Picture Courtesy: Patrick Olivelle, Ashoka: Portrait of a Philosopher King, page 152.
Author - Biswarup Chatterjee.
This honorific title was used not only by Aśoka but also by his grandson Daśaratha. According to Dipavamsa, the Sinhalese chronicle, the contemporary king of Sri Lanka also adopted this title during the time of Aśoka.
Plate 1
Courtesy: https://images.app.goo.gl/MLZfBMDkkaun8yJ8A.
Author - Biswarup Chatterjee.
One of the most significant and interesting folk deity of Kashiabari village under Haldibari block, in the Cooch Behar district (26.38322 °N, 88.77159 °E) is Goddess Kālī, which is in a formless state and a unique representation of the divine without a physical idol. On the western side adjacent to the Kashiabari market, there stands a century-old temple (plate 1) where this deity is worshipped. Several beliefs and prejudices are prevalent among the locals about the origin of this temple. Though the goddess is worshipped in a formless manner throughout the year, but during the festival of Dīpānwitā (the first day of Diwali) this ancient, south-facing brick temple which is presently in a dilapidated condition, becomes the sacred stage where the goddess Kali is ceremoniously invoked as a beautifully crafted clay idol.
Author - Biswarup Chatterjee.
One of the most important cosmic goddesses in Cooch Bihar district of West Bengal is Kali Thakurani, the goddess is quite well known and appreciated among the Rajvanshi community of this region. Although the influence of this goddess is not confined soli among the Rajvanshi community, rather the significant influence of this goddess is noticed in the religious beliefs and folk culture of all levels of the district. The goddess Kali was worshiped in various names and forms in Coochbehar as like the other districts of North Bengal. The goddess is quite popular for her various types of name in the Rajvanshi community, such as Syamakali, Bhadrakali, Smasankali, Kancakali etc. but there are differences in the meditation and worship methods of the goddess. At the same time, the meditation mantras as well as the methods of worship are different.
Author - Biswarup Chatterjee.
The sculpture represented by the above mentioned plate is known as God Bhairaba. He is also worshipped as a protector of villages in few parts of Bengal. The appearance of this God is very much fearful and always surrounded by his associates and some sculpture of elephants and horses. Actually, this deity is known as an unscriptural and aboriginal deity. The sculpture is quite similar with some folk deity of Buedwan and Howra district in West Bengal along with the southern part of the country, such as, Babathakur or Pancananda, Tirubayaba etc. the God is probably worshipped by the tribes, mainly santal and also have a similarity with ‘Bābā deo’, the deities of the Vhil tribe. Though he is an unscriptural deity, in spite of that he is glorified in various local literature composed by local poet, which was prevalent in the local area, such as, ‘ Bairaba rankini mahatya’ of poet Dvija Amarendra, moreover few supernatural tale are also attached with the deity as oral literature.
“bhūmir bhitar thāki kare bhῑma raba Yāra nāme bhūmikampa seita bhairaba | Ṥrῑ Bhairaba sārā dena guḍa guḍa raba Pargaṇār bhūmi jala kepe othe saba ” “bhūgarbher biṣavaṣpa kari ākarṣaṇa | nitya byoma dehe bābā karen dhāraṇa ||”
‘Grave demented voice underneath the earth shows his presence. His firm footing and roar have shaken the land’. Normally the deity is worshipped with the association of the forest God like Baram, kudra, sini etc, in the inaccessible forest area.