Sacred Smoke

Maniyarasan R

Sacred Smoke

Pilot-Project

Sacred Smoke Maniyarasan Rajendran

Guides: Deepak John Mathew & Sunil Gupta

Know no right or wrong - Know only Her Wishes fulfilled, no conditions applied Dare to give anything promised; After all it is all Hers’

Contents Acknowledgement Foreword Introduction Project Proposal Chapter 01 Hinduism: A religion of diversities and extremities:

Chapter 02 Festivals: The meaning of this conglomeration:

Chapter 03 Activities: Extremities:

Acknowledgement

In loving memory of Abhigna....

I would like to sincerely thank Dr.Deepak John Mathew (DJ as we fondly call him)for, without his enthusiasm and enormous faith, my photographic pursuits would have fallen out of track. Also, I would like to express my gratitude to Mr.Sunil Gupta for his help and guidance in the discussions and the thoughts he could provoke out of me. I would like to acknowledge all my aunts, uncles, brothers, cousins and Vivek for giving company and showing me around these mystical places that I could capture. As always, Dr.Ranjana Mital, Surbhi, Rajkumar and Francis, and all my friends. Ankur and Boga for their patience, valuable company and most importantly for the Space.

And of course Appa, Amma and Sruti...

Foreword Divinity in the recent past has been limited to perceiving the temple as a place of worship. The city knows these places as a weekly affair or in some cases a compulsion against will. On the contrary, the institution of a temple has been serving as an indigenous multi-faceted establishment from times immemorial. It was a sacred space, in terms of imparting education, sheltering the destitute, feeding the needy, providing employment; its traditional intentions were to discipline life under the cover of religious practices. Over the times, these practices morphed into something more fanatical and out of these arose many superstitions and beliefs that gradually combined the essence of the establishment into practices more severe.

Never- the- less, they serve as a reminder of the immense knowledge of the fore-runners and now act as the reins holding the community together.

The actual spirit of this institution still lingers in the villages and the towns where the various practices hold an immense value and meaning to the believer.

The aim of this project; hence is to document the quintessence of the human behaviour which runs into extreme deeds, putting all the reasons in the name of the God. All these acts of eccentricities that render their essence to a sacred space, continuing from the past traditions and just not merging with modernity, is what I intend to show-case. I also would be portraying the Human fervour bordering on the edge of insanity at times, in the name of “Sacred Smoke�.

Maniyarasan R

Source: www.wikimapia.org, Edited: Author

Source: www.wikimapia.org, Edited: Author

This project was mostly based upon the temple sites located between Madurai and Rameshwaram. The above map gives a clear indication of the locations where the photographs and experiences were recorded.

Saved so much for this day, So many comforts that I chose to stay away, Oh! The price I had to pay, To come here and show my faith.

Faithful I am indeed!

To surrender myself, for all that She gave , Enduring Pain for you, for all that you’ve made true Your mighty presence everywhere, I have given up all my airs!

Indeed...So much for this day!

INTRODUCTION Divinity in India takes many forms and meanings in terms of its practices and beliefs of Hinduism. Over the times, these religious practices multiplied and morphed into a wide variety of unimaginable and at times incomprehensible beliefs. The richness and cultural complexity in the vast sub-continent are clearly evident through these diverse practices of a common belief- “Divinity”. Through their variety, they serve as a reminder of the immense knowledge of the fore-runners and now act as the reins holding the community together. However, these practices in their true essence are now found only in a few places through the subcontinent and are slowly fading away into the sands of time.

The village temples, which, unlike the religious institutions in the city, act as a strong binding force bringing the society together, serve as a platform to showcase the expression of devotion of the people, which sometimes borders on the edge of sanity. The actual spirit of divinity and these practices still lingers in these villages where the various traditions hold an immense value and meaning to the believer. So, in an effort to capture the slowly waning practices and culture, I’ve chosen the legendary temple town of Madurai and it’s its innumerable temples in the surrounding villages, to bring out the actual essence of the establishment of a religious institution and to depict the traditions that the community as a whole, practice and swear by. Every minute expression, act and gesture of these devotees thronging the temples, to show their submissiveness and immense faith, tells a story which needs to be understood and preserved in such a manner that it can be re-told to the future generations, before it becomes- just another superstition, buried in the plains of a mythical India.

Hinduism is a clear practical concept to the majority of adherents, many expressed a problem arriving at a definition of the term, mainly because of the wide range of traditions and ideas incorporated or covered by it.

Sometimes referred to as a religion, Hinduism is more often defined as a religious tradition. It is described as both the oldest of the world’s religions and most diverse in religious traditions. A variety of views co-exist within the Hindu religious traditions regarding certain particular rituals as essential for salvation. Inspite of it most Hindu traditions revere a body of religious or sacred literature, the Vedas, with the exceptions being present as well.

occult beliefs. At a time when the average man’s life is determined by economic motives and security, this may be the new kind of insurance he seeks against economic and physical insecurity.

