Content Details

1.1 Identification of the element

Performing arts

1.2 Name of the element, as used by the community or group concerned

Ruponti performs Lathikhela, a martial art of Bengal

1.3 Short, maximally informative title (including indication of domain(s))

Lathi Khela is a traditional martial arts practice which involves the use of ‘Bamboo’ sticks called ‘lathi’.

1.4 Community(ies)/group(s) that recognize the element as part of their cultural heritage

Rural communities all over Bangladesh.

1.5 Physical location(s) of the element/how often it is practiced

Rural areas of Bangladesh.

1.6 Short description (max. 200words)

Despite being a woman Monjurin Sabrin Chowdhury Ruponti has excelled as a 'lathiyal' - stick player- and earned a reputation by performing in various shows in the district town. Her reputation as a lathiyal spread in 2016. In January that year country's lone organisation of the lathiyals, Bangladesh Lathiyal Bahini, organised a two-day festival at Kushtia Government College. Besides Kushtia, 500 lathials of 25 teams from various districts including Narail,Jhenaidah, Pabna, Natore, Meherpur, Chuadanga and Jashore participated in the festival.In spite of the strident expansion of global urban culture into the indigenous domain, Bangladesh is abode to a traditional martial arts practice which involves the use of ‘Bamboo’ sticks called Lathi Khela. It developed as an extension of martial defence skills used by native practitioners of the art known as ‘lathiyals’ (in Bengali) and is variously known as ‘lathi-khela’, ‘lathi-bardi’, ‘sardar-khela’, ‘nurdi-khela’. It is an alternate profession for most of the ‘lathiyals’ who are mostly from marginalized, subaltern communities i.e. landless labour, carpenters, pallbearers, masons etc. From various historical sources . We are informed that in medieval Bengal ‘lathikhela’ used to be a highly skilled art, as most feudal lords employed groups of ‘lathiyals’ to defend their fiefdoms. However, due to the decline of patronization and other socio-politico-economic reasons, there was a marked waning in the practice of ‘lathikhela’ during the British Era till it was brought back to limelight by a highly perceptive and visionary Colonial civil servant, Gurusaday Dutta. In 1932 Dutta started the ‘Bratachari’ movement with the aim of preserving individual and regional cultural diversities. ‘Brata’ signifies a solemn or sacred purpose and ‘chari’ denotes one who pursues a purpose, ideal or objective. Through this movement Dutta revived many dying art forms of Bengal. In his words: ‘the Movement is to bring back to humanity, in all countries, the ideal and practice of the wholeness of life which, alike in the individual, the national and the international sphere has been so grievously shattered in the modern world in every country by the fragmentary outlook on, and treatment of, life in education, science, work, play and social functioning. ’ Presently, it continues to be popularly practised, but with little or no patronization. Also, there is almost no systematized method for preserving its ‘content knowledge’. In the worldwide arena of martial arts research, martial art practitioners, as well as researchers, have worked extensively to develop their art to perfection but in comparison almost no thought has been given to the development of ‘lathikhela’.

1.7 Domain of the element (select one or more/suggest alternative domain)

2. Characteristics of the element

2.1 Practitioners(s)/performer(s): roles, age, gender, social status, and/or professional category etc)

2.2 Other tradition bearers (individuals/groups and their roles)

2.3 Language(s), register(s), speech level(s) involved

2.4 Associated tangible elements ( if any)

2.5 Associated intangible elements (if any)

2.6 How are women and people of other genders associated with this ICH element

2.7 Division of labour during the practice of aforementioned ICH element

2.8 Customary practices governing access to the element or to aspects of it

2.9 Modes of transmission

2.10 Organizations concerned (non-governmental organizations and others)

3. State of the element (viability)

3.1 Threats to the enactment (if any)

3.2 Threats to the transmission (if any)

3.3 Threat to associated tangible elements and resources (if any)

3.4 Viability of associated intangible elements (if any)

3.5 Safeguarding measures in place (if any)

4. Data gathering/documentation, Consent and preparation of inventory entries

4.1 Consent of community/group/individuals concerned for data collection with a view to inventorying

4.2 Restrictions, if any, on use of data collected

5. Resource Person

5.1 Persons/groups, including community representatives

5.2 Date(s) and place(s) of data gathering

Date :
Place(s) :

6. Safeguarding techniques

6.1 Existing safeguarding techniques in the community for the safeguarding of the ICH element

6.2 Suggestions for safeguarding of the ICH element from the community

7. References to literature, discography, audiovisual materials or archives

7.1 References to/in literature

7.2 Audiovisual materials or archives

7.3 Discography or archives

8. Modalities for updating the information contained in the inventory entry

8.1 Persons/groups, including community representatives, who compiled the inventory entry

8.2 Consent of community/group/individuals concerned for data collection with a view to inventorying

8.3 Date of community consent to include the entry on an inventory

8.4 Present condition of the cultural element

9. Community suggestions

(a)Brief description of suggestions for safeguarding of the element by community members/experts/holders, if any

(b)Brief description of restrictions on use of data collected, if any