Rituals of hierarchy and interdependence in an Andhra village

Pragmatha Journal, 2016

A seemingly glaring fact about India is that it is inhabited by a large variety of caste groups. These castes and their practices have been and continue to be described by most scholars as a system of castes. According to standard descriptions, different castes are organised in a systematic manner with a strong hierarchical order, which differentiates various castes by providing each a higher or lower status. Therefore, there has to be a principle, which determines this social status. That is to say, the principle of hierarchy is identified as a fundamental tenet of the caste system and it divides castes in to different rungs. The scholars studying caste system have considered the notion of purity and impurity to be the foundational principle of this system. This paper tries to identify the problems that lie in these descriptions and specifically contests the basic assumption that there ought to be a relationship between ritual, purity, and hierarchy.

Flags of Fame: Studies in South Asian Folk …, 1993

Ancient Vedic society went through many changes, making a transition from asemi-nomadic, clan-based system of chiefdoms practicing pastoralism and limited agriculture, to an increasingly sedentary society with a clear division of labour, greater reliance on agriculture, and monarchies. This parallels the establishment and growth of settlements through the first millennium BCE in the Gangetic plains withthe emergence of cities and states. This essay will explore the meaning of certain aspects of Vedic ritual in relation to these social changes. It will argue that the Upanayana, along with other life cycle rituals, came to serve the function of maintaining cohesion within the elite castes, as well as excluding from this closed society those from the lower orders.

Social Anthropology, 2003

History of Religions, 2007

2023

The vast and ancient topic of kingship in India has mostly been studied from the perspectives of rulers and other elites. But what constitutes sovereignty viewed from "below"? This book — ethnographic and comparative in its essence — deals with indigenous conceptualizations of sovereignty taking as its starting point a local proverb that connects the ritual (Dasara) of the king with festivals performed by his "tribal" subjects. The first part of the book initially introduces some pan-Indian ideas of kingship and proceeds to discuss indigenous notions of sovereignty as represented in rituals and myths in the region concerned (highland Odisha). The second part is devoted to the investigation of the proverbial performances. Mainly based on historical sources first the Dasara festival of the king is discussed, subsequently the indigenous rituals are described and analyzed, which the author ethnographically documented around the turn of the millennium. Ultimately, the proverb and the rituals constitute the idea of a sacrificial polity in which rulers and ruled share sovereignty in the sense that they are co-responsible for the flow of life.

The ritual practices of the low castes have often been considered through con- cepts such as Sanskritization as well as consensus and replication, but have also been interpreted as resistance against the dominance of the high castes. The tendency common to these analyses is their interpretation of the low castes’ ritual practices in terms of caste hierarchy and power relations. Focusing on the relational aspect of divinity and the importance of wild sacredness in ritual contexts, this study will provide an alternative perspective from which to view the complementary opposites in the rituals of the low castes. These are not merely a reflection of unequal caste relations, but are the basis of the relation- ships among all the various actors—including human beings, wild animals, and spirits—personified as būtas that constitute a fluid network in a social, ecological, and cosmological sphere.

Sanskara (ordination) and Rina (debts) system are inevitable part of the Indian culture. In Hindu Dharma " s mythology, there are four types of Rina system; a man is born with a debt which must be paid off before one " s death; namely, Dev Rina, Rishi Rina, Pitra Rina and Atithi Rina. Within the Pitra Rina, there are four steps; they are Antyeshti Sanskar, Asthi Visarjan, Shradh and Brahmin Bhoj (feasting to priest). Brahmin Bhoj is now known as " Biradari Bhoj " or " Prasad (sacrament) of Lord Jagannath ". The research paper elaborates how the Biradari Bhoj of Yadav community is not only based on ritual beliefs or religious practices like observing vegetarianism, purification of mythological sins of his family. But it also elaborates how they are intended to show their belongingness to secret lineage and leader " s dynasty. The paper examines how community formation is achieved through the process of mythological purification, intra-community Biradarism, Chittha System and Biraha Folklore.

Boundaries and Motherhood: Ritual and Reproduction in Rural Maharashtra, 2016