The Enigma of Bengali Culture

Today I discovered some old songs, songs from Past with memories. Sonar Kella, Goopy and Bagha Byne. But what was interesting was how much it mesmerized me. So what is the charisma of these songs or attraction of Bengali music/culture to me? An attraction which still remains an enigma to me. It certainly is not the physical aspect of Calcutta or Bengal I saw or grew up in, but it the aura of a culture with its refined taste, of the evangelic desire of people. And funnily when I grew up or was growing up i.e. late or mid 80’s, the time when I could assimilate the world around me, much of the stuff which I admired had been or was being lost to the economical realities of times. But still the charm remained, propagated by the movies shown or Puja or trips to College Street or listening to Rabindra Sangeet or JibonMukhi.

But the decadence of an edifice which certainly repelled most of my close Non-bengali friends and relatives (including my brothers and cousins) never seemed to touch me. I always and have remained a staunch admirer of Bengali culture much to disbelief of many of my UPite friends, who felt I had very little allegiance to my other connection.

And though trips to the place (now that I am a visitor to the place however I would like not to be otherwise) I see all the decadence, the music, the films keep in me the charm of the disappeared “Bhadrolok” Culture.