1045-4300-1-pb

Folklore and Folkloristics; Vol. 3, No. 1. (June 2010)

Editor-in-Chief: Dr. Sk. Makbul Islam

Contents

Editorial

Sk. Makbul Islam

English Section

Article-1

Bhakti Yoga and Jagannatha Consciousness

Susmita Bose

Article-2

Diffusion of Sri Jagannath Consciousness: Observing Cognitive and Iconographic Changes

Sk. Makbul Islam

News and Information

Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandir Organized seminar on Folkloristics

Inauguration of Sri Jagannath Journal, Bhubaneswar



Editorial

This issue of Folklore and Folkloristics is published on the

eve of Ratha Yatra of Sri Jagannath. The two articles

published in this issue are dedicated to Lord Jagannath the deity of humanity, equality and justice.

Sri Jagannath Cult and Consciousness has great role in

bringing about harmony in our social life. Apart from its

religious aspect, the social dimension of Sri Jagannath seems

to be the equally significant in crystallizing the process of

national integration. Folkloristics and the Cultural Studies

have a lot to do in this field. We have to explore the domain.

Best wishes to all on the occasion of Ratha Yatra.

Sk. Makbul Islam

Editor-in-Chief

Folklore and Folkloristics

June 2010



Article-1

Susmita Bose

Bhakti Yoga and Jagannatha Consciousness

Abstract

This paper tries to appreciate the interrelationship between Sri

Jagannath Consciousness and Bhakti Yoga considering the issue of

Nababidha Bhakti, the role of Guru, the Qualified Monism of

Ramanuja, Bhakti Yoga and Sri Chaitanya Deva, Brotherhood of

Man and Fatherhood of God and so on.

I: Introducing Bhakti Yoga

The supreme personality of God head, who is greater than all , is attainable by unalloyed devotion. Although He is present in His abode, He

is all-pervading and everything is situated within Him.

- Srimad Bhagavad Gita ; 8:22

If we are at all interested in reaching that supreme abode, the path in

Bhakti, then we have to strive towards that end. Bhaktya means devotional

service, submission to the Supreme Lord. Bhakti comes from the Sanskrit

root Bhaj which means Seva (service). It is not to be understood in any

narrow sense. It comprises all aspects of love of which service is indeed

one. The definition of Bhakti given in the Narada-pancaratra is freedom from designation.

If one is determined to get out of all the designation that are attached to the

pure spirit or soul and which arise due to bodily change and modification,

then one can take recourse Bhakti . Bhakti is realizing that one is pure spirit

and not matter at all . Our real identity is not this body, which is simply a

covering for the spirit, but our real identity is Dasa , i , e, servant of Lord

Krishna. When one is situated in his/her real identity and rendering service

to Lord Krishna, he is a Bhakta . Hrishikena Hrishikesha Sevanam . When our

senses are free from mater ial designation, we will utilize them in the service

of the Master of the senses, Hrishikesha or Lord Krishna.

II: Nine Forms of Devotion

According to Prahlad , the great Vaisnavite , there are as many as nine

aspects of Love , viz,

Sravanam - listening to the talks on the glory of God

Kirtanam - singing

Smaranam - remembering



Pada Sevanam - touching and washing the feet of Idol

Archanam - worship

Vandanam - adoration, salutation

Dasyam - serving the Idol l ike a servant

Sakhyam - loving Him like a friend and

Atmanivedanam - self-surrender at His feet (Sree Bhagavatam-7:5:23)

These are the preliminary and outward practices which, if and when

properly carried out, eventually rekindles the lamp of love ( Prerna) within

the heart of the devotee (Bhakta). Essentially love is blind. Attachment,

based on calculation and a sense of propriety, is not a genuine one. True

love knows no reason, i t is above all ratiocination. Love is an attribute of

heart that melts and soothes all that i t touches.

To the lovers, the Reality is personal and concrete; to the rationalists, i t is

impersonal and abstract i t is universal too. The ideal of the Jnanis is Brahman and that of the Yojins is Paramatma . Bhaktas Bhagavan (devotees God) is Pranarama . For His Bhaktas , He often comes down on earth in human flesh and blood. An Avatar (God incarnate) although a God,

is just a man like other men, whom He touches and is touched by, whom He

loves and is loved by. A Jnanis Brahman is indifferent to the vicissitudes, the ups and down of his l ife. A Yogins Paramatma is a stern dispenser of justice, based on ethical calculations. A Bhaktas (devotees) Pranaram is more close to his devotee. He is more human than divine. He is more a

loving mother than a stern father, oblivious of th e faults of his son and

often catering to his whims which ordinarily he should not. Like a mother,

as it were, he is more accessible to his children, particularly the naughty

ones. It is the easiest way of approach to God.

