11. Dakshindar, a godling of the Sunderbuns. 
By Bimata CHaRran BATABYAL. 
Communicated by the Anthropological Secretary. 
[With Plates XI—XII.] 
Dakshindar, Kalurai Dakshindar, or Dakshinrai is a god- 
ling widely worshipped in the rural districts of Bengal, especi- 
ally in those adjoining the Sunderbuns. Dakshindar or Dak- 
shinrai means the Lord of the South and, as the Sunderbuns 
are in the south of Bengal and are infested with mischievous 
wild beasts, especially the ferocious Bengal tiger, the influence 
of the deity on the tiger is popularly deemed to be quite sufii- 
sient to check its extensive havoc in the villages lying in the 
neighbourhood of the Sunderbuns. The godling is usually 
represented as a huge human head with flat face, large eyes, 
lips extending from ear to ear, with large grinning teeth and a 
tahmin priest. The tiger appears chiefly in very cold winter 
nights in the villages a ates oe Se ailectne, and this fact 
ee for the reason why the worship is held at night in 
ot of Magh when the cold of winter is usually greatest 
seri ngal. The paraphernalia of the worship, such as the 
"8 torches, beating of the gong and the tomtom, large 
Tship, which is generally on one of its borders, the number 
ges worshipped being in many instances more than one. 
