Till Kingdom Come

Lokesh Ohri

Description

Hinduism, as is well known, has taken a multitude of shapes and forms. Some Hindu "little traditions" have remained obscure or understudied to this day due to their regional remoteness. One such offshoot is the influential cult of Mahasu, which has existed since medieval times in a part of the western Himalaya. The deity at the core of the cult takes the form of four primary Mahasus with territorial influence, installed in various far-flung temples. Their geographical center is the village of Hanol, and the larger territory is integrated into the Mahasu politico-religious system by a peripatetic deity with loyal followers across a considerable domain.

Mahasu remains influential in the region, its ritual practices having remained quite distinct despite social change. An anthropological survey was conducted in its terrain during British times, but Till Kingdom Come is the first book to offer a detailed framework, a fine-grained history, and an analytically nuanced understanding of one of the rarest branches of Hindu worship.
Acknowledgements
Glossary
Note on Transliteration

1. Introduction: Kings Divine

2. Ritual Longevity

3. Journeying Sovereignties

4. Stranger Kings

5. Being Young

6. Emerson Emerges

7. Duty Bound

8. Tribal Caste

9. Rites and Rights

10. Conclusion: Change and Continuity

Bibliography
Index

Sujets

• Hinduism
• History of religions
• History of Asia

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 01 janvier 2021
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781438482576
• Langue: English

Extrait

TILL KINGDOM COME
TILL KINGDOM COME

Medieval Hinduism in the Modern Himalaya

LOKESH OHRI
Till Kingdom Come: Ritual Politics and Reflexivity in Mahasu ’ s Himalayan Realm by Lokesh Ohri was first published by Permanent Black D-28 Oxford Apts, 11 IP Extension, Delhi 110092 INDIA, for the territory of SOUTH ASIA.
This publication was accepted as a dissertation in the year 2017 under the title “The Kingdom Comes: Ritual Politics and Reflexivity in Mahasu’s Himalayan Realm” in the subject anthropology at the Faculty of Behavioural and Cultural Studies of Heidelberg University.
Not for sale in South Asia
Cover image: The temple official from Khaniyasini, Rupin Valley, in full regalia, climbs the spire at Shiraji, as the pinnacle is bedecked with white cloth in a show of unity. Image courtesy of the author.
Published by State University of New York Press, Albany
© 2019 Lokesh Ohri
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.
For information, contact State University of New York Press, Albany, NY
www.sunypress.edu
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Ohri, Lokesh, author
Title: Till kingdom come : medieval Hinduism in the modern Himalaya / Lokesh Ohri, author.
Description: Albany : State University of New York Press, [2019] | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: ISBN 9781438482552 (hardcover : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781438482576 (e-book)
Further information is available at the Library of Congress.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To
FAMILY AND FRIENDS
who permit switching tracks and tolerate long absences
Contents

Acknowledgements
Glossary
Note on Transliteration
1 Introduction: Kings Divine
2 Ritual Longevity
3 Journeying Sovereignties
4 Stranger Kings
5 Being Young
6 Emerson Emerges
7 Duty Bound
8 Tribal Caste
9 Rites and Rights
10 Conclusion: Change and Continuity
Bibliography
Index
Acknowledgements

