- (6) “the people of this area are of multi-ethnic background having different occupational pursuits with pluralistic religious beliefs”
- Practice some of the same religious ritual activities in order to survive (Bon Bibi)
- (11) Hindu, Muslim, Christian, and tribal communities all pay offerings and propitiate Bon Bibi – all but Christians tend to have an altar (than) for her
- “Bon Bibi is represented by a stone slab or by a pot vessel or by an icon with two hands seated on the back of tiger and Dukhe (a child) in her lap or close to her left feet”
- Believed that a deer nourished Bon Bibi during her infancy
- People require the blessings of the deity before they go into the forest to collect resources – believed that Bon Bibi can protect people from all sorts of unusual incidents and happenings
Offerings to Bon Bibi (hajat) include fruit, sweet cakes (batasa), parched rice, and puffed rice
- (12) Shajangali (Bon Bibi’s brother) is believed to drive away tigers
- Shajangali is more closely associated with Muslim gentry due to the typical attire he is shown wearing whereas Bon Bibi’s dress and adornments are more closely tied to Hinduism
Forest Fishers – worship Bonbibi and neither deplete nor disturb nature; “they respect the forest because they enter it ‘with peace’, consider the tigers to be their ‘brothers’ and consequently share the products of the forest equitably between wild animals and themselves” (31).
