Bengal’s intriguing ‘Charak’ festival and ‘Banfora’ ritual
The word ‘Charak’ is derived from chakra or charaka (Chakra> Chakkar > Charak), which means a circle, and is used to signify moving or swinging in a circular direction. Charaka Sanyasa implies leaving off worldly business, living abstemiously, observing austerities, for the propitiation of Shiva.