The Indian state of West Bengal has a rich and living tradition of handicrafts. Primarily folk in character, they include a sophisticated tradition of textile manufacture that reached and continues to maintain a high level of excellence. The fame of Bengal's textiles first attracted the British East India Company, and ultimately led to the subjugation of this state - and the India subcontinent - to British rule. This book captures the variety and vitality of Bengal's crafts and the range of their creative expression.

The Book “CULTURE AND TRADITION OF WEST BENGAL” by Sahanawaz Hussain highlights the different culture of west Bengal. The state west Bengal has a diverse culture. Author Sahanawaz Hussain highlights all the culture of different district of west Bengal starting from North Bengal to South Bengal. West Bengal boasts a rich literary and cultural heritage with evidenced by authors like Rabindranath Tagore,folk music like baul,Gambhira as well as Najrul Geeti,Rabindra Sangeet. West Bengal is the home of a thriving cinema industry dubbed “Tollywood”.throughout the year many festivals are celebrated in bengal.

The book ART AND CULTURE OF WEST BENGAL by Sahanawaz Hussain highlights the different culture of west Bengal. The state west Bengal has a diverse culture. Author Sahanawaz Hussain highlights all the culture of different district of west Bengal starting from North Bengal to South Bengal. West Bengal boasts a rich literary and cultural heritage with evidenced by authors like Rabindranath Tagore,folk music like baul,Gambhira as well as Najrul Geeti,Rabindra Sangeet. West Bengal is the home of a thriving cinema industry dubbed Tollywood.throughout the year many festivals are celebrated in bengal. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE BOOK:- Art & Culture (Literature) The Bengali language boasts a rich literary heritage, shared with neighbouring Bangladesh. West Bengal has a long tradition in folk literature, evidenced by the Charyapada, Mangalkavya, Shreekrishna Kirtana, ThakurmarJhuli, and stories related to Gopal Bhar. In the nineteenth and twentieth century, Bengali literature was modernized in the works of authors such as Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Michael Madhusudan Dutt, Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay, Jibananda Das and Manik Bandyopadhyay. In modern times Jibanananda Das, Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay, Tarashankar Bandopadhyay, Manik Bandopadhyay, Ashapurna Devi, Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay, Buddhadeb Guha, Mahashweta Devi, Samaresh Majumdar, Sanjeev Chattopadhyay and Sunil Gangopadhyay among others are well known. (Music and Dance) The Baul tradition is a unique heritage of Bengali folk music, which has also been influenced by regional music traditions. Other folk music forms include Gombhira and Bhawaiya. Folk music in West Bengal is often accompanied by the ektara, a one-stringed instrument. West Bengal also has an heritage in North Indian classical music. Rabindrasangeet, songs composed and set into tune by Rabindranath Tagore and Nazrul geeti (by Kazi Nazrul Islam) are popular. Also prominent are other musical forms like Dwijendralal, Atulprasad and Rajanikanta's songs, and adhunik or modern music from films and other composers. From the early 1990s, there has been an emergence and popularisation of new genres of music, including fusions of Baul and Jazz by several Bangla bands, as well as the emergence of what has been called Jeebonmukhi Gaan (a modern genre based on realism). Bengali dance forms draw from folk traditions, especially those of the tribal groups, as well as the broader Indian dance traditions. Chau dance of Purulia is a rare form of mask dance. State is known for Bengali folk music such as baul and kirtans and gajan, and modern songs including Bengali adhunik songs. (Films) The state is home to a thriving cinema industry, dubbed Tollywood. Tollygunj in Kolkata is the location of numerous Bengali movie studios, and the name Tollywood (similar to Hollywood and Bollywood) is derived from that name. The Bengali film industry is well known for all kind of films, and has produced acclaimed directors like Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Tapan Sinha and Ritwik Ghatak. Prominent contemporary directors include Buddhadev Dasgupta, Goutam Ghose, Aparna Sen and Rituparno Ghosh.It has also produced famous film personalities like Uttam Kumar,Soumitra Chatterjee,Suchitra Sen,Kanon Devi,Kishore Kumar and many more. (Fine Arts) Bengal had been the harbinger of modernism in fine arts. Abanindranath Tagore, called the father of Modern Indian Art had started the Bengal School of Art which was to create styles of art outside the European realist tradition which was taught in art colleges under the colonial administration of the British Government. The movement had many adherents like Gaganendranath Tagore, RamkinkarBaij, Jamini Roy and Rabindranath Tagore. After Indian Independence, important groups like the Calcutta Group and the Society of Contemporary Artists were formed in Bengal which dominated the art scene in India. (Reformist Heritage) The capital, Kolkata, was the workplace of several social reformers, like Raja Ram Mohan Ray, Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar, and Swami Vivekananda. These social reforms have eventually led to a cultural atmosphere where practices like sati, dowry, and caste-based discrimination or untouchability, the evils that crept into the Hindu society, were abolished. (Costumes) Bengali women commonly wear the shaŗi , often distinctly designed according to local cultural customs. In urban areas, many women and men wear Western attire. Among men, western dressing has greater acceptance. Men also wear traditional costumes such as the panjabi with dhuti, often on cultural occasions. (Festivals) Durga Puja in October is the most popular festival in the West Bengal. Poila Baishakhthe Bengali New Year, Rathayatra, Dolyatra or Basanta-Utsab, Nobanno, Poush Parbon (festival of Poush), Kali Puja, SaraswatiPuja, LaxmiPuja, Christmas, Eid ul-Fitr, Eid ul-Adha and Muharram are other major festivals.

