MAGADHEŚVARI IN THE DISTRICT OF
CHITTAGONG IN EASTERN BENGAL.

BY RAJENDRA KUMAR BHATTACHARYA, M.A.

(Read on 6th June 1923)

In Chittagong and the neighbouring districts in Eastern Bengal, there is an interesting cult prevalent, which shows evidently a mixture of several strata of culture. There are many Buddhists still in Chittagong; and they as well as the Hindus still devoutly believe in the omnipotence of the goddess named Magadheśvari. As I have shown later on, the Hindus have borrowed it from the Buddhists.

It is not yet possible to find out the original legends connected with the evolution of this cult. But the following story has been gathered by me from the people of the locality. It is said that, once upon a time, the goddess "Adyāśakti (Primal Energy) wished to be incarnated amongst the Buddhists who are called Maghs in Chittagong, in order to put on their tribal wearing apparel and ornament, to wit, the “Thāmeć” and the queer-shaped ear-rings called “Nāthāng' which are still worn by the Buddhist females. Accordingly she was incarnated in a human form as the daughter of Lakshmi, a righteous king of Roshang-a place to the South of Chittagong.

It is said that her divine nature was revealed. Soon it came to be believed in the locality that she possessed magical and superhuman powers of healing the various kinds of discases and of obviating the vicissitudes and the difficulties of human life.

Whenever people suffer from any kind of disease, fall into dangers or are overtaken by an epidemic, they take vows to

make offering of a she-goat, jet-black in colour, to the goddess Magadhesvart." As soon as they are cured or relieved, they prepare for the sacrifice. But it is only on Tuesdays and Saturdays preferably of the dark lunar fortnight that the sacrifice is offered at noon.

No matter whether he be a Brahmin or a Śūdra, anybody, who is not thoroughly conversant with the mysteries of the cult, is not allowed to take part in this worship. Usually some such qualified persons only take part in the performance of this ceremony.

The materials required for the offering are the following:(1) a scer and a quarter of Atap (unboiled and sundried) rice; (2) a quarter of a seer of the paste made of green turmeric and onion pounded together and then mixed with mustard oil; (3) 20 or 25 red javā flowers (Hibiscus rosasenesis); (4) a curiously shaped flat basket with four (4) handles made of the strips of canes, which basket must be made by the three aforementioned performers of the worship; (5) four short and pointed sticks [made of the branches of a tree, especially of that called māndāra. These sticks have to be stuck upright into the ground; and from the topmost ends thereof the aforesaid flat basket is suspended by its handles]; (6) two thin spits made of bamboo for the purpose of roasting the pieces of flesh of the sacrificed victim upon; (7) four plantain leaves; (8) some dried stems of the jute plant; (9) a lamp; (10) incense; and (11) a jet-black she-goat with newly sprouting horns and having no spots on her skin.

On a Saturday or a Tuesday of the dark lunar fortnight, the three aforementioned performers of the worship go to the house of the celebrant and take from him or her the aforesaid objects of offering and convey the same to the open court-yard of his house. This court-yard is made neat and clean by being besmeared with water mixed with cow-dung. After all this has been done, the "Shebakhala."--the sacred and open place in the

out-skirt of the village, is also swept and cleansed and is then besmeared with cow-dung steeped in water. This spot is always considered sacred; and its profanation or pollution, even on other occasions, is strictly forbidden.

On the day of the worship, the black she-goat is taken to a neighbouring pond and bathed therein; and the three performers of the worship also bathe and come with their wet clothes on. The things to be offered are also washed; the plantain leaves are spread on the basket, and the rice-offerings are piled over the said leaves, together with the 20 or 25 Javā flowers. Then water is poured over the head of the celebrant who, afterwards, washes the feet of the sacrificial goat with the water dripping from his or her own wet locks.

One of the cult-priests takes the goat to the aforesaid flat basket and, seizing it by the head, holds it over the same; while the feet of the victim are held by another cult-priest. While the beast is held in this fashion over the basket, the third and chief performer of the worship cuts off the animal's head by sawing its throat with a well-sharpened da or bill-hook, and allows all the blood to fall into the basket and thereby to besmear its contents.

