Heritage Tourism- An Anthropological Journey to Bishnupur

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About the Author SAMIRA DASGUPTA (b.1953) obtained her M.Sc and Ph.D degree in Anthropology from Calcutta University. She has specialized in Cultural Anthropology. She is a perceptive researcher and has contributed more than sixty research papers to reputed journals. She has developed research acumen in the field of culture ecology, role and status of tribal women, ethno-science, and tribal religion as well as problems of contemporary issues. She has authored six books entitled-(1) Birjia: Society and Culture, (ii) In Search of Altematives: Tribal Women in Desert Scenario, (iii) Spectrum of Tribal Bastar, (iv) Frontiers of Social Anthropology, (v) Ethno-ecology of Indian Tribes: Diversity in Cultural Adaptation, (vi) Reflection of Ethno-Science: Study on the Abujh Maria. She is associated with Anthropological Survey of India since 1977 and has carried out several research projects.

RADIRANJAN BISWAS (b. 1957) holds a Master Degree in Anthropology from the University of Calcutta and has specialized in Social-Cultural Anthropology. He involved in research at the Anthropological Survey of India (An.S.I.) for more than two decades. He has been conducted empirical study among the tribal and folk societies in different states in Eastern India At present he is working in the XI Plan project 'Man in Biosphere'. Mr. Biswas has published a few articles in edited books and in reputed Indian journals. He has deep interest in the field of marginalized groups and rural societies in India and associated with the Indian Anthropological Society. Kolkata as Life Member.

GAUTAM KUMAR MALLIK (b. 1963) obtained his M.Sc. degree in Anthropology from University of Calcutta in the year 1988. He started his research career with an evaluation work on the pavement dwellers in some pockets of Kolkata. Later he engaged in a project work of Ministry of Welfare (Tribal Development Department) on 'Midterm Evaluation of the Primitive Tribal Groups of West Bengal'. He joined in Anthropological Survey of India at Port Blair in 1990. Since then Mr. Mallik worked on the Nicobarese, Onge and Settlers of Little Andaman Island and tribal and caste communities of West Bengal and Orissa in respect of various projects of Anthropological Survey of India. Now, he is working on the impact of developmental programmes at Similipal Biosphere Reserve, Orissa.

Preface India is a vivid kaleidoscope of landscapes. Travel and tourism posit human freedom, they usually reemphasis our inherited right to visit places, to meet people and their culture, witness the great cultural heritage in the form of monument and also to take in exotic cultures with a free spirit. In all the cases, travel contributes in satisfying human mind. In this way, travel or tour has a very important position in human life and ultimately tourism that is, the movement of people within their own country or across the national border became one of the very profitable largest items of international trade or global industry.

It has a great significance because of its impact on economy. environment and society. On the one hand it generates employment opportunities and on the other hand takes initiatives for the infrastructure development -as a facility, which is the base, and stimuli for diversification of the economy and for the development of other industries at the local level. In fact, tourism plays as a catalytic agent for the socio-economic development not only for the cities but also of the rural life. The development of the products of the artisan groups at tourist center is inextricably linked to the other contributions related to tourism development of the area. Ultimately tourism industry is definitely a boosting engine for the over all economic development.

It is often seen that tourists both domestic and foreign, tend to visit well-known tourist spots. The Government of India through its National Tourism Policy has decided and announced in May 2002 to boost tourism as a major engine of economic growth and development. The new policy attempts to highlight the position of India as a global brand and to take advantage of the rapidly increasing global tourism sector through projecting the vast untapped, as well as far away from modem advertisement and away from limelight of publicity, potential tourist spots of India as a destination.

Former President of India, APJ Abdul Kalam, in his inaugural address at the 23rd India International Trade Fair in New Delhi under the theme, "Tourism and Promoting Exports by Small and Medium Enterprises", has emphasized on developing our villages where 70% of our population resides, which would play an important role in the overall development of the country. In his conclusion has said that 'India has large potential for tourism'.

Against this backdrop the vast and varied cultural universe as well as great cultural heritage of India which signals with splendours of beauty, both natural as well as architectural monuments fetch a good number of tourists even from abroad. When such a tourist spot is identified which is also the abode of artists and artisan groups having a market of their products influences tourism industry.

Bishnupur being a site of heritage tourism has emerged as one of the potential area of tourism development. It usually indicates tourism of natural environment, cultural item including the remembrance of its heritage - the Malla dynasty-an environment of a territory providing the tangible links between past and present and also future. The artisans' product at this tourism site is an additional attraction for a tourist. Often the myths and legends etc. are depicted and disseminated through those artisans' products that carry extra weight before the international and domestic tourists One never can ignore the contribution of art and artists at this site while they substantially contribute for the development of this heritage tourism site. Each individual artisan's product at this heritage tourism area is unique and the social organization of production of each artisan product speaks of intricate division of labour Ultimately all these finished products have a good market not only at local level but it extends to a distant level.

