The Folk-Rhymes of the Bengali Vratas : Complete and Fully Translated and Annotated
Contents: Foreword. Preface. Bibliography--source. Introduction. 1. Aranya sasthir katha. 2. Asvattha-Narayan. 3. Aoni baoni/baoni badha. 4. Atkaure. 5. Itur katha. 6. Indrapuja/bhajo/bhajui. 7. Kul-kulati vrata. 8. Kului mangalbarer katha. 9. Ksetravrata katha. 10. Gokal vrata. 11. Casar cheleder bhiksa. 12. Tara vrata. 13. Tuttusila/tustusali/tustusuli. 14. Tul(a)si pata tulibar mantra. 15. Tribhuban-caturthi vrata. 16. Thuya vrata. 17. Dasputtal vrata. 18. Dip nirvapita karibar mantra. 19. Dharmapukur vrata. 20. Nakhchuter vrata. 21. Naldaka. 22. Punyipukur/Punyapukur. 23. Prthibi vrata. 24. Paus. 25. Phagun-kona vrata. 26. Basudhara vrata. 27. Vrstir janya. 28. Belpukur vrata. 29. Bhadrali/bhaduli vrata. 30. Bhratrdviitiya. 31. Manasar katha. 32. Maghmoraler/maghmandal/magh/maghmandal vrata. 33. Megh(a)ranir vrata. 34. Yampukur vrata. 35. Rane-eyo vrata. 36. Ramdurgar ba purnimar vrata. 37. Raudrer Janya. 38. Laksmipujar katha, kojagari. 39. Laksmipujar katha/pausmaser. 40. Sib(a) / sankar vrata. 41. Sankat mangalbarer katha. 42. Sandhyamanir vrata. 43. Sajpujani/samjuti/sanja/sejati/sejuti vrata. 44. Sabitri caturdasi vrata. 45. Subarnarekhar prati. 46. Suyo duyo pujo / sodo bhasana (pujo). 47. Haricaran/haricaraner/harir caran vrata. 48. Hecara vrata. Appendix.
"The objective of this work is to prepare a comprehensive compilation of the folk-rhymes, embedded in the vratas only, current in West Bengal and Bangladesh. The Bengali texts (with transliteration), English translations and notes on all the rhymes, entwined with the katha, i.e., the story (summarized), rituals, constituents and objectives reflect the desire and the attainment, customs, beliefs, the status of women (unmarried and married) in the society, the innate nature of women\'s feeling for the family, relatives, the neighbours, the community and even the commitment to the protection and conservation of the environment (vide -- observance Nos. XIX, XXII, XXVIII, XXXIV, etc.). Records are there of the child marriage, bigamy, relation and status of co-wives in the family, the desire of the supplicator to have a young groom to avoid a polygamous husband (vide -- observance No. XXXII). The information, with recorded and chanted texts, it is hoped, will be of some value to cultural anthropology and sociology as well. The Indian Society is somewhat of a puzzle to the foreigners. It is hoped that the analysis, contained in this work, will help an inquisitive reader to get a better insight into the family set-up and social nexus of this part of India and Bangladesh." (jacket)
