Abstract
It is said that India is a cradle of vibrant culture, diverse forms of religion, and belief systems. Religion in India is characterized by the diversity of religious beliefs and practices. The diversity is also visible in the sphere of its worshipping forms and patterns. On the one hand some worship God, goddess. and local deities and on the very other hand some adulate spirits, nature, and ancestors. The culture of remembering the ancestors and taking their blessings is very much prevalent among the tribes and other populations earlier and whereas now it has reduced its vigor due to culture contact with other people, breakdown of joint family system, urbanization, migration and socio-cultural development. But then the ancestors are considered to be the guarding stars to the living generations in many of the tribal societies still. But due to the changes in the culture, the worshipping pattern and paying homage has been changed. Now, the people only remember their ancestors on the special occasions and the every day worship is not ubiquitous like they do for their mother goddess or kul devta. This paper examines the practice of ancestor worship in the early societies and at the present societies and argues the changes in the pattern of ancestor worship. It also points out the beliefs behind the ancestor worship in India and across the globe. The paper draws its inferences from secondary data, which is gathered from both the published and unpublished sources.
Presenters
Eswarappa KasiAssistant Professor, Tribal Studies, Art, Culture and Folk Literature, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Madhya Pradesh, India
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2021 Special Focus - Voices from the Edge: Negotiating the Local in the Global
KEYWORDS
Culture, Religion, Belief, Ancestors Worship, Blessings, India
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