Author:

Sebak Biswas
Independent Researcher
Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, India

Email: sebakbiswas123@gmail.com

Abstract:: This research paper delves into the sacredness of the Teesta River with a special emphasis on the origin of its worship and what this means to the people of North Bengal. Ancient Hindu scriptures refer to the Teesta as the Trisrota and associate the origin of the river with the goddess Parvati. Nonetheless, the river’s spiritual significance extends beyond these traditional scriptures. Different tribes and communities such as the Rajbanshis, Mechs, Totos, Dhimals, and Nepalese people see the Teesta as a mother figure and hence personify it as Teesta Maai or Teesta Budi. The article helps readers understand that the custom of river worship along with the Mecheni Khela festival in particular might have been derived from the combination of tribal traditions and local folk narratives. The paper illustrates that people devote themselves to the river in two primary ways: firstly, showing thanks for the water that makes their agricultural fields productive, and secondly, expressing their anxiety for the destructive floods which have been their fate over and over again. This paper, through the lens of historical facts and local traditions, presents the Teesta as more than just a river. In fact, it is a mighty goddess who, according to the beliefs of the people is capable of protecting the harvest, the health, and the lives of the people

Key Words:: North Bengal, Mecheni Khela, Teesta River, Trisrota, Teesta Budi, Rajbanshi etc.