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In pictures: How the weeklong Gajan festival in West Bengal prays for the fertility of the soil till the end of Chaitra month

The festival is related to Tantric Buddhism and is linked to the agricultural community

My Kolkata Web Desk Kolkata Published 13.04.24, 06:57 PM
Gajan is a festival celebrated mostly in West Bengal. It is associated with deities such as Shiva, Neel and Dharmaraj
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Gajan is a festival celebrated mostly in West Bengal. It is associated with deities such as Shiva, Neel and Dharmaraj

All photographs by Soumyajit Dey
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People paint their faces and dress up as different Hindu gods and goddesses to celebrate Neel Puja and Shiv Gajan at Murshidabad
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People paint their faces and dress up as different Hindu gods and goddesses to celebrate Neel Puja and Shiv Gajan at Murshidabad

Gajan spans around a week, starting in the last week of the month of Chaitra continuing till the end of the Bengali year
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Gajan spans around a week, starting in the last week of the month of Chaitra 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.
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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.

The festival is related to Tantric Buddhism. It is linked to the agricultural community, which prays to Lord Shiva for good harvest and rain
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The festival is related to Tantric Buddhism. It is linked to the agricultural community, which prays to Lord Shiva for good harvest and rain

Gajan started as a celebration by the Buddhist community, which was known as the ‘Dharmer Gajan’ and later when it was adopted by the Hindu community, it became ‘Shib-er Gajan’
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Gajan started as a celebration by the Buddhist community, which was known as the ‘Dharmer Gajan’ and later when it was adopted by the Hindu community, it became ‘Shib-er Gajan’

The people who follow the rituals of the Charak Gajan festival are mainly devotees of Lord Shiva and are respected in society
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The people who follow the rituals of the Charak Gajan festival are mainly devotees of Lord Shiva and are respected in society

The word ‘gajan’ is derived from the word ‘garjan’ or the sound made by the sanyasis during the festival
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The word ‘gajan’ is derived from the word ‘garjan’ or the sound made by the sanyasis during the festival

RELATED TOPICS

Harvest Festivals West Bengal Murshidabad Agriculture Lord Shiva Rain Harvest Charak
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