Hindu rituals in Bengal depict two types of cyclic event,
and the onus of performing and popularizing them rests primarily on the
womenfolk. The Hindu women are the major contributor to, and in fact, the
upholder of Hindu religion that gives tremendous importance to rituals.
The two types of cyclic event are either the life cycle
events like birth, marriage and death or the seasonal time cycles of peninsular
India.
Most of the symbols are derived from the natural world, and
the other from a rich tapestry of Hindu stories, legends and poetry, inherited
from a centuries old civilization.
When the classic puja was generally forbidden to women, she
was allowed the entire field of fasts, festivals, get-togethers wherein she
could uphold tradition with an entire gamut of vrats (vows or fasting).
These involved the worship of particular deities, undertaken
for a specific period and for a specific purpose and with specific methods,
which were passed on orally.
Few of the rituals required the presence of a priest; it was
enough to perform a brahman bhojan, or feeding of the learned ones, at the end
of the vow period.
Often these rituals could be turned into well-attended
events or practiced in solitude.
Different rituals address different concerns of a woman. Her
role within the household, as daughter, sister, wife and mother was well
defined. Her concerns would be the general welfare of her household, of her
husband and children. The rituals and fasting make her aware of the importance
of taking from nature only a little of what must be taken and giving back in
love and kindness, what is essential for renewal.
Traditional knowledge of medicine and small process were
shared by family members during the occasion.
The rituals vary from region to region within Bengal.
The most important ritual included on a day of a week, which
was set aside as auspicious to a deity. A fast was undertaken along with
reading of the legends associated with the deity.
Daily Sandhya puja, first cereal feeding of a baby, marriage
rituals and funeral ceremony were the important rituals in a Hindu household.
Baishakh, the first month in a Bengali calendar, begins with
the Poila Baishakh and women play a very important role in the Bengali New Year
festival. A number of fasts along with ritual worship are observed in the month
by married women and unmarried girls.
Aranya Sashti ritual is dedicated to Goddess Sashti who
protects children. Mothers observe this ritual for the welfare of the children.
This ritual, which falls in the Jyeshta month, is very popular throughout
Bengal. The ritual also signifies the importance of forests.
Goddess Sheetla is propitiated in Magh month (February). It
is observed in this month as the subsequent change of season in the month of March
is responsible for various diseases like chickenpox.
Children are bathed in an antiseptic decoction of neem
leaves and hot water on recovering from measles or chickenpox, and Goddess
Shitala is invoked for the ceremony.
Rituals like Jamai Sashti are very famous throughout Bengal.
In this ritual, son-in-law is invited home and given a sumptuous meal by
mother-in-law.
Some of the modern rituals include vrat dedicated to
Santoshi Mata and Shirdi Sai Baba.
Tuesdays and Saturdays are dedicated to Mother Goddess
Durga, the most popular deity in Bengal. She is propitiated for peace, desire
fulfillment, early marriage, financial welfare and prosperity.
Shravan month (July – August) is dedicated to Shiva and
there are numerous rituals in the month. Monday fasting is highly auspicious.
Durga Puja in Ashwin month is full of rituals and fasts.
Starting from Mahalaya, Hindu women are extremely busy as there are numerous
rituals during the period. Some include partial fasting to more rigorous fasting
on Ashtami and Navami.
Makar Sankranti is an important festival in January. In
February, there is the Saraswati Puja and Maha Shivratri.
Bibliography – Encyclopedia of Hinduism Volume IV page 147 -
148