Charak puja

Charak puja stands unique in the scenario of Bengali festivals; a festival dedicated strictly to penance. Charak puja is a traditional Bengali festival celebrated mainly in the rural areas. Hindus throughout Bengal celebrate the year-end or “Chaitra Sankranti”with some exciting fairs and festivals like ‘Gajan’ and ‘Charak’. Traditional Charak Mela, which includes some really miraculous spiritual acrobatics, is held across small and big towns in West Bengal.

Groups of men and women, who take up this ‘brata’ or the time bound ritual, have to go through a month long fasting from sunrise to sunset, and live strictly on a diet consisting of only fruits, and perform the daily worship in order to get the blessings of the Lord. On the day of the ‘Charak’ or the ‘Gajan’, as it is also called, what follows is a macabre yet fascinating act. Two persons are hooked at the back with iron hooks and hanged from a 10 to 15 feet high pole on two sides of the ‘chakra’ (wheel). The other devotees make the structure rotate seven times. Some devotees pierces an iron rod through their tongue. Elevated structures are made with bamboo, the height ranging from anywhere between 10 to 15 feet. After the month long penance, the devotees hurl themselves down from the high bamboo stages. The ground on which they fall is scattered with glass, thorns, knives & other devious objects. But strangely the devotees escape unhurt. The blessing of the God keeps the devotees safe from all the possible dangers and harms. The devotees also impale their body parts without feeling any pain. The festival not only reflects the blind faith but also the eagerness to accept penance on the road to achieve salvation.

Traditional Charak Mela, which includes savage and spiritual acrobatics, is held across small and big towns in West Bengal, culminating in Latu Babu-Chhatu Babur Baazar in North Kolkata (Calcutta) on the last day of the Bengali calendar year. On the day of the Charak Puja, the eve of the Bengali New Year, devotees at Latu Babu-Chhatu Babu Baazar attach themselves to giant rotating swings symbolising the different cycles of life. The fair at Tarakeshwar lasts for several days and also attracts a large number of devotees. Thousands of people who have fasted throughout the Chaitra month, offer their puja to Lord Siva on that day.

The Charak branch is believed to be a form of ‘Ardhnarishwar’ (part Shiva and part Parvati). It is considered to be a holy tree traditionally. A face mask is designed to stay on top of the Charak branch before making it stand up straight. While mostly, the mask suggests the presence of Ardhnarishwar, people of some villages assume that the mask resembles ‘Harakali’.

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Dharmathakur puja

A real confluence of the non-Aryan and the Aryan religious thoughts is seen in the induction of the worship of Manasa now fully adopted throughout the district of Bankura. The potters of the two villages Sonamukhi and Panchmura turn out thousands of Mansachali and Mansa or the snake goddess.  The story of Chand Saudagar, which has been mentioned elsewhere, is very well-known throughout Bankura district.The adoption of the worship of Dharmaraj by the Hindu is also another impact of non-Aryan influence Dharmaraj may be represented by a small mound of earth or by a triangular or a round or egg-shaped piece of stone or an image of tortoise.  Peoplecongregate in thousands at the different dharmasthans in Bankura district for the worship of Dharmaraj to whom promises (manat) are either made or on the fulfillment of the wish puja is offered.Dharmaraj receives sacrifices of goats, fowls and pigeons. Earthen his (priests) of Dharmaraj or Dharma Thakur mostly comes from the Dom community, an untouchable schedule caste. At some villages Brahmin priests are also engaged to worship Dharmaraj or Dharma Thakur. One of the most famous representations of Dharmaraj is in a temple at Sankharipara of Bishnupur town.It is said that this deity which is nothing but a round stone with two metallic eyes was set up about eleven hundred years before. The Dharmaraj here is also known as Buro Dharma. The Dom Purohits of Dharmaraj or Dharma Thakur are known as Dharma Pandits. The village Mainapur about 14-mile south-east of Bishnupur, a subdivisional headquarters of Bankura, is a typical example of non-Aryan religious beliefs cult of the Aryans.This is a village where Brahminism has little hold.  The predominant element of the population comes from the Scheduled Castes. Yatra Siddhi Dharma Thakur is the presiding deity and there is a small tank known as Hakanda Dighi, the water of which is taken to be as pure as the water of the river Ganga.There are any number of smaller Dharma Thakurs known by different names such as Bankura Roy, Khudi Roy, Sital Narayan, and Chand Roy. Either earthen tortoises or stone pieces represent all these Dharma Thakurs. At one time they were all separately worshipped but now all these smaller deities are collected in the temple of Yatra Siddhi Dharma Raj.

Dharmathakur’s Gajan is different from Shiva’s Gajan. The depiction of a horse is crucial in Dharma gajan, but not in Shiva’s gajan. The worshippers of Dharmathakur are called ‘Bhakta’ or ‘Bhaktia’. It is also believed that this Gajan celebrates the marriage of Dharmaraj with ‘Mukti’.

