41 year old Motibala Mahato belongs to Tilgora, a Kurmi Mahato village in Purulia. Belonging to a family of farmers, Motibala divides her time between her home, helping her husband, Khyapakar Mahato cultivate their land and upholding Kurmi culture in her village. She developed a great interest in her community’s culture from an early age, and was an eager student of her mother and grandmother.  

With her knowledge of traditional Kurmi songs and dances, she leads the Tilgora Manbhoom Karam Academy as its chairperson : she and her group of six women perform at various government organized programs all year round. They mainly perform the Karam dance but Motibala is also perhaps the only woman in her village who is the master of numerous genres of traditional Kurmi songs like Karam, Bhadu, Tusu and also wedding songs, that are special to each rural community. 

Thus, she considers it her duty to teach the women in her village these traditional songs and dances, particularly the young women who come to the village after marriage.  Other than Kurmi performing arts, she is also highly skilled at traditional floor painting. This ritual art form known as Chauk Pura is practised during the Bandna Parob of the Kurmis and Motibala’s courtyard is a feast for the eyes. Chaukpura is the Kurmali word for alpona.   

Though Motibala did not study beyond Class VII, she has ensured that both her children receive a good education. Her son is doing his B.A in Bengali, while her daughter is in class X.