Sri Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa opines that in this dark age of Kali , the

path of Bhakti or devotion is the easiest path (Sahaja Path) to attain God. If

one sincerely yearns for the Lord, then one undoubtedly can attain Him (Sri

Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita, Vol. 4, Part -I, Chapter-VI). His gradual

descent from the status of indeterminate Brahman down to that of Avataras

via the status of Saguna-Brahman or Iswar is a pointer to that direction. His

descent or condescension does not end here. An Avatar or a God -incarnate

comes only once in a Yuga (aeon) and that again for a limited period of time

only.

III: Guru As Spiritual Guide

Human hearts crave for a God who is with them, whom they can touch and

feel, love and pay respect to, at they sweet will and that for all time. For

them, their God is their Guru (spiritual guide). To each of the devotee, his

Guru is God in Human form.



Brahmanandam parama sukhadam kevalam jnanamurtum

Dwandatitam gagana sadrisham tat -tamashyadi laksham

Ekam nityam bimalam achalam sarbadhi sakshibhutam

Bhabatitam triguna rahitam sadgurum tvam namami

You are the embodiment of celestial happiness and bliss;

you are above all contradictions in thought

and also beyond the control of the Prakriti .

You are my spiritual guide;

I bow my head to you.

This is the traditional attitude, taken up by those seekers, who take to the

Path of love as a way of approach to God. There are people, who have no

Guru or a guide like that. They too are in need of salvation, and their need

too has got to be served. For them, there are names like Hari, Krishna,

Rama etc., that have to be chanted, and the Name (Nam) and the Named

(Nami) are identical.

Jei nam sei Krishna Bhaja nishtha kari ;

Namer sahita ache apni Sri Hari.

Lord (Krishna) and His name are One (Eka) and Identical (Abheda). God

(Hari) is always inseparable from His name. Worship Him with devotion

and sincerity is the only task of this Kali Yoyga ; that is why it said -

Kalou nastevya nastevya nastevya gatiranyatha .

In this Kali Yuga, there is no other means of liberation except chan ting of

the Name of God:

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Love as a sentiment in man thrives on duality the lover and the beloved, i .e. , metaphysically viewed it rests on the theory of Du alism (Dwaitabad).

And here it differs essentially from the Brahmavada or the Absolutism of

the Idealists or the Jnanayogins , for whom there is only one Reality, and

that is, the Brahman or the Absolute. All other things are illusion, transitory

and cease to exist at the dawn of knowledge or Jnana . The soul of man is

identical with the Universal Soul (Paramatma) whose other name is

Brahman . The Bhagavad Gita echoes



Mamoivamsho jiva loke. Jiva bhuta sanatana.

The Jivatma and the Paramatma are in essence, the same. The aphorism

Tat Tvam Asi or That Than Art provides a lesson for man (Jiva) bound up, as he is, in then the cage of nama and rupa , born of avidya or nescience

to learn that he is not what he appears to be. He is essentially unalloyed

consciousness (Suddha Chaitanya ) and not a body-mind complex, as he

ignorantly supposes himself to be. Not to speak of the phenomenal self or

the finite soul, there is nothing outside Brahman . All is Brahman . Brahman

is All-pervasive and All-encompassing - Sarvam Khalavidam Brahman .

IV: Qualified Monism of Ramanuja

Bhaktivada , as enunciated by Ramanuja , an outstanding personality,

standing only next to Sankara, the exponent of the Advaita Vedanta , gives

an opposite interpretation of the above aphorism, that na turally answers his

own philosophical queries. For him Tat stands for God as God and Tvam stands for God as in human form. There is a relation of Bheda and Abheda

simultaneously existing between the two. They are one and, at the same time

different and this attitude, in respect of the relation between the two, forms

the quintessence of the Visista Advaitavada of Ramanuja. He teaches

monism no doubt, for all is Brahman ; but his is a qualified monism; there

are rooms enough in his Brahman for the existence of the individual souls

as also of the physical world with all its objects. Like all Vedantists, he

bases his argument on the Upanisads . His findings, find their chief support

in the teachings of Brihadaranyaka Upanisad . Brahman has been described

there as Antaryamin , as someone potentially present in everything of the

world. In the Svetasvara Upanisad , emphasis has sometimes been given to

one the three-fold units in Brahman of the empirical subject (Bhakta), the world of objects (Bhogya), and the power that mitigates (Pravrittr) . All

these show that Brahman is one with the many and not without many.

