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Encountering the Goddess in the Indian Himalaya: On the Contribution of Ethnographic Film to the Study of Religion
Copyright policy )Encountering the Goddess in the Indian Himalaya: On the Contribution of Ethnographic Film to the Study of Religion
This paper examines the benefits of ethnographic film for the study of religion. It argues that the exploration of gaps between colloquial descriptions of divinities and their practical manifestation in ritual is instructive of the way religious categories are conceptualized. The argument is developed through an analysis of selected scenes from the documentary AVATARA, a meditation on goddess worship (Śaktism) among the Khas ethnic majority of the Hindu Himalaya (Himachal Pradesh, India). Centering on embodiments of the goddess in spirit possession séances, it points to a fundamental difference between the popular depiction of the deity as a virgin-child (kanyā) who visits followers in their dreams and her actual manifestation as a menacing mother (mātā) during ritual activities. These ostensibly incongruent images are ultimately bridged by the anthropologically informed edition of the material caught on camera, illustrating the added advantage of documentary filmmaking for approximating religious experiences.
- University of Haifa Israel
Microsoft Academic Graph classification: History Ethnographic film media_common.quotation_subject Tantra Exorcism Religious experience Religious studies media_common Hinduism business.industry Filmmaking Possession (law) Worship business
spirit possession, ethnographic film, shakti (śakti), BL1-2790, exorcism, religious experience, khas, Religions. Mythology. Rationalism, Religious studies, hinduism, ritual, himalaya, goddess, tantra
spirit possession, ethnographic film, shakti (śakti), BL1-2790, exorcism, religious experience, khas, Religions. Mythology. Rationalism, Religious studies, hinduism, ritual, himalaya, goddess, tantra
Microsoft Academic Graph classification: History Ethnographic film media_common.quotation_subject Tantra Exorcism Religious experience Religious studies media_common Hinduism business.industry Filmmaking Possession (law) Worship business
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Berti, Daniela. 2001. La Parole des Dieux: Rituels de Possession en Himalaya Indien. Paris: CNRS Editions.
Berti, Daniela. 2009. Divine Jurisdictions and Forms of Government in Himachal Pradesh. In Territory, Soil and Soceity in South Asia. Edited by Daniela Berti and Gilles Tarabout. New Delhi: Manohar, pp. 311-39.
Bhatnagar, Satyapal. 1998. History and Culture of Kullu. Kullu: Anupam Prakashan.
Bhatt, Ram Prasad, Heinz Werner Wessler, and Claus Peter Zoller. 2014. Fairy Lore in the High Mountains of South Asia and the Hymn of the Garhwali 'Daughter of the Hills'. Acta Orientalia 75: 79-166. [CrossRef]
Bindra, Pushpa. 1982. Memorial Stones in Himachal. In Memorial Stones: A Study of their Origin, Significance, and Variety. Edited by S. Settar and Gunther D. Sontheimer. Dharwad: Institute of Indian Art History, pp. 175-82.
Bush, Stephen B. 2012. Are Religious Experiences too Private to Study? The Journal of Religion 92: 199-223. [CrossRef]
Dundes, Alan, ed. 1996. The Walled-Up Wife: A Casebook. Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press.
Emerson, Herbert William. n.d. [circa 1930?]. A Study of Himalayan Religion and Folklore. London: British Library, Asian and African Collections.
Erndl, Kathleen M. 1993. Victory to the Mother: The Hindu Goddess of Northwest India in Myth, Ritual, and Symbol. New York: Oxford University Press.
citations This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).0 popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.Average influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).Average impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.Average citations This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).0 popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.Average influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).Average impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.Average
Citations provided by BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!- University of Haifa Israel
This paper examines the benefits of ethnographic film for the study of religion. It argues that the exploration of gaps between colloquial descriptions of divinities and their practical manifestation in ritual is instructive of the way religious categories are conceptualized. The argument is developed through an analysis of selected scenes from the documentary AVATARA, a meditation on goddess worship (Śaktism) among the Khas ethnic majority of the Hindu Himalaya (Himachal Pradesh, India). Centering on embodiments of the goddess in spirit possession séances, it points to a fundamental difference between the popular depiction of the deity as a virgin-child (kanyā) who visits followers in their dreams and her actual manifestation as a menacing mother (mātā) during ritual activities. These ostensibly incongruent images are ultimately bridged by the anthropologically informed edition of the material caught on camera, illustrating the added advantage of documentary filmmaking for approximating religious experiences.