Perspectives on Enlisting Gambhira, as an Intangible Cultural Heritage

By : Prasenjit Kumar Mandal , Premangshu Chakrabarty , Barnali Das

Page No: 134-154

Abstract
Among the festivities of rural Bengal, Gambhira of Malda district in West Bengal of India deserves special attention because of its potential to be included in the intangible cultural heritage list of UNESCO. Gambhira festivities that provide amusements for village folk have their origin in the country of the Pundra, i.e., North Bengal, where Jain culture flourished after the visit of Parshwanath, the 23rd of the 24 Jinas of Jainism in the 8th Century B.C. The country was later invaded by Tantric Buddhism, during which mask dance was introduced. Most of the rituals were, however, developed by the influence of Shaivism. Under the fold of Hinduism in subsequent years, Shiva bears the character of Jina and Buddha together. Gambhira has gradually flourished as a festival of settled agriculturists stimulated by folk literature and art; thereby evolving as an outstanding Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH). This paper is an attempt to examine the nature of the uniqueness of Gambhira festivities to focus on its potential to boost cultural tourism along with addressing the challenges that expose it to the threat of extinction. The method applied for analysis is quasi-quantitative. The discussion reveals the necessity of a top down approach in its conservation planning while promoting it in the cultural tourism market.

Authors :
Prasenjit Kumar Mandal : Assistant Professor of Geography, Dumkal College, University of Kalyani, 742403, West Bengal, India.
Premangshu Chakrabarty : Professor of Geography, Department of Geography, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan, 731235, West Bengal, India.
Barnali Das : Assistant Professor of Geography, Kalyani Mahavidhyalaya, University of Kalyani, 741235, West Bengal, India.
 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32381/ATNAGI.2024.44.01.9