Volume II,Issue IV, March 2026
Volume-II, Issue-IV, March, 2026 |
Received: 16.03.2026 | Accepted: 17.03.2026 | ||
Published Online: 31.03.2026 | Page No: | ||
DOI: 10.69655/atmadeep.vol.2.issue.04W. | |||
ক্ষেত্র সমীক্ষা ভিত্তিক রাঢ় বাংলায় হিন্দু-মুসলিম যৌথ ধর্মীয় উপাসনা ও মানত প্রথার দৃষ্টান্ত মুন্সী মহ: সাহেবুর রহিম, গবেষক, বর্ধমান বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়, পশ্চিমবঙ্গ, ভারত |
Munshi Md Sahebur Rahim, Research Scholar, The University of Burdwan, West Bengal, India | ||
ABSTRACT | ||
In the socio-religious and cultural history of Rarh
Bengal, the practice of joint Hindu–Muslim worship and vow-making (manat) constitute
a significant feature. Through the interaction of Sufism and the worship of
regional folk deities, a syncretic culture developed in Bengal in which pirs
and local deities often became interchangeable. Deities and pirs such as Fatema
Bibi, Bonbibi, Olabibi, Satyapir, Gorachand Pir, Barakhan Gazi, Manasa, and
Olaichandi are worshipped by both Hindu and Muslim communities. As a result,
the presence of Muslims in Hindu temples and the participation of Hindus in
Muslim shrines have become a traditional social reality in various parts of
Rarh Bengal.
Field studies
reveal numerous examples of such shared religious practices across the
districts of Hooghly, Birbhum, Murshidabad, Bankura, and Bardhaman. For
instance, in Jamgram of Hooghly, it is customary during the Durga Puja of the
Nandi family to serve food to a Muslim fakir and to offer shirni at a
pir’s shrine. At the Bishalakshmi temple in Kalachhara, both Hindus and Muslims
perform vows. In Khajutipara village of Birbhum, Muslims offer fruits and milk
during the worship of Dharmaraj Thakur, and the consecrated food is shared by
all. In Bhandarkata village of Mohammad Bazar, Kali Puja is organized by the
Muslim community.
Similar
practices are observed in Murshidabad, Bankura, and Bardhaman districts, where
Muslim households host Hindu deities or actively participate in the maintenance
of Hindu temples. Examples include the shrine of Dinadayal at Nawpara in
Bardhaman, the Panchanan Thakur shrine at Yabgram, the worship of Dharmapir or
Dharmaraj at Sabajpur, and the Jagannath Pir shrine at Ketugram. In all these
places, both communities equally participate in vows, rituals, and festivals.
This field
study indicates that in the rural society of Rarh Bengal, mutual coexistence,
shared beliefs, and regional traditions have played a more significant role
than religious divisions. Thus, the practices of joint worship and vow-making
stand as a remarkable historical testimony to the pluralistic culture and
communal harmony of Rarh Bengal. | ||
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