Kartick Chandra Mandal 1, Sourav Roy 2, Dr. Chandan Adhikary 3
1 Master of Education (M.Ed.), Department of Education, The University of Burdwan, Golapbag, Burdwan, West Bengal, India
Corresponding author: Kartick Chandra Mandal, E-mail: kartickchmandal.ed@gmail.com
2 Research Scholar, Department of Education, The University of Burdwan, Golapbag, Burdwan, West Bengal, India,
E-mail: rksourav55@gmail.com
3 Professor & HOD, Department of Education, The University of Burdwan, Golapbag, Burdwan, West Bengal, India,
E-mail: cadhikary@edu.buruniv.ac.in
Issue: Vol. 2 No. 3 (September 2026) – Anubodhan
Received: 15 September 2026 / Accepted: 22 September 2026 / Published online: 25 September 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.65885/anubodhan.v2n3.2026.115
Abstract
Alpana, a traditional folk art form of Bengal, is a living tradition of indigenous knowledge that embodies aesthetic expression, spatial arrangement, symbolic meaning, cultural memory and experiential learning. Nevertheless, its pedagogical potential is still relatively unexplored in modern educational discourse. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the educational aspects of Alpana and to create an indigenous pedagogical framework to facilitate aesthetic, spatial, cultural, experiential and intergenerational learning. A mixed-method research design was used in selected communities in Birbhum and Purba Burdwan districts of West Bengal. The quantitative part of the study included 200 participants (Alpana practitioners/artisans, elderly knowledge holders and youth residents), and the qualitative component of the study explored information-rich participants through semi-structured interviews and field observations. Quantitative analysis was performed using descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation, while qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The results showed that Alpana was considered to have high pedagogical value, especially in aesthetic learning (M = 4.36, SD± = 0.58), cultural learning (M = 4.31, SD± = 0.61), spatial learning (M = 4.18, SD± = 0.64) and experiential learning (M = 4.08, SD± = 0.69), with an overall mean of 4.23 (SD± = 0.54). Qualitative findings emphasized cultural memory, learning by doing, spatial-geometric knowledge, intergenerational transmission, symbolic meaning-making, ecological knowledge, contemporary adaptation and cultural visibility. In conclusion, the study suggests that Alpana can serve as a context-sensitive indigenous pedagogical tool linking art, mathematics, culture, community knowledge and hands-on learning. The presented Alpana-Based Pedagogy Framework serves as a culturally rooted approach in bringing local knowledge systems to the space of modern schooling catering to the needs of the student’s culture and promoting cultural survival through learning across generations.
Keywords: Aesthetic Expression, Experiential learning, Intergenerational Transmission Indigenous Knowledge, Living Tradition, Traditional Folk
How to cite: Mandal, K. C., Roy, S. & Adhikary, C. (2026). Alpana-Based Pedagogy: Developing an Indigenous Framework for Aesthetic, Spatial and Cultural Learning. Anubodhan, 2(3), 212–232. https://doi.org/10.65885/anubodhan.v2n3.2026.115