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Bakreshwar (also spelt Bakreswar) is a pilgrimage centre in Birbhum-Murshidabad in India.

2/13/2013

Bakreshwar (also spelt Bakreswar) is a pilgrimage centre in Birbhum-Murshidabad in India.

According to Hindu belief, an insulted Sati, the wife of Lord Shiva, sacrificed herself at a yagna (fire worship ritual) which was being performed by her father Dakshmaharaj. Angry with this incident Lord Shiva started the tandava nritya (dance of destruction). In order to prevent destruction of all creation, Lord Vishnu used his Sudershan charka (wheel) to cut the body of Sati into several parts. Sati's body was scattered all over what is presently the Indian subcontinent. There are 51 such holy spots where temples have been erected and they are called Pithas or the Shakti Pithas. Some of the Pithas are in West Bengal. The most popular of them are Kalighat (in Kolkata}, Bakreshwar and Tarapith. Bakreswar is said to be the pitha where Sati's forehead and eyebrows fell.

The main temple is that of Shiva or more popular as that of Bakranath. In architectural style it is akin to the “rekha-deul” of Odisha. Numerous Shiva temples surround the main temple, and a large number of temples are without any image.

According to legend, the disfigured and disconsolate Astabkra {also known as the sage Lomas), out on a pilgrimage, arrived at Kasi (Varanasi) intent on worshipping Shiva. He was informed that his prayers could not be answered till they were offered at an undefined spot named Gupta Kasi (the hidden Varanasi) in the distant realm of Gaur (Bengal). Astabakra took to an eastern direction and ended at Bakreswar, where he adored Siva for ten thousand years. The god, touched by the persistence of his votary, declared that those who worshipped. Astabakra first and himself afterwards would be vouchsafed an endless store of blessings. Viswakarma, the architect of the gods, received a command to erect a temple on the auspicious spot, and a stately shrine soon rose on the eastern shore of the river Bakreswar containing two graven images, the larger of which represented Astabakra. There is no evidence of the present temple being such an ancient one. A tablet records that a portion of the edifice was erected by one Darpanarayan in the year 1761 A.D.

There are eight hot springs of varying temperatures. The hottest, known as the Agni Kundu, is not far short of 200 degrees Fahrenheit. It is said that the water has healing powers. There is a large pond for bathers. Some piped water is also available for those who do not desire to get down into the pond.

Shakti Peeth Bahula Devi

2/13/2013

Shakti Peeth - Bahula Devi

When Sati, the wife of Shiva, sacrificed herself at the Yajna performed by her father Daksha, a very distraught Shiva started dancing with her body. He was dancing the dance of destruction. And the gods said, “Oh, we are doomed! Shiva is dancing the dance of destruction. How are we ever going to to make him stop? Vishnu save us!”

Vishnu took his bow and cut the body of Sati into fifty-one pieces with his arrows. And wherever a piece of the Divine Mother’s body fell on earth, that place became a Shakti Pitha.

Below we have assembled the list of Shakti Pithas, the part of the Divine Mother’s body associated with the Pitha, Her name, the name of Bhairav (Shiva) associated with the Pitha.

Bahula Devi’s left arm fell here and the idols are Devi as Bahula (Abundant) and Shiva as Bhiruk (who is also Sarvasiddhadayaka).

Body Parts & Ornaments- Left Arm
Form Of Shakti- Bahula
Bhairav- Bhiruk

Shakti Peeth in Maharastra

2/13/2013

Shakti Peeth - Saptashrungi

Saptashrungi or Saptashringi is a site of pilgrimage situated 60 kilometers from Nashik. According to Hindu tradition, the goddess Saptashrungi Nivasini dwells within the seven mountain peaks. (Sapta means seven and shrung means peaks.) It is located in Nanduri, Tal:-Kalwan a small village near Nashik in India. Devotees visit this place in large numbers every day.

The legend

This temple is one among the 51 Shakti peethas located on the Indian subcontinent. The Devi is said be swayambhu (self-manifested) on a rock on the sheer face of a mountain. She is surrounded by seven (sapta in Sanskrit) peaks (shrungain Sanskrit), hence the name: Sapta Shrungi Mata (mother of the seven peaks).

