Chapter 5.14 - Other Deities and Demigods in ancient Bengal (and Tamralipta)

In Bengal many other deities and demigods were worshipped in ancient period. They include Ganesa, Kartikeya, Durga, surya, Revanta, Ganga, Kubera, Yaksha, Yakshi and so on. Their antiquity may be tracedback from the discovery of their images in ¯different 147 parts of undivided Bengal. Many of the ancient images of the aforesaid deities have not been discovered from our region of study. The images of those divinites which have been found are narrated here. Ganesa, "Chief of the Ganas" (a class of demigod attendents of siva) and the "Lord of Obstacles"(Vignesvara) whose entry to the Hindu pantheon as a son of Sive-Parvati from the list of popular 148 divinites of India' not before the 5th century A.D. 149 was and is still worshipped by nearly every Hindu as a remover of obstacles 146. Chattopadhyaya, S.M., Baiglar Samajik Itihaser Bhumika p. 24, Das Gupta, S.B., Baudhadharme-O-Charyagiti. 147. Majumdar, History of Ancient Bengal, pp. 548 - 549, 556 - 557, 519 # Majumdar (Ed.), History of Bengal, Vol. 1, pp. 441 ££. 148. Basham, op.cit., p. 298 149. Ibid., p. 314

130 150 and a bestower of success. It is suggested by Prof. Bashem that "evidently he is the survival of a primitive non-Aryan elephant god but in Hinduism he has become mild and cultured". 151 A good number of images of this deity have been unearthed from 152 all over Bengal. The discovery of a miniature image of Ganesa on a slate-stone quadrangular plaque from Tildah which is now in the Asutosh Museum (T. 3690) and is dated between the 7th and 8th centuries A.D. deserves special mention here. On stylistic grounds this image bears close resemblance with a miniature image 232 A.M. of Ganesa ( ) collected from Rajshahi and preserved in the Asutosh Museum. 153 The goddess Durga whose antiquity may be traced back to the 154 pre-Vedic or proto-historic period in India' has ever been popular not only in Bengal but also in other parts of India since the 155 early period. The discovery of two Mahishamardini type of images of Durga on slate-stone plaque from Tildah and Panna belonging to the 7th - 8th centuries A.D. and to the Gupta period respectively, which are now in the possession of Asutosh Museum ( T 3666 and T 3771) helps us to conclude that the worship of this goddess was current in Tamralipta janapada in ancient India and the same 150. Cf., Majumdar, History of Ancient Bengal, p. 548 151. Basham, op.cit. pp. 114 f. 152. Majumdar. History or Ancient Bengal, pp. 548 f. 153. 'Medini Sanskriti'. 1st year, 1st issue, B.S. 1363, p. 20 154. Karmakar, A.P., The Religions of India, Vol. 1, pp. 99, 103 ff. 155. In this type the goddess is mounted on a lion and she is depicted as a sternly beautiful woman with ten-hands holding ten attributes slaying a buffalo slaying a buffalo headed demon. This type with certain elaborations, has been accepted as model of clay image of the worship of Durga in Spring and Autumn.

131 pro proper 156 practice is still in vogue. The discovery of a fragmentary part of this type of atone-image of the Pala period from Tamluk town is also suggestive enough about the popularity of the goddess. Besides this a mutilated image of the goddess made of lime stone of the 6th century A.D., has also been found from Tildah. The existing upper part of the image is beautifully depicted and it bears close resemblance to a stone sculpture depicting ten-armed goddess slaving the buffalo-headed demon discovered from Dulind in the district of Manbhum. This specimen is now 158 in the Indian Museum. 157 The worship of Surya (sun) in ancient Bengal was widely practised as evident from the discovery of a number of images there. Though the antiquity of his worship goes back to the Kushana period from archaeological evidence, yet the deity became popular in Bengal since the Gupta period down to the end of the 159 Hindu fule. It is believed that "the numerous solar deities of the Vedas were merged in Mindhism into a single god, usually 161 known as Surya.<<160 Two terracotta specimens from Tamluk bearing the evidence of the worship of sun god throw light on the prevalence of the cult in the period of our study. Moreover it is to note 156. Medini - Sanskriti, 1st year, 1st issue, B.S. 1363, p. 16 157. Ibid., p. 20 158. Majumdar, History of Ancient Bengal, p. 551 159. Ibid., p. 519 s 160. Basham, opecit., p. 313 161. Details in Chapter >> II on Antiquities, pp. 61 62

132 that many bratas namely Itu-brate, Ral-Durga brata, Magh-Mendal Brata are observed in Bengal and in all these bratas the sun is 162 invoked by the observers of the brates. The antiquity of these 163 AS bratas may be traced back to the early period of history. these bratas relating to the sun worship are observed nowadays in the region of our study, it may be concluded as a corroborating archaeological evidence that the worship of the sun was practised there. Among the four Lokapalas or Quardians of the Universe, Kubere was one of them. As a lord of precious metals, minerals, jewels_____ and wealth, he was believed to rule the north quarter and to command hosts of Yakshas (fairies) and guhyakes (gnomes). "This god, under the alternative name Vaisravana, first appears briefly and faintly in later Vedic literature and is well known in Buddhism and 164 Jainism" As a deity of wealth and riches he was revered by the inhabitants of Tamralipta janapada as evident from the discovery of a few of his terracotta images from there. He is generally 165 depicted as a dwarfish figure with a large paunch, The Yakshas and their consorts the Yakshinis, especially associated with the god Kubera and worshipped by country people, 162. Indien Folklore, April-June, 1959, pp. 133 136, Maity, P.K., Folk Rituals of Eastern India, pp. 48 - 49, 63 - 65, 662. A brata generally means the performance of rites or observances for the fulfilment of specific desire or desires. 163. Tagore, A.N.. Banglar Breta, pp. 1, 17 Ray, N.R. op.cit. DP. 581 - 586. 164. Basham, op. cit., p. 314. 165. Details in Chapter - II on Antiquities, pp. 62£.

