Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/292

 Villages and towns claiming connec- tion with the charac- ters of Manasa- Mangal. 256 BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE. [ Chap, who offered defiance to Manasa Devi for long years, yet ultimately was driven by strange cir- cumstances to worship her. How wide-spread is the popularity of these songs in Bengal may be imagined from the fact that the birth-place of Chand- Sadagara is claimed by no less than nine. districts, all equally proud of the hero of the Manasa Mangal. It reminds us of the seven cities which disputed the honour of Homer’s birth. I may name here some of the places that claim a connection in one shape or another with the chief characters of Manasa- Mangala. (1) Champaka Nagara—said to have been the capital of Chand Sadagara, in the district of Burdwan and close to Champaka Nagara is a small river which is called Behula, after the reputed heroine of Manasé Mangala. (2) Champaka Nagara in Tippera. (3) Dhubri in Assam. People here believe that Chand was a resident of the place (4) Mahasthana in the district of Bogra. (5) The people of Darjeeling believe that the scene of the Manasa Mangal was laid on the banks of the’river Ranit close by. (6) Sanaka Gram near Kanta Nagar in the dis- trict of Dinajpur ; Sanaka was the queen of Chand Sadagara and Sanaka Nagar is believed to have been named after her. (7) Champai Nagar in the District of Maldah. (8) The Mela (exhibition) held in honour of Behula in the District of Birbhum is said to have originated during Behula’s life-time.