From Myth to Reality:

Abstract

Apart from having religious significance, the goddess durga and the rituals surrounding her have great social and cultural importance among the Bengali Hindu community of Bangladesh. Drawing on oral interviews and published materials, this paper examines how the myth of druga works in various social discourses carrying distinctive social and culture meanings within the Bengali Hindu community. It also explores the social and cultural significance of various ritualistic performances surrounding durga, along with considering the changing trends in those ritualistic performances, which indicate the different social and cultural positions of durga in contemporary Bengali society. The research is informed by qualitative methodologies, folklore scholarship, discourse analysis and performance study.