Ballavpur Danga Village is located in the state of West
Bengal in East India. The village is quite simple and mainly comprises of
Santhal tribal community. The natural surrounding and unique lifestyle of
the Santhal tribe is what makes this village different from others. It is
the only village which has preserved rich tribal culture and age old
traditions from generations. Tour to the charming village of Ballavpur Danga
can be truly exciting as well as educating too. The best time to plan out
the trip to the Ballavpur Danga village lies between the month of October to
April.
Ballavpur Danga art and Craft :
Handicraft work : The village of Ballavpur Danga is
known for the handicrafts work made by the local artisans to earn their
livlihood. The tribals of the village posses the rich art and craft culture.
They are expert in mat weaving, broom binding, musical instruments, baskets,
batik, leather work and making ornaments with date leaf, palm leaf, and bena
grass. They pass this talent from generation to the other.
Santhali Dance :
You can simply enjoy the performance or you can be apart of the vibrant
Santhal Dance performed by the Santhali women, dressed up in the red
bordered white saris. The artists paint themselves with the different colors
in order to depict the various mythological character and dance gracefully
on the beats of the traditional music using the sticks.
Ballavpur Danga Culture :
Cuisine : Fish is the staple food of the villagers. They
are also fond of rice, pulses and various vegetables grown in their fields.
The most famous drink in the village is called Hariya, made from the rice
grain and a fruit seed called bakul.
Fairs and festivals :
Karam is the most important festival celebrated among the
tribals in the village. This festival falls in the
month of September and October. On the auspicious day tribals thank their
God and Goddess for every things they have and worship to have more. Another
festival celebrated among the tribals in the village is called Chabbish
Prahar. Villagers do not worship any idols. They follow the Sarna religion.
The God and Goddess worshipped among the tribals in the village are
Marangburu, Jaheraera, and Manjhi. They also pay respect to the ghosts and
spirits like Kal Sing, Lakchera, Beudarang etc.
Jaydev Kenduli mela, Sriniketan Krishi mela, Chadi Das and Pous mela are
some of the major fairs that held every year in the village of Ballavpur
Danga. Villagers of Ballavpur Danga love dance and music. They play great
music using Tirio (bamboo flute with the seven holes), Dhodro banam (which
consists of belly called lac covered with an animal skin on which rests the
bridge(sadam, lit, horse), an open chest( korom), a short neck (hotok)and a
head( bohok), Phet banam (a fretless stringed instrument with three or four
strings), Tumdak, Tamak, Junko and Singa.
Excursion trip from Ballavpur Danga :
On the excursion trip from the Ballavpur Danga village you can plan out the
tour to the Deer park, which lies at the distance of 2 km from the village.
Than y7ou can visit Jaydeb Kenduli, which houses an old temple. Than you can
pay a vist to the Vishwa Bharti University, located at the distance of 3 km.
