This paper discusses religious narratives about the annual deity of the Savaras of South Bengal, which can be conceptualised as myths, legends and memorates according to the folklore of ‘Sitalamangal’. In almost every part of India, there is a goddess, known by a variety of local names, concerned with smallpox. Throughout most areas of Northern India, from Gujarat in the west to Bengal in the east, a goddess associated to smallpox is found to whom some variant of the name ‘Sitala’ is attached. This goddess is primarily associated with smallpox, yet she is occasionally given other roles and powers, including those as the protector of children and the giver of good fortune.
Sitala Worship, Culture and Myth, Tribal, Continuity