Audience

As a topographical way of representing the whole project, the idea here is to show the experience of the “Life” around these village temples, as it is. This whole project is aiming at a way where audience can see what happens and experience the entire life, or at least some of it if not, completely. The behaviour of the devotees, with the expressions and emoSimilarly some suggest that Hinduism can be seen as a category with tions, act as the vital part of this project. “fuzzy edges”, rather than a well defined and rigid entity. Some forms of religious expression are central to Hinduism, while others are not as For the sake of the documentation, the provision of the pictures and central but still within the category. illustrations within the feasible formats for book will be made and done alongwith. Efforts will also go into putting these pictures to public will That differences of traditions are very omnipresent within the geo- also be done. graphical variations as well. For example, “Tamil culture” shall immediately evoke the image of the towering gopuram (entrance gateways) of Spending enough time to go through the sequence of a devotee is very the Hindu temple, at once a commanding grandeur and solemnity; of a important. beautiful dancing girl, decked out in all her finery, graceful and lovely; to the literary minded, of the squatting sage Tiruvalluvar with his palm-leaf Primary Background and stylus; to the gastronomically inclined, of idli (a rice and lentil batter) and sambar (lentils, vegetable and tamarind). The identity varies upon the The historical perspective. There has to be basic information about the each culture and community in the Hindu religion. history and structure of Hinduism to start. Formation and historical background of the set of beliefs within the religion to be researched.

Religion continues to be a dominant force in the lives of Tamils. In fact, one observes more pronounced increase in the interest in religion and

The truths of religion- its understanding, the details of the structure and • While trying to create a panoramic experience, I am sure to go dynamics. through the nuances of the software protocol on stitching, editing, etc., other than the photography techniques with a Tripod and camera.

• Being my home at Madurai, not much to worry about other exterResearch Requirements nal matters as well, which are taken care of by default.

I will be needing the permission of the authorities of the temple Lot of reading in terms of gaining knowledge about the religion and • temple. Here there is also a need to look into the City in context with the administration whereever the restriction applies. In any cae I wouldn’t need permission to shoot within the main Sanctum of the complex, as temple construction as well. the main structure of this proposal do not involve the Sanctum Sanctorums’ spaces and deities.

• Meeting God- Elements of Hindu Devotion, Stephen P.Huyler.

• Sacred city of India, Banaras.

• The soft editing part will be happening alongside, while the harder • Delhi- idea of a city, Romi Khosla. part of printing or mounting into an installation will happen back in the • The sacred city, Banaras. institute. Since the project already needs an accurate work to an extent where errors can be minimized, it has been a conscious decision on my part to shoot the whole project in the digital RAW format.

• The focus here is completely on the subject and the presentation, Skills & Resources Requirements whereas the exploration of the mediums will be done in the forthcoming Belonging to the temple city, it has been always pleasant to visit and walk project after this. around the local temples, whenever I get back to Home. It was only rational for me, to take up subject which I really zeal of, given an opportunity. Besides that, as a part of my under graduation, in the subject Limitations of “History of architecture”, I had an instance during my second year to study about the history of Temple and Religion. At this juncture, I Because of the vast scale of the topic chosen and the limited time frame would like to take it from where I left 3 years before. This means that, the of the project, all the extents of the sub-continent could not be covered. basic knowledge and the study has been already done, and I am required Hence the research had been limited to the temple town of Madurai, to purely look into this particular project of Documenting Life around which serves as a culmination of all the south Indian- religious practices.

Temples, without wasting much of time. Other than doing this study and Religion for the devotees is an, ecstatic response to an intensely personal documentation, here I am challenged technically and emotionally. experience hence the views and interpretations cannot be generalized but are completely my own and are not meant to de-grade any customs

or beliefs.

• To sense that our life could be richer, more tuned to the eternal, through simple ritual and poignant images.

• There are books and texts which describe the Hindu religious canon, but there are few that attempt to give a sense of many ways that this religion permeates the daily lives of the people.

• Not to deal with the history, but to demonstrate the presence of the religion in the contemporary context, in the people’s life who live here.

• Concise depictions and analysis of practices that is intrinsic to the Objective behaviour and activities happen within the Life of Hinduism.

Kinds of innate Hindu people- Priest, saint, etc., relationship with The main objective is to capture those moments as they are. The struggle • will be to portray the dynamics of the extremities of life within the re- the people and descriptions of their typical day and activities. ligion and festivals. The people inside this border continue to live and carry on their lives as much as anyone outside the same would be. When any one from outer world goes through so much of grind and check in Methodology this ever liable world, there is another community is living within. When festival means a celebration, it becomes the life for some. The religion A complete literature survey was made on the topics of divinity and the of Hindu is not just colorful and entrancing, but also very absorbing too, Indian Context. This comprised of during festivals. It is not practiced by ordinary people on ordinary days and usually in ordinary places, but all that ordinariness is transformed o Library studies. by an imagination for the infinite that is vivid, passionate, and remark- o Gaining from people’s personal views ably sophisticated, and articulated with great subtlety, during the festival o Interviews season. o Case studies of similar traditions and research • There are lots of limitations in terms of the skill requirement.

Since it is dealing with the shots of extreme activities of the devotees, the moments, expressions and emotions of them, once missed is missed for an year.

• Since there is lot of possibility of errors involved in this, enough buffer days is needed as well, to re-shoot is anything goes wrong at some point.