The image of the Devi is huge — about 10 feet tall with 18 hands, holding weapons like:
String of Beads Battle Axe
Mace Arrow
Thunderbolt Lotus
Bow Water Pot
Cudgel Lance
Sword Shield
Conch Bell
Wine Cup Trident
Noose Spinning Disc (Sudarsana Chakra)

The idol is always coated with sindoor, which is considered auspicious in this region. She is also known as Mahishasur Mardini, the slayer of the demon Mahishasur, who took the form of a buffalo. At the foot of the hill, from where one starts climbing the steps, there is the head of a buffalo, made in stone which is believed to be a demon.

Mahishasur Mandir

It is believed that the Devi Mahatmya, a sacred book which extols the greatness of Devi and her exploits, was composed at this place by the sage Markandeya. He performed rigorous penance on a hill opposite the one where the Devi resides; it is now named after him. The temple, which is on the side of the cliff, is 1230 meters above sea level. There is an old path with steps cut out of the mountain, which starts right at the foothills at Vani and goes all the way to the mountain.

A motorable road has been built, which goes up to an altitude of 1150 meters. From this place one has to climb around 500 steps to reach the shrine, which takes about 45 minutes.

It is said that there is one flag which is said to be at top of the mountain where Saptashrungi mata's temple is situated. This road is only known by one person that is A poojari and no one else. Before his death he gives information of this hidden road to another poojari and this goes on. But only one poojari knows the way.

References in ancient texts and legends of Hinduism

Saptashrung mountain was a part of the forest called Dandakaranya mentioned in the Ramayana. It is mentioned that Lord Rama, along with Seeta, had come here to pray to Amba and seek her blessings.

Among the ancient seers, Sage Markandeya (who was called the Bhakta Markandeya and was the author of Devi Mahatmyam, the book containing 700 slokas praising and the life of the goddess Amba) and Sage Parashara ( son of Sakthi & grandson of Vasistha) completed their tapascharya (a multi-year period of meditation and prayer in solitude, a kind of penance, to seek the ultimate truth; in much of Hindu mythology, this is done to seek a meeting with God) at or near Saptashrungi.

Sant Dnyaneshwar, in Dnyaneshwari, his commentary on the Gita, mentions that his father, Vitthalpant, had also visited Saptashrungi. At a later point, Nivruttinath, the elder brother of Dnyaneshwara, is said to have visited Saptashrungi, and then moved on for his Samadhi at Tryambakeshwar near Nashik.[citation needed] (Samadhi means deep meditation. It can also mean a tomb of someone (usually a holy being) revered by masses. "Taking a Samadhi" means voluntarily entering one's own tomb with the purpose of giving up life, considering life's aim fulfilled.)

In Ashwin (Hindu calendar month) Shuddha Dhashami a big utsav (festival) is held at this place.

Dhakeswari temple is the oldest Hindu temple in Dhaka and was established in the 11th century

2/13/2013

Shakti Peeth

Dhakeswari temple is the oldest Hindu temple in Dhaka and was established in the 11th century

The Bhabanipur Shaktipeeth is a place of worship consecrated to the Goddess Maa Bhabani. The Shakti devi here is called Arpana and the Bhairava is Vaman. As to which part of "Sati" Maa Tara's body fell at Bhabanipur, there are various versions. It could be left anklet (ornament), ribs of left chest, right eye, or bedding (according to various sources).

According to the Mahabharata, in the Satya Yuga, King Daksha arranged a ritual called Yagna in which her daughter Goddess Sati and Her husband Lord Shiva was not invited. Still Goddess Sati attended the function. Unable to bear the insult towards Her husband Lord Shiva, Goddess Sati protested by sacrificing Herself into the fire of the Yagna. Enraged with grief, Lord Shiva started the dance of destruction across the Universe with the corpse of Goddess Sati on His shoulder. To stop this, Lord Vishnu cut the corpse of Goddess Sati with the Sudharshan Chakra and as a result the various pieces of Goddess Sati's body and Her ornaments fell at various places of the Indian subcontinent. These places are now known as Shakti Peethas

Being a Shakti Peeth, Bhabanipur is a historic place of pilgrimage for the followers of Hinduism. There are numerous temples at this Shakti-peeth premises which are visited by pilgrims from all over the country and abroad, irrespective of sectarian differences.

