Making Virtuous Daughters and Wives: An Introduction to Women's Brata Rituals in Bengali Folk ReligionExploring the folk religion of India and the role of girls and women within it, author June McDaniel focuses on the brata (vrata) ritual in which moral lessons are taught and goddesses are revealed. Bratas are performed to gain such goals as a healthy family, a good husband, and a happy life. They are also performed so that the performers (bratinis) develop such virtues as devotion, humility, and compassion.This book presents data from fieldwork, along with brata stories, songs, poems, and ritual activities. It discusses Bengali folk religion, offers an example of ritual worship in folk Hinduism, and surveys a variety of bratas. The author analyzes the similarities and differences among these rituals in low-caste village life and in high-caste Hindu tradition, and notes that the development of these rituals involves a form of continuing divine revelation with women as the primary transmitters. Bratas act to maintain traditional Hindu values, but also emphasize the power of women, whose virtues can save their husbands from hell worlds and their families from disasters. |
Contents
1 Folk Hinduism in West Bengal | 1 |
2 The Folk Goddess Tushu Her Festival Songs and Brata | 13 |
3 What Is a Brata? | 29 |
4 Some Bengali Bratas to Goddesses | 41 |
Women Nature Gods and Magic | 79 |
The Rituals for Men | 97 |
7 Conclusion | 105 |
Notes | 113 |
| 125 | |
| 129 | |
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Making Virtuous Daughters and Wives: An Introduction to Women's Brata ... June McDaniel Limited preview - 2003 |
Common terms and phrases
alpana areas Ashvin asked basket of sesame bathe betel nuts blessings brah brahmanical bratas brahmin brahmin priest brata ritual brata story bratini bring Calcutta called Chaitra Chandi chant child co-wives daughter deity devotion dharma dharmashastra Durga Puja earth emphasize fast female festival flowers folk religion Ganges River gifts give goddess Durga goddess Lakshmi goddess Sasthi gods and goddesses Hindu Hinduism household husband ibid images India Jharkhand king Krishna Lakshmi last day leaves living low-caste luck Maity male Manasa Mangal mantras marriage married month Mother mother-in-law Narayana night offerings old woman older queen owls Paush performing the brata pitcher puranas religion religious rice rites ritual worship river rock rural Sanskrit sari Shaktism Shiva snake sometimes statue stone sung ta–pas temple told tradition tree tribal tulsi turmeric Tushu songs Vaishnava Vedic vermilion village vrata wealth West Bengal wives women young girls