Volume II, Issue V, May 2026
Volume-II, Issue-V, May, 2026 |
Received: 25.05.2026 | Accepted: 29.05.2026 | ||
Published Online: 31.05.2026 | Page No: | ||
DOI: 10.69655/atmadeep.vol.2.issue.05W.474 | |||
চণ্ডীমঙ্গল
ও মনসামঙ্গল কাব্যের বন্দনা অংশের আলোকে বাংলার তীর্থসংস্কৃতি: একটি অনুসন্ধানমূলক
সমীক্ষা
সুজয় মণ্ডল, গবেষক, আসাম বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়, শিলচর, অসম, ভারত |
Bengal’s Pilgrimage Culture in the Invocation
Sections of Chandimangal and Monsamangal: An Exploratory Study
Sujay Mondal, Research Scholar, Assam University, Silchar, Assam, India | ||
ABSTRACT | ||
One of the major streams of medieval Bengali literature, the Mangalakavya, is not merely a genre devoted to the propagation of divine glory; it also serves as an important document of the social life, folk beliefs, religious consciousness, and regional culture of contemporary Bengal. In particular, the various pilgrimage centres mentioned in the invocation sections of Chandimangal and Monsamangal preserve valuable traces of the cultural geography, folk traditions, and pilgrimage culture of medieval Bengal. The present article attempts to explore the historical identity, folk beliefs, regional culture, and socio-religious significance of several fixed pilgrimage centres (sthābar tīrtha) mentioned in the invocation sections of Mukundaram Chakrabarti’s Chandimangal and Ketakadas Kshemananda’s Monsamangal. According to the Skandapurana, pilgrimage sites are broadly classified into three categories—sthābar, jangam, and mānasa tīrtha. Among these, the present study primarily focuses on sthābar tīrtha, or fixed sacred sites. Most of the pilgrimage centres mentioned in the invocation sections of the two texts are deeply associated with the rural and folk religious traditions of Bengal. Many of these local cults were gradually assimilated into the broader framework of Brahmanical Hinduism and eventually evolved into recognised regional pilgrimage centres. The article particularly discusses the legends, ritual practices, folk traditions, and collective social memory surrounding sacred sites and deities such as Uttarbahini of Shiyakhala, Rajballabhi of Rajbalhat, Kaluray of Hijli, Betaichandi of Betor, Melaichandi of Amta, Rankini of Moula, and Singhabahini of Baliya. The discussion reveals that many of the deities mentioned in the Mangalakavya tradition were originally worshipped as local or folk deities. Over time, through the patronage of elite social groups, the financial support of merchant communities, and their gradual identification with Puranic deities, these folk gods and goddesses attained wider social acceptance. The legends associated with Rajballabhi of Rajbalhat, Melaichandi of Amta, and Rankini of Moula are significant examples of this process of social and religious transformation. At the same time, these pilgrimage centres—often located near ports, riversides, forests, and rural settlements—were closely connected with the economy, trade networks, and everyday life of medieval Bengal. The port of Betor, the Damodar riverbank region of Amta, and the coastal area of Hijli may be cited as notable examples in this context. Most of the pilgrimage centres discussed in the article are still located in different parts of present-day West Bengal and continue to function as active centres of worship and folk belief. Therefore, the descriptions found in the Mangalakavyas cannot be viewed merely as literary imagination; rather, they reflect a concrete historical and cultural reality. The references to pilgrimage sites and deities in the invocation sections of these texts illuminate the religious mentality, regional identity, and multidimensional folk culture of medieval Bengal. In conclusion, it may be said that the invocation sections of Chandimangal and Monsamangal constitute an important literary source for understanding the pilgrimage culture of Bengal. Through these texts, a vivid picture of medieval Bengal’s folk religion, regional deities, pilgrimage beliefs, and cultural geography emerges. Thus, the pilgrimage narratives of the Mangalakavya tradition are significant not only as literary or religious elements, but also as valuable sources for reconstructing the social and cultural history of Bengal. | ||
Keyword:
|