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<div>{{Short description|Festival in Southern districts of West Bengal}}<br />
{{for|outher uses|Bhadu (disambiguation)}}<br />
{{Culture of Bengal}}<br />
'''Bhadu''' is the social festival of Southern [[West Bengal]], East India. The festival starts from the first day of [[Bhadro]], the fifth month in [[Hindu Calendar]] and continues till the end of the month.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060509042052/http://www.bangladeshtourism.gov.bd/festival_folkfestivals.php Folk Festivals of Bangladesh]</ref><br />
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It has its origins in the story of a princess called Bhadravati (Bhadresvari) of Panchakote who magically disappeared. Bhadravati's devotees make an image of her and sing and dance before it throughout the month. On the last day of Bhadra, they gather on the river bank and immerse the image in the water. Songs, mainly focussing on marriage, form the main attraction of the festival in which both professional groups and amateurs take part. Celebrations include fairs and cultural programmes.<ref>{{cite book |last=Mukhopadhyay |first=Anjalika |year=2012 |chapter=Bhadu Festival |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Bhadu_Festival |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]]}}</ref><br />
[[File:Bhadu image02.jpg|thumb|left|An idol of Goddess Bhadu]]<br />
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==Location==<br />
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Bhadu festival is mostly celebrated in [[Purulia district|Purulia]], [[Bankura district|Bankura]], [[Birbhum district|Birbhum]] and [[Bardhaman district|Bardhaman]] districts of [[West Bengal]]. {{citation needed|date=December 2017}}<br />
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==Folklore==<br />
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The Bhadu festival is centered around the legend of the princess Bhadu. According to legend, she was found as an orphan by the chief of Lada village. Bhadu is said to be the living embodiment of the goddess [[Lakshmi]]. The chief adopts her and secretly raises her as a princess. Bhadu falls in love with Anjan, the son of a doctor in a neighboring village. The king does not approve of the relationship and has Anjan imprisoned. Bhadu and two companions then travel the kingdom singing song at the gates of forts and prisons, hoping that Anjan will hear her voice. The king eventually releases Anjan, but by then Bhadu has disappeared, and is said to have faded away and merged with the sky.<ref name="slant">{{cite web|author=Roma Chatterjee|title=Orality, Inscription and the Creation of a New Lore|url=http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~caforum/volume6/vol6_article3.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081228030011/http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~caforum/volume6/vol6_article3.html|archive-date=28 December 2008|access-date=2008-12-14|publisher=Cultural Analysis, Volume 6, 2007}}</ref><br />
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The songs of the Bhadu festival are based on those that Bhadu was believed to have sung.<br />
[[File:Bhadu song.jpg|thumb|left|Bhadu songs are being sung in a village]]<br />
[[File:Bhadu image01.jpg|thumb|right|Goddess Bhadu being taken for immersion]]<br />
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==Songs==<br />
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Bhadu gaan, an inseparable part of Bhadu festival reflects the colours of rural society. It used to be very popular in [[Bardhaman|Burdwan]], [[Bankura]] and [[Midnapore]]. But in [[Birbhum district|Birbhum]] the existence of this unique genre is being threatened by the rising popularity of cinema and television.<ref name="gaan">{{cite web |author = Pranesh Sarkar|publisher = Asia Africa Intelligence Wire | url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/ | title=Bhadu gaan, a dying tradition in Birbhum| access-date=2008-12-14| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081212232911/http://www.accessmylibrary.com/| archive-date= 12 December 2008 | url-status= live}}</ref> Bhadu songs are composed extemporaneously and sung on each night of the festival, depicting the Goddesses as young girls. They describe Bhadu and tell in loving detail how they will be entertained. Since Bhadu is unmarried, her songs are sung mostly by unmarried girls. Dancing and playing drums accompanies Bhadu.<ref><br />
{{cite news |author= Peter J Claus |author2=Sarah Diamond|author3=Margaret Ann Mills |title= South Asian Folklore: An Encyclopedia : Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=0415939194 |page=567 }}<!--|access-date=14 December 2008 --><br />
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[[File:Bhadu image03.jpg|thumb|left|Woman carries an idol of Goddess Bhadu]]<br />
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==References==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
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==External links==<br />
* [https://archive.today/20130203113001/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050218/asp/calcutta/story_4394845.asp Colors of India]<br />
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081223223328/http://purulia.gov.in/culture/fairs_festivals.html Fairs and Festivals of Purulia District]<br />
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090808065855/http://utalhawa.org/uhpage/songs.html Folk Songs]<br />
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{{Bengali Hindu people}}<br />
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{{West Bengal}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bhadu (Festival)}}<br />
[[Category:Festivals in West Bengal]]<br />
[[Category:Hindu festivals in Bangladesh]]</div>37.248.208.51