' was displayed in absence of celluloid. Pot is actually a rolled piece of long cloth where the illustration used to painted by a particular community identified as the "Patuya". They painted on the cloth and conveyed the messages of the ce...