Religion । ধর্ম
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Academic Writings
HISTORY
Caught Between Myth and Reality: A Nation Called India
IIC Quarterly, Summer 2023, Volume 50, Number 1Looking Differently at Ancient Indian History — From a Scientific Angle
This article is an edited version of a talk delivered at the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Gol Park, Kolkata on 25 August, 2017.The Company’s Policy & the Consolidation of the Bhadralok Castes
Prof Amalesh Tripathi Memorial Lecture Bangiya Itihas Samiti, Kolkata, 25 th April, 2019Rammohun Roy: His Contribution to the Making of India
Studies in People’s History, Sage Publication, Volume 7, Issue 1, June 2020, Pages 53-64Alexander Duff: Visionary and Educationist.
Alexander Duff Memorial Lecture, Scottish Church College, Kolkata,
185th Foundation Day, 14th July 2014Revd. Dr. William Carey: An Enquiry into the Obligation of a Social Reformer
The Bible Society of India (Calcutta Auxiliary), 17 Aug 2014The Last Days of the First Rebel: Derozio
Bicentennial Publication of the Presidency College Alumni Association, 20th Jan 2017Ruling The District: Evolution of district administration in Bengal: A Brief Account India
International Centre Quarterly India International Centre Quarterly Vol 15, Summer 1988. (p 71-87)Reconsidering Local History: Some Facts, Some Observations
In Quest Of The Historian's Craft: Essays in Honour of Professor B. B. Chaudhuri; Part II: The Polity, Society And Culture
Edited by Arun Bandyopadhyay & Sanjukta Das GuptaHow Buddhism Was Re-discovered in Modern India
6th Kripasaran Memorial Lecture, Bengal Buddhist Association Kolkata, 22nd June 2015The Slow Silent Emergence of India’s National Identity
Maulana Azad Memorial Lecture
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute Of Asian Studies, Kolkata, 11 November 2016১৭৫৩ খ্রিষ্টাব্দঃ বাঙালি 'ভদ্রলোক'-এর উত্থান
ইতিকথা, বর্ষ ১০, সংখ্যা ২, জুলাই ২০২২ খ্রি। ( ISSN 2320-3447 Itikotha)POLITICS
Assembly Elections in West Bengal, 2021: How Socio-Political Traditions Defeated a Superior Electoral Machinery in Electoral Democracy
An Inquiry into the Fairness and Integrity of Elections in India, 2022. Edited by M.G. Devasahayam, Publ: Paranjoy, (p 73-192)
Major Issues Concerning Free and Fair Elections: The Case of West Bengal in Electoral Democracy
An Inquiry into the Fairness and Integrity of Elections in India, 2022. Edited by M.G. Devasahayam, Publ: Paranjoy. (p 193-212)Between Myth and Reality: A Nation Called India
[Epic in India]75 years of the Congress Family: Is a Reconciliation Possible?
Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav : India at 75
Ed: Amb.Surendra Kumar, Har Anand Publishers, Delhi, 2022, (p 62-75)Contending with Contentious Cows
The Hindu Centre for Politics and Public Policy, Feb 9 2019
Subservience, Not Efficiency: Modi & Civil Service ‘Reforms’
The Hindu Centre for Politics and Public Policy, 20 July 2018Secularism Under Threat in Bangladesh and India
International conference: 'After the Genocide: Fifty years of Bangladesh & Birth Centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman', Dhaka, 22-23 November 2019The Hegemonic Gene: Bureaucracy And Mindless Dominance.
Indian National Confederation and Academy of Anthropologists, (INCAA) Bhubaneswar, 21.02.2015
Round Table: 2015 on Society, State and GovernanceVividh Bharati's Role In Unifying The Indian Nation
RKMIC, Kolkata 29th January 2014SOCIOLOGY/ RELIGION
Krishna’s Long Journey: From Sacred Text to the Popular Arts
Published by the Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata, in March 2017 as Krishna: Iconographic Representations, edited by Jayanta Sengupta, 5 Feb, 2016Appropriation & Absorption: Examples from the Dharma Cult of Rarh-bangha
(Download PDF)
Folklore Summer School, April 12-14, 2017, Bangla Academy, DhakaFrom The Aniconic To The Iconic: The Folk Gods Transform, While Dharma Resists
Journal of the Indian Anthropological Society. Nov2004, Vol. 39 Issue 3, p209-226. 18p.The Bengalis: A Thousand Years
An English translation of the Bengali article in Ananda Bazar Patrika’s Special Supplement on the New Millennium, dated 1 Jan 2000. -
East India Worships Lakshmi Today
Tonight is Lakshmi Puja in Bengal and much of the East, comprising of Assam, Odisha and Tripura. South India has a different tradition of worshiping Lakshmi during 3 of the 9 nights of Navaratri, which ends just five days before. This is how diversity thrives amidst unity in India, for several millennia.
