Mapping the Intangible
Challenges and Innovations in the Spatial Analysis of Purulia Chhau
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 24033469 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Barkha Rani Lakra (Indian Institute of Technology Dhanbad), Nirban Manna (0000-0002-8789-6019, Indian Institute of Technology Dhanbad), Ahmed Sameer (0000-0001-6066-726X, Indian Institute of Technology Dhanbad) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 11 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-29 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Cultural Analytics (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2371-4549 • E-ISSN: 2371-4549 |
| Publisher | CA: Journal of Cultural Analytics (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.22148/jca.1060 |
| OpenAlex | W7148827857 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 17 |
This is an accepted article with a DOI pre-assigned that is not yet published.The growing integration of digital tools and methodologies in cultural heritage studies has transformed how we engage with and interpret intangible practices across diverse contexts. This study examines the spatiotemporal performance patterns of various Purulia Chhau troupes, a vibrant folk dance-drama tradition from West Bengal, India, over a year. The novelty of this study lies in studying the performance pattern of locally organized folk dance ensembles, unlike classical or institutional dance collectives, where performance records are readily available. Methodologically, this study reflects on the challenges posed by digital approaches in analyzing Intangible Cultural Heritage. The research faced challenges in multiple areas: data-related issues, technical difficulties, and challenges of cultural representation. Starting with data collection, where gaps and fragmented information hindered progress, missing data made it challenging to build a complete dataset, and the data of several teams had to be discarded. Moreover, as humanities researchers with no technical background in GIS (Geographic Information System), working with and manipulating spatial data proved daunting, requiring extensive learning and adaptation. This also affected the scope of the analysis. Additionally, the inherent complexity of humanities data posed challenges in maintaining the richness of cultural meanings while converting them into spatial representations. The oversimplification of nuanced cultural elements during this conversion process was a constant concern, as spatial visualization often risks reducing multi-dimensional cultural practices to one-dimensional representations. Overcoming data collection and mapping challenges, this research innovatively employs different mapping techniques to reveal patterns in the monthly distribution of Purulia Chhau performances over a year. It uncovers links between performance and factors like festivals, logistics, and local cultures, while identifying regions with high performance concentration, offering insights into cultural engagement and popularity. This exploratory study highlights the potential of spatial analysis to deepen our understanding of intangible cultural heritage. It shows how digital methodologies can reveal hidden patterns within folk traditions while acknowledging the complexities of representing dynamic cultural practices.
Big data · Cultural heritage · Dance · Intangible cultural heritage · Novelty · Process (computing) · Scope (computer science) · Visualization · Diversity and Impact of Dance · Geographies of human-animal interactions · Human Motion and Animation
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |