Bonbibi: A non-communal goddess

Bonbibi (বনবিবি) is a symbol of non-communalism. This female goddess is worshipped by both Hindu and Muslim people living in the surrounding villages of the Sundarbans located in West Bengal and Bangladesh. Another example that carries the proof of cosmopolitanism is the name itself. The name ‘Bonbibi’ is the combination of Sanskrit and Arabic. The word ‘Bon’ means forest and ‘bibi’ is a title, which Muslim women commonly use as surname. The exact meaning of the name ‘Bonbibi’ is ‘lady of the forest’. There is no doubt that this combination has given the Bengali goddess a unique name. Apart from this name, she is also known to her Hindu followers as Bandevi, Bandurga and Byaghradevi.

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Devotees of Bonbibi arrange a festival every year in January or February to pay their respect to her. Women of both religions- Hindu and Muslim- fast till sunset during this festival. It is also believed that the deity does not differentiate her admirers based on religion when it comes to giving blessings to them. If you read the tales of Bonbibi then it will be clear why she is equally revered by people of both religions. Stories about Bonbibi actually describe two major episodes- her battle with Dakkhin Rai and the story of Dukhe.

Bonbibi is called the queen of the jungle. She is the daughter of a Muslim saint. Before entering the forest, people worship her with a belief that the goddess will protect them from the attack of the tiger. She is the arch-rival of demon king Dokkhin Rai. It is said that she protects her worshipers from Dokkhin Rai who takes the form of a tiger and attacks people.

The purpose of writing this article is to show honor to all women in the world. They are called better half, life partner and many other things. Without women, this world would become lifeless.

Here is a video of Bonbibi-r Pala. Here, you can see the local actors illustrating the story of Bonbibi through their performance.