PAVING THE WAY FOR THE BHOJPURI LANGUAGE AND CULTURE THROUGH ARTWORKS

Abstract

Folk Art is rooted in traditions that come from community and culture – expressing cultural identity by conveying shared community values and aesthetics. Every year, the Aapravasi Ghat Trust Fund of Mauritius celebrates the ‘Arrival of Indian Indentured Labourers in Mauritius’ and organizes many activities such as the Art Exhibition for the preservation and promotion of art and culture. This collaborative research paper, based on the review of the exhibition of 2018 related to the legacies of Indian Indentured labourers, elaborates on the artworks presented by two famous artists in Mauritius. The first artist, Mr. Hurry presented an artwork of 38 Bhojpuri sentences written in Devanagari script with cow dung and soil on traditional jute (gunny) cloth on a ‘khattia’(cot). The second artist, Mrs Gopaul uses cut pieces of the traditional ‘pagri’(turban) of his grandfather to dress branches of a dried tree. Both explain the reasons for doing so and their love for the Bhojpuri Language and Culture. In this quest, the following questions are answered: How does art preserve culture? Why do we need the arts? What is the difference between Bhojpuri folk and traditional/contemporary art? The materials used will be analyzed in view to the promotion of the contemporary Bhojpuri Language and Culture in Mauritius.