>Gotitbro at 10:38, 29 March 2021

2021-03-29T10:38:42Z

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{{short description|Guardian spirit venerated by both Hindu and Muslim residents of the Sundarbans, Bengal}}
{{EngvarB|date=March 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{More citations needed|date=January 2009}}
{{Infobox deity
| type = Hindu
| image = Banbibi.jpg
| caption = Banbibi and Dukhe
| name = Banbibi
| mount = Tiger or hen
| region = The [[Sundarbans]] (in [[West Bengal]] and [[Bangladesh]])
}}
{{Culture of Bengal}}
'''Banbibi''', the lady of the forest, also '''Bandevi''', '''Bandurga''' and '''Byaghradevi''' is a guardian spirit of the forests venerated by both the [[Hindu]] and the [[Muslim]] residents of the [[Sundarbans]] (spread across [[West Bengal]] state in eastern [[India]] and [[Bangladesh]]).<ref name="SchmalzGottschalk2011">{{cite book|author=Sufia Uddin|editor=Mathew N. Schmalz |editor2=Peter Gottschalk |title=Engaging South Asian Religions: Boundaries, Appropriations, and Resistances|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-dP0p-TcnPUC&pg=PA61|year=2011|publisher=State University of New York Press|location=New York|isbn=978-1-4384-3323-3|pages=61–82|chapter=Beyond National Borders and Religious Boundaries: Muslim and Hindu Veneration of Bonbibi}}</ref> She is called upon mostly by the honey-collectors and the woodcutters before entering the forest for protection against the attacks from the tigers. It is believed that the demon king, [[Dakkhin Rai]] (or Dakshin Rai; meaning Lord of the South), an arch-enemy of Banbibi actually appears in the disguise of a tiger and attacks human beings.

==The narratives of Banbibi==
[[File:Bonobibi in Sundarban.jpg 04.jpg|thumb|Bonobibi in Dayapur temple]]
The narratives of Banbibi are found in several texts named as the ''Banbibir Keramati'' (the magical deeds of Banbibi) or the ''Banbibir Jahuranama'' (glory to Banbibi). Amongst its earliest poets, Bayanuddin and Mohammad Khater are well known and their texts are almost similar.<ref name=sen>Sen, Sukumar (1993). ''Islami Bangla Sahitya'' (in Bengali), Kolkata: Ananda Publishers, {{ISBN|81-7215-301-5}}, pp.73–82</ref> These texts consist of two major episodes, her battle with Dakkhin Rai and the narrative of Dukhe.

In ''The Hungry Tide'', his 2004 environmentalist novel, [[Amitav Ghosh]] mentioned two accounts of the Banbibi story of "Dukhey's Redemption."<ref>Ghosh, Amitav. ''The Hungry Tide: A Novel.'', Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2005: pp. 84–88, 292–97.</ref> In ''[[Aag Ka Darya|River of Fire]]'', [[Qurratulain Hyder]] mentions in a footnote that "Ban-Bibi" is [[Fatimah|Fatima]], daughter of prophet [[Muhammad]] and she is revered as the patroness of the woods by the forest dwelling Muslims of Bengal.

[[File:Bonbibir pala.jpg|left|thumb|Enacting the story of Bonbibi in ''Bonbibi-r Pala'' (Sundarban, India)]]

===Battle with Dakkhin Rai===
Banbibi is believed as the daughter of Berahim (Ibrahim), a [[fakir]] from [[Mecca]]. When his first wife Phulbibi could not bear any child, Ibrahim (locally known as Berahim) married Golalbibi with Phulbibi's permission tagged with a condition of fulfilling a wish of her in future. At the same time, [[Allah|God]] decided to send Banbibi and Shah Jangali from heaven for a divine mission. He instructed them to take birth as the children of Golalbibi. When Golalbibi became pregnant, Ibrahim left her in a forest to satisfy his first wife's wish, as he promised her earlier. Banbibi and Shah Jangali were born in the forest to Golalbibi. Allah sent four maids from heaven to take care of them. Golalbibi abandoned Banbibi in the forest left with Shah Jangali in her arms.<ref name="Renard2009">{{cite book|last=Mendez Uddin|first=Sufia|editor=John Renard|title=Tales of God's friends: Islamic hagiography in translation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=srZ5L70phwQC&pg=PA301|year=2009|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-25896-9|pages=301–10|chapter=Bonbībī, Protectress of the Forest}}</ref> Banbibi was raised in the forest by a doe. After seven years, Ibrahim understood his mistake and took back Golalbibi and her two children to Mecca.

Once, while praying at the [[Al-Masjid al-Nabawi|mosque of the prophet of Islam]], Banbibi and Shah Jangali received two magical hats. With the help of those magical hats, they flew to the country of eighteen tides (''atharo bhatir desh'') in [[Hindustan]] (but, according to another version of the narrative, they were brought to the country of eighteen tides by [[Gabriel|Gibril]]). After reaching there, Shah Jangali gave the ''[[adhan]]'' (call to prayer). The country of eighteen tides (the Sundarbans) was under the control of the demon king Dakkhin Rai, till their arrival. The sound of ''adhan'' reached his ears. He sent his friend Sanatan Rai to enquire about them. When, Sanatan informed him about the duo, he decided to throw them out of his territory. While he was about to go into the battle, his mother Narayani prevented him from going and she herself went with her army of ghosts and goblins to fight them. Banbibi defeated Narayani after a long battle. But out of mercy, she returned the half of the erstwhile kingdom of Narayani and her son. Narayani became a friend of Banbibi.<ref name=sen/> While the inhabited part of the Sunderbans is believed as the realm of Banbibi, Dakkhin Rai is believed as the ruler of the deep forest.