There is a legend saying that while once a conch-bangles dealer was passing by the side of a lonely pond in a dense jungle near the then Bhabanipur temple, a little girl with a tip of vermilion on her forehead approached him and told him that she was the daughter of the Natore Rajbari (Palace). She bought a pair of conch-bangles from him and requested him to collect the price of that bangles from the then Maharani Bhabani from a basket kept in the Rajbari at a specified place. Her appearance and polite words overwhelmed the conch-dealer. The Maharani (Queen) rushed to the place/site with her men and the conch-dealer as soon as she heard this from him. On the earnest prayer by the conch-dealer, Ma Bhabani raised from that pond showing her two wrists with the conch-bangles worn. The Maharani and the men present there were surprised, and the divinity of Mother Bhabani spread throughout this subcontinent. This is that sacred "Shakha-Pukur" (conch-bangles pond) where the devotees take their holy bath when they go there.

Surrounded by a boundary wall, the Temple comprises about an area of four acres (12 bighas) - Main Temple, Belbaran Tala, 4 Shiva Temples, Patal Bhairava Shiva Temple, Gopal Temple, Bashudev Temple and Nat Mandir. On the north side, there is a Sheba Angan, Holy Shakha-Pukur (conch-bangles pond), 2 bathing ghats, 4 Shiva Temples outside the boundary wall and a Panchamunda Asana.

Shakti Peeth - Hinglaj (Or Hingula)

2/13/2013

Shakti Peeth - Hinglaj (Or Hingula)

Hinglaj is an important Hindu pilgrimage place in Balochistan, Pakistan and Kuldevi of Kshatriya Bhavsar Community. It is situated in Balochistan province about 250 km north-west of Karachi. The site has become a beacon of proof of the Baloch secular religious attitude particularly towards the Hindu pilgrim’s even though the majority of the populace are Muslims. The autonomous region which has sought separation from the Pakistani Central government since the division of Hindustan (India).

Yet since 2001 it has been associated with the NWFP and FATA regions as a hotbed for religious extremism to the dismay of the locals. In 2006 the leader of the Baloch National Front, Sardar Akbar Khan Bugati was assasinated by the Pakistani army whom have faced an increase in underground insurgency that the Pakistani government alleges to be masterminded from Afghanistan.

On the other hand the area of Balochistan is also significant of Indo-Pakistani relations, the government insisted that the Baloch insurgency is supported by India to circulate influence in the region and that it is also home to countless Indian spooks and Afghan taliban, yet places like Hinglaj Mandir indicates the religious tolerance of the Baloch state.

To still the divine dance, Tandava, of Lord Shiva following the death of Dakshayani, Lord Vishnu scattered the remains of her embodiment over various places of the Indian subcontinent. It is said that the head fell at Hingula or Hinglaj and is thus considered the most important of the 51 Shakti Peeths.

At each of the Peeths, Bhairava (a manifestation of Shiva) accompanies the relics. The Bhairava at Hinglaj is called Bhimalochana, located in Koteshwar, Kutch. The Sanskrit texts mention the part as 'Brahmadreya' or vital essence.

In the Ramayana, after slaying Ravana, Lord Ram came to Hinglaj to atone for his sin of 'Brahmhatya' (killing a Brahmin). Ravana was a Brahmin and a great devotee of Lord Shiva and Durga. Lord Ram meditated at Hinglaj as it was a very important shrine.

The mantra or incantation for Devi Hinglaj is attributed to Saint Dadhichi, an important saint in Hindu theology.

The mantra is :

ॐ हिंगुले परमहिंगुले अमृतरूपिणि तनुशक्ति
मनः शिवे श्री हिंगुलाय नमः स्वाहा

OM HINGULE PARAM HINGULE AMRUTRUPINI TANU SHAKTI
MANAH SHIVE SHREE HINGULAI NAMAH SWAHA

Translation : "Oh Hingula Devi, she who holds nectar in her self and is power incarnate. She who is one with Lord Shiva, to her we pay our respects and make this offering (swaha)."

