O Daughter of Bengal, your trident still draws blood: The wound beneath the Goddess’s victory

Durga Puja: From Purulia in 2011 to Gazole in Malda in 2014, the Asura movement gathered momentum. By then, Asura Puja celebrations across North Bengal and Jangalmahal had exceeded 650—some commemorating Mahishasura with idols, others with banners and discussions.

Sumit Das
12 min read
O Daughter of Bengal, your trident still draws blood: The wound beneath the Goddess’s victory

From the Narmada valley to Bengal: The journey of Chandi

The Markandeya Purana is believed to have been composed nearly 700 years before the establishment of the Sena dynasty in Bengal (1070–1230) under Vijaya Sena. Its place of composition was the Narmada Valley. Wendy Doniger believes that although the Markandeya Purana was composed around 250 CE, the section known as the Chandi was incorporated into it around 550 CE.

Meanwhile, in Bengal, Ballala Sena, the son of Vijaya Sena, whose lineage ha...

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Sumit Das
Sumit Das
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