Indian folk culture

Alpana or alpona () is a Bengali folk art style consisting of colored motifs, patterns, and symbols that are painted on floors and walls with paints made from rice flour, on religious occasions. Alpona is common to Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal. Amongst Hindu families, alpanas may contain religious motifs with symbolic designs that relate to religious austerity, festivals, and specific deities. Amongst Santal tribal communities, alpanas often contain geometric or symbolic patterns drawn from nature. Although traditionally the domain of rural women, Alpana motifs have been very

thumb|The month of Ashadha (June–July), folio from a Barahmasa painting () |alt=|310x310px Barahmasa () is a poetic genre popular in the Indian subcontinent derived primarily from the Indian folk tradition. It is usually themed around a woman longing for her absent lover or husband, describing her own emotional state against the backdrop of passing seasonal and ritual events. The progression of months (according to the Hindu lunar calendar) is a fundamental component of the genre, but the number of months is not necessarily barah (, Bhojpuri:𑂫𑂰𑂩𑂯, ) or "twelve" as similar poetic forms know

"Chauharmal" or "Chuharmal" or "Veer Chauharmal" was a folk hero who was later apotheosized by the members of Dusadh caste. The story of Chauharmal within Dusadh folklore is an empowering message which gives the Dalit community a sense of victory over upper caste Rajputs.