The desire of the University Grants Commission for the promotion of folklore studies in the universities was expressed first in the Commission's circular of 1982 and the efforts of Kalyani University to realise this desire are note worthy.
The orchestrated efforts of Kalyani University initiated since the early 70s to set up a full-fledged Department of Folklore including study and research of folklore as a subject major at the University level bear testimony to the earnestness and passion on the part of this University to save, salvage and preserve the great folk tradition of this sub-continent from obscurity and oblivion. The UGC visiting committee during Vth Plan period, in view of the location, wide potentiality of study and research on folklore and the expertise readily available in the University of Kalyani, noted the feasibility of creation of a new Department of Folklore in this University and granted resources in terms of money and personnel for Folklore specialisation in the VIth Plan recommendation. During VIIth plan period under the leadership of Dr. Kalyan Kr. Dasgupta, the then Vice-Chancellor of the University, the Department of Folklore took final shape in the year 1990.

The Department started formal and regular functioning since January 15, 1990 with limited resources but holding out great promise. The desired objective of the Department is to generate interest and enthusiasm in the traditional culture from an international perspective in general and a pan-Indian context in particular. The Department propagates the study of folkloristics through comparative and cross-cultural methodology with text and contextual understanding and consequently exploring the idea of unity in diversity in the Indian situation as well as promoting its deep understanding at global level. We feel that our moral duty is to explore the study of folklore in a specific manner with strong academic discipline of its own so that ephemeral interest or unwanted amateurism and cheap commercialism may not jeopardize the cause of study of folklore in the long run.

Head of the Department
Dr. Kakali Mandal

Departmental Phone No.
091(033) 2582 8750 (Ext. 271 / 272)

Departmental E-mail Address

Degree and Course Offered
M.A. in 'Folkloristics'' - a two year post-graduate degree
Ph. D. & D.Lit.

Specialisations

• Comparative Folklore
• Applied Folklore
• Folkmusicology

Intake Capacity : 100 students

Infra-structural Facilities

Museum Cum Archive

Since the inception of the department the department has been trying to develop one museum cum archive, which has now been started in a class-room and a good number of items of cultural importance have been collected, documented and displayed.
Basically we give emphasis to collect materials which are directly connected with folklife. We have been collected various masks which are used in folk and tribal dances. We have in our possession one fossil. We have been able to collect various silver ornaments, used by the folks, different specimens of Teracotta, Scroll paintings of Midnapore, fishing nets and other materials, Suri bowl of Birbhum, wooden dolls,varied folk tools, naksi kantha, Kalighat paintings, specimens of conch-shell , craft, Dokra and others, rare collection of folk deities etc.
In fact our museum cum archive is the only museum in the University which is visited by scholars, researchers, students for academic purposes.
Already this museum cum archive has found mention in a number of books.

Audio-Visual Complex

The Audio-Visual Complex of the department has Slide Projector, Overhead Projector, VCR, TV, Camera (Still Photo), different Audio Systems and other equipment used for audio-visual documentation and teaching.

Library Facilities

A departmental library with a specialised collection of books and journals, some of them procured from different sources as gifts, has been established mainly for the benefit of the students, research scholars and the faculty members of the department. The library comprises 1400 books, periodicals and journals on various aspects of Folkloristics and traditional culture.

Computational Facilities for Teaching and Research

There is a small computer room with important and broad computational works for the teaching & research work of our Department. We are used to go for field works with our digital handycam and make documentation in the CD and DVD.

Workshop for Applied Folk Arts and Crafts

A workshop cum practical room for Folklore & Crafts has been developed, where the students experience different practical experiments related to Applied Folklore and Folkarts & Crafts.

Research Interests of the Department

• Total Number of Scholarships Available (URS) : 3
  
• Total Number of Ph.Ds Awarded : 28

Ongoing Research Projects :

• 'Agricultural Science as revealed in our Agricultural Proverbs' funded by UGC
  Project Director : Ms. Kakali Mandal
  
• 'Astatakti Bilioman Loko Angik' funded by UGC
  Project Director : Dr. Tapan Kumar Biswas
  
• 'Conch-shell Craft of West Bengal' funded by UGC
  Project Director : Sri Sujay Kr. MandaI
  

Seminars/Conferences/Workshops/Symposia organized in last 5 years

• An International Seminar: 'Folklore Studies in Bangladesh' (April 5-6, 1999)
• A National Seminar: 'Comparative Folklore' (February 6-7, 1999)
• A State Level Seminar: 'Folk Language' (December 15, 2000)
• 'Women of Mymensing Gitika' - (February 6, 2001)
• A Conference of the students, research scholars and teachers of Folklore study (October 10, 2001 )
• A Seminar on 'National Integration and Folklore of Nadia' - (March 25, 2002)
• A Seminar on 'Folkloristics' - (24th September, 2003)
• Exhibition cum sale of Folklore & Crafts on 19th & 22nd September, 2003
• A Seminar on 'Folkloristcis' - (28th November, 2003)
• A Seminar on 'Folk Art & Folkdeities' - (16th January, 2004)
• A Seminar on 'Folk Religion' - (4th March, 2004)

Books Published from the Department

• Folklore Perspective - Dr. Tushar Chattopadhyay - 1990
• Folk Language - A myth or reality by Dr. D.P. Banerjee, 1995
• Folk Deities of Bengal - 1998
• Yuddha Nritya (War Dance) - Dr. Mahua Mukhopadhyay, 2001
• Bangladesher Lokosanskriti Charcha - 2001
• Lokosanskriti Rachana Panji (Bibliography of Folklore) - 2002
• Lokodarpan - Research Journal - 2003 ( VOL-I)
• Lokodarpan - Research Journal - 2005 ( VOL-II)
• Lokodarpan - Research Journal - 2007 ( VOL-III)

Medals Awarded By the Department

The Department of Folklore offers Silver medals every year to the eminent folklorists of West Bengal and abroad. 'Pravabati Devi Memorial Medal' is given to an eminent Indian folklorist and 'Ashutosh Bhattacharya Memorial Medal' to a Folklorist of Bengal for their contribution.


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Professor
Vacant

Reader

• Dr. Tapan Kumar Biswas
• Dr. Kakali Mondal

Sr. Lecturer

• Dr. Sujay Kr. Mandal