Nature, Culture and Oriental Heritage: Ethnographic Explorations on Patua and Chhau Communities of Bengal

A culturally vibrant country like India has multiple embedded forms of folk traditions accompanied by an essentially rich history that is constituted by a cultural–ecological heritage. West Bengal, one of the eastern states of India, is inhabited by numerous ecosystem-dependent communities. Nature, culture, and livelihoods remain deeply entangled in the indigenous practices, blurring concrete boundaries that separate tangible from intangible heritage. In mainstream “ecological” and “heritage” discourses, the folk performative customs and their architects are often projected as harbingers of ecological wisdom—relying on nature and, at the same time, giving back to her. Shedding light on Patuas of Naya Pingla, West Medinipur, and Chhau mask makers from Charida, Purulia, we complicate this line of argument by exploring complex interactions between material and cultural variables influencing these “living heritage” traditions. We have been “immersed” in dense ethnographic realms of the field to unpack complexities determining complex human–nature intersections that concurrently offer livelihood provisions and cultural sustenance among folk communities of rural South Asia. By weaving multilayered web of information and exploring the nonlinear ecology–economy–culture correlation along the two case studies, we have brought to the fore the significance of place-based narratives to inform overarching theories on heritage and ecological sustainability beyond mainstream perspectives. The case studies, though in geographical proximity, are neither meant to complement each other or to present a comparative narrative of ecological–cultural connect, but to highlight the importance of unmappable micro-realities and nonlinearities in shaping a community’s resilience.