Sannyasi Thakur: The Folk Manifestation of Shiva in Cooch Behar’s Indigenous Belief System
Figure 1
Author: Biswarup Chatterjee
In the folklore as well as the indigenous culture of Cooch Behar, one of the most famous male deity is ‘Sannyasi Thakur’ (Figure 1), Sannyasi (monk) Thakur (God), the deity is also quite popular in the name of Sannyasi Shiva. Actually the God is a localized form of Lord Shiva . {Shiva is one of the main Hindu gods, who is a multifaceted and profound character, represents both rebirth and destruction. As the destroyer or transformer of the cosmos, Shiva is revered as "Mahadeva" (the Great God) and is one of the three members of the Hindu Trimurti concept, together with Brahma (the creator) and Vishnu (the preserver). Sannyasi Thakur is revered in the folk beliefs of this region as a divine being who shares the same ancestry or essence as Shiva. In many villages throughout the Dinhata and Mekhliganj subdivisions of Cooch Behar, the deity is much more prevalent than in many other districts of North Bengal.
In fact, even before the emergence of Hinduism, this deity was worshipped and enshrined under multiple names in almost all the villages of Cooch Behar. Numerous manifestations of this deity have been found throughout the district, according to field surveys. For instance, he is known as Bura Thakur of Shalbari village in the Tufanganj subdivision, Sannyasi Masan in Jamaldaha village of the Mekhliganj subdivision, Sannyasi Thakur of Simulbari in Dinhata. The deity is also manifested as Geram Thakur (God of village) or Sannyasi Masan in Shikarpur village of Mathabhanga etc. In the form of Sannyasi Thakur, all of these are revered as local manifestations or metamorphoses of Lord Shiva.
In some locations, this deity is worshipped not by anthropomorphic idols but rather by formless blocks of stone or by symbolic forms such as peepal and banyan trees, which are revered as sacred world trees and represent both Shiva and Sannyasi Thakur. Notably, there is a notable example close to Jalpaiguri town even outside of Cooch Behar. A permanent temple in the shape of a Buddhist pagoda style is located at a location called Sannyasikata Hat Latitude: 26.56460° N, Longitude: 88.46945° E , some 15 to 16 miles away from district town Jalpaiguri. There is still a statue of Sannyasi Thakur here, sitting in lotus position, his hair matted, wearing a tiger skin. Every Wednesday and Saturday, worship and offerings are offered to this tiger-mounted Sannyasi Thakur, who is considered a living deity. Even a brick Temple which is built as Buddhist Pagoda style is situated in a place called Sannyasikata Hat, 15/16 miles away from the district town of Jalpaiguri, there is a statue of a monk, wearing a tiger skin and a tangled in the head, seated as a Lotus or padmasana posture.
Sannyasi Thakur is worshipped annually in the villages of Cooch Behar during the Bengali months of Phalgun, Chaitra, and Boishakh. This deity is almost always shown riding a tiger and holding a kalka, or ceremonial weapon. The priests who conduct his worship are members of the Rajbanshi Kshatriya community and are referred to as Adhikaris or Deusis.
Conclusion
The deity represents the blending of pre-Vedic, tribal, and Shaivite traditions as a potent symbol of the continuity between ancient folk beliefs and regional religious practices in Cooch Behar, His devotion captures a special aspect of Bengali rural spirituality, where the divine is rooted in the land's sacred geography and collective memory and manifests as both form and formlessness, fierce and benevolent.
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