The religion comes together of two potent spheres: the hard work of Site visits were made and observations and interpretations based on these the daily survival and the limitless imagination that gives such vitality to visits were recorded. ritual, story, painting, shrines, statuary, temples, and gestures, to note just a few elements of puja.

The final stage comprised of spending a month’s time on the site and with the people so as to get a complete understanding of the preparations that they undergo to perform such rituals.All the above stages were accompanied by visual documentation and capturing every minute detail involved in the research work.

Proposal schedule Date

Task

01/03 to 15/03 Proposal and Preliminary Studies on the Subject 16/03 to 17/03 Walk around the temple and the complex 18/03 to 24/03 Shooting in and around the temple complex 25/03 to 27/03 Talks with the people staying around 28/03 to 31/03 Check up of the shot material 01/04 to 05/03 Working on the Technical Part of the Project 06/03 to 10/03 Printing and Setting up of the Installation

Location

NID Ahmedabad Madurai Madurai Madurai Madurai NID Ahmedabad NID Ahmedabad

Sometimes referred to as a religion, Hinduism is more often defined as a religious tradition. It is therefore described as both the oldest of the world’s religions and most diverse in religious traditions.

Personal relationship between the devotee and the god is Hinduism’s main characteristic, and worship is a fervent personal experience in response to divine grace.

Religion for the devotees is no longer a matter of contemplation of a transcendent, impersonal absolute, but of ecstatic response to an intensely personal experience. This leads to a profound sense of the devotee’s own shortcomings and to a trustful recourse to the god’s forgiveness, with the whole personality being surrendered to the deity.

Hindus believe in many many gods (each of which represents an aspect of life, e.g. water, crops, fertility and health to name a few) who are all part of one ultimate, formless deity. Besides a wide diverse set of beliefs, it has a set of customs and traditions that were synonymous with the people of India.

Whenever righteousness declines And unrighteousness increases, I make myself a body; In every age I come back To deliver the holy, To destroy the sin of the sinner, To establish righteousness.

India’s village temples owe their origin to a belief in the various manifestatiions--malevolent and benevolent--of the spirit of nature, and to a conviction that God dwells in all animate and inanimate phenomena-trees, rivers, mountains, water-tanks, the sea, lightning and the wind.

They are also connected to the fertility cult so widely prevalent throughout the ancient world.Also they house a village Goddess who protects the villagers, decides their fate and guides them like a fond mother.

In the village temples communication between the devotee and the deity is direct and so the feeling of attachment is more intimate. The divine spirit is always present in the village temple and anyone can go and worship directly. Whatever the offering, or whatever the form in which it is made, the village god is pleased.

Most of these village deities have their shrines on the periphery (border or outskirts) of the village as a representation of their Village Guardian position. Hence they are referred as “Peripheral Folk Deity�.

The cult of the village god was mainly responsible for sustaining and fostering folk arts.. So spirited are these folk songs that even people who are in their houses rush towards the sound of the music in a trance and sometimes thousands of people can be seen on these occasions, marching, singing and dancing.

Festivals: The meaning of this conglomeration:

Every celebration centres around the rituals of prayer, seeking blessings, exchanging goodwill, decorating houses, wearing new cloths, music, dance and feasting.

Festivals, of many types, serve to meet specific needs, as well as to provide entertainment. These times of celebration offer a sense of belonging for religious, social, or geographical groups. In the past times, festivals were times when the elderly shared stories and transferred certain knowledge to the next generation.

In India every region and every religion has something to celebrate. The festivals reflect the vigour and life-style of its people. Vibrant colours, music and festivity make the country come alive throughout the year.

People flock together with their families and relatives to the temple location starting days before from their home, travelling in their bullock carts.

They wait for this time and preparations for this time, starts long before it happens.

Festivals celebrated by varied cultures and through their special rituals add to the colours of Indian Heritage. Some festivals welcome the seasons of the year, the harvest, the rains, or the full moon. Others celebrate religious occasions, the birthdays of divine beings, saints, and gurus (revered teachers), or the advent of the New Year.

A number of these festivals are common to most parts of India. However, they may be called by different names in various parts of the country or may be celebrated in a different fashion.

A festival is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on some unique aspect of that community.

In past times, festivals were times when the elderly shared stories and transferred certain knowledge to the next generation. Historic feasts often provided a means for unity among families and for people to find mates. Select anniversaries have annual festivals to commemorate previous significant occurrences.

Extremities This expression of devotion often takes the form of walking barefoot over fire, piercing one’s body with decorated needles or lances, or carrying firepots in one’s arms. Both men and women take part in such devotions.

In all these instances of the worship of the dead as the village gods, the offering consists of all types of food and other things that had pleased the dead person while he was alive. Offerings of animal flesh and liquor are quite common models of worship.

Animals sacrifice is often misunderstood and blown up out of proportion. It arises out of the eating habits of the people. The simple concept behind this offering is that whatever one eats is first ceremoniously offered to the deity. The chicken and goat are offered in the presence of the deity, cooked and then consumed by the worshipper. There are some temples where even specially prepared cigars are offered.