                                                           Picture credit: google

In the rituals of Dharma Gajan, the chief follower or Bhakta is pierced with arrows which are burnt using ghee or kerosene and lies down on the flaming ‘Baneswar’, depicting the lord of arrows. The other Bhaktas carry him around and some dance around it holding flaming arrows. During the Gajan’s main event, there is a dual representation of Dharmathakur’s wedding. The Bhaktas carry a heavy stone Baneshwar as well as a wooden Baneshwar. The women meanwhile carry a full pot or a ‘pura kalsi’ taken out from the nearest pond. Meanwhile, there are rituals performed in the temple which mark the ‘milan’ of Dharmaraj and Mukti. 

It is widely known that the Hindu gods and goddesses have individual ‘vahanas’, i.e. they rode the animals. Dharmathakur’s vahana is believed to be a horse. Contradictory to that belief, elephant is supposed to be the vahana of Dharmathakur. The terracotta and wodden horses are quite popular in the Rarh region of West Bengal because of the festivity surrounding ‘Dharma Gajan’.

Neel puja

In the month of Chaitra, the bengali community celebrates 'Neel Shasthi'. This festival celebrates the marriage of Lord Shiva with Devi Parvati by offering puja to the Shiva Linga. This puja is exclusively done by the married women folk to seek the blessings of the Lord for their family especially children.

Neel Puja is the worship of Lord Shiva who is blue throated. There is one best known episode in Hindu mythology. It also appears in Bhagavata Purana, the Mahabharata and the Vishnu Purana which explains the origin of ‘amrita’ nectar of immortality. In the battle between Gods andv Demons or nectar of immortality the samudra manthan (churning of the ocean) released lethal poison known as ‘Halahala’ emitted from the mouth of the Serpent King Vasuki. This terrified the gods and the demons because the poison was so powerful that it could destroy all the creation. Then Lord Shiva drank the poison and held it in His throat in an act to protect his creation. This made Lord Shiva’s throat blue for the poisonous effect of the ‘halahala’. This incarnation of Lord Shiva is known as ‘Neel Kantha’.

Being inspired by such elevated story of sacrifice of our Supreme Father we worship Lord Neel Kantha so that we can devote ourselves in the path of sacrifice and accept theresponsibility of the well being of society.

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Various way in different districts of gajan utsav

Gajan utsav celebrated in different districts of west bengal.Every districts have their own characteristic and process to celebrate gajan:

Hooghly District-

 Like the other districts, sanyasis or the bhaktas in the festivities of gajan are as well as famous in hoogly districts.The rituals of Gajan are follwed with the localites taking up the "brata",and wait for the wish's fulfilment.

      Sanyasis, attempt the deadly rituals.The sanyasis hang themselves from poles with hooks and torture themselves to please the Lord by showing off the outstanding level of tolerance.It seems as if they have taken the phrase “to achieve, you need to sacrifice” too literally. But then there is also the fact that sanyasis don’t really have anything to lose. They are already lost in the trance of meditation.

Nabadwip District-

 In nabadwip district people worship of seven forms of Shiva. sanyasis pray at only one temple of Shiva but they do so with each of these forms.

      The "Buro Shib Tala" at nabadwip is known as the most ancient temples of shiva.During the start of the yatra, Buro Shib is bathed first and then rest of the other shivas.Sanyasis fast throughout the days without food and water till the evening.

Bardhaman District-

Bardhaman, is famous for their Gajan festival and the fair goes for 7-10 days with many events like ‘Jatra’, puppet-show and musical performances.

        Before the fair is set up, the localites take up the sanyas and begin their fast. They fast throughout the day and break the fast by eating ‘hobbishi’ cooked at their house.In gajan fair sanyasis dance with ‘Naramundu’ (human skull) or a child's dead body.

South 24 Parganas District-

      like the other districts, south 24 parganas is quite famous in west bengal for gajan. As the Sanyasis gear up to worship and fast, the local peoples are prepare for many events and functions of gajan.

       The ‘palagaan’ groups perform at these functions. There are certain groups called ‘Satyanarayan Gajan Dal’ and ‘Lakhhinarayan Gajan Dal’. they are majorly famous for singing  and perform during the gajan festival.

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Gajan festival and more...

the little boy came along and started shouting "jai bholenath".I was standing there and watching that boy. He was dancing and peoples are enjoying the fair of gajan utsav.That boy was covered with lord shiva's costume,then i thought "achaa bhole ab hum samjhe tum kya bole".Nowdays people go for movies,sports but none of them want to know about the culture,tradition.But like other culture there is a festival called gajan.People heard lot of things about gajan festival but the gajan festival is a hindu festival celebrated mostly in west bengal,also all over in india,but mostly famous in west bengal.The term gajan comes from the Sanskrit word “Garjan” which signifies the roaring sounds of the lion but here roaring signifies sanyasis while performing the rituals.Gajan celebrated during the period of  'Chaitra Sankranti' which begins with 14th March every year and ends with the traditional ritual of 'Charak Puja'.During this period, lord shiva is worshipped not only by the sannyasis but also by the people of the State. Many people have given it the name ‘Neel Pujo’ because Neelkanth is one of the many names of Lord shiva.People worshiped another god called "Dharmathakur".Dharmathkur is a hindu god worshiped by villagers.The word gajan in bengali comes from the word garjan or roar that sannyasis emit during the festivities.Alternatively, the word gajan is considered a combination of parts of two words - ga is from the word gram meaning village and jan is from the word janasadharan. In this sense gajan is a festival of village folk.

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