Ballavpur Danga Village in West Bengal is a Santhal tribal community village that is positioned prominently on India’s rural tourism circuit. The village showcases the pristine beauty of West Bengal with an enthralling experience of cultural heritage. The village has preserved rich tribal culture and age-old traditions through generations and it is the unique lifestyle of the Santhal tribe which makes it different from others. A tour of this charming village can be an exciting as well as an educative experience.
The tribals of the village have a rich culture of art and craft culture and the handicrafts of the local artisans are the source of their livelihood. They are experts in mat weaving, broom binding, musical instruments, baskets, batik, leatherwork, and making ornaments with date leaf, palm leaf, and bena grass. The Santhal worldview is grounded in cooperation, mutual care, and love and their cultural expressions treat all life forms as sacred.
You can enjoy the performance or you can be apart of the vibrant Santhal Dance performed in the open air, with fire to the beats of the traditional music using the sticks. Also watch mat weaving, broom binding, ornament making, leather work and carpentry and shop at the weekend Amader haat. Get a taste of hariya, the local drink made from rice grain and bakul, a fruit seed.
On the excursion trip from the Ballavpur Danga village, you can also plan to tour the Deer Park, Jaydeb Kenduli, the Mayurakshi canal, Sonahujri forest, Bakreshwar hot spring, etc. Three kilometers from Ballavpur Danga is the Vishwa Bharati University founded by Tagore in 1921.
Accommodation is available at Shantiniketan, Bolpur, and Prantik. Cottages run by the community are also available. The nearest airport is Kolkota (220 km) and the nearest rail links are Bolpur and Prantik stations (3-6 km). By road, Ballavpur Danga is a 10-15 minutes drive from Bolpur or Prantik.