This book presents a comprehensive socio-cultural history of crafts and crafts persons in pre-colonial Eastern India. It focuses on the technology of crafts as being integral to the traditional lives of the crafts persons and explores their cultural and social world. It offers an in-depth analysis of the complexities of craft technologies in the three sectors of cotton textile, sericulture and silk textile and mining and metallurgy in the regions of Bihar and Jharkhand in Eastern India in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Apart from technology, the book discusses a range of socio-economic themes including craft production systems; marketing and financing patterns; impact of contact with the world market; craft persons’ identities in terms of caste affiliations and group divisions; negotiations for upward caste mobility; contestations and dissent of lower castes; power and social stratification; functioning of caste panchayats; gender division of craft labour; myths, beliefs and religiosity attributed to craft usages; social and ritual traditions; and contemporary craft traditions. Rich in archival and diverse sources, including oral traditions, paintings, and findings from extensive field visits and interactions with crafts persons, this book will be an essential read for scholars and researchers of crafts, medieval Indian history, social history, sociology and social anthropology, economic history, cultural history, science and technology studies, and South Asian studies. It will also interest government and non-governmental organisations, textile historians, craft and design specialists, contemporary craft industrial sector, and museums.

India is a land of staggering diversity where ethnicity, culture, religion and language come together in a dazzling kaleidoscope of humanity. The North, South, East and West have their own distinct cultures and almost every state has carved its own cultural niche. This book takes you on a magical journey of celebrating the vibrant cultural diversity of India. If you are an Indian, or a foreigner and are visiting India, it is important that you take note of certain things. INDIAN ETIQUETTE - A Glimpse into India’s Culture throws light on the culture, customs, language, society, manners, and values— all helping you to understand the people and the vibrant country of India! Experience the Magic of each state and Celebrate the Culture of India with our author, trainer, coach and consultant Ms. Niraalee Shah.

This book examines the theoretical and methodological research issues that underlie the design and use of interactive technology. The analysis directs attention to three human capacities: cognition, communication and interaction. The examination of these capacities is embedded in understanding concepts of communication and interaction and their application; conceptions of knowledge and cognition; and the role of aesthetics and ethics in design.

In handicrafts and artisanal products, industry has witnessed both a technological shift and a renewed interest among customers, especially after the challenges and limitations of mass production became evident under the COVID-19 pandemic. This book portrays the worldwide development of this trend, the nature of entrepreneurship in these industries, and the unique challenges and opportunities that entrepreneurs face. The book shows how these businesses are gaining a resurgence due to customers preferring ethical, regional, and climate-friendly options to fulfill their needs. The chapters focus on artisan entrepreneurs' contribution to society by not only creating businesses, but also in terms of tourism development. The book reiterates that artisan entrepreneurs enable crucial cultural connections with tradition due to their affinity to a region, city, village, or community. Small business and entrepreneurship researchers as well as policymakers in the cultural sector would benefit from this book.