Author - Biswarup Chatterjee .
Introduction
Cooch Behar, a historic district of
North Bengal, is known not only for its royal past, temples, palaces, and
sacred ponds, but also for its vibrant folk traditions. Behind the visible
history of kings and monuments, there exists another world of village beliefs,
oral stories, rituals, local shrines, and folk deities. One of the most
powerful and mysterious among these deities is God Masan, known as Masan thakur
(God).
Author - Biswarup Chatterjee.
Introduction
The district of Cooch Behar is not only known for its royal history, temples, palaces, and sacred water bodies, but also for its rich tradition of folk deities and regional goddess worship. Among these living traditions, the worship of Mādhāikhāler Kālīṭhākurāni, popularly known as Bhadra Kali of Patharshon, occupies a significant place in the religious and cultural life of the Bamanhat region under the Dinhata subdivision.
Located in the village of Patharshon, approximately between 26.12°–26.14°N latitude and 89.45°–89.48°E longitude, this deity is revered by people across different communities. The annual worship of the goddess is not merely a religious event; it is a grand social, cultural, and devotional gathering that brings together thousands of devotees and visitors from different parts of the district.
The deity is locally regarded as one of the important migrated or relocated forms of Kālīṭhākurāni in Cooch Behar. Her worship preserves memories of displacement, migration, faith, community identity, and the continuity of folk-Shakti traditions across the historical landscape of North Bengal and the adjoining regions of present-day Bangladesh.