Gajan or Shiva gajon is a Hindu festival celebrated mostly in the Indianstate of West Bengal. It is associated with such deities as Shiva, Neel and Dharmaraj. Gajan spans around a week, starting at the last week of Choitro continuing till the end of the Bengali year. It ends with Charak Puja on the last day of Chaitra, the last month in the Bengali Hindu calendar. The next day is Poila Baishakh,the first day of Bengali New Year. Participants of this festival is known as Sannyasi or Bhakta. Persons of any gender can be a participant. The complete history of the festival is not known. The central theme of this festival is deriving satisfaction through non-sexual pain, devotion and sacrifice.[citation needed]
The word gajan in Bengali comes from the word garjan or roar that sannyasis (hermits) emit during the festivities.[1] Alternatively, the word gajan is considered a combination of parts of two words - ga is from the word gram meaning village and jan is from the word janasadharan meaning folk. In this sense gajan is a festival of village folk.[2]
Significanceedit
In Shiva's gajan Shiva is married to Harakali on this day. The sannyasis form the barjatri (bridegroom's party). In Dharma's gajan Dharmathakur is married to Kamini-Kamakhya in Bankura Dist.or Mukti.[1] The most recent studies on the gajan festival are: 1) Nicholas, R. Rites of Spring. Gājan in Village Bengal. New Delhi: Chronicle Books, 2008; and 2) Ferrari, F.M. Guilty Males and Proud Females. Negotiating Genders in a Bengali Festival. Calcutta and London: Seagull, 2010.
Fairsedit
Charak festival in Kolkata in 1849
Fairs are often associated with the celebration of gajan.
Referencesedit
^ abMitra, Dr. Amalendu, Rarher Sanskriti O Dharmathakur, First published 1972, 2001 edition, pp. 165-169, Subarnarekha, 73 Mahatma Gandhi Road, Kolkata
^Ghosh, Binoy, Paschim Banger Sanskriti, (in Bengali), part I, 1976 edition, p. 67, Prakash Bhaban
Further readingedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gajan Festival.
Sur, B. (2017). "The Dutch East India Company through the Local Lens: Exploring the Dynamics of Indo-Dutch Relations in Seventeenth Century Bengal". Indian Historical Review. 44 (1): 62–91. doi:10.1177/0376983617712811. PMC6187071. PMID 30369711 – via ResearchGate.
Satpati, Lakshminarayan (2021). "Gajan: A Cultural Heritage of the Marginalized People in Kulpi CD Block, West Bengal". Habitat, Ecology and Ekistics. Advances in Asian Human-Environmental Research. pp. 193–204. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-49115-4_11. ISBN978-3-030-49114-7. S2CID 226320030.
"Becoming Shiva: The Gajan Sanyasis celebrate the blue gods marriage to Harkali". Firstpost. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
"Extreme piercing: A festival of self-inflicted pain". BBC News. 2020-04-17. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
March 06, 2024
gajan, festival, disambiguation, gajan, gajan, shiva, gajon, hindu, festival, celebrated, mostly, indian, state, west, bengal, associated, with, such, deities, shiva, neel, dharmaraj, gajan, spans, around, week, starting, last, week, choitro, continuing, till,. For disambiguation see Gajan Gajan or Shiva gajon is a Hindu festival celebrated mostly in the Indian state of West Bengal It is associated with such deities as Shiva Neel and Dharmaraj Gajan spans around a week starting at the last week of Choitro continuing till the end of the Bengali year It ends with Charak Puja on the last day of Chaitra the last month in the Bengali Hindu calendar The next day is Poila Baishakh the first day of Bengali New Year Participants of this festival is known as Sannyasi or Bhakta Persons of any gender can be a participant The complete history of the festival is not known The central theme of this festival is deriving satisfaction through non sexual pain devotion and sacrifice citation needed GajanGajan festival at the village Narna of HowrahAlso calledShiva GajonObserved byHindus and Tribal people of East IndiaTypeCulturalSignificancemarriage ceremony of Lord Shiva and HarakaliCelebrationsopen air dramaBeginslast week of ChoitroFrequencyAnnuallyRelated toLord Shiva Contents 1 Etymology 2 Significance 3 Fairs 4 References 5 Further readingEtymology editThe word gajan in Bengali comes from the word garjan or roar that sannyasis hermits emit during the festivities 1 Alternatively the word gajan is considered a combination of parts of two words ga is from the word gram meaning village and jan is from the word janasadharan meaning folk In this sense gajan is a festival of village folk 2 Significance editIn Shiva s gajan Shiva is married to Harakali on this day The sannyasis form the barjatri bridegroom s party In Dharma s gajan Dharmathakur is married to Kamini Kamakhya in Bankura Dist or Mukti 1 The most recent studies on the gajan festival are 1 Nicholas R Rites of Spring Gajan in Village Bengal New Delhi Chronicle Books 2008 and 2 Ferrari F M Guilty Males and Proud Females Negotiating Genders in a Bengali Festival Calcutta and London Seagull 2010 Fairs edit nbsp Charak festival in Kolkata in 1849Fairs are often associated with the celebration of gajan References edit a b Mitra Dr Amalendu Rarher Sanskriti O Dharmathakur First published 1972 2001 edition pp 165 169 Subarnarekha 73 Mahatma Gandhi Road Kolkata Ghosh Binoy Paschim Banger Sanskriti in Bengali part I 1976 edition p 67 Prakash BhabanFurther reading edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gajan Festival Sur B 2017 The Dutch East India Company through the Local Lens Exploring the Dynamics of Indo Dutch Relations in Seventeenth Century Bengal Indian Historical Review 44 1 62 91 doi 10 1177 0376983617712811 PMC 6187071 PMID 30369711 via ResearchGate Satpati Lakshminarayan 2021 Gajan A Cultural Heritage of the Marginalized People in Kulpi CD Block West Bengal Habitat Ecology and Ekistics Advances in Asian Human Environmental Research pp 193 204 doi 10 1007 978 3 030 49115 4 11 ISBN 978 3 030 49114 7 S2CID 226320030 Becoming Shiva The Gajan Sanyasis celebrate the blue gods marriage to Harkali Firstpost Retrieved 2022 03 08 Extreme piercing A festival of self inflicted pain BBC News 2020 04 17 Retrieved 2022 03 08 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Gajan festival amp oldid 1198693277, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
