Human Fertility Cults and Rituals of Bengal: A Comparative Study

24-Parganas annual festival annual worship Bankura barren women bath Behula believed Bhairavas bhaktyās Bhattacharya Birbhum blessed Brahman Brahman priest brata brata ritual Calcutta century A.D. Chaitra Chandi child childless daily worship dargah day of Chaitra deity Devi devotees Dharma Thakur Dist district Folklore fulfilment Gajan festival goddess Gupta Hindu Hinduism honour Hooghly human fertility human fertility cults Ibid India Itihās Kāli Kārttikeya kavya known large number last day legend linga luye Maity Makhdum Manasa mānats Mangal Mānik Manik Pir marriage married mediaeval Midnapore milk Mitra month mother Muktā Murshidabad Muslims Nadia observed offer pūjā offspring origin Panskura Paush performed persons popular practice priestly function Ranjabati religion religious removal of barrenness rite Rudradeva saint Saivism sannyāsīs Satya Pir Shashṭhi shrine Śiva Śiva temples snakes story Tamluk tree Tribes and Castes type of worship University of Calcutta Vaiśākha various purposes village votaries West Bengal woman