Resistance to Brahmanical Religious Appropriation: A Case Study of the Worship of Buri Devis of Asansol, West Bengal

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The local people of the city of Asansol and its neighbouring areas of Paschim Bardhaman district of the Indian state of West Bengal worship village goddesses, known as Buri Devis (literally meaning ‘old-women goddesses’). While Brahmins are also involved in this worship, the predominant social groups (both Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) that worship these goddesses are non-Brahmanical. This article aims at analysing the characteristics and process of worship, special rituals and beliefs of the local population regarding the Buri Devis. The findings reflect the interaction and peaceful coexistence of Brahmanical religious beliefs and concepts, on the one hand, and the beliefs, concepts and rituals of the local lower-caste population on the other. The findings also highlight the successful resistance of the local lower-caste population to Brahmanical ideas and thoughts with regard to the worship of Buri Devis. The article will also critically engage with and test the validity of N. K. Bose’s theories and M. N. Srinivas’s concept of Sanskritization, as well as B. D. Chattopadhyaya and Kunal Chakrabarti’s theories regarding religious appropriation of local cults by Brahmanical forces and the dominance of Brahmanism in Bengal.