The curious case of Rama in West Bengal

Mahakavi Krritibas Ojha (1381–1461), a well known poet from Bengal, was the author of “Sri Rampanchali,” the Bengali version of the Sanskrit Ramayan. While he had largely changed the narrative of Valmiki’s Ramayan and made many additions..

of his own (making Ram quite different from the original one), nevertheless the book became the lifeline of all Ramayat Vaishnavites (pre Chaityna era) in Bengal. This love for Ram is so evident in innumerable Temple terracotta plaques, personal names, place names, daily idioms,
Ram naam jap to dispel fear by children to adults, folk theatres/dances and folk songs, puppet shows, and even politics, where Raghupati keeps appearing frequently. 100 years back Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee had started celebrating the birth anniversary of this Ramayan Mahakavi,
Prior to Gaurio Vaishnavism of Sri Chaityna (1486 – 1533) it was the Ramayat form of Vaishnavism that prevailed in Bengal. Infact the biographer of Sri Chaityna, Jayanand’s family worshipped Ram as their kul devta. In 1112 CE Shovanath Chandra in Sribati established a Raghunath
Jeur temple (they built three terracotta temples). This is a family of Gujarati traders, and their puja still continues. Two more names crop up from western India (Ramanand Tewari and a certain Madhav Rao) who settled in Bengal and also started the puja of Ramchandra.
However, beyond these names innumerable Bengali names crop up too, who were also so to say “Ram bhakts”, including the families of Sri Ramakrishnadev, Mahakavi Chandidas, etc.
From today, I will devote my 1 tweet to debunk the “fake narrative” of Shri Rama being called as an “outsider” or “ONLY HINDUSTANI GOD” in Bengal and will try to present the true History of “Bangla-r Roghubeer.”

Credit:- @monidipadey Mam 🙏🏻

More from All

https://t.co/6cRR2B3jBE
Viruses and other pathogens are often studied as stand-alone entities, despite that, in nature, they mostly live in multispecies associations called biofilms—both externally and within the host.

https://t.co/FBfXhUrH5d


Microorganisms in biofilms are enclosed by an extracellular matrix that confers protection and improves survival. Previous studies have shown that viruses can secondarily colonize preexisting biofilms, and viral biofilms have also been described.


...we raise the perspective that CoVs can persistently infect bats due to their association with biofilm structures. This phenomenon potentially provides an optimal environment for nonpathogenic & well-adapted viruses to interact with the host, as well as for viral recombination.


Biofilms can also enhance virion viability in extracellular environments, such as on fomites and in aquatic sediments, allowing viral persistence and dissemination.

You May Also Like

First thread of the year because I have time during MCO. As requested, a thread on the gods and spirits of Malay folk religion. Some are indigenous, some are of Indian origin, some have Islamic


Before I begin, it might be worth explaining the Malay conception of the spirit world. At its deepest level, Malay religious belief is animist. All living beings and even certain objects are said to have a soul. Natural phenomena are either controlled by or personified as spirits

Although these beings had to be respected, not all of them were powerful enough to be considered gods. Offerings would be made to the spirits that had greater influence on human life. Spells and incantations would invoke their


Two known examples of such elemental spirits that had god-like status are Raja Angin (king of the wind) and Mambang Tali Arus (spirit of river currents). There were undoubtedly many more which have been lost to time

Contact with ancient India brought the influence of Hinduism and Buddhism to SEA. What we now call Hinduism similarly developed in India out of native animism and the more formal Vedic tradition. This can be seen in the multitude of sacred animals and location-specific Hindu gods