Gajan and the significance of ‘Dharmathakur’

Hindu deity Dharmathakur, also known by the names Dharmaraj and Dharma is worshipped by the rural communities of the Rarh region of West Bengal. Dharmathakur is worshipped during the months of ‘Baisakh’, ‘Jaistha’ and ‘Asarh’ and rarely on the concluding day of the month ‘Bhadro’. ‘Bauri’, ‘Bagdi’, ‘Hari’ and ‘Dom’ are the castes that celebrate the ‘Dharma Gajan’.

Although it is important to note that it were not these castes those wrote scriptures about Dharmathakur, but the upper caste Brahmins. The scriptures like ‘Dharma Purana’ by Mayura Bhatta’ and ‘Dharma Mangala’ by Mayura Bhatta are dedicated towards the deity. 

A shrine of Dharmathakur. Picture Courtesy: Wikipedia

Also Manik Ganguly, Ghanarama, Sahadeva Chakravarty, and Ruparama contributed to the scriptures related to Dharmathakur.

Dharmathakur’s Gajan is different from Shiva’s Gajan. The depiction of a horse is crucial in Dharma gajan, but not in Shiva’s gajan. The worshippers of Dharmathakur are called ‘Bhakta’ or ‘Bhaktia’. It is also believed that this Gajan celebrates the marriage of Dharmaraj with ‘Mukti’.

In the rituals of Dharma Gajan, the chief follower or Bhakta is pierced with arrows which are burnt using ghee or kerosene and lies down on the flaming ‘Baneswar’, depicting the lord of arrows. The other Bhaktas carry him around and some dance around it holding flaming arrows. During the Gajan’s main event, there is a dual representation of Dharmathakur’s wedding. The Bhaktas carry a heavy stone Baneshwar as well as a wooden Baneshwar. The women meanwhile carry a full pot or a ‘pura kalsi’ taken out from the nearest pond. Meanwhile, there are rituals performed in the temple which mark the ‘milan’ of Dharmaraj and Mukti. 

It is widely known that the Hindu gods and goddesses have individual ‘vahanas’, i.e. they rode the animals. Dharmathakur’s vahana is believed to be a horse. Contradictory to that belief, elephant is supposed to be the vahana of Dharmathakur. The terracotta and wodden horses are quite popular in the Rarh region of West Bengal because of the festivity surrounding ‘Dharma Gajan’.