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Tamil Jains: An Overview Overview
The Tamil Jains of IndiaModule
Kalamezhuthu Pattu of KeralaOverview
Rituals
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Tamil Jains are a minority within a minority. There are just over 25,000 Tamil Jains—this number includes Jains who migrated from north India. Within the state of Tamil Nadu, they comprise around 0.12 per cent of the population (Census 2015). They are not obviously visible in the public sphere…
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There is a tendency to conflate different facets of minorities’ identities—particularly their religious, cultural, ethnic, and linguistic aspects. For instance, when one thinks about Jains, Marwaris and Gujaratis come to mind immediately. But Jainism is not just the religion of these two regional…
in Overview
Tamil Jains have been a part of the regional history of south India for over two millennia. From an omnipresent community a millennium ago to a marginalised one in the 21st century, they are today in the predicament of trying to find place for themselves in a world that has forgotten them. My main…
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Surangama Dasgupta: You are a priest and a tantra practitioner. You perform several rituals. I want to ask you a few questions regarding mudra in worship rituals. While performing mantra or Sanskrit chants, you use some mudras. I want to discuss about those.
Subroto Bhattacharya: Mudra, our…
in Interview
The first ritual of kalamezhuthu pattu is uchapaatt, which evokes the presence of the deity inside the paattumandapam. Thottam has two segments: the first is about other deities and second about the particular deity to which the ritual is dedicated (here, it is Vettakkorumakan).
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Festivals, rituals, and practices play a vital role in enriching the cultural heritage of India. Kerala, its southernmost state, occupies a major position on the cultural map of the country. Worship-related rituals contribute heavily towards this. The custom of worship dates back many centuries;…
in Overview
Kalamezhuthu Pattu is a mode of worship and a ritualistic art form unique to Kerala. Also known as kalam pattu or simply, pattu, it involves creating the form of favourite deities on the floor, singing songs in their praise, and finally, erasing the drawings through ritualistic dance steps.…
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Once upon a time, in one of the villages in Kangra valley, there lived a small family of a mother, son and his wife. The family owned a field where they grew rice, wheat, corn, maize and some vegetables. It was the time to harvest rice, but the son had gone far away with his livestock. The…
in Overview