The Essential Elements in the Religious Traditions of Dalits and Their Corrective Aspects to the Hegemonic Religions and

Societies 1.0. Introduction: The idea of a common Indian religious tradition is prevalent that seeks to absorb various indigenous Dalit and Tribal religious traditions into the umbrella of Hinduism. Various scholars have showed that the Dalits have their own religious traditions independent of Hinduism. This paper attempts to bring the essential elements in the Religious Traditions of Dalits and how they stand as correctives to the hierarchical oppressive religions and societies. 1.1. Lack of Resources/Documentation: Historiographers mainly use the Temple inscriptions and literature to construct history. Therefore in the histories, the voice of those who were kept away from the temples which were controlled by the caste Hindu communities, and alienated from literature are not heard.1 On the other hand the religious beliefs and practices of Dalits are interpreted as an extension of the beliefs of Caste Hinduism.2 In spite of these factors there are certain essential elements that stand distinct in the Dalit Religious Traditions. 1.2. Folklore: Folklore is the oral literature that is handed down to us from generation to generation through oral tradition. It generally includes folk songs, folk dances, folk tales, superstitions, myths, etc. It may also include folk speech, folk architecture, folk cookery, folk costumes, the notion of time in folk society, folk literature, folk play and folk arts and crafts.3 In a world that is biased towards logocentrism, the folklore of the Dalits tell alternative stories to the religious stories of caste Hindus about the origin of Dalits. A myth of Chura community in Punjab tells of its origin that a Brahman ancestor was tricked into removing the carcass of a cow