Folk deities of Sylhet explained

The folk deities of Sylhet are the various devas and devis that were traditionally worshipped by the syncretist societies in Bangladesh's northeastern Sylhet Division and the neighbouring Barak Valley in India.^[1]

List of folk deities

The folk deities of Sylhet generally refer to the following seven devas and devis:

1. Rupasi Devi
   • Similar to the Shastric deity Shashthi. This goddess is associated with auspicious activities such as marriage, female fertility, child birth and child maintenance. The Devi lives in a type of tree known in Sylheti dialect as "sheora gas". Before one's marriage or on the vrata day after one month of the birth of a child or before the birth of the child, the priest herself performs this puja by placing a branch of the sheora tree at the base of a tree with an odd number of Vratis or on a raft made of banana trunks. Usually Sadhaba women are the devotees of Rupasi Puja and fruits, offerings and other non-vegetarian food are offered. Lately this puja is also performed by Brahmin priests.
2. Badshah
   • This mighty male deity is revered as the protector of forests, jungles, hills, swamps, etc., and his worship is widespread in the lower caste Hindu and rural Muslim communities. Especially during the construction of new roads, before harvesting wood, bamboo, red clay, sand, etc., before the fishing season or before starting construction of houses, the king is worshiped by both communities. At times ganja and shoal or gajar fish are also burnt and offered as bhog. Devotees believe that immense wealth and power can be gained by the grace of Badshah. No temple is erected to this deity and Bhoga offering is offered by realizing his appearance in an ancient vanaspati (bota/ ashthva/ cham kanthal) in the forest area by setting up a king's thana/peeth/maqam under it. His worship is not performed by a Brahmin priest and the worshipers themselves pour raw cow's milk, fruits etc. on the shrine. The king's affinity with the Hindu god Bhairava is noteworthy.
3. Kalachand
4. Sannyasi Baba
5. Rakhal
6. Dahar Bishahari;
7. Kula Devi

Notes and References

1. Sen, Aniruddha. "বরাক উপ্যতকার বঙ্গীয় সমাজের লৌকিক দেবতা ও ব্রত পার্বণ" (in Bengali). Karimganj College Magazine 2013-2014, 23-29, (2014).