Bhadu is the social festival of South Bengal. The festival starts from the first day of

Bhadro Bhadro ( bn, ভাদ্র ''Bhadrô'') is the fifth month in the Bengali calendar. Bhadro marks the beginning of Sharat or Autumn. According to the modified calendar developed by the Bangla Academy, the month of Bhadro has 31 days from 18 Aug ...

, the fifth month in

Bengali Calendar The Bengali Calendar or Bangla Calendar ( bn, বঙ্গাব্দ , , Baṅgābda), colloquially ( bn, বাংলা সন, Baṅgla Śon), is a solar calendar used in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent. A revised version of th ...

and continues till the end of the month. It has its origins in the story of a princess called Bhadravati (Bhadresvari) of Panchakote who magically disappeared. Bhadravati's devotees make an image of her and sing and dance before it throughout the month. On the last day of Bhadra, they gather on the river bank and immerse the image in the water. Songs, mainly focussing on marriage, form the main attraction of the festival in which both professional groups and amateurs take part. Celebrations include fairs and cultural programmes.

Location

Bhadu festival is mostly celebrated in

Purulia Purulia is a city and a municipality in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Purulia district. It is located on the north of the Kangsabati River. Geography Location Purulia is located at . It has an average ele ...

Bankura Bankura () is a city and a municipality in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of the Bankura district. Etymology In the Mahabharata, Bankura was described as Suhmobhumi. The word or (in Nagari: rāḍh) was introduced af ...

Birbhum Birbhum district () is an administrative unit in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the northernmost district of Burdwan division—one of the five administrative divisions of West Bengal. The district headquarters is in Suri. Other impo ...

and

Bardhaman Bardhaman (, ) is a city and a municipality in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of Purba Bardhaman district, having become a district capital during the period of British rule. Burdwan, an alternative name for the city, ...

districts of

West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...

Folklore

The Bhadu festival is centered around the legend of the princess Bhadu. According to legend, she was found as an orphan by the chief of Lada village. Bhadu is said to be the living embodiment of the goddess

Lakshmi Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...

. The chief adopts her and secretly raises her as a princess. Bhadu falls in love with Anjan, the son of a doctor in a neighboring village. The king does not approve of the relationship and has Anjan imprisoned. Bhadu and two companions then travel the kingdom singing song at the gates of forts and prisons, hoping that Anjan will hear her voice. The king eventually releases Anjan, but by then Bhadu has disappeared, and is said to have faded away and merged with the sky. The songs of the Bhadu festival are based on those that Bhadu was believed to have sung.

Songs

Bhadu gaan, an inseparable part of Bhadu festival reflects the colours of rural society. It used to be very popular in

Burdwan Bardhaman (, ) is a city and a municipality in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of Purba Bardhaman district, having become a district capital during the period of British rule. Burdwan, an alternative name for the city, ...

and Midnapore. But in

the existence of this unique genre is being threatened by the rising popularity of cinema and television. Bhadu songs are composed extemporaneously and sung on each night of the festival, depicting the Goddesses as young girls. They describe Bhadu and tell in loving detail how they will be entertained. Since Bhadu is unmarried, her songs are sung mostly by unmarried girls. Dancing and playing drums accompanies Bhadu.

References

External links

Colors of India

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bhadu (Festival) Festivals in West Bengal