When Matuas Dance by Purbasha Mondal

Beneath the wild shadow

We draw your jyoti

With our danka

We start to move our bodies

And Earth trembles

We dipped our sin

In Kamanasagar

Drank the darkness

Floating near Thakurbari

We feel all the mud

Inside our souls

With the dogs

We sang our morning-songs

With the rainbow

We tried to climb high

We scatter our melting dreams

Near your feet

We plant our hope

In your temple

When we dance

White batasa surrounds us

When we dance

The fearless dust embraces us

Notes

Batasa                   Food shared by the followers of Harichand Thakur

Danka                    Drum used by Matuas

Jyoti                        God’s light

Kamanasagar          A pond in Thakurnagar (West Bengal, India)

Thakurbari              Holy place for Matuas

Purbasha Mondal is a bilingual poet from Kolkata, India. She works as an Assistant
Professor of English at Saltora Netaji Centenary College (affiliated to Bankura
University). She has received Wegrow Academic Excellence Award (2020),
International Global Award 2021, International Women’s Day Achiever Award 2021,
Education Excellence Award 2021, Social Activist of the Year Award,
HUMANITARIAN AND PEACE AWARD, Honorary Doctorate Degree, Honorary High
Degree, Dr. B. R. AMBEDKAR 130th BIRTH ANNIVERSARY MEMORIES AWARD
2021 etc. She is a literary critic, writer and translator. She has contributed to various
national and international anthologies. Her poems have been translated into English,
Bengali and French by Prof. Robert Sinclair and Dr. Asit Biswas. She is one of the
editorial board members of Chaturtha Duniya. She has read her poem, “Matua” in
Paper Fiber Fest in 2022. She was invited to recite her poetry in various literary
associations in India. She was felicitated by the world-famous critic, Prof. Bill
Ashcroft in 2020. She can be reached at mondal.purbasha111@gmail.com.