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Billeswar Devalaya is one of the ancient shrines in Assam that has a magnificent religious legacy among the devotees. Sacredness of the Devalaya is deeply rooted in the minds of folk people belonging to sacred geography of the Devalaya from the time immemorial. Many significant aspects of the society, within an elaborate geographical perimeter, revolve around Billeswar Devalaya. The heritage of the Devalaya has flourished with the passage of time, owing to the involvement of different aspects of civilization. The elements that have immense contribution to the existence of the Devalaya till date are religious, political, cultural, traditional, and its performing arts and unique rituals. The Devalaya has an architecturally developed structure nurturing religious as well as folkloristic practices whose historicity and sacredness are based on the legends and mythical stories. Like other religious institutions, the sacredness of the Devalaya is inculcated by the help of a set of conditions put amongst the devotees and all kinds of visitors through the observance of religious diplomacy. The range of religiousness of the Devalaya is widened and spread through the long lasting practices which may be treated as the folkloristic activities. Though all the issues related with the Devalaya are attempted to be methodically analyzed in this study; however, the primary intent is to present all the genres of folkloristic items to the best possible extant and to synthesize them how they function to harness sacredness of the Devalaya and spread it among the people as a whole.

Though the Billeswar Devalaya is located at Belsor revenue village, at present times, after the 1961 Revenue Settlement of Government of Assam; however, the adjoining Village-Bilweswar is nightly anticipated to be the original one. Bilweswar is the corrupt form of Binneswar (Binna+Ishyar>bilweswar). 鈥�Binna鈥� is the colloquial form of 鈥�Birina-a kind of long grass growing at low land鈥� which is pronounced so even in today by the majority people of lower Assam. A legend is also associated with the formation of word. The brown coloured cow of Rupnarayan Dev-a Brahmin used to give milk upon a place atop a hillock surrounded by 鈥楤inna鈥�. The fact came into light after following up a host of cowherds. As soon as the place was cleaned, a Shiv Linga-phallus was seen by the Brahmin. He started to worship the phallus of which message was spread throughout the territories of different kingdoms. In the subsequent times, it was set in the minds of the people as a legend. Since the time of Nagakhya to Naranarayana (1533-1587) the Devalaya received patronages for its sustenance and maintenance. In recent times, besides the annuity from government of Assam, the Devalaya has witnessed various infrastructural developments. Major portion of the land came under the take-over by the government for distributing among the Paiks to whom various Devalaya responsibilities were assigned living there for centuries with the enforcement of The Assam State Acquisition of Lands Belonging to Religious or Charitable Institution of Public Nature Act, 1959 from 18th March, 1963. The present land status of the Devalaya is as follows: Patta No: 01 Dag Nos: 1524 (11 Bighas 13 Lechas-Main Campus of the Devalaya);1696 & 2044(3 Bighas 4 Kathas 17 Lechas plus 2 Bighas 4 Kathas-Milan Silpi Sangha:2.5 Kathas & No:01 Belsor Primary School, Belsor) Dag:1596 (7 Bighas 18 Lechas) covers Market place, Office of the Fire Services, Sub Registrar Office, Office of the Assam Tourism Development, Inspection Bungalow etc..The Ahom kings granted lands to the Devalaya. The original measurement of land was 5250 Bighas. In addition to that 365 were Bhogdhani Mati of which production was used for the Bhog of the Devalaya. Later on, it was reduced to 1420 Bighas 3 Kathas and 5 Lechas(Lakheraj) and 2461 Bighas 1 Katha 6 Lecha under different heads. 

The patronizing kings were: 

1. Naganka, 
2. Debeswara, 
3. Nagaksa, 
4. Prithu, 
5. Sandhya, 
6. Sindhurai, 
7. Simhadhaj, 
8. Pratapdhaj, 
9. Durlav 
10. Narayana, 
11. Nilambara, 
12. Naranarayana, 
13. Pratapsimha, 
14. Sivasimha.

The kings belonged to the Louhitya, Koch, Ahom dynasties. At present times, the total lands possessed by the temple authority are only 25 Bighas. Majority portion of the lands were distributed and registered in the names of the Bardeuris of the Devalaya and the Paiks. Their traditional activities related with the Devalaya have elevated the Devalaya as a cultural complex. Besides this, the continuation of faiths, unending ritualistic and traditional activities based on the religious culture has made the entire vicinity of the Devalaya, a sacred complex for ages till date. Basically the human behavior is being changed with a rapid pace due to the constant and consistent affiliation to the science and technology. These have greatly impacted upon human lives in every kind of aspects. So the traditional and ritualistic things are being changed in our society. The existence of Billeswar Devalaya is supposed to be from 6th century by a section of people. It is a fanatical supposition as it is not based upon historical facts. But the Devalaya has a very long historicity. Since the time of its erection, it has been receiving changes continuously. Many more things are on the edge of extinction. But, still it is ought to be regarded as the repository of extinct culture. Imposing a culture upon another community or getting rid of an established culture is known as cultural extinction. Cultural extinction implies the loss of languages, traditions. The access to technology has imported privileges to people to stay constantly connected. It allows us to interact across geographical borders. Despite its pressure, how the Devalaya is standing against the erosion of beliefs and traditions by virtue of its sacredness to serve the aspirations of the people of a greater locality is the focal point of the thesis.