KHOWAB GAON (খোয়াব গাঁ) : THE STORY OF AN INVENTIVENESS | An Entire Village Became a Canvas with The Help of Colours, Near Jhargram in West Bengal

If you wish, you can be lost in this amazing and dreamy world. Dreams are always overwhelmed - those who say they never came to Khowab.

Village's boys and girls are painting to their houses (Credit: Subhankar Das)

WHERE IS KHOWAB GAON (VILLAGE)?

Khowab Gaon (Village) is a small village located in the dense jungle, only 5 km away from Jhargram railway station of West Bengal. The hard story of hunger, daily struggles of poverty and the total negligence of society constantly hampers the village’s well-being. The village away from many light years the rigidities of machines and mechanics, but a new effort has been made to the village by a cultural institution called the Chalachit Academy.

Local agriculture and local life have begun with one another in a fancy socio-economic and artistic endeavour underneath the open sky and make an outlet whose range is completely rural and its surrounding forest.

Here the walls of every house are full of human-oriented artistic touches, where rural aspirations and urban dreams are complementing each other. The silence here is not romantic in any way, but rather the echo of the affecting. Therefore, art is becoming self-contained on the path of social development and natural balance. Thus, anybody could see the colour of dreams all over the village. The whole village actually looks like canvas.

WHAT IS THE STORY BEHIND?

Not so long ago there was this village. As the jungle of the eastern plateau track was dying away every day, it was fading here too. The actual name of the village is Lalabazar, only 5 Lodha-Shabar tribal families live in the village. They cut their forest trees and made their livelihood to exist. But the picture of the village began to change when few artists came here from Kolkata. They try to make villagers aware that they would not survive if the jungle did not continue and they did not have to do much to encourage people.

 

But where is the alternative livelihood? There are no proper educational opportunities in the village, the nearest school is also far away from this village. Many in the village do not have tribal certificates. However, temporarily quitting his livelihood, they took the job of working as a labourer or a carpenter.

The litterateur Shivaji Bandyopadhyay changed the name Lalabazar to ' Khowab Gaon'. The walls of every house in the village look like canvas and villagers are also engaged in these activities. There was a lot of enthusiasm, especially in little boys and girls. Kolkata 'Lalitkala Academy' has come forward to decorate the village. In the meantime, the 'Chalchitra Academy' has been created involving the villagers.

The villagers learned a little to draw pictures. The dream was being made all over the village. little boys and girls have learned the technique of making various masks made of bamboo and have named it 'Katumkutum'. There was a literacy campaign going on. In addition to learning herbal dyeing and other techniques were underway.

Villagers drawing pictures (Credit: Abir Kar)

This the village is becoming increasingly popular. Many are coming to be amazed in this silent jungle. If you have wishes you can spend some time in this village and enjoy folklife and attractive pictures of Bengal.

REFERENCE

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1) https://prohor.in/an-entire-village-became-a-canvas-with-the-help-of-colours-the-story-of-khwab-gaon-in-bengal/

2) https://bengali.koulal.com/khoyabgramekti-swpner-itikotha/

3) https://bengali.koulal.com/khoyabgramer-lolito-calcitre-naya-pot/

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