Yet another incarnation:

ब्रह्मरंध्रम् हिंगुलायाम् भैरवो भीमलोचन: |
कोट्टरी सा महामाया त्रिगुणा या दिगम्बरी ||

BRAHMARANDHRAM HINGULAAYAAM BHAIRAVO VIMALOCHANAH
KOTTARI SAA MAHAAMAAYAA TRIGUNAA YAA DIGAMVARI

Translation : "Mahaamaayaa (Queen of Illusions) who represents the supreme virtue by reigning over all three virtues, has Bhimalochana as her Bhairava, and derides the worldly trappings by dancing naked, resides in this cave of Hingula that enshrines her sacred head."

Shrine's mark

The shrine is recognised by a mark which resembles the sun and the moon. This mark is upon a giant boulder at the top of the hill containing the cave. It is believed that Lord Ram created this mark with the strike of his arrow after his penance ended.

Shakti Peeth Jwala Devi.

2/13/2013

Shakti Peeth

Maa Jwala Devi, Jwala Ji, Jwalamukhi is the most famous Shakti Peetha where it is said that the “Tongue” of Maa Sati fell and the idols are Devi Maa as Siddhida (Ambika) and Lord Shiva as Unmatta Bhairav. This is located in Disst. Kangra of Himanchal Pradesh. Jwalamukhi is famous temple, 30km south of Kangra valley of the Goddess Jwalamukhi with flaming mouth also known as Flaming Goddess.

These flames are worshiped as the manifestations of the diffrent forms of Goddess Jwala Maa. The nine flames have been named after Goddesses – Maha Kali, Maa Annapurna, Maa Chandi, Maa Hinglaj, Vindhyavasini, Maha Lakshmi, Maha Saraswati, Maa Ambika and Anjana Devi, continuously burning without any fuel or assistance, may be seen erupting from a rock-side. Now housed in the shape of nature is worshipped as a Goddess, know as Maa Jwala or Jawalamukhi. It is one of the 51 Shakti-Pitha temples. The great Mughal Emperor Akbar had visited this place to test its originality.

The temple belongs to the golden period when the gods roamed the Earth. Ancient legend speaks if a time when demons lorded over the Himalaya Mountains and harassed the Gods. Led by Lord Vishnu, the Gods decided to destroy them, they focused their strengths a huge flames rose from the ground. From that fire, a young girl tooks birth. She is regarded as Adishakti the first ‘Shakti’ known as Sati or Parvati, she grew up the house of Prajapati Daksha and later became the consort of Lord Shiva.

Once her father insulted Lord Shiva and unable to accept this, she killed herself. When Lord Shiva heard of his wife’s death his range knew no bounds and holding Sati’s body he began stalking the three worlds. The other gods trembled before his wrath and appealed to Lord Vishnu for help. Lord Vishnu let fly a volley of arrows which struck Sati’s body and severed it to pieces. At the Places where the pieces fell, the fifty-one sacred ‘shaktipeeths’ came into being. Sati’s tongue fell at Jwalaji and the Goddess is manifest as tiny flames that burn flawless blue through fissures in the age-old rock. Even the Pandavas are regarded to have visited this sacred place.

According to another legend, the Goddess appeared in a dream to a Brahmin in faraway South India, and directed him to proceed to the hills of Kangra in the shadow of the Dhauladhars and search for small tongues of flame leaping from the ground. The Brahmin, it is said responded discovered the sacred spot and in due course of time, erected a temple. Some people believe that Jwalamukhi represents the flaming mouth of Jalandhara, the demon whom Lord Shiva crushed to death by placing on him a huge mass of mountains.

Dhyanu Bhagat is well known devotee of Maa Durga. It is him who spread Devi Mata’s name. He lived at the time of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. Dhyanu Bhagat was going to Jwalaji with a group of pilgrims. Akbar summoned him to his court to inquire into the nature of their Goddess. Dhyanu Bhagat told him She is all powerful and answers the prayers of Her devotees.

To test Her power Akbar cut off the head of Dhyanu’s horse ordering him to have the Goddess put it back. Dhyanu went to Maa Jwalaji and prayed day and night to no avail. Out of desperation he cut of his own head and offered it to Devi Maa. She then appeared to him riding a lion. She reconnected both his head and that of the horse. Devi Maa also offered Dhyanu Bhagat a boon. He requested that it should not be so difficult for pigrams to show their devotion. Mata said that in the future if someone offered a coconut she would accept it as if they had offered their own head. To this day people continue to offer coconuts to the Goddess in Her temples all over the world. After the knowing that the head of horse is reconnected, Akbar the great Mughal Emperor visited the temple. The water course which today drips into a tank in the temple premises is said to have been constructed by Akbar in an attempt to douse the jets of flames in the temple.