Besides, the affirmation of identity between the two absolutely different terms is meaningless; similarly meaningless is the assertion of the identity

between the two identical terms, for it leads to the fallacy of tautology. The

assertion is, therefore, possible between the two forms of the same

substance.

V: Sree Chaitanyas Bhakti Cult

Sree Chaitanyas philosophy, here in Bengal, is virtually and in esse ntial agreement with that of Ramanuja with the proviso that the attributes in

Brahman , as attributed by Ramanuja, are replaced by what is called energy

(Shakti) by Sree Chaitanya. All differences in qualities emanate out of this

energy, which is related to Brahman in an inconceivable (Achintya) manner.

The theory, has thus been given the name of Acintya-bheda-abheda Tattva

in differentiation from the Bheda-Abhedabada or Visistadvaitavada of

Ramanuja. Both believe in the qualified or Saguna Brahman. He is a

personal God. He is Vishnu , the Ultimate Reality that both religion and

philosophy try to unravel. The world of matter, as also of soul, although

relatively independent of, is nevertheless dependent on Him. This



unqualified and impersonal Brahman is the Iswara . The other name of Sree

Vishnu is Sree Krishna , the latter being an incarnation of the former. He is

Bhagavan Himself.

VI: Sree Jagannatha: Maha Vishnu

Krishnastu Bhagavana Swayam. Sree Vishnu is also Lord Jagannatha, the presiding deity of Puri. So Lord Krishna is only Lord Jagannatha He is the Lord of the three worlds. He along with His siblings Balabhadra and

Subhadra reigns supreme in Sree Kshetra . It reminds us of the

pronouncements made in the Vedanta Atmanam rathinam viddhi sariram ratha meva tu. In one Rupa , Lord Narayana, in the battlefield of Kurukshetra, appears as the Charioteer of Arjunas Chariot or Ratha and in another Rupa , Lord Narayana appears as Jagannatha along with Balabhadra

and Subhadra seated on three separate chariots, c aptivating the hearts of

millions of devotees during the Rathayatra festival at Puri. He is the

timeless and Eternal Charioteer the Sanathana Sarathi of this universe.

Anything connected with Lord Jagannath is grand, great, majestic and

splendid. The temple of the Lord is more popularly known as Vada Deoul

(the Grand Temple). The lamp which illuminates the sanctum sanctorum is

known as Vada Dipa (the Grand Lamp). The Prasadam of the Lord is more

renownedly known as Maha Prasadam and the sea surrounding the Sree

Kshetra , is Mahodadhi . Jagannath whose dazzling presence contains every

dimension of space, who is pleasure and discipline, fulfillment and

forgiveness, as his devotees desires. He delights the mind and delivers the

soul. He is the source and goal o f life and will embrace all creatures at the

end, removing the fear of death. As per His own promise, He is

painstakingly associated with his devotees Aham Bhaktadhinam. I am at the disposal of my devotees. By His infinite grace the devotees get the rare

opportunity every year, in the month of Ashada , to offer their worship and

obsessiance to the Lord, from the commencement of Rathayatra and back to

its Return Journey (Bahuda). Men like wild lambs, may go astray but He

will like Christ , recollect them back to His own fold. He yearns for

passionate and sincere love from His devotees.

VII: The Brotherhood of Man & The Fatherhood of God:

(Christianity)

The theory of love as a way of approach to God is no monopoly of a

particular sect or religion. Religions, all over the world over have more or

less, as an element of love inherent in them. Special mention, may however

be made of Christianity and the Vaisnava Cult of the Hindus, which are

exclusively and essentially religions of love and grace. Christianity

identifies God with love. God in His infinite love for humanity, He send His

son Christ down to earth to atone for their sins. The cross is the symbol of

this atonement and of the love that God bears unto man. This is the

significance and meaning of the death of Christ on the Cross. Different

interpretations have been given by the Christian thinkers. Whatever be the



explanation of the event of the crucifixion of Christ, the fact that stands out

unquestionable is - the God in Christ suffered in His infinite me rcy, for His

creature on earth.