T HOUGH I HAD TRAVELLED through Jaunsar Bawar earlier, in 2009 when I commenced fieldwork for this book, I was determined to stay at Hanol, a small settlement on the banks of the Tons River, where the temple of the deity, Bautha (seated) Mahasu, is located. However, I soon realised that my understanding of Jaunsari society would not be complete unless I walked with the palanquin processions of Chalda Mahasu, the constantly journeying deity at that point halting in Shiraji in Himachal Pradesh, and the other divine kings. Keeping track of the Chalda palanquin, and those of the others, was a constant challenge and people in remote locations in the Western Himalaya provided information as well as warm hospitality. I am indebted to all of them.
This work is part of my doctoral thesis submitted to the Faculty of Behavioural and Cultural Studies, University of Heidelberg. I am thankful to the SFB 619, Ritual Dynamics, Department of Anthropology at the South Asia Institute, University of Heidelberg, Germany, for generously supporting this research. The staff and colleagues all deserve my heartfelt thanks.
I am grateful to Professor William S. Sax for his support and guidance. Without the benefit of his deep insights on the social life and history of these mountains, this dissertation would not have been possible. I am also grateful to various scholars: Hans Harder, Klaus Peter Zoller, Shekhar Pathak, Peter Sutherland, Erik Moran, Ute Hüsken, Eric Venbrux, Christoph Bergmann, Jürgen Schaflechner, Niche-Ann Schröder, D.R. Purohit, Harish Naraindas, Karin Polit, Johannes Quack, Borayin Maitreya Larios, Eva Ambos, Justus Weiss, Hassan Ashraf, O.C. Handa, R.K. Singh, and several others, for inspiring discussions on my research. I must appreciate the meticulous record keeping at the India Office Records, British Library, London, where I spent long hours.
I am grateful to the ministers of Mahasu moieties, Jaipal Singh and Diwan Singh, and friends in the region, Raghubir Singh Rawat, Radhey Shyam Bijalwan, Jaisi Ram Jodhta, Mahesh Rajguru, Prahlad Rawat, Nandlal Bharti, and Lakshmikant Joshi for their support. Also of great help was Jayendra Dutt Dobhal, who accompanied me on field trips.
I am also grateful to Wendy Doniger for supporting this work, to John Keay for his encouragement, to Rukun Advani of Permanent Black, and to Christopher Ahn of SUNY Press – for their support.
Finally, I would like to thank my family and friends, whose forbearance allowed me to dedicate several years to this research.
Glossary
annas Old currency coins, replaced in the late 1950s; one anna was one-sixteenth of a rupee. badi Carpenter, usually denoting an occupational caste. badshah Ruler of the land. bajgi Drummer bards of Mahasu. Usually also messengers and singers of genealogies. bali, balidana Sacrifice, in propitiation or offering, to a deity. barabasha The twelve-yearly tour of Mahasu to either bank of the Tons. barah beesi The 240 Rajput clans who fought under the parasol of Chalda Mahasu. bhaat/bhat Singers and keepers of genealogies, usually denoting a caste. begar Compulsory labour provided by subjects to their rulers. bethu Serfs or persons who provided free agricultural labour, having no claim over the land they tilled, and bonded to their master’s land either ritualistically or for debt repayment. bhandari Storekeeper of the divine king, a temple official who assisted priests. Bhothu, Buatha The seated divine king. bir Demigods, deputies to the deity. Bolanda Badri Incarnation of Vishnu, Badrinath. The Raja of Tehri (formerly Garhwal) claimed the title; it proclaimed him as the mouthpiece of Lord Badrinath. Char Dham The four holy sites of Hinduism in Uttarakhand, namely Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri. chatra Ceremonial parasol of Chalda Mahasu; it accompanies his palanquin. chatrai Warrior groups that take pride in marching under Chalda Mahasu’s parasol. chauntroo/chauntru Council of clan elders. cheriya boli The high-pitched utterances of a possessed oracle. chowki Police or military post. dalit Members of the lowest and most oppressed castes. Dastur-al-Aml A legal document and proclamation of land settlement and revenue laws, initially promulgated by Mughal emperors. damru Bifocal membranophone with beads attached to both ends with strings. Shiva’s hand-held drum. dand Fine or levy imposed by a divinity. dangra A hand-held axe. devta A deity. dev karya The work of the deity. deopujya Priests of the Brahman caste belonging to clans allotted time to worship and collect offerings at Mahasu temples. devta raja Divine king. devta raja ka kaam Work of the divine king. dewal Drummer bards deputed to duties at the cult centre, the Mahasu temple at Hanol. dhakeur The outer threshold of the Mahasu temple, inside the courtyard. dhanti Out-married daughter. dhandak Public demonstrations and protests against officials of the human kings; through these, peasant communities, owing to their democratic character, believed they were enabling rulers to restore order. digvijaya Conquering of quarters through journeys undertaken. dhiyan Out-married daughter. dhumh Rebellion, insurrection, non-cooperation by peasants against rulers and their agents; refusal to accept orders from the ruling class. dolacra Tribute in the form of gold or silver offered to Mahasu. dos Retribution of Mahasu on account of offence caused by the inadvertent breaking of rules or disobedience. donriyan The cylindrical silver receptacle that serves as Mahasu’s symbol. gaddi Seat of power, throne. ganadhish A general in Shiva’s body of attendants. ghat (ghat lagana) To ensnare someone through a magic spell. ghee/ghi Clarified butter. gotra Patrilineal clan name. harul A ballad from Jaunsar. jal Water, usually referred to in political discourse as a resource. jajmana A patron performing a sacrifice conducted by a priest. jati Caste or subcaste. kalash The metal pinnacle of temples that represent the potentialities of life. Kanet, Kanait A revenue term used to denote the landowning peasantry of pre-British times. This term, extensively employed by the British in earlier times, became contentious later. kanphata jogi Mendicant followers of Gorakhnath, who are said to have lived in India in or before the twelfth century. Kanphata literally means “split ear’’, and these ascetics who venerate Shiva can be identified with the large rings they wear in their split ears. khat An administrative and revenue unit consisting of a number of villages. khanda Long double-edged sword carried by Mahasu warriors. khukri A Nepalese (Gurkha) knife with a curved blade, similar to a machete, used both as a tool and a weapon. khumri A general assembly of all heads of families of a clan or village. khund The warrior groups of Mahasu, the Rajput. Kolta The most depressed of the social groups in the Mahasu cult, condemned to performing menial tasks. kot Fortress. kut Share of the crop, given away as tribute to the divine king. lakshagriha The lacquer palace from the epic Mahabharata, built by the Kauravas, gifted to their siblings the Pandavas and their wife Draupadi, with the intention of getting rid of them by setting it on fire. maharaj Great king. maiyat Mother’s home or natal home, usually for outmarried daughters. mali Oracle of the divine king, a human, through whom the div