Syllabus: GS-I & V: Culture

Why in the News?

Durga Puja, one of the largest religious and cultural festivals of eastern India, is being celebrated with special emphasis this year on the ritual of Navapatrika, which ties Shaktism to agricultural fertility and ecological abundance. This has reignited discussions on the agrarian foundations of Shaktism and its relevance in today’s world of environmental challenges and food insecurity.

About Shaktism

• Definition: Shaktism is one of the principal traditions of Hinduism that venerates the Divine Feminine (Shakti) as the supreme cosmic power.
• Scriptural Roots: It is rooted in Vedic hymns, Tantric texts, and Puranic mythology.
• Philosophy: Shakti is seen not only in anthropomorphic goddess forms but also in rivers, mountains, vegetation, and fertility cycles.
• Spread: Shaktism evolved strongly in Bengal, Assam, Odisha, and other agrarian societies where agricultural life shaped religious practices.
  

Shaktism’s Relation with Ecology

Nature as Divine

• Shaktism identifies Shakti with Prakriti (primordial Nature), inseparable from anna (food) and vriksha (trees).
• Ecological features like rivers, forests, crops, and seasons are interpreted as the goddess’s manifestation.

Navapatrika Ritual in Durga Puja

• Nine plants – banana, colocasia, turmeric, jayanti, pomegranate, rice paddy, arum, bilva, and ashoka – tied together, bathed in a river, and worshipped as Durga’s vegetal form.
• Reflects fertility rituals of pre-Vedic communities merged into Shaktism.
• Symbolises agricultural prosperity and protection of crops.

Seasonal Linkages

• Originally associated with Vasanta Navratri (spring) but later shifted to Sarad Navratri (autumn).
• Reason: Autumn coincides with post-kharif rice harvest, when granaries are full, making it suitable for grand festivals.
• Mythologically legitimised by Rama’s Akal Bodhan (untimely invocation) of Durga before his battle with Ravana.

Agrarian Imagery in Durga Puja

• Durga is worshipped along with Lakshmi (prosperity, harvest), Saraswati (knowledge of cultivation), Ganesha (fertility, household security), and Kartikeya (protector of crops and cattle).
• The goddess’s return to her parental home in autumn mirrors the homecoming spirit of harvest season.

Importance of Shaktism in Today’s World

• Agrarian Significance:
  • Shaktism reinforces the sacred bond between food security, fertility, and divinity.
  • In a country where agriculture employs nearly 42% of the workforce (Census 2011 data), Shaktism symbolically sustains farming communities’ cultural resilience.
• Environmental Relevance:
  • Amid climate change and ecological degradation, Shaktism offers a spiritual framework for conservation, where plants, rivers, and soils are treated as sacred.
• Cultural Identity:
  • Durga Puja, inscribed in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list (2021), reflects how agrarian traditions have shaped one of the world’s largest cultural festivals.
• Social Cohesion:
  • By integrating agriculture with spirituality, Shaktism fosters community bonding, where rituals become occasions for collective feasting and sharing.
    

Way Forward

• Revive Ecological Traditions: Rituals like Navapatrika should be seen not just as symbolic but as reminders for sustainable agriculture and biodiversity conservation.
• Community Awareness: Link Shaktism’s ecological aspects with modern campaigns for climate resilience and food security.
• Policy Integration: Government initiatives like National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) can draw from traditional eco-spiritual practices.
• Documentation: Further ethnographic and ecological research on rituals like Navapatrika across Bengal, Assam, and Odisha should be encouraged.
  

Conclusion

Shaktism, by venerating the goddess as Nature and Agriculture itself, is not only a spiritual tradition but also a cultural ecology of survival and prosperity. The integration of goddess worship with vegetation, harvest cycles, and fertility rituals highlights its agrarian essence. In today’s climate-uncertain world, Shaktism’s worldview – that divinity is inseparable from Nature – provides timeless wisdom for building sustainable, eco-conscious societies.

Mains Question

1. Durga Puja, rooted in Shaktism, is not merely a mythological festival but an agrarian celebration of fertility and abundance. Discuss the ecological and agricultural significance of Shaktism in contemporary India. (250 words/15 marks)

The Assam Tribune