Death Rituals and Change Among Hindu Nadars in a South Indian Village

Title

Death Rituals and Change Among Hindu Nadars in a South Indian Village

Creator

Prakash L.T.O.; Kennedy J.J.

Description

This article examines changes in the death rituals performed among Hindu Nadars in a South Indian village. It emphasises the importance of understanding ritual changes within their specific micro-level local contextual framework, including changing social structures at household and village level. This empirical evidence showcases how changing rituals connected to death reflect various adaptations through imitation, substitution and alteration of specific ritual elements and performants. It also identifies emerging class distinctions among Nadars and their connection with changes in rituals associated with death. This analysis of the changes depicts how Nadars use ritual actions in pragmatic ways, symbolically expressing and realising their aspirations for status enhancement through such ritual performances. 2021 SAGE Publications.

Source

South Asia Research, Vol-41, No. 2, pp. 171-186.

Date

2021-01-01

Publisher

Sage Publications India Pvt. Ltd

Subject

caste; death rituals; Hinduism; Nadars; sanskritisation; social change

Coverage

Prakash L.T.O., Christ University, Bangalore, India; Kennedy J.J., Christ University, Bangalore, India

Rights

Restricted Access

Relation

ISSN: 2627280

Format

Online

Language

English

Type

Article

Identifier

https://doi.org/10.1177/02627280211000167

https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85104895382&doi=10.1177%2f02627280211000167&partnerID=40&md5=9461f7029f48239ba149525b3e028b1a