===Narrative of Dukhe===
Once, there were two ''Moule'' (honey collector) brothers, Dhona and Mona (or Dhanai and Manai) in a village named Barijhati. Dhona planned to go for an expedition with a fleet of seven boats to collect honey in a ''mahal'' (dense forest) of the country of the eighteen tides but his brother Mona opposed it. He took a poor shepherd boy, Dukhe along with him. Before leaving, Dukhe's mother told him to remember Banbibi in case of any serious trouble. When the fleet reached the ''Kendokhali char'', which was a part of the kingdom of Dakkhin Rai, Dhona forgot to give an offering to Dakkhin Rai. As a result, he was not able to collect any honey or wax for three days. On the third night, Dakkhin Rai appeared Dhona's dreams and asked them for a human sacrifice. After some arguments with Dakkhin Rai, greedy Dhona agreed to sacrifice Dukhe in exchange for honey and wax. So, after collecting enough wax and honey, he left Dukhe there and returned to his village. When Dukhe was about to be killed by Dakkhin Rai in the disguise of a tiger, he started chanting prayers invoking Banbibi. On hearing his chant, Banbibi came along with her brother Shah Jangali. Shah Jangali defeated Dakkhin Rai. After his defeat, Dakkhin Rai took refuge with Bara Khan Ghazi ([[Gazi Pir]]). They followed Dakkhin Rai there. Finally, Bara Khan Ghazi was able to convince Banbibi not to harm Dakkhin Rai. In return, Ghazi gave Dukhe seven cartfuls of precious items, while Rai gave him a sufficient amount of wax and honey. Banbibi ordered her pet crocodile, Seko, to drop him to his village. After his return to the village, Dukhe popularised the worship of Banbibi in the neighbourhood. Later, Dhona married her daughter Champa to Dukhe, who became the ''Chaudhury'' (chief) of the village.<ref name=sen/>

==Iconography==
Banbibi is worshipped by her Hindu followers as ''Bandurga'', ''Bandevi'' or as ''Banbibi'', and her predominantly Hindu images are found as wearing a crown and garland, carrying a club and [[trishul (weapon)|trishul]] and her [[vahana]] (vehicle) is a tiger. She is venerated by her Muslim followers as ''Banbibi'' and she is known as a ''pirani''. Her predominantly Muslim images are found with braided hair, wearing a cap with a ''tikli''. She wears ''ghagra'' and [[pyjama]] (instead of a [[sari]]) and a pair of shoes. Both Hindu and Muslim images have a boy in her lap,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080210/jsp/calcutta/story_8880602.jsp|title=Trouble in tide country|author=Banerjee, Manini|publisher=The Telegraph|date=10 February 2008|access-date=11 January 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706184651/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080210/jsp/calcutta/story_8880602.jsp|archive-date=6 July 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> believed as Dukhe by her worshippers. Her ''[[vahana]]'' (mount) is a tiger or a hen.<ref>Basu, Gopendrakrishna (2008) [1966]. ''Banglar Laukik Debata'' (in Bengali), Kolkata: Dey's Publishing, {{ISBN|81-7612-296-3}}, pp.29–34</ref>

==Shrines of Banbibi==
In most of the shrines of Banbibi in the Sundarbans, Banbibi is worshipped along with her brother Shah Jangali and Dakkhin Rai.<ref name="SchmalzGottschalk2011"/>

==Appearances in literature==
The story of Bonbibi is prominent in [[Amitav Ghosh|Amitav Ghosh's]] ''[[The Hungry Tide]]'', and also referred to in the same author's ''[[The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable]]''.<ref>Amitav Ghosh, ''The Hungry Tide. A Novel'' (New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2005).</ref><ref>Amitav Ghosh, ''The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable'' (London: Penguin, 2016), 28-29.</ref><ref>Yadav Sumati, 'The Hungry Tide: Climate Sustainability ''en Route'' from Ancient Texts to Modern Fiction to Humanity', ''Caesura'' 2.1 (2015), 31-54.</ref>

==See also==
* [[Gazi Pir]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book|last=Jalais|first=Annu|title=Forest of Tigers: People, Politics and Environment in the Sundarbans|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XIW3AwAAQBAJ|year=2014|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-136-19869-4}}

==External links==
* [http://www.gurusadaymuseum.org/col_clay_banb.html A predominantly Muslim image of Banbibi]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110726174811/http://wiki.indianfolklore.org/images/7/7a/Ifl_28.pdf The journal ''Indian Folklife'' has Annu Jalais's "Bonbibi: Bridging Worlds" which summarizes Abdur Rahim's nineteenth century text in page 7].
*[http://www.bongblogger.com/sundarban-unesco-world-heritage/ Bonbibi]

[[Category:Culture of West Bengal]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi culture]]
[[Category:Bengali culture]]
[[Category:Sundarbans]]

Bonbibi - Revision history

>Gotitbro at 10:38, 29 March 2021