After all this has been done, the sacrificed goat is skinned off; and the skin, legs and entrails are all placed within the basket. The legs of the beast are allowed to hang down from the four corners of the basket.

While some small pieces of the meat are cut off, spiked on the aforementioned bamboo spits and roasted on a fire which is kindled at that time. Thereafter the spits with the pieces of meat attached thereto, are placed on the right and left sides inside the basket. The remainder of the meat of the sacrificed victim, is placed in the bell-metal platter containing the aforementioned paste of green turmeric, onions, and mustard oil and is regarded as very sacred. The basket containing the aforesaid offerings is then dedicated to the goddess

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Magadheśvari", to the accompaniment of the recital of mantras or prayer-formulce, of the presentation of the leaves of the Sacred-Tulasi (Ocymum sanctum), and of holy water and of the burning of incense and dried stems of the juteplant.

Then the chief cult-priest places the basket of offerings upon his head and goes to the sacred spot called Shebākhalā." It must be stated here that the celebrant and his or her familymembers and other participants in this worship, accompany the chief cult-priest to the Shebakhala and remain present there while the latter is performing the following rite. On reaching there, he suspends the basket by its four handles from the topmost ends of the aforesaid poles, which are stuck upright into the ground. Again he dedicates the offering to the goddess Magadheśvarî in the abovementioned fashion.

It is believed that, if the offerings are accepted by the goddess, vultures will at once come and swoop down upon those offerings, uttering harsh screams.

After leaving the basket of offering exposed there, the priest, accompanied by the celebrants and other participants in this worship, go to a little distance and stand there to watch whether or not the offerings are accepted by the goddess. In the meantime, the celebrant of the worship prostrates himself or herself upon the ground and recites the following prayer:-" Oh mother Magadheśvarî ! remove all my troubles and tribulations, accept my humble offerings, be pleased to pardon me if I have committed any fault."

Strangely enough, vultures come flying from all parts of the countryside and swoop down upon the exposed offerings and partake of the same. This is looked upon as a favourable omen by the assembled cult-priest and the worshippers who, being highly delighted under the belief that the goddess has accepted their offerings, return home, cook remnants of the sacrificed meat and dine off the same with great hilarity. But

it, sometimes, happens that not a single vulture would come and make a meal of the exposed offerings, even if the same be left exposed at the Shebakhala for several days together. It has, curiously enough, been found that not even a jackal nor even an ant would come and partake of the offerings, if there be any fault in the worship. All this is interpreted by the celebrants of the worship as an unfavourable omen, indicating that the goddess Magadheśvari has not vouchsafed to accept their offerings.

REMARKS.

This cult of the goddess "Magadheśvari" which is prevalent in the district of Chittagong in Eastern Bengal, is a very curious one. It was most probably borrowed by the Hindus from the Buddhists during the period when the Buddhistic faith was at the height of its ascendency, not only in Magadha and the Provinces to the north-west of Bengal, but also in the whole of Bengal itself and its adjacent districts to the north-east and the south. But when the Renaissance Period of Hinduism was ushered into Aryyābartta, under the leadership of the greatest Hindu philosopher Sankarāchāryya, his philosophical discourses exercised such a mystic influence over the Hindu population that the Buddhists were compelled to take refuge in such out-of-the-way-places as those which lie to the southeast of Bengal.

The very name

Magadhesvar?" indicates that this cult must have had its origin in Magadha in South Bihār where, during the Pre-Renaissance Period of Hinduism, Buddhism flourished in all its pristine vigour. It may be stated here that similar names of goddesses derived from the names of places in which their cults are still prevalent, are still in existence in many parts of Bengal. As for instance, the name "Dhākśvar?” of Dacca, signifies "the goddess of Dacca;" the name "Chattesvareé" of Chittagong, implies "the goddess of Chittagong; " the name Tripuresvareé" of Tripura,means "the goddessling of Tripura" and the name Kamakhyādevi" of Kamakhyā or Kamrup, indicates "the goddess of Kamakhyā.”

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