Encountering the Goddess in the Indian Himalaya: On the Contribution of Ethnographic Film to the Study of Religion
Arik Moran
Religions November 25, 2021 DOI: 10.3390/rel12111021 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Ethnographic film Exorcism Goddess Himalaya Hinduism Khas |
| Citations | 5 |
| Key points | Argues that ethnographic film reveals instructive gaps between colloquial descriptions of divinities and their practical manifestation in ritual, illustrated by the contrast between the goddess as a virgin-child in dreams and a menacing mother in spirit possession séances among the Khas of Himachal Pradesh. |
Abstract
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.