Heritage and Culture

http://www.gaudiyanritya.org/ Gaudiya Nritya -A classical Bengali school of Indian classical dance. THE CLASSICAL TEXT ON INDIAN DRAMATURGY, THE NATYASHASTRA OF BHARATA, DOES NOT MENTION ANY OF THE CLASSICAL DANCE FORMS RECOGNIZED TODAY, BUT IN IT’S FOURTEENTH CHAPTER ARE THE FOUR PRAVITTIS: DAKSHINATYA, AUDRAMAGADHI, AVANTI AND PUNCHALI. This piece named ARDHANARISVARA after the mythical Androgynous incarnation of Lord Shiva and Godess Parvati blended into one. This dance piece is to be played at the Balurghat Bookfair on 11.1.14. Modern day Personality theory extols Androgynous personality as the most balanced and modern form. ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES IN the DISTRICT
REMAINS OF BANGARH BANGARH Historically probably the most important of all places in the entire district, Bangarh boasts of the largest share of archaeological ruins and icons to be found in Dakshin Dinajpur. It is situated 45 Km away from Balurghat town and about 65 Km from Malda town. Bangarh was the capital of KOTI BARSHA district. During the GUPTA period, the whole of North Bengal was known as PUNDRA VARDHANA BHUKTI (PRADESH). It was again sub-divided into number of VISHAYAs (DISTRICT). KOTI BARSHA was one of the districts. Its old name was DEVKOTE/DEVIKOTE. In a radius of 8 Km of this area, different ancient archaelogical remnants have been found. Under the leadership of Prof Kunja Gobinda Goswami the excavation work was done between 1938-I941. After excavation, so many historical objects and archeological ruins have been found beginning from Mauryan era to Muslim period. SHRINE OF ATA SHAH The famous Sufi shrine under which lies the tomb of the great Sufi saint, Moulana Atauddin Shah. After the invasion of Turkish General, Ikhtiyar Ud-din Muhammad Bin Bakhtiyar Khalji in Devkot (present Gangarampur)many sufi saints came and established shelters. Out of them the most ancient and the most influential was Ata Shah. Towards the end of the 13th century the Sufi saint established here near the bank of Dhal dighi. INTERNATIONAL BORDER AT HILLI It was 1947. We got freedom at the cost of partition. India was divided and so was the town Hilli. The east of Hilli formed a part of Pakistan (present Bangladesh) and the west of Hilli was attached to India. Today Hilli is an exceptional international border compared to other borders because it has a railway station so adjacent. The communication of Hilli on both sides is well developed. An immigration check post office had been opened near the border. Hundreds of trucks and lorries with different commodities enter bangladesh through this border for export business.

BALURGHAT 1947

India got her much awaited freedom on 15^th August 1947. But according to the new map of India, Balurghat was included in Pakistan. It took 3 days to correct the error filled map. And for the three days the Pakistani flag was flown over Balurghat-Boys-High-School building. Atlast Balurghat became a part of India on 18^th August 1947. The contemporary district magistrate Mr. Bipul Kumar Acharya, I.A.S. (the first district Magistrate of West Dinajpur) hoisted the tricolor before the administrative office building. On the same day the district of West Dinajpur, with administrative headquarter at Balurghat, was officially formed. At the independence-celebration gathering at Balurghat Boys’ High School playground, the freedom-fighters Saroj Ranjan Chattopadhyay and Sailen Das appeared before the public disclosing their hidden identity.

Mahipaldighi- Neelkuthi

Stupa at Nazirpur

MANMOTHO ROY ART GALLERY AND DRAMA CULTIVATION CENTRE

Manmatha Ray, a bengali dramatist represented more truly than anyone else the transition in Bengal literature. His first full length work, Chandsaudagar in 1927 was based on a bengali legend, full of dramatic material. Also same is noticeable in many subsequent dramatizations of stories from the Hindu epics, Puranas, and Indian mythology. He wrote Ashoka in 1933 and Mir Qasim in 1938. He is considered as the father of one-act plays of bengal. Fortunately he came to Balurghat after receiving his L.L.B. degree in 1925 and started practicing law. His house "BARDA BHAWAN" can still be seen. An art gallery and a drama cultivation centre has been opened in his name.

MARTYR'S COLUMN OF TEBHAGA MOVEMENT AT KHANPUR

Khanpur is situated about 17 km. away from Balurghat. It is a very well known place for the TEBHAGA Movement. The Tebhaga movement is probably the greatest peasant movement in the history of India. The Tebhaga movement was a movement of the sharecroppers of Bengal demanding two-thirds instead of half as their produce. Basically from this principle demand the name ‘Tebhaga’ originated. The Tebhaga movement was a militant campaign initiated in Bengal by the Kisan Sabha in 1946. At that time share-cropping peasants had to give half of their harvest to the owners of the land. The demand of the Tebhaga (sharing by thirds) movement was to reduce the share given to landlords to one third. The share croppers of this area raised a movement for establishing their ¾th percentage share of the crops. To combat this movement the British Force along with local Zamindars started several oppressive measures including rape, plunder, setting fire, etc. On 20^th February, 1947, a large Police force went to Khanpur to arrest the leaders of the Tebhaga Movement. Police fired about 122 rounds upon the public. As a result 21 (twenty one) cultivators died on the spot. Among these victims were people belonging to the Muslims, Hindus and the Schedule Tribes. There is a small memorial in the spot engraving the names of the patriotic souls.

HILLI RAILWAY STATION

Though after independence this railway station of Hilli became a part of Bangladesh but still it is a place of tourist interest for people of both the sides of the international border. It was a time before independence when there was a train running from Kolkata to Jalpaiguri touching Hilli. There was a practice of unloading parcels of money from the mail train in Hilli station. On 28th october 1933, the railway station of Hilli was raided by a group of young men dressed in military uniform. The station staff offered strong resistance and there was an exchange of fire.

As a result the night guard of the railway station sustained serious injury and died in the hospital. The raiders who belong to the Anushilan Samity hoisted the national flag on the station building and decamped with large amount of money. However all the men who were involved in the raid were finally arrested and sentenced to rigorous imprisonment including transportation for life. So this Hilli railway station has a historical importance.

MARTYR'S COLUMN AT HILLI

The Battle of Hilli or the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971 or Bangladesh Liberation war was considered as the most pitched battle that took place in East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. The battle of Hilli continued from 23rd November 1971 to 11th December 1971. Nearly 400 soldiers of both India and Pakistan were killed in the war that continued for 18 days. The war was fought to liberate Bangladesh. On December 12, the bodies of the soldiers were cremated at a field in Hilli where later a martyr's column was constructed.