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Bengal is the geographic locale surrounded on the north by the Himalayan mountains and by the Bay of Bengal on the south; that is, the post-1947 Indian territory of West Bengal and the post-1971 country of Bangladesh. Hinduism in Bengal is no less mind-boggling and different than in the remainder of the Indian subcontinent. Right from the era of Buddha, the Indo-Aryan civilization and its nature were deep-rooted in Bengal, and the culture of its previous occupants appears to have impacted religion in Bengal to a more noteworthy degree than was the case farther west along the Gangetic bowl. The terms Hindu and Hinduism were first utilized by traders in Bengal who arrived from Arab countries, and the term, which started its life as a geographic identifier, has moved its significance a few times in the dozen or so hundreds of years since it showed up. Literature in Bengal starts to show up around the fourteenth century, quite a bit of it was devotional. One can track down Śāktas venerating different types of the goddess; Śaivites praying to Lord Shiva; and the Vaiṣṇavas who were devoted to Lord Vishnu.
Every one of these three fundamental devotional paths fostered a Brahmanical, high religion, praxis, and the Vaiṣṇavas, specifically, delivered a range of Bengali literature, from hagiography to expressive verse to drama show and, surprisingly, grammatical compositions. The three strands didn't necessarily coincide joyfully. Some Vaiṣṇava essayists regret the boorish love of a goddess who requests blood penances, for instance. Now and again, they combine efforts with their Muslim neighbours to criticize such practices. In time, the Vaiṣṇavas would dominate the Śāktas and Śaivites in the area, and their abstract result immensely surpasses those of different gatherings. Different assortments of Hinduism exist, as well, including the Sahajīyas, who utilize sexual custom to move toward eternality and who in the long run connected themselves with Vaiṣṇavism. Tantra, as well, is inescapable. The secretive arrangement of practices utilizes, as opposed to sublimates, the physical faculties in the mission for the heavenly. The Bauls and the Kartābhajās emerged a bit later from the lower classes of society and their way of experiencing Hinduism is unique to the land of Bengal.
Important Hindu Literature
Some of the important literary works of Hinduism that have been extensively translated into Bengali are-
Ramayana: The Ramayana was written in Sanskrit, by the writer Valmiki and its current structure comprises approximately 24,000 couplets segregated into seven books. The epic portrays the illustrious birth of the god Rama in the realm of Ayodhya (Oudh), his tutelage under the sage Vishvamitra, and his achievement of bending Shiva's powerful bow at the groom competition of Sita, King Janaka's daughter, thus becoming her husband. After Rama is ousted from his position as successor to the realm, he withdraws to the woodland with his significant other and his brother, Lakshmana, to spend 14 years someplace far off, banished in shame. There Ravana, the devil ruler of Lanka, carts away Sita to his capital while her two defenders are caught up chasing after a brilliant deer placed in the woodland to deceive them. Sita steadfastly dismisses Ravana's considerations, and Rama and his brother set off to protect her. The epic then deals with how Rama defeated Ravana with the help of Hanuman and Sugriva.
Mahabharata: The Mahabharata is the longest Indian epic where the fundamental story rotates around two parts of a family - the Pandavas and Kauravas - who, in the Kurukshetra War, fight for the privileged position of Hastinapura. Combined into this story are a few more modest tales about individuals dead or living, and philosophical talks. Krishna-Dwaipayan Vyasa, himself a legendary person, wrote the epic; as per custom, he recited the stanzas and Ganesha jotted them down. At 100,000 sections, it is the longest legendary sonnet at any point composed, by and large, to have been created in the fourth century BCE or prior. The occasions in the awe-inspiring work out in the Indian subcontinent and encompassing regions.
Q1. What are some of the Hindu festivals celebrated in Bengal?
Some of the most widely celebrated Hindu festivals in Bengal are Rath Yatra, Vishwakarma Puja, Rathayatra, Poila baisakh, Durga Puja, Janmashtami, Lakshmi Puja, and Kali Puja. Bengali Hindus in West Bengal celebrate various festivals, thus the Bengali saying- Baro Mase Tero Parbon (13 festivals in 12 months).
Q2. Which is the highest text in Hinduism?
The Bhagavad Gita is among the primary religious texts of Hinduism and is effectively the most popular. It has been cited by essayists, writers, researchers, scholars, and logicians - among others - and for quite a long time the basic text of Hinduism for a Western crowd. The Gita is a discourse between the warrior-ruler Arjuna and Lord Krishna who is filling in as his charioteer at the Battle of Kurukshetra battle between the Pandavas and the Kauravas.
Q3. What is the oldest Hindu text?
Rigveda is the oldest Hindu text. It is considered to be one of the four sacred Veda texts in Hindu religion. Most historians agree that they predate the Jewish scriptures by several centuries. Presently, historians commonly believe the Rig Veda was written around 1500 BC, but its core may be much older. In its present form the Rig Veda consists of some 10,000 verses, divided into some 1,000 hymns that usually take up 10 volumes in Sanskrit. The Rig Veda is an amalgamation of four major components – This includes the Samhitas, the Brahmanas, the Aryankas and the Upanishads.
Q4. What are books of God called?
Hindu sacred texts are divided into either Shruti, which means "what is heard", or Smriti. Which means “what is remembered”? Smriti are usually heroic tales and the obstacles the heroes faced. The Vedas are classified as Shruti because they were passed down orally until they were written around 1500-500 B.C.E. in India. Bhagavad Gita is the primary holy book of Hindus. The words are directly attributed to Krishna who was present on Arjuna’s chariot in front of millions, before the commencement of battle. The two of them conversed, and the discussion is known as Bhagavad Gita. Bhagavan is another name of God, and so Bhagavad Gita means the song of God, which means the words of God.
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