133 played a great role in the religions life of the people of Bengal in general and of Tamralipta janapada in particular as evident 166 Erom the discovery of a good number of their images. In India the cult was wide spread before the Christian eza and the Yakshas were "generally looked on as friendly to men, but their womenfolk (Zakshinis) might sometimes be malevolent, and ate little children. These A "Wealth and immortality or long life were. The two human factors which made Yaksha worship of irresistable appeal to the tumen mind. 169 It is also believed that the cult was associated with fertility. *167 #168 Though a few images of Revante believed to be the son of the 170 Sun-god, have been unearthed from Bengal, yet we do not get any positive evidence of his worship in our place of study. He was worshipped as a sun-god and evolved outside the scope of Brahmanical Hinduism. However, a Furanic garb was given to him by associating him as a son of the Sun-god. His images have been found from north 171 and eastern part of Bengal and from north Bihar. Even now his worship is not performed in our region. Kema, the Indian lovesgod was worshipped in ancient Bengal.172 He is depicted as a handsome youth, armed with a bow and arrow. He is frequently referred to in Indian literatureand was worshipped 166. Details on pp. 47 49, 53 167. Basham, op. cit., p. 317 op.cit. 168. Folklore. Vol- VII, No. 3, January, 1966, p. 9 169. Ibid., Vol. Volu - 1, 1, January March, No. 1, 1958, p. 24 170. Majumdar, History of Ancient Bengal, p. 519 171. Indien Folklore, April - June, 1959, p. 136 172. Majumder, History of Ancient Bengal, p. 543

134 by young men and women in early times. A popular festival in those days was observed in honour of this deith and this was the 173 Festival of Spring. He was worshipped in the place of our study as known from the depiction of this deity on a terracotta plaque of the Kushana period. On a mutilated plaque the deity is depicted as a healthy male who "stands frontally wearing tubular ear ornaments embossed with floral designs, together with hanging chains of beds. Other ornaments include : an ornamented torque, three flowing necklaces and several decorated bangles on each hand. while a mass of hair tied into a top-knot in the form of a 'crescent moon is placed almost covering the forehead - love-locks are tastefully arranged on either side of the temple to reach the shoulder. The person concerned is provided with beautifully decorated wings which shoot forth above the shoulders. On the left hand, a parrot is noticeable, while his right hand, he is, as if, holding ,,174 something before the bird. On the basis of the symbolic features of the image especially the association of parrot, a bird 175 sacred to Kama, the Indian love-god,. it has been identified 176 80. The worship of the Bhairavas in connection with Saivism was widely practised in ancient Bengal as it still does in some 177 173. Basham, op.cit., pp. 315, 207 "At this festival even respectable citizens forgot their caste restrictions, and paraded the streets scattering red powder over their neighbours, squirting them with coloured water, and playing all kinds of practical jokes. The festival still survives under the name Holi, the Love-god now plays no part in it. It is clearly the survival of a primitive and bloody fertility ceremony. "(Ibid. P. 207) 174. Mandal, P.K., op.cit., p. 25 175. Sen, A., Animal Motifs in Ancient Indian Art, p. 94 176. Mandal, P.K., op.cit., p. 25 177. Majumdar, History of Ancient Bengal, p. 548

135 178 places. Details of their origine are found in the Bemene end Kalika Puranas. Some of them are believed to be the manifestetions of five and others are said to be the associates of Siva. There is a positive evidence of the worship of Vatuk Bhairava, a manifestation of live in Tomralipta janmade in encient period. Siva A steatite stone image of Vatuk Bhairava of the 7th century A.D. collected from Tamluk and preserved in asutosh Museum (r 3480) throws light on this point. The deity is seated on e ferocious dog with licking tongue. Of the two hands the left one holds a tulky club. The deity is believed to be the curer of diseases and the destroyer of the enemies. A mutilated Brahmani image of the Pela period collected from Tamluk and housed in the Asutosh Museum (I 2047) throws light on the prevalence of her worship in the place of our study in ancient period. The Vengiye Sahitya Perised, Calcutta also possesses a image of this goddess collected from Devagram. Nadia. 179 Though a few ancient images of Ganga have been found in 190 Bengal, no such image has been found from Tamluk sub division and its adjoining places. Of course her worship is still popular in our region of study and a few permanent shrines of the goddess exist where annual worships are performed by making earthen images. 178. Maity, P.ks, Human Fertility Cults and Rituals of Bengal, P. 60 179. Majumdar, History of molent Bengal, p. 554 180. Ibid., p. 557

136 ; Kartikeya was worshipped for various purposes in ancient India as is evident from the literary and archaeological sources. After a careful study of the cult, it is remarked that as an independent deity Kartikeya has ever been popular in Bengal, presumably from the earliest times and still he is popular throughout West Bengal. He is worshipped in the form of an icon and is depicted as a handsome youth with a bow and an arrow. 182 181 Though images of Ganga and Kartikeya have not been found from our place of study, yet from the intensity of the present day worship of these deities it may be concluded that their worships were not uncommon to the inhabitants of this janapada in ancient period.