Manasa is goddess of serpents, who is very powerful and worshipped in different names and forms all over the India. Manasa is worshipped mainly during the rainy season, when the snakes are most active. It is believed that Manasa protects the people from snake bite. Goddess Manasa is also connected with fertility and worshipped for the revival and protection from many incurable diseases. Manasa can be worshipped in the form of an idol or even as a formless power.

Manasa was the daughter of famous sage Kashyapa and Kadru, the sister of serpent king Sesha. She is also the sister of Vasuki, one of the most important Nagas. Manasa is probably a pre-Aryan goddess who is most commonly worshipped in various parts of Bengal. She is ritually invoked with sacrifices and offerings. The tale of Manasa is called `Manasamangal` where the story of her gaining recognition and attainment a place among the Hindu pantheon of gods and goddesses are depicted.

In the land of Bengal there was a rich merchant named Chand. He was a widower and had six sons. He was very attentive to his sons so that they never felt the absence of their mother. They lived in a beautiful mansion surrounded by a picturesque garden in the bank of river Ganges. Chand was an earnest devotee of Shiva and was so ardent in his devotion that he refused to worship any other gods or goddesses. Manasa heard this and she was determined to force Chand to be her first worshipper in the earth. Because until then nobody in the earth worshipped her. Manasa knew that Chand was so influential and well respected in the society that if he started worshipping Manasa everybody would follow him.But Chand refused Manasa`s offer. Not only that, Chand also insulted her by calling her an ugly, black, one-eyed witch who eats frogs. He disagreed to worship Manasa instead of Supreme Lord Shiva.

Manasa was furious on Chand and destroyed Chand`s beautiful garden but as Chand had Shiva`s magical power, he could rebuild the garden instantly. So Manasa built up another plan to entrap Chand. She took the guise of a beautiful maiden and appeared before widower Chand, who was enchanted by her beauty. He decided to marry her and proposed her at once. Manasa was overwhelmed with joy at her success and very shrewdly told Chand that she would agree to be his wife in one condition only and the condition is Chand had to give her his magical prowess.

Chand was so engrossed with Manasa`s outward beauty that he readily agreed and their marriage ceremony took place with great pomp and glory. In the wedding night Manasa revealed her true self. She demanded Chand as before to worship her instead of Shiva. Chand became angry and adamantly denied to worship an ugly snake woman. Manasa again destroyed Chand`s garden out of extreme vengeance. This time Chand could not rebuilt it again as he had bequeathed his magical powers to Manasa. Yet Chand did not yield to the Goddess`s demand.

Manasa became furious with anger and resolved to harass Chand until he worships her. First she took toll of the lives of six sons of Chand by getting them bitten by poisonous snakes.but still Chand refused to submit to her. Manasa then had his cargo-ship capsized. Chand himself was lost in a solitary island and had to overcome a great number of adversities before he could return home. Chand still not became the devotee of Manasa. No one near and dear to him was alive which caused him great pain. But he started his life once again. With great perseverance and diligence he gained back his former reputation in the society. Chand was remarried and soon had a beautiful son. With huge love and affection Chand named his son Lakhinder.

Lakhinder grew up to be a handsome young lad and Chand selected a beautiful girl Behulah to be married with him. The couple was engaged and wedding date was fixed. In these years Manasa did not give up her hope and appeared again with her resolve to subdue Chand. She heard of the marriage and approached Chand with the old demand of worshipping her. As always Chand again refused this time and Manasa was bewildered at his impertinence. Manasa threatened Chand that she would have his only son Lakhinder bitten by poisonous snake at his wedding night. But Chand was not someone to give in so easily. He instructed to make a room with iron and leave no hole in it where Lakhinder and Beulah would spend their wedding night. His plan was that no snake would be able to get into the thoroughly sealed metal cabin.

Manasa when heard this, appeared before the architect and asked him to leave a very small aperture at the door of the metal bridal chamber. Manasa`s appearance was so terrible and revengeful, that the architect was frightened and was intimidated easily. So Lakhinder`s bridal chamber was built according to Manasa`s wish. From outside it look invulnerable but there was a small hole left at the bottom of its only door.

After the pompous marriage ceremony was over, Lakhinder and Beulah entered the bridal room at nightfall to observe their first rites of love in a safe place. Soon Lakhinder fall asleep but Beulah remained awaken as she feared that Manasa`s resolve might come true. Beulah was nervous but alert and soon her fear was proven to be true. A snake entered through the hole of the door in that impregnable room. Beulah offered it a dish of milk, which the snake drank and went away without biting Lakhinder. After that snakes entered the room one after another and Beulah appeased them with milk. But she was very tired and soon fell asleep. In the meantime, one snake entered and bit Lakhinder and went away. Lakhinder cried out in pain awaking entire house. Everybody rushed into the bridal room. But nobody could help Lakhinder and he died. Thus Manasa`s avenge was fulfilled.

Now according to the custom Lakhinder`s body was not cremated and floated in the river in the raft of banana plant. The common belief behind this custom was that there was still life in the person`s body who died by snake bite and he can be brought to life by some expert snake-charmer. Beulah was in deep love with her one night husband and offered to accompany him in his last voyage. So she too was placed in the raft and Lakhinder`s body was set afloat the river Ganges.

The raft with Lakhinder and Beulah drifted down the river for many days and many miles and finally reached the delta of Sunderban where Ganges meets the sea. There the raft was stuck in the mangrove forest and Beulah could see a mysterious scene. An ordinary washerwoman was washing clothes and his child was crying continuously in the bank while asking for something. The washerwoman was so upset and annoyed at his child that she gave him a hard slap.

The child immediately died in the spot. Beulah was amazed but said nothing. The woman completed her daily ablutions calmly and then went to her dead child. She sprinkled some water on his face and Beulah noticed dumbfounded that the child was brought back to his life. The boy got up and smiling took his mother`s hand and they both started to walk back towards their home.

Beulah realized that the woman was not an ordinary mortal and had the magical power of bring back life to the dead. Beulah also found this as an opportunity to make her dead husband alive. She got out of the raft and followed the washerwoman. Finally Beulah pleaded the woman to revive her husband as she done towards her own child. Beulah narrated everything that had happened to Lakhinder. Actually this was also a plot by Manasa who sent the woman to attract Beulah by the miracle so that she would induce to seek her help. Manasa`s plan worked and the woman took Beulah to the goddess.

When Beulah reached the abode of Manasa she asked for the Goddess`s favor to revive her husband into life. Manasa said that she could do it in one condition only. Beulah had to convince Chand, her father-in-law to worship Manasa. Beulah agreed at once and accordingly, Manasa revived Lakhinder. Beulah was overjoyed and she together with her husband Lakhinder asked for Manasa`a blessings.After that they set off for their home in the same raft that was used for the terrible journey with Lakhinder`s lifeless body.

When Beulah and Lakhinder reached home, Beulah told her father-in -law about Manasa`s condition. She also stated that the god has threatened to take Lakhinder`s life again by snake biting if Chand did not obey her this time. Chand broke his resolve when he looked at the pleading eyes of her beautiful daughter-in-law. He agreed to worship Manasa but compromised in one condition that he would use his left hand to perform the rites of the Puja.

Manasa agreed and was pleased finally. She blessed the family of Chand with peace and prosperity. After Chand worshipped Manasa, everybody started worshipping her as they listened to the story. Many devotees throng Manasa`s altar. Thus Manasa established herself as a goddess to be feared and revered.