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পূর্ব ভারতে আজ ঘরে ঘরে কোজাগরী লক্ষ্মীর আরাধনা
আজ বাংলার ঘরে ঘরে ধনদেবী লক্ষ্মীর আরাধনা। আর অসম, ওড়িশা ও ত্রিপুরা নিয়ে গঠিত পূর্বাঞ্চলে কোজাগরী পূর্ণিমা নামে পরিচিত। পূর্বাঞ্চলে আশ্বিন মাসের পূর্ণিমাতে লক্ষ্মীকে আহ্বান করা হয়। সেখানে উত্তর এবং পশ্চিম ভারতে একটু পরে, অন্ধকার রাতে, কার্তিক মাসের অমাবস্যাতে দীপাবলি হিসাবে লক্ষ্মী পূজার জন্য প্রদীপ প্রজ্জ্বলন করা হয়। দক্ষিণে কয়েকদিন আগেই নবরাত্রি পালন অর্থাৎ ৯টি রাতের মধ্যে ৩টিতে লক্ষ্মীর পূজা করার ঐতিহ্য রয়েছে। কয়েক সহস্রাব্দ ধরে ভারতে ঐক্যের মধ্যে এভাবেই বৈচিত্র্যের বিকাশ ঘটে চলেছে।
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Charak: The Festival of Self-flagellation
As a festival and a ritual, Charak definitely goes back to pre-Hindu roots that were later absorbed into Hinduism. Its rituals of self flagellation, inflicted-torture and endurance through pain can be seen in different parts of India even now, especially, in the South. In Tamil country, for instance, the same rites of self-torture go under the name of Thaai-Poosam. Where the Rarh part of Western Bengal region is concerned, Charak has been celebrated as an essential part of worship of Dharma Thakur, the primordial god of the indigenous people, throughout the month of Baishakh, that is in April-May.
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ঐতিহ্য আলাদা, দায়িত্বও অনেক
কলকাতা মহানগরীর সঠিক এবং প্রাণবন্ত কেন্দ্রবিন্দু বলতে আমরা সাধারণত ধর্মতলা ও চৌরঙ্গীর সংযোগস্থলকেই মনে করি। দীর্ঘ উত্তর -দক্ষিণ সড়ক কে অনেক নামে চিনি — চিৎপুর, বেন্টিঙ্ক, চৌরঙ্গী বা জওহর লাল নেহেরু রোড, আশুতোষ মুখার্জি ও শ্যামাপ্রসাদের নামের রাস্তা, তারপর দেশপ্রাণ শাসমল রোড। আবার পশ্চিমে গঙ্গার দিক থেকে পূর্বে যাওয়া রাজপথকে আমরা বরাবরই ধর্মতলা বলেই ডেকেছি, যদিও পুরপিতারা অনেক দিন আগেই এর নাম বদলেছেন লেনিনের সম্মানে। দৈনন্দিন ব্যস্ততার মাঝে আমরা কিন্তু একবারও প্রশ্ন করিনা আড়াইশ বছর পুরানো এই দুই প্রধান সড়ক কাদের ইতিহাস বহন করে চলেছে। ধর্মতলা কোন ধর্মের নামে? আর ওই চৌরঙ্গীর মানে কি?
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Story & History of Kali
There are several tales about Kali’s origin, the best known of which comes from the Devi Mahatmya. It says that when Durga was so enraged by demons that her anger burst from her forehead in the form of Kali. Once born, the dark goddess went on the rampage, killing demons and stringing their heads on a chain around her neck. Her dance of death and destruction was stopped only when Shiva lay on her path and she stepped on her husband’s chest by accident. She was terribly embarrassed and finally calmed down. Kali is thus associated with war, death and cremation.
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ধনতেরাসের সন্ধানে
বছর কয়েক ধরে দেখা যাচ্ছে যে দীপাবলী বা দিওয়ালির দু দিন আগে উত্তর ও পশ্চিম ভারতীয় রীতি অনুযায়ী ধনতেরাস পরব টি এখন এক শ্রেণীর বাঙালির কাছে যথেষ্ট জনপ্রিয় হয়ে উঠেছে। ওদের পাঁচ দিনের লক্ষী ও কৃষ্ণকেন্দ্রিক অতি উজ্জ্বল দিওয়ালি আর আমাদের এক ঘোর অমাবস্যা রাত্রের কালীপূজার মধ্যে এমনিতেই প্রচুর পার্থক্য আছে। উত্তর ও পশ্চিম ভারতে দিওয়ালি শুরু হয় ধনতেরাস দিয়ে।
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Dusshera, Dashami — Traditions & Counter Traditions...
