Bidhannagar BH Block Society

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Established on the year 1984

Durga puja 2013 CONCEPT NOTE -Aranyak

BH Block recreates the magic of Sunderbans through lore of Banabibi

Kolkata: There are times when religion blends into one and humanity surfaces as the biggest bond among mankind. The meandering water, the lazy mangroves and the dark forests make up for Sunderbans. And it is in the midst of this chiaroscuro that the folklore of Banabibi unfolds-- The Goddess of the jungle that is worshipped by Hindus and Muslims alike and written about in both Banabibir Katha and Banabiwir Juhurnama.

BH- Block Salt Lake will bring to life the lore of Banabibi through its theme “Arannak” (আরন্যক). Banabibi is a guardian deity of the forests worshipped by both Hindus and Muslims in the Sunderbans (spread across West Bengal and Bangladesh). She is worshipped mostly by the honey-collectors and the woodcutters before entering the forest for protection against the attacks from the tigers. It is believed that the demon king, Dakkhin Rai (the lord of the south), an arch-enemy of Banbibi, actually appears in the disguise of a tiger and attacks and mauls humans. 

Banbibi is worshipped by her Hindu followers as Bandurga, Bandevi or even as Banbibi, and her predominantly Hindu images are found as wearing a crown and garland, carrying a club and trishul and her vahana (vehicle) is a tiger. She is venerated by her Muslim followers as Banbibi and she is known as a pirani. Her predominantly Muslim images are found with braided hair, wearing a cap with a tikli. She wears ghagra and pyjama (instead of a sari) and a pair of shoes. Both Hindu and Muslim images have a boy in her lap, believed as Dukhe by her worshippers. Her vahana (mount) is a tiger or a hen.

“Banabibi is the destroyer of evils. And here is the direct parallel with Ma Durga. She is seen as the Shaktirupini Devi of the jungle who will destroy the evil and bring to life the good by saving the human soul from damnation. It is with this thought that we have created the theme of Banabibi in Arannak,” said Mr Prosenjit Kumar De, Member “Brand BH”. 

Here the pandal stands both as the metaphor of victory of good over evil and also a unifying force that binds people together. 

“We have tried to give our mandap a unique look. The Pirer than and the tribal set up and the story of Banabibi all goes in sync with what we tried to bring out in our theme,” Mr De added. 

The mandap created by “our own” Neelanjan Ganguly is spread over a sprawling 5500 sqft. The organisers have taken pains to ensure that eco-friendly paints are being used and green structure created to keep the environment pollution free. Accordingly low consumption LED lights and other power saving measures have been taken to make the puja a 360 degree eco-friendly endeavour.

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