The story goes that when the flames refused to be vanquished by the water channel specially constructed for the purpose, Akbar with utmost humility, became a devotee of the Goddess, and overcome by emotion, presented a chattra (umbrella) of gold to the Goddess. But when leaving, the Emperor looked back with immense pride at the valuable gift that he had made to the Goddess, and was mortified to find that the gold had turned into copper! Later Akbar’s son Jahangir invaded the Kangra valley and after seeing Jwalamukhi, wrote in his Tuzk (memories) near the temple and on the slope of the hill there is a sulphur mine and its heat causes flames to continually burst forth. They call it Jwalamukhi(flaming face or fiery mouth), and regard it as one of the idol’s miracles. Jahangir goes on to relate the legend of Shiva and Parvati and other stories connected with Jwalamukhi.

Shakti Peeth in Bangladesh, Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple

2/12/2013

Shakti Peeth

Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple:

is a famous Hindu temple in Bangladesh, dedicated to the goddess Kali. The temple is located in Ishwaripur, a village in Shyamnagar upazilla of Satkhira. The name "Jeshoreshwari" means "Goddess of Jeshore".

Jeshoreshwari is regarded as one of the 51 Peeth of Sati; according to the belief, it is where the various parts of Sati's body are said to have fallen, in the course of Shiva's Rudra Tandava. Jeshoreshwari represents the site where the palm of Sati fell. Legend says that the General of Maharaja Pratapaditya discovered a luminant ray of light coming from the bushes, and came upon a piece of stone carved in the form of a human palm. Later, Pratapaditya started worshiping Kali, building the Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple. As to be the "Goddess of Jessore", it was named after Jessore.

It is believed to have created by a brahman named Anari. He created a 100-door temple for the Jeshoreshwari Peeth. But the timeline is not to be known. Later it has been renovated by Laxman Sen and Pratapaditya in their reigning periods.

Nartiang Druga Shakti Peethi

2/11/2013

Shakti Peeth - Nartiang Durga

Nartiang Durga Temple is a 500 year old Durga Temple located in the Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya, a state in North-Eastern India. Being one of the 51 Shakti Peethas of Hindu Mythology, this temple is one of the holiest sites for devotees of the Shakti cult of Hinduism.

The story of the establishment of the temple is quite interesting. Legend has it that Daksha, Goddess Durga’s father, did not invite his son-in-law Lord Shiva to a holy sacrificial feast at his residence. Durga, saddened at this, immolated herself at the sacrificial fire at her parents’ home.

On learning of this, Shiva went to Daksha’s house, enraged, carried his wife’s body on his shoulders and started the dance of destruction. In order to calm him down, Vishnu with the help of his flying discus (Chakra) cut down Durga’s dead body into 51 pieces, which fell down on different places on the Earth.

It is believed that Durga's left thigh fell at Nartiang in the Jaintia Hills. Hence the Goddess here is known as ‘Jainteshwari’. The Jaintia king Jaso Manik (1606–1641) had married Lakshmi Narayana, the daughter of the Hindu Koch king Nara Narayana. It is believed that it was Lakshmi Narayana who had influenced the Jaintia Royalty to embrace Hinduism. King Dhan Manik had made Nartiang the summer capital of the Jaintia Kingdom about 600 years ago.

One night, the goddess appeared to him in a dream and informed him of the significance of the place and asked him to build a temple in Her honour. Following this, the Jainteshwari temple in Nartiang was established. The strategic location of the temple and presence of weapons like cannons etc. suggests that the temple must have been part of a fort of the Jaintia Kings

Worship
The rites at the temple not performed the conventional way as in the plains, but in a unique way, a blend of Hindu and ancient Khasi traditions. The local chieftain or Syiem is considered the chief patron of the temple. Even today, during Durga Puja, the Syiem sacrifices goats in the Goddess’s honour. Earlier, human sacrifice was offered at the temple, but the practice had been stopped by the British.

The human head used to roll down a tunnel from the sanctum sanctorum to the Myntdu River flowing below. Nowadays, goats and ducks are sacrificed. But what is most interesting is the fact that the goats are made to wear human masks and then sacrificed.