Hinduism accommodates a lot of conflicting rituals. For instance, while Dusshera is celebrated as the defeat of evil force such as Ravan or as Asura, the two are, in fact, worshipped on this day at several places.
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How Ancient is Durga Worship?
It’s a little difficult to say precisely — because Durga in her present form incorporates different streams, like Simha Vahini (the goddess who rides the lion), the Mahishasura Mardini (one who slays the Buffalo-Demon) and the Dashabhuja or ten-armed goddess. They evolved in different stages and ages.
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Contradictions within Bengal’s Durga
Now that Pujas are almost here, and Corona notwithstanding, millions of Bengalis will hop from pandal to pandal — a few questions may be interesting.
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Navaratri...
I am in Delhi where Navaratri has just begun and people are either fasting or undergoing severe restrictions on food and indulgences for the next nine days. Most are surprised that Bengal does not go through such severities and are amazed to hear of our feasting on the chief days, from Maha-Saptami to Maha-Navami.
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Tarakeshwar's Shiva: How Hindu Politics Has Still a Lot of Room to Negotiate
Since the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power on the basis of religious beliefs, there has been no point in the claim that a secular nation must avoid any undue emphasis on religion or, more specifically, on any single religion.
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প্রশ্নটা বাঙালির আত্মরক্ষার
ভারতের অন্য লোকেরা বলে বাঙালি ভোট নিয়ে বেশি বাড়াবাড়ি করে আর রাজনীতিতে এতই ব্যস্ত থাকে যে, অর্থনীতির জন্যে কোনও সময়ই নেই। এ কথাটি অনস্বীকার্য যে, রাজনীতি আমাদের মধ্যে অনেকখানি মজ্জাগত। এবং তার সঙ্গে সঙ্গেই মনে রাখতে হবে যে, স্বাধীনতা সংগ্রামে বাঙালির দেশপ্রেম, উৎসাহ, সাহস ও বলিদান সত্যিই অতুলনীয়।
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Preface to Jagajjyoti 125th Year Commemorative Volume
Preface to a collection of selected essays on Buddha and Buddhist philosophy published on the ocassion of 125 years (1892-2017) celebration of Bauddha Dharmankur Sabha (Bengal Buddhist Association) edited by Hemendu Bikash Chowdhury.
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Diwali: The‘Magna Carta’ of Hinduism
If we are to select one festival that every Hindu in every corner of India celebrates in some form or the other, we would invariably mention ‘Diwali’. It epitomises the operational plurality of Hinduism that has thrived for millennia without a high command, headquarters or one designated holy book.
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Celebrating Milad un Nabi
As many of us admit, one of the major mistakes committed by a secular India was to assume that religious tolerance and amity would last forever. The secular state’s duty was over by declaring public holidays on the major festivals of all religions, but it never seriously considered explaining to the people what and why these celebrations were observed.
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Navaratri and how Indic religions are intrinsically federal
Many have often wondered how ancient Indic religions like Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism (Sikhism is not that ‘ancient’) survived and prospered for millennia without a designated holy book like the Bible or the Koran and with no Mecca, Vatican or Jerusalem to guide people. With a little introspection, we come to realise that it is actually this absence of a ‘central command’ and non-uniform format that account for this.
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Why is Bengal’s Durga so Different?
People often wonder why Bengalis worship Durga on the grandest scale possible during Navaratri and why they do not observe the mandatory fasts or rituals — instead gorging on non-vegetarian food. And, this propensity is not limited to any class or caste because Brahmans and so-called upper castes lead the way to celebrate with the best of fish and mutton dishes. The other question is why is it that only Bengal’s image of Ma Durga is so completely different from the rest of India?
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Onam and the Accommodative Soul of Hinduism
Onam, which bids farewell, is much more than a festival of joy, for it represents the core of the great reconciliatory heart of Hinduism. Most such celebrations recall the victory of a great God or Goddess over dark forces, personified usually by a demonic Asura. The Ramayana marks the destruction of a Rakshasa while the Durga Puja emphasises Devi’s triumph over Mahishasura.
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Secularism in Danger
It would not be correct to view the recent communal riots in Delhi that claimed 50 lives as a failure of the government of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. It is actually a major victory of this regime and the whole idea was to demonstrate what this government is capable of inflicting on minorities and its other opponents. Let us see if we can pick up the many messages that Modi and Shah have given us through this riot.
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