Voices of the Folk: Exploring Life and Culture through Dinajpur's Palatiya Drama Narratives (S1)

Abstract

Palatiya, a traditional Bengali folk drama form, serves as both a source of entertainment and a repository of community heritage. This paper examines the life and culture of the Palatiya community through two narratives-Hadangkali Biswadhagri and Dhakoshori-to understand how they portray rural hardships, resilience, and cultural identity. The study employs an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on literary analysis, anthropology, and performance studies, and uses qualitative methods with data from drama texts, interviews, observations, photographs, and relevant literature. Findings show that both plays center on two women, Bishobala and Dhakoshori, who embody the working-class struggle against poverty and injustice while reflecting the community's traditions, values, and resistance to oppression. These works not only preserve Bengali folk culture but also function as social documents of rural life. The research contributes to folk and performance studies by highlighting Palatiya's role as a medium of cultural continuity and a voice for marginalized communities, and calls for further study of ethnic cultural forms in contemporary contexts.