Volume : VIII, Issue : II, February - 2019

Bilweswar Devalaya and Oja-Pali: A Folkloristic Appraisal

Sri Rajesh Kakati

Abstract :

Bilweswar Devalya is a haven for the folkloristic activities which are involved with the various festivals celeated in its vicinity. Despite the high literacy rate and aggression of technological inputs, the way of life of the local people is obsessed with the folkloristic activities which are being reared by the Devalaya. The most remarkable thing of the Devalaya is that it fosters the three cult of religion at the same time. These are: Shaivism, Shaktaism and Vaishnaism. All the three cults get unique colours through the contextualization with the local fervour. The Devalaya nourishes the humanistic ideas to favour the people’s aspiration in many ways. Primarily, the entire Devalaya complex is committed for the looking after the folk artisans, artists and their folkloristic activities acquired through inheritance. Modernization of everything is witnessed except than the pristine ways of worshipping the deities of which Lord Shiv is the principal deity. Durga Puja is celeated in the most splendid way greeting a large nimber of devotees who believe in Shaktism from various places of the state wherein dozens of buffaloes are sacrificed including goats, ducks, pigeons and other inanimate objects before the Goddess Durga with a view to propitiating the wishes of Her and personal solace. Though the age old practices of sacrificing animals invite debate amongst the intellectual class; however, it is on rise day by day. The chief purpose of the paper is only to highlight the major folkloristic activity which is none other than Ojapali and how it becomes instrumental in narrating the significances of the religious events or festivals under the aegis of Bilweswar Devalaya. Because, Ojapali is a mandatory folk item accrued with the festivals that entertain villagers with crude taste but with most vehement effect

Article: Download PDF    DOI : https://www.doi.org/10.36106/paripex  

Cite This Article:

BILWESWAR DEVALAYA AND OJA-PALI: A FOLKLORISTIC APPRAISAL, Sri Rajesh Kakati PARIPEX - INDIAN JOURNAL OF RESEARCH : Volume-8 | Issue-2 | February-2019

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