Preservation of invaluable items in the archives of the Bengali Department of Vidyasagar University

JNF Desk: Vidyasagar University continues to play an important role in preserving various elements of folk culture. Vidyasagar University, located in West Midnapore district, contains important elements of folk culture from different parts of the district. Apart from the districts, the museum also contains folklore elements from other districts of the state, neighboring states and different parts of the country.After the ninth UGC visit, funds were allocated to the Department of Bangla Language and Literature of Vidyasagar University for setting up a folk culture archive. With the allocated funds, the Bangla Culture Department was given to the Bangla Department in 2008 by the university authorities. This museum, which has been running for almost 15 years, has become more and more enriched with the cooperation of all and the interest and enthusiasm of the students of folklore and culture.There are many rare elements of folk culture as well as indigenous and almost lost culture here. As a result, the students will gain knowledge about folk culture as well as their economic and social prosperity, the department professors think.The artefacts of Sabang in West Midnapore, Nayar Patchitra of Pingla as well as terracotta art of Panchmura in neighboring Bankura district, pottery of Krishnanagar, stone art of Purulia and many other things have found a place in the archives. Not only that, besides the bamboo industry of the neighboring state of Tripura, the wood industry of Manipur-Madhya Pradesh, the museum also has many elements of folk music and folklore Museum.Professor Saroj Kumar Pan, Head of the Department of Bengali, said, “This museum is helping to increase the knowledge of the students about the endangered culture as well as the scope of their research. The museum is an important contributor to folklore research.”