Manasa Cult in Bengal

🐍 Manasā is the predominate goddess of the Dravidian race and since the majority of Bengal's martial casts are racially Dravidian, Mansa Puja has a dominant place in Bengal. The Aitarēẏa Āraṇyaka of the Rigveda mentions the arrival of the Naga-worshipping Chera people to the Ganges Valley in eastern India, the Shikhar Kshatriyas of the Rarha region, among whom Mansa Puja is most popular. Maharaja Janmējaẏa as mentioned in the Mahabharata invited Brahmins from the kingdom of Vanga (ancient Bengal) to perform Sarpa-yajña. In the Gangaridae era,  the conflict of Manasa with the famous Bengali merchant bull Parama-Shaiva Chandrapati Banik, [who was a devout Shiva worshipper Vaishya (V3) and refused to worship some female deity like Manasa] and the eventual establishment of Manasa as a goddess by receiving his puja are legendary. The single largest of the Pala era Matrika idols is of Manasa, because Manasa was the pivotal deity of the Gaudiya soldiers. In the Middle Ages, the poets Vijayagupta and Vipradas Piplai composed 'Mansamangal' poetry, based on which folk songs are popular in different parts of Bengal: 'Monosha Gaan' of Malda region or 'Beulo' of Karnasuvarna are notable names of such folk songs.

🐍 Ma Manasā is seated on a lotus and flanked by snakes. Made in 1980 by a Bishnupuri Artist; featuring the Śaivaite Chand Sodagor ( চাঁদ সওদাগর ) , his wife, his son Lokkhindor ( লখিন্দর ) and daughter in law Behula ( বেহুলা ), who, by her devotion to her husband, convinced Chand Sodogar to worship Ma Mānasa. Bengal been a hotbed of Mānasa cult since time immemorial, long before this epic. Those who worship her with Boli (sacrifice) and other objects on the Pañcami-tithi, will obtain wealth, fame and child. But what's the lesson to learn here? Well, if you show ignorance or disrespect in any shape or form to the Divine then there will be severe consequences. That's a guarantee.

Joy Ma Mānasa, the the mother of snakes, whose face is like the moon, who is graceful in appearance, bountiful, who rides on a swan; the noble one, who wears a red garment and bestows boons of all kinds; who has a smiling face, and is adorned with gold, gems and various other beautiful jewels obtained from snakes, who is accomparied by eight snakes, is a yogini and who can take any form at will. I take shelter in the Goddess who radiates like a golden lotus, who is decorated with ornaments formed by shining snakes, who has a smiling face, who is attended on all sides, who is the mother of Āstika, who has a child; and holds two snakes in her two hands. 🐍