Abstract
This paper reconsiders the concept of "syncretism" through the analysis of the saintly cult among the Hindus and Muslims in South Asia. The mausoleum of Manamohan Datta is situated at the rural area of the eastern part of Bangladesh. The rural folks both Hindu and Muslim participate in the various ritual processes at the mausoleum together. This kind of "saint-worship" in Bengal is usually understood as a good example of "syncretism" between the Hindu and Muslim cultures. In this paper, however, the author examines the social and cultural contexts, which explains the reasons why the people can share the similar rituals and beliefs together, and emphasizes the importance to examine their discourses regarding syncretic situations around the mausoleum. Finally, the author proposes to use the concept of "syncretism" as a methodology to elucidate the social and cultural conditions, through which multiple discourses over syncretic situations are produced.
