Sonajhuri Haat
Sonajhuri Haat
Project executed by
Aratrika Dasgupta
Person Interviewed :
INSERT PIC
Introduction
In the outskirts of the Birbhum district of West Bengal you will find “Sonajhuri/Shonibarer
Haat”. This is Bengal being served in its most luscious platter. The narration that will
follow is quite away from the frills and fancies of the a modern day metropolitan city,
through the eyes of a commoner whose sole purpose of visiting this place is in search of
tranquility and peace or “shanti”, at Shantiniketan. We can dwell and elaborate a better
picture of my story later on, but first let us explore the wonders of this place, rather a
market place. It would be more than fair to call this Bengal’s best handicraft destination.
The literal meaning of the word “Sonajhuri” is “droplets of gold”
Shonibarer Haat, means or translates into the Saturday Weekly Market. It has been
officially also been hailed as the “Khoai Boner Annya Haat” where Khoia Bon are the
wonderful forests of Khoia. These forests are marvelously decorated by the eucalyptus
trees. This place is the focal destination for many tourists who flock in great numbers to
shop, look around or simply to soak in the myriad colours of this market place. To gain
further insights we need to have a comprehensive look at it’s history and for that we
need to take a step back. We will study about Shantiniketan, which had been
Rabindranath Tagore’s abode and from where Viswa-Bharati University hails.
A tiny town situated in the Bolpur city of Birbhum district (West Bengal), Shantiniketan is
approximately 200 kms away from the capital of the state, Kolkata. In it’s earlier days
Shantiniketan had extensive forest land covering it’s land but then geographical factors
gave way and resulted in a barren look engulfing the land. This phenomenon is locally
known as khoai. But then generous and soulful efforts by botanists, resulted in plants
and trees from all over India, being cultivated in these lands. One might argue that the
nature of the surrounding areas have changed with the tide of time, but the flavor
distinctly remains the same.
The legendary poet Rabindranath Tagore is hailed as the founder and creator of the
Sonajhuri Haat, thus having a soft corner in those who hail from East India. Tagore and
his love for music go hand in hand. In a lot of his literary creations as well, you will find
colours of nature and their soothing effect on human lives. In fact, it was his attraction
with mother nature that got him in love with the Sonajhuri Forest. In this marker you
could buy handicrafts, soak deep into the folk music or lore, and indulge in local food,
made with organic ingredients. This festival as you may call it takes place over the
weekends in the khoai region. The peculiarity of this place as mentioned earlier is the
formation of canyons, due to erosion by wind and water. This place is characterised by
You will find patches of dry forest of Sonajhuri (Acacia Auriculiformis) trees on an
eroded bed of soil and the Shyambati canal on the other.
The Sonajhuri Haat reveals itseld as you keep walking across the banks of the Kopai
river with amalgamation of Sal, Sonajuri and Piyal trees. The sweet summer breeze
flowing across enthralls your mind and soul, literally hypnotizing you to walk through the
market. The local display of handicrafts by the artisans will leave you spell bound for
sure.
You could find the Haat being setup on weekdays too, but its major attraction is on the
weekends though running from late mornings to wee hours of the dusk. The cultural
diversity of the Indian Subcontinent is perhaps portrayed in its best form over here. The
music scene of the Baul(s) is supported by the platter of goods for sale. You could
argue that both of them work in tandem over here.
The local jive and vibe of Baul’s will enthrall and captivate you. The Baul is a person
playing a stringed musical organ and also signing at the same time. The tonality is more
towards tribal or folk music. They are the leading star performers of this music scene.
Live performances on the by-lanes with the rhythmic beats of the traditional folk musical
instruments will enchant a spell over you. If you are lucky you might also find the local
tribal dancers, tip tapping their feet in harmony. The vocal sound displayed by them will
send chills down your spine. Variety of wooden items are dime a dozen with options in
musical instruments as well. These instruments are also hand carved with no factory
being involved but them being limited to traditional stores only. Wooden chairs and
household items can also be found here with are quite unique and cater to a niche
crowd. Artistically woven baskets with bamboo is another attraction over here. Cutlery
made from wood and terracotta are found in plenty too. The handicrafts and artifacts
found over here ranging from being utilitarian to being mere pieces on your mantel from
are iconic to the region of Bolpur, the artisan’s being from there itself.The unique selling
point of this market being selling off their daily produce of vegetables, unlike any other
shops or markets here they bring in their weekly produces and sell them directly to the
customers. traditional food items are also fantastic over here. Kantha embroidered
sarees and various jewelries made from terracotta, dokra and seeds.are also a rage
over here.
