In Balurghat block’s Phulghara, Goddess Manasa is worshipped on Durga Puja

The residents of Balurghat block’s Phulghara area in South Dinajpur worship Ma Manasa during Durga Puja.

Ma Manasa is the Goddess of snakes. Following all the rituals of Durga Puja, the residents have been worshipping Ma Manasa for more than 300 years here. Like the Durga idol, Lakshmi and Saraswati flank Goddess Manasa. However, Ganesha and Kartika are not present.

Legend has it that many residents of Phulghara died of snake bites long ago. Not only humans but animals were also killed by snakes. Despite trying out different things, the locals could not prevent these snakebite deaths.

At that time a local, Gudar Mandal, in his dream saw Ma Manasa who instructed the locals to pray to her to escape death owing to snakebites.

One day when he had gone to take a bath in Atreyee river, he saw the idol of Ma Manasa drifting in the river. The locals fished out the idol, placed it in the temple and started worshiping the Goddess.

First this Puja was held in the Bengali month of Shravana during monsoons. As no Durga Puja was performed in the whole area, the Manasa Puja time was changed and they started the worship at the time of Durga Puja.

Since then, the Phulghara Barwari Manasa Puja Committee has been performing Maa Manasa Puja instead of Durga Puja.

During the five days of Puja, the chanting of Mansa Mangal and Chandi is very popular and a grand fair is also organised. The idol is immersed on the day of Dwadashi (on the 12th day).

Devotees come from far and wide to be a part of the Manasa Puja.

Bibhor Sarkar, a local resident said: “A few days before the Pujas, the locals who stay in other places return to the village to attend the Puja. Visitors come from far and wide. Everyone participates wholeheartedly. The whole atmosphere seems charged with joy.”