Indigenous Epistemologies and Supernatural Figurations in Thakumar Jhuli: A re-reading of selected Bengali folk narratives

Abstract: Indigenous folk tales are a form of cultural archive that shaped imagination, nurtured creativity, and reinforced the ethical sensibilities of the inhabitants of the land. Indigenous folk tales gives the knowledge of the past; it is the bearer of cultural heritage. Thakumar Jhuli, written by Dakshinaranjan Mitra Majumder is regarded as one of the most celebrated collections of folktales in Bengali literature. Thakumar Jhuli gives the reader the knowledge about the past, its cultural practices, and its indigenous food habits, represents the society. In the eastern regions of the world, folklores were the medium of instruction, through which one generation could pass on their rituals and heritage to the next generation. The supernatural imagery in the stories invokes not only a sense of fear and horror but also the stories indulge the readers into deep thinking. In folklore, supernatural elements usually stimulate the imaginative faculties of readers while simultaneously shaping collective consciousness of the natives. Through fantastical imagery, Thakumar Jhuli presents the supernatural as a realm that exists beyond rational explanation and scientific interpretation. The cultural and supernatural dimensions of Thakumar Jhuli reveal folk culture as representative of ancestral beliefs and traditions. Blending imagination with moral instruction, Thakumar Jhuli tales exemplify how folklore transcends temporal boundaries, and continues to inspire critical thought and cultural continuity in contemporary discourse.