It is worth while to note that the draw of this market is solely due to the use of local raw
materials and indigenous craftsmanship. Locally grown Kashi ghas baskets, trinket
boxes, are good examples of such. The cultural harmony and revival of traditional art
which are otherwise ploughed by profit seeking commercial houses are seen blooming
in their full form. The back to basics in the land of milk and honey in a nation that
contributed to about 27 % of the global GDP before colonization by the English has
indeed been a game changer. The nation’s glory will always lie in the villages with
indigenous craftsmanship and agriculture. An attempt to overpower or rather un settle
this idea will of course give you short term thills but a sad devasting end.
Structure and Way of Functioning (Collaborations/network with government or other
organizations)
With being mentioned quite a few times , the hut sets its doors open early noon or late
morning as you call lit , but however an increment in footfall is noticed as dusk
approaches. during the noon. This market is run by local artisans and artisits who have
an entire array of products on display. The governing body is however the Tourism
Department of Government of West Bengal. Well trying to locate it is an easy affair, as it
is hardly 2-3 km from Shantiniketan and 5 kms approximately from the Bolpur station. In
addition to the galore of items and the music blending in, there are also Tribal women or
adivasis dancing to folk songs. In the recent times though, sellers who aren’t locals of
Shantiniketan are also flocking over here in hopes of making a sale. Adding to the raw
uncensored flavor, there is no electricity over here in this market and therefore they
close shops at dusk.
One can argue that modernization is a stepping stone in every culture, settlement and
thus we find that true in this village also. Impacts of modernization are noticeable
among There has a sparked increment in the usage of modern-day amenities like
television, radio sets, transmitters, mobile devices and also cooking alliance. It wouldn’t
be wrong to say that modern amenities have crept in and are here to stay. However, on
the lee side of thigs, infrastructure in this village has been poor and subpar and water
availability and pumping resources have still not developed. Villagers still use deep bore
hand pumps, called tube wells, to pump out water for their needs. You will find a club or
a community in this village which again is in line with modern methods of functioning.
Roads are also poor over here and need attention, Schools and colleges are present
but the literacy rates do not justify them. The renowned Viswa-Bharti, founded by
Rabindranath Tagore does little good to fluttering scholars too.
Another feature in this village is migration, thus the lack of a steady population. These
people migrate to other area’s neighboring towns and cities and are easily employed.
The reason for the same being highly skilled, honest and simplicity in their approach.
Their calm nature earns them accolades where ever they set foot.
There have been changes in their cultural environment due to the advent of modern
way of life, but however the affect has not been that deep rooted. Families still don their
traditional attire on festivals, decorate their cottages by hand made designs out of a
mixture of chalk powder and water, locally known as “alpona”. There are however
exceptions but they do not justify the findings of the study or several research attempts.
Changes of their daily life due to the growing intervention by the outsiders:
Frequent tourism has it’s flaws too, and one such major one is affecting the local
people’s socio-cultural behavior. An un balanced development tends to take place
which disturbs the harmony of the natural process.
Socio-economic status
You will also find cottages industries, among which potteries, woodworks and dress
materials are remarkable. Some of their traditional crafts and artwork have slightly been
modified in the present day under the influence of modernization. A saddening piece of
information is that the newer generation do not want to hone their family skills, but are in
search of a new occupation. Upon further investigation, this can be explained. It was
found that mostly the people of old generation and middle-age are engaged in this work
of tribal art and culture; because of the fact that these matured people believe in their
inherited ethical value and have devotion to maintain their inherited education of art. On
the other hand a large contingent of the young generation have so much been
influenced by modern global culture that they do not have the patience to learn their
own artwork and continue with it. With modern production as competition, their produce
and art do suffer as cheaper alternatives are available. They have the upper hand as it
takes a closer look to appreciate the beauty and charm of their indigenous work, which
can never be compared to a mass produced item. Sadly though very few customers
have the patience or the eye to observe such intricate details.
If you are travelling to the eastern part of India and interested to experience specifically
the beauty of the Bengal folk and tribal culture, then you must not miss out visiting this
lively market at Sonajhuri. It showcases the immense talent of the local artists in carving
several handmade products, made of wood, terracotta, bamboo stripes and threads.
You can even enjoy the elaborate authentic Bengali Thali or meal near the Sonajhuri
forest. I bet you will not be disappointed.
amalgamation of different walks of life and People from far away places and Cities like
Kolkata visit
Positives
Negatives