Durga Puja is the most important festival of this temple. During Durga Puja, a banana plant is dressed up and worshipped as the Goddess. At the end of the four-day festivities, the plant is ceremoniously immersed in the Myntdu River. A gun salute is also given to the Goddess on the occasion.

Surya Temple

2/10/2013

Photograph of the Surya Temple, The most impressive and grandest ruins in Kashmir, at Marttand-Hardy Cole's Archaeological Survey of India Report 'Illustrations of Ancient Buildings in Kashmir.' (1869)

A two-part exploration of the ancient city of Tripura, a northern outpost of Vaisnavism and the Bhakti Cult.

2/9/2013

A two-part exploration of the ancient city of Tripura, a northern outpost of Vaisnavism and the Bhakti Cult.

Tripura is a state in North East India. The third-smallest state in the country, it is bordered by Bangladesh to the north, south, and west, with Assam and Mizoram to its east. Tripura is mentioned in many Vedic texts, including the Mahabharata and Puranas. It's also mentioned in the Edicts of Ashoka, stone pillar inscriptions from the 3rd Century B.C. In ancient times, Tripura was known as Kirat Desh ("The land of Kirat"), no doubt a reference to the Kirata Kingdoms.

The Twipra Kingdom ruled the region for centuries, but the start of the kingdom is not documented. The Rajmala, a chronicle of Tripuri kings originating in the 15th Century, provides a list of 179 kings, from antiquity up to Krishna Kishore Manikya (1830–1850). The boundaries of the kingdom changed over the centuries. At various points in time, the borders reached south to the jungles of the Sundarbans, on the Bay of Bengal; east to Burma; and north to the boundary of the Kamarupa kingdom in Assam.

A reliable history of the kingdom, or the residents of Tripura, is being reconstructed with some difficulty, due to the absence of documentation and other evidence. But as we continue, we'll see that scholarly efforts are ongoing to document Tripura's place in the history of Vedic Culture.

There were several Muslim invasions of the region from the 13th century onwards, culminating in the Mughal's dominance of the plains of Tripura in 1733, although their rule never extended into the hill regions. Tripura became a princely state during the British Raj, the kings being headquartered in Tippera district or Chakla Roshnabad, now the Comilla district of Bangladesh.

The origin of the name Tripura is the subject of many theories. Tripura appears to be a Sanskritised version of tipra, one name for the indigenous people inhabiting the area. Some suggest that the word 'Tripura' may have originated from Tripura Sundari, the presiding deity of the Tripura Sundari Temple at Udaipur, one of the 51 Shakti Peethas or pilgrimage centres of Shaktism. Others attribute the origin of the name to the legendary tyrant king Tripur, who reigned in the region. Tripur was the 39th descendant of Druhyu, who belonged to the lineage of Yayati, a king of the Lunar Dynasty. The Lunar Dynasty (Somavansha, Chandravansha), also known as Ailas, is one of the three principal houses of the Kshatriya varna. Descended from Chandra, the moon god, the Lunar Dynasty was centered at Pratisthana.

Scholar and author Rabindranath Das Shastri recently published an exposition on Tripura's literary legacy, for 'Kriti Rakshana' magazine, entitled "Social History as Revealed in the Manuscripts of Tripura". He writes:

"Govt. of Tripura entrusted me with the study of manuscripts, paleography, epigraphy, numismatics and iconography of the available exhibits in the Tripura Govt. Museum in the year 1973-74. I deciphered the colophon and post-colophon of the manuscripts available there and realized that the manuscripts available in Tripura are the treasure-house for investigation into various elements of social history of the State and for visualizing the social environment of the bygone days. What is needed is extensive research work following the correct methodology of manuscript studies."

On the 'Composite nature of the society' he writes:

"In Tripura, the royal leaders and the ruled had great intellectual acumen, the marks of which can be traced in the manuscripts available on multifarious subjects. Regarding the antiquity of intellectual tradition one can consider the example of Rajmala. Rajmala, Vol. 1 (1st Lahara ), the historical chronicle of the kings of Tripura, which was compiled in the first half of the 15th century AD is perhaps the first known manuscript of the State. The manuscript of Rajmala was prepared by the royal priests to delineate the history of the Lunar dynasty of Tripura monarchs to its subjects. Rev. James Long said, "We may consider this as the most ancient work in Bengali that has come down to us, as the Chaitanya Charitamrita was not written before 1557, and Kirtibasa translated the Ramayana at a later period." (Analysis of the Rajmala, p.4).

