Cult of Goddess Sitala in Bengal- An Enquiry into Folk Culture (An Old and Rare Book)

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Having been born in a typically rural atmosphere, sur- rounded on all sides by big Sal and Mahua trees on the outskirts of Jhargram, my favourite pastimes and interest developed around folk culture. As the chief pulpiter and exponent of Sitalamangal songs presiding over the assemblies of such folk singers of which there is a legion in the state of West Bengal and other sister states for over a decade, I have been hand and glove with quite a large number of Sitala Priests, identical organizers along with those of verse singers. In this connection, I have heard so many colourful episodes of her and also noticed the assemblage of persons irrespective of caste, creed and colour from the Brahmins to the untouchables at such festivals which speak of a society classless and unexploited. In worship of lady Sitala, the Brahmin and the non-Brahmin worshippers those known as 'Dehuris', the idol and symbol, worship the Shastric rules as formulated by the Brahmins coupled with those evolved and developed by non-Brahmins mostly based on popular faith and doctrine and in the evening assemblies the dances resorted to by the Sabars and the Mundas known popularly as the 'Changu dance' and the 'Panta dance', on the other hand the practice of Sitalamangal lyrics by the Brahmins in the same occasion are the twin existences rather identities of the same deity Sitala all whipped up my curiosity to know more of an otherwise obscurantist cult. Today the globe stands immune of such a virile disease as the smallpox so long deemed to be a curse but for that matter why not the presiding deity is instilled in her pristine glory? a question, not thoroughly probed, mentally prepared me to undertake an exhaustive research and hence is my juvenile enterprise.

In order to provide myself with firsthand information, I have had to make a lot of studies particularly to feed myself on the topics of the advent of Goddess Sitala, the progress and development of the cult through phases.