Under the Xth Plan period the Anthropological Survey of India launched a national project entitled, 'Cultural Dimension of Tourism' and under this broad canvas the present researchers undertook empirical study at Bishnupur of Bankura district, West Bengal and the present treatise is the outcome of such work.

Foreword Anthropology of tourism is relatively a recent area of research that has drawn attention of the scholars interested in understanding culture ftom various dimensions and also at different levels of interactions between the local people and the tourists that initiate a process of acculturation. In course of time such a process at many places evolve some cultural characteristics, specific to the place of tourists' interest.

Bishnupur, a place of historical importance in the Rarh area of Bankura district in West Bengal, India, has emerged as such a center of interaction of diverse cultural traits of different categories of people visiting the place as tourists from different parts of West Bengal and also from across the state and country.

Under the patronage of the Malla kings once the creative excellences had flourished in Bishnupur in the form of classical music, temple architecture and terracotta designs, indigenous arts and crafts of the artisans. With the decline in the royal patronage such creative activities had to face set back. Tourism in Bishnupur has brought some new lease of hope towards persistence of traditional crafts and hand looms through incorporation of many elements of tourists' choice.

The present book "Heritage Tourism: An Anthropological Journey to Bishnupur" is the out come of intensive anthropological fieldwork of Dr. Samira Dasgupta, Sri Rabiranjan Biswas and Sri Gautam Mallik. It has generated many significant anthropological information The entire data has been presented in seven well written chapters The tourists would find ample feed back on the rich cultural heritage of the place in the detail historical accounts of the Malla kings and also the creativities of the artists and artisans as depicted in the architectural designs of almost all the major temples described in the chapters 'Ethno-historical account of Mallabhum' and 'Potentiality of Bishnupur as a Tourist Centre' respectively. The ethnographic accounts of the local artisans have unveiled an important dimension of traditional culture that is open to adopt new ideas from the tourists for reviving their creative indigenous crafts as per the demand of the contemporary situation.

The present research of the three authors explored the processes of social and economic interactions through which different sections of people in Bishnupur have come in close contact with the tourists of various categories that help projecting this place of historical importance as an important centre of tourism with its rich cultural heritage. The last part of the book, that contains assessment of social impact, would be useful to the planners involved in the infra-structure development of a place of tourists' interest.

Introduction Tourism as a complex phenomenon in combination of interrelated multi-dimensional activities has evolved as one of the largest and gainful industry. It has emerged as a travel for necessity-that is, in quest of food and shelter. With the passage of time travel encompassed several new dimensions- travel as adventure, hobby, means of relaxation, trade, enjoyment of natural beauty, as a pleasure also acquiring knowledge on historical aspects and archaeological sites and sometimes visiting religious places or getting holy bath to become pious through earning blessings from respective deities. In all the cases, travel contributes in satisfying human mind. In this way, travel or tour has a very important position in human life and ultimately tourism that is, the movement of people within their own country or across the national border became one of the very profitable largest items of international trade or global industry.

On tourism, Bansal et al. (2002) opined, "tourism is a complex combination of interrelated industries and trade. The complex nature of tourism phenomenon implies that various academic disciplines are involved in its study. The role of tourism in the economic, cultural, social and educational fields is well known and, it is the second largest economic activity in international trade today. It is the mainstay of economics of many countries and a major foreign exchange earner of several others. Tourism has, thus, become one of the pivotal concerns of nations and of the international communities".

In India too, like other countries tourism has emerged as a key factor in the national effort to augment foreign income, attract overseas investment, faster competitive efficiency and to take other steps with the aim of securing a responsible place for India in the globe of the 21st century. Tourism industry is definitely an engine for the economic development. According to Wahab (1975), tourism primarily comprises three elements

(I) Man-that is, human elements as the creator of the act of tourism.

(II) Space, and

(III) Time

The tourism industry has emerged as one of the biggest foreign exchange earner for our country. It has a great significance because of its impact on economy, environment and society. On one hand it generates employment opportunities and on the other hand it takes initiatives for the infrastructural development-as a facility, which is the base, and stimuli for diversification of the economy and for the development of other industries at the local level. In fact, tourism plays as a catalytic agent for the socio-economic development not only for the cities but also of the rural life. The development of the products of the artisan groups at tourist center is inextricably linked to the other contributions related to tourism development of the area.

"The new tourism paradigm believes in the super-segmentation of market demands. It is imperative to determine the different tourist categories and their specific needs in developing, promoting and marketing tourism product. This ensures tourists satisfaction, at the same time also evolving ways of proper management of the tourism products. Rural tourism is a recent concept under the new tourism paradigm where in agro-based rural community and culture are treated as the major components of the tourism market Entrepreneurship in this context bears great possibilities as a revenue generation avenue as well as the preservation and maintenance of indigenous tradition and culture" (Khanka and Bhuyan, 2004).

Against this backdrop the vast and varied cultural universe as well as great cultural heritage of India which signals with splendors of beauty, both natural as well as architectural monuments fetch a good number of tourists even from abroad. When such a tourist spot is identified which is also the abode of artists and artisan groups having a market of their products it also influences tourism industry.