Mutual recuperation forms the essence of the relationship of love between

the lover and the beloved. Love can never be a one -sided game. This kind of

self denial or self sacrifice of God for man has no national or geographi cal

barrier. Shiva , the prince of the Sannyasis , drank poison, which came up

during the Samudra Manthana , or the churning of the ocean by the Devas

and the asuras or the demons, for the benefit of mankind. Lord Buddha and

Bhakta Prahalad refused liberation for the sake of fellow human beings on

earth suffering from the pangs of birth and rebirth. Like all Avatars of the

Hindus, Christ is both a man and a God in the same person. The man in him

realizes his oneness with his father; and God in him equally pull s him up by

the hand and makes him feel divine.

In Vaishnavism , love in all its forms is given the consideration as ways of

approach to the Reality. Spiritual and Philosophical contemplation ( Santa

Bhava) Servant like obedience (Dasya Bhava), Friendly att raction (Sakhya

Bhava), Parental affection (Batsalya Bhava) and lastly conjugal attachment

(Madhura Bhava) are each, in its own way a gateway to the city of God,

when rightly pursued and in its true spirit lead unto Him. The Lord

pronounces in the Gita, that in what so ever form man approaches Him, in

that form He will accept them.

Ye Yatha mam prapadyente,

Tvam tathaiva bhajamyaham

(The Gita, Chap IV, ii)

The stages (Bhavas) as put one after another, indicates a process from lower

to higher perfection. It is a process of gradual unfoldment the flower of the

flower love, til l it reaches its full bloom in the Kanta Bhava that eludes

intellectual comprehension and logical definition. In Santa Bhava , there is

more of contemplation and meditation than anything l ike game of love in

between the contemplator and the contemplated. The saints and sages having

philosophic and meditative bent of mind, are the traditional pilgrims

treading this path. They stand, as it were, at a respectable distance from

each other. In Dasya Bhava this barrier is, to a considerable extent removed.

The servant touches his master and serves him. Vidur, Prahalad, Mahavir,

Hanuman etc are the followers of this path. In Sakhya Bhava , the contact is

still close. As friends, they feel that they are equal, l ike Sudama, Subal, etc.

jump on the shoulders of Krishna and bear him equally in their own

shoulders. They often quarrel and fight with Him, yet the beauty of the body

mind of God (Krishna) has so much intoxicated them that they cannot bear

the pangs of His separation even for a moment. In Vatsalya Bhava the sweet

sentiment of maternal affection is the passport for entry into the abode of

God. Characters like Devaki, Yasoda, Kausalya etc are the typical



representatives of the saints who have tak en to this path of devotion and

salvation.

VII: Sree Radha The Personification of Love in Goudiya Vaishnavism

Lastly, the Madhura or the Kanta Bhava is the highest of all bhavas. It

comprises within itself the above four Bhavas and is yet something more

than them. It is a sort of love that subsists between a devoted wife and her

husband. To put i t more accurately, it is a kind of love that a woman feels

for a man other than her husband for in the later case, love is more intense

on account of the sexual barrier, standing between the two. In Goudiya

Vaishnavasm , Sri Radha is delineated as the personification of love, while

Sri Krishna is God incarnate. Sree Krishna is the only Purusha and all other human beings belong to Prakriti when other name is Sri Radha. She is

the sole guide to lead them unto God. She is the Maha Guru or the Supreme

spiritual guide. It is said that in the Chaitanya avatar , Sree Krishna puts on

the garb of Sree Radha i .e. , becomes, in body and mind, Sree Radha Himself

with a view to taste the beauty and the grace of the love that Sree Radha

bore unto Him in Dwapara Yuga . Sree Radha stands for Jivatma and Sree

Krishna for Brahman or the Paramatma. In Puri, Lord Jagannath personifies

Paramatma as well as Parabrahma.

About Author:

Senior Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy, St. Pauls Cathedral Mission College, Kolkata.



Article-2

Dr. Sk. Makbul Islam

Diffusion of Sri Jagannath Consciousness:

Observing Cognitive and Iconographic Changes

Abstract Undoubtedly Jagannath Consciousness had diffused form Orissa to other states of India as well as to

other countries of the world. If we find the Jagannath Consciousness and the cult associated with this,

we must find several conspicuous changes in the manifest level of culture. This paper tries to explain

the all the changes of the concerned issue in terms of diffusion, with particular reference to Bengal,

Assam, Meghalaya and Bangladesh.

