Folk sects in Bengal

Some of the folk sects, like Balarami, Baul, Sahedhani, Karta bhaja, Matuya, Jagomohani, and Nyadar are still found in different places of both Bengals.^[1]

Balarami

Balarami Sect was established by Balaram Hari in Meherpur, Nadia district of Bengal Presidency (Now a day in Meherpur District of Bangladesh).^[2] This sect believes that life is pure and simple above greed and sensuality. In this sect, preachers, gurus and avatars are not present. The followers have no peculiar sect marks or uniform.^[3] The Muslim disciples call their deity Hari-Allah while the Hindu disciples use term the Hari rama.The Balaramis are still to be found at some places like Meherpur of Bangladesh and Nischintapur, Shabenagar, Palishipara, Natna, Hawlia, Arshinagor, goribpur in Nadia, Daikiari in Purulia, Shalunigram in Bankura of India , etc.

Baul

The Baul is most well known folk sect in Bengal. The Baul a group of mixed elements of the Sahaja and Sufism. The Bauls have a tradition which constitutes both a syncretic religious sect and a musical tradition.^[4]

The Baul community has spread from throughout the Bengal region, comprising Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura, and Barak Valley of As. In 2005, the Baul tradition of Bangladesh was included in the list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Lalon Shah is regarded as the most celebrated Baul saint in history.^[5]

Sahebdhani

The Sahebdhani sect does not believe in neither creed nor caste. This sect believes in praying together. The disciples belong to both Muslim and Hindu religious. The spiritual guides are called Dinadayal, Dinabandhu by the followers of this sect.^[4] The Sahebdhani originated at village of Brittihuda of district of Nadia. Kubir Sarkar and Jadubindu are two famous and celebrated Sahebdhani saints.^[1]

Matuya

The Matuya Sect originated in Bangladesh around 1860 AD by Harichand Thakur. The followers of this sect is mainly Namasudras, a Scheduled caste group in Bengal. They believe in Vaisnavite Hinduism and self-realization ("Swayam-Dikshiti"). Nowadays, a considerable number of Matuyas are to be found in West Bengal in India .^[6]

Other sects

Other important folk sects in Bengal include:^[4]^[7]

Karta bhaja
Jagomohani
Nyadar

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Cakrabartī, Sudhīra (2002). Gabhīra nirjana pathe (2. saṃskaraṇa ed.). Kalakātā: Ānanda. ISBN 81-7756-266-5. OCLC 54047438. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/54047438.
↑ MUKHERJEE, SUJATA (1996). "Popular Sects and Elite Culture in Nineteenth Century Bengal : Some Aspects of Interraction and Assimilation". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress 57: 612–623. ISSN 2249-1937. https://www.jstor.org/stable/44133366.
↑ Bhattacharya, Jogendra Nath (1896) (in en). Hindu Castes and Sects: An Exposition of the Origin of the Hindu Caste System and the Bearing of the Sects Towards Each Other and Towards Other Religious Systems. Thacker, Spink. https://books.google.com/books?id=xlpLAAAAMAAJ.
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 "Folk Sects - Banglapedia". http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Folk_Sects#:~:text=Religious%20sub-communities,%20like%20the,to%20as%20%27folk%20communities%27.&text=Baul%20The%20Baul%20form%20the,sect%20or%20community%20in%20Bengal..
↑ World and its peoples : Eastern and southern Asia.. New York: Marshall Cavendish. 2008. ISBN 978-0-7614-7631-3. OCLC 80020223. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/80020223.
↑ Biśvāsa, Ratana (December 2010). Namasudra movements in Bengal (1872-1947) : a case study of the transition from caste struggle to political identity (1st ed.). Kolkata. ISBN 978-81-88006-19-9. OCLC 932407935. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/932407935.
↑ Cakrabartī, Sudhīra (2002). Gabhīra nirjana pathe (2. saṃskaraṇa ed.). Kalakātā: Ānanda. ISBN 81-7756-266-5. OCLC 54047438. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/54047438.

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[:0-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Cakrabartī, Sudhīra (2002). Gabhīra nirjana pathe (2. saṃskaraṇa ed.). Kalakātā: Ānanda. ISBN 81-7756-266-5. OCLC 54047438. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/54047438.

[2] MUKHERJEE, SUJATA (1996). "Popular Sects and Elite Culture in Nineteenth Century Bengal : Some Aspects of Interraction and Assimilation". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress 57: 612–623. ISSN 2249-1937. https://www.jstor.org/stable/44133366.

[3] Bhattacharya, Jogendra Nath (1896) (in en). Hindu Castes and Sects: An Exposition of the Origin of the Hindu Caste System and the Bearing of the Sects Towards Each Other and Towards Other Religious Systems. Thacker, Spink. https://books.google.com/books?id=xlpLAAAAMAAJ.

[:1-4] 4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 "Folk Sects - Banglapedia". http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Folk_Sects#:~:text=Religious%20sub-communities,%20like%20the,to%20as%20%27folk%20communities%27.&text=Baul%20The%20Baul%20form%20the,sect%20or%20community%20in%20Bengal..

[5] World and its peoples : Eastern and southern Asia.. New York: Marshall Cavendish. 2008. ISBN 978-0-7614-7631-3. OCLC 80020223. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/80020223.

[6] Biśvāsa, Ratana (December 2010). Namasudra movements in Bengal (1872-1947) : a case study of the transition from caste struggle to political identity (1st ed.). Kolkata. ISBN 978-81-88006-19-9. OCLC 932407935. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/932407935.

[:02-7] Cakrabartī, Sudhīra (2002). Gabhīra nirjana pathe (2. saṃskaraṇa ed.). Kalakātā: Ānanda. ISBN 81-7756-266-5. OCLC 54047438. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/54047438.

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