Continuity in tradition: a narrative on the cultural heritage of para and adda in Kolkata

Abstract

‘Para’ and ‘adda’ are two unique examples of intangible cultural resources of the Indian state of Bengal and Bangladesh. Para signifies a community or neighbourhood that share close spatial proximity and similar emotional ideology, whereas adda denotes an exchange of casual or intellectual discussions among people. Para refers to a spatial connotation with a neighbourhood, but the physical manifestation is not the only pre-requisite to form a para. Para reflects a networked social cohesion as the continuous affection concretely demonstrated in people's decisions about where to live, how to work and with whom to engage in their daily lives. Culture, ethnicity, language, food habit, mutual feelings of belongingness and robust social networking within a neighbourhood contribute to the growth of a para. Adda propagates the intensity of social networking and influence the development of para. The paper uses narratives to comprehend the co-evolution and correlation of para and adda as an unwavering tradition among the Bengali community in Kolkata.