Full Version of Paper

1. Theoretical Note This paper is designed to observe the major changes, found in the cultural manifestations of

Jagannath Consciousness and the following cult in anthropological term, in conformity to

Diffusion as was suggested by the Diffusional School of anthropology, simultaneously

developed in Britain, America and Germany, during the closing decades of 19th

and

beginning decades of 20th

century. If we perceive the entire cultural configuration of Sri

Jagannath from the point of cultural anthropology, we must observe that Sri Jagannath

Consciousness has two aspects -

a. The origin and development of Sri Jagananth the historical part of the issue, and b. The diffusion of Jagannath from Orissa, beyond her boundary

My paper primarily deals with the second point.

The major points that Diffusional School of anthropology has mentioned, are,

a. culture is diffused and borrowed from one place to another place b. culture has a center and culture is borrowed from center to periphery c. diffusion may cause some changes in manifest level of culture.

Now, if we, theorize the issue of diffusion of Sri Jagananth Consciousness from Orissa to

other parts of India and world, we must mention Puri to be the major center of Jagannath

Culture, while Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya and Bangladesh may be termed as minor centers

concerned, lying in the periphery of entire circle of Jagannath Culture.



A schematic representation of the major and minor center in global context may be shown as

below:

Culture Minor Minor

Center Center Center (Major) (National) (International)

Bengal Puri Assam Bangladesh

Meghalaya

Tripura

2. Methodology of Research To observe this issue, I have executed extensive field work in on Jagannath Culture in West

Bengal, Meghalaya, Assam as well as in Bangladesh, and have collected information in a

Structured Information Format.

Here, the term information implies -

a. collection of printed materials (secondary source of data) b. collection through interview c. collection of audio document (interview, songs) d. collection of visual document (still) e. collection of audio-visual document (video) f. personal observation and feelings

Here I must mention that, though I am dealing with a UGC Major Research Project on Sri Jagannath Consciousness in West Bengal, Nepal and Bangladesh, yet I have executed some field work relating to Sri Jagannath in some other states of India. The reports of those survey

have also been included in designing this paper.

Diffusion of

Sri Jagannath

From

Center (Puri) to

Periphery (beyond Orissa)



3. Diffusion and Major Factor of Change Diffusion, in general, is considered in terms of space. This is true in case of Sri Jagannath

Consciousness as well. But, apart from space, I would like to mention social strata too, as an

important criterion, in which, Sri Jagannath Consciousness is found to have transmitted. It is

rather the social strata which have played an important role in bringing about changes and

transformation in Jagannath Consciousness, during diffusion or transmission.

4. Major points of Observation: Descriptive Data a. Sri Jagannath of Udaypur Jagannath Temple (Tripura), is unlike Jagannath of Puri.

The Complexion of Sri Jagannath is blue and all the three deities have hands and

face like Sri Krishna.

b. Sri Jagannath of Radhaballabh Temple (Seuri, Birbhum, West Bengal), has identical face of Sri Krishna and of traditional black complexion.

c. The colour of Sri Jagananth worshipped by the Manipuris (Manipuri Para, Syllhet, Bangladesh), is blue and the deity is made in a different way (contains Thai-

Siamese influence). This Jagannath is worshiped by the Manipuri community.

d. The Jagganath Temple of the Manipuri community of Gowhati, Assam, is also blue. e. The Jagananth of Shillong Jagannath Mandir (Thana Road) is designed as per

Orissan style.

f. The Jagannath deities of Bisalakshmi Temple (Dainhat, Bardhaman, West Bengal), are of course identical to Puri Jagannath. But this Jagannath is worshipped as

Bhairab (Shakta Order).

g. The costume of Dainhat Jagannath Temple (Katwa, Bardhaman, West Bengal), is Kurta-Panjabi, speaks of Islamic (Persian) influence.

h. The Jagannath of Baghnapara Sripat (Baghnapara, Bardhaman, West Bengal), is made of Jackfruit-Wood (Kanthal Kath) instead of Daru (Neem). That is why this

Jagannath is known as Kanthali-Jagannath.

i. The Jagannath of Bandha Ghat Jagananth Temple (Bandha Ghat, Salkia Howrah, West Bengal), is made of clay (mud) instead of Daru (Neem).

j. The Bauls of Bengal have considered Sri Jagannath to be the God of Humanity (Dharma Prabhu) instead of perceiving in terms of Vaishnava or Shakta or Shaiva

order.

5. Analysis and Conclusion a. So far as the changes relating to Jagannath Consciousness is concerned, the major

changes took place in two different levels i. Cognitive Change ii. Iconographic Change

The changes are shown in diagram below:

Change

Cognitive Change Iconographic Change

b. Cognitive Change implies, the psychological impulse in conformity to which, people appreciate Sri Jagannath. For example, the Bauls of Bengal have imposed a new

social value on Sri Jagannath, apart from the traditional faith like Sri Jagananth is Vishnu or Vairab or Buddha. To the Bauls, Sri Jagannath is God of Humanity.

Jagannath became God of castelessness.



c. The Manipuri Community of Shyllhet (Bangladesh), and those Manipuris who have migrated to Gowhati (Assam), paints the deity of Sri Jagannath in blue colour. To

them, Blue-Jagananth implies Nelamadhab, the primordial form of Lord Jagannath.

Interestingly, the traditional iconographic form of Sri Jagannath along with traditional

colour, is hardly patronized by them. Though diffusion and transmission of Sri

Jagannath Consciousness reached them. The Manipuris have created their own deity

as per their own faith and interpretation.

d. In West Bengal, many deities of Jagananth are similar to the iconographic representation of Lord Krishna. There lies cognitive change behind the iconographic

change (transconfiguration) of Sri Jagannath. The people of Bengal think Sri

Jagannath to be no other than Sri Krishna and hence, did prefer to configure Sri

Jagananth after the image of Sri Krishna.

e. Diffusion to distant place, without having relation to Puri (the main center), has created space for bringing about change, in the domain of Jagannath Culture, due to

lack of traditional cultural value, which is found to have associated with Sri Jagannath

worship in Puri temple. Here, cultural distance, seem more responsible than that of

geographical or spatial distance. It happened in many places of Assam, Meghalaya,

Tripura, West Bengal and in Bangladesh.

f. Sometimes, creating conscious difference seems to be the result of a process of identity construct. The Nila-Jagannath of Manipuri Order, speaks of a conscious

effort of maintaining separate identity (as Manipuri), declaring perceptible departure

from the iconographic tradition of Puri. Yet, they worship Sri Jagannath in the form

of Neelamadhab.

g. Contrarily, the Jagannath Temples of Shillong (Thana Road) and Sankharibazar Jagananth Temple of Bangladesh (Dhaka) and many others are really eager to keep in

touch with Puri. But geographical distance (in case of Shillong, Meghalay) and

international diplomatic relation between India-Bangladesh have left really a narrow

space for cultural contact, finally influencing Sri Jagananth tradition in the respective

places.

h. Whatever may be cause, lack of contact with the Center of Jagannath Culture (Puri), have pushed some minor centers of Jagannath worship into periphery, resulting in

their marginal position. Such marginality is another responsible factor along with

diffusion.

i. However, the entire scheme, so far as I have appreciated till now, may put into diagram below:

Vairab Jagananth

Cognitive Change Neelamadhab (Concept)

God of Humanity

Change

Configuration of Jagananth

Iconographic Change Colour of Jagananth

Material of Jagananth deity



This paper of course highlights some main points relating to the change of Jagannath Culture

with particular reference to diffusion. Certainly, an extensive study is essential to appreciate

the entire phenomenon of continuity, through changes.

About Author

Principal Investigator of UGC Major Research Project on Sri Jagannath Consciousness in West Bengal, Nepal and Bangladesh and Associate Professor, Department of Bengali, St. Pauls Cathedral Mission College, Kolkata, West Bengal



News and Information

Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandir organized Seminar on Folkloristics A one day seminar on Folkloristics : Multiple Dimensions was organized by the Department

of Bengali, Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandir, Belur Math, Howrah, West Bengal, India on

17th

September 2009 in collaboration with Folklore and Folkloristics (E-Journal). Sri

Shyamol Bera and Dr. Sk Makbul Islam, Dipankar Mallick and Prosenjit Biswas delivered

speech on different aspects of folklore. Malek Chitrakar presented Pater Gan (Song of Pata)

and drew attension of all. Swami Sashtrajanandaji Maharaj took initiative in holding this

seminar.

Inauguration of Sri Jagannath Journal, Bhubaneswar The Quarterly Journal Sri Jagannath published by Sri Jagannath Research Institute, Bhubaneswar, Orissa edited by Dr. Surendranath Dash was officially inaugurated on 11

th

January 2010, by Prasanna Pathsani, the Member of Parliamen. While talking about the

journal, Sri Pathsani told - this Sri Jagannath has occupied its royal position in the field of Sri Jagannath Study. Dr. Khageswar Mahapatra was presented and gave his speech. Dr. Pareswar Sahoo gave the vote of thanks.

1045-4300-1-pb

Documents