Temples & Legends Of Bengal
Major Sections
Temples & Legends Of India

THE TEMPLES IN BURDWAN

In fact, one of the books in honor of Dharma gives an obscure of establishing
the Brahmahood of Dharma. The representation of Dharma in many places is a tortoise. Now a tortoise is a miniature representation of a stupa with five niches for five Dhyani Buddhas. At Salda in Bankura an image of Buddha in meditative posture is still actually worshipped as Dharma. The Worshippers of Dharma are unconscious of the fact that they are the survivors of a mighty race of men, and that they have inherited their religion from a
glorious past." ^*

To this it may be added that at the present day the image of Dharma is generally found in the houses of low-caste people, and that a popular saying is Dharma nichagami, i.e., Dharma favors the low. At the same time Dharma is offered cooked food even by a Brahman."*

It will thus be seen that while Sakti worship and Vaishnavism, two apparently contradictory religious cults predominate in this district, the Bagdis and Bauris have preserved some of their indigenous gods and have been able to hinduise some of them.


^* Bengal Census Report, 1910.

* Bengal District Gazetteers, Burdwan, pp. 57-58.

Back ] Up ]

About Temples In   Burdwan
Introduction
Page1
Page2
Page3
Page4
Page5
Page6
Page7
Page8
Page9
Page10
Page11
Page12
Page13
Page14
Page15
You are Here! Page16