Inside Mother's Womb
A Study of Cultural Composition and Popular Beliefs in the Mines of Asansol-Raniganj, Paschim Burdwan, West Bengal, India
Keywords:
Womb, Cultural, West Bengal, Cultural Composition,, Popular Beliefs, Mines, , Syncretism, Khadan-Kali Cult, , Asansol-Raniganj,Abstract
This paper explores the cultural configuration and popular beliefs in the mines of Asansol-Raniganj, Paschim Burdwan, West Bengal, India. The paper using Rabindranath Tagore’s play ‘Raktakarabi’ as a starting point for exploring the symbolic meaning of the mine as a “cursed world” where workers toil for the sake of material wealth, goes on to examine the role of the Khadan-Kali cult in the area. It also analyzes how the cult is a product of cultural syncretism, with beliefs and practices drawn from both Hindu and tribal traditions. The paper after exploring the history of migration to the region and the impact this has had on its cultural constitution, concludes by arguing that the Khadan-Kali cult is a prevailing symbol of the complex relationship between religion, modernity, and capitalism in the region, underlining how these influences have moulded the lives of the mine workers.