Manuscripts available in the State are mostly written in Bengali and Sanskrit. We could however trace the evidences of manuscripts written in tribal languages of the State. One such manuscript written in Kok-Borok, a tribal language, is Surchya Pujar Khanaimani of Durga Prasad Narayan. It was copied by Shri Krishna Ballav Debsharma during the reign of Maharaja Mahendra Manikya in 1621 C.E. or 1699 A.D. (as mentioned in the manuscript ‘etisenga 16 21// tang//28//Bhadra').

Bengali script was used in this Kok-Borok manuscript, which is a testimony of the long drawn heritage of socio-cultural blending between tribals and non-tribals. Although ruled by the tribal monarchs, Tripura has been always with the mainstream Indian thoughts and trends. People, irrespective of caste, creed, credence, religion and mothertongue were free and had faith in co-existence. Not only brahmins but also vaisyas, kayasthas, kapalis, vaisnavis, muslims, professionals, military personnels, dwellers in hermitage and sannyasins were among the copyists (scribes) of manuscripts.

Several evidences of the high status of women and female education can also be followed. The copying of the Narottam Das' Premabhakti Chandrika in 1244 T.E. (1834 A.D.) by Subhadra Vaisnavi, not only testifies the preparation of manuscript by a woman but also the popularity of Vaisnavism, at least 255 years ago."

And on the historical evidence of Tripura's religions and faiths, he writes:

"The manuscripts, their subject matter as well as colophon or post-colophon therein — are correlated to the prevalent religion and faiths of the people. In 1726 A.D., Kriyāyogasāra, a fragment of Padmapurāņa copied by Mukunda Brahmana reflects his faith in the recipe for success:

Shri Hari sharanah satatam mama
Shri Radha-Krishnah sharanam satatam mama
Shri guru sharanam
Shri Saraswati charane mama bhaktirastu
Shri Hari, Shri Ramah, Shri Krishnah

Several manuscripts belonging to the Bhakti cult were prepared by their copyists viz., Bhaktishastra (1849 A.D.) by Badandas, Chaitanya-Mangal (1805 A.D.) by Lochandas, Gitagovindam (1831 A.D.) by Rasamoy, Naradiya-Puranam (1827 A.D.) by Rudreswar Debsharma and so on. The presence of these manuscripts authenticates the influence of Vaishnavism in the State. One of the monarchs, Maharaja Birchandra Manikya (1862–96 A.D.) embraced Vaisnavism and and thus Vaishnavism got the impetus. Vaishnavism is still prevalent among the tribal population of the State.

Ramayana and Mahabharata, the two great epics were copied in manuscript form in Tripura by many a copyists. Kirti Sarman copied a portion of the Mahabharata 203 years back wherein he prayed to the Almighty to save his country from ‘dharmasankaţāt'.

Ashuddha haile pad shuddha kare diva Balaker aparadhsakal kshamiba
Ramachandra pade ami riktahaiya magi Laiya Ramer nam antakale mari"

The copyist undoubtedly a staunch devotee of Shri Rama was none other than Gangagovinda Das of Maniy and who copied Valmiki Ramayana in 1796 T.E. The colophon of Ramayana, the manuscript copied by Shri Haragovinda Das Vairagi in 1222 B.S. relates the wish of the copyist as:

Ramah Ramah Ramah
Ram nam balo bhai sabe badana bhari
Haragovinda bole Rama Ramalaiya mari"

The Kok-Barak manuscript belonging to the chief priest Shri Durga Prasad Narayan delineates the worship of deities like Sangrama, Kamashri, Naka, Chaturdash Devata besides Surchya the Sun god, among the tribal population of Tripura. The very first shloka of the forty slokas in the manuscript mentions their faith in the worship of the bamboo (oanaonamananih). Vedic origin of worship is also traced in the bamboo worship where majority of the tribal people bow their heads at the feet of this tree-god. (Ref. A peep into the foundation of tribal culture in Tripura, Lecture on Indology, Dr. R.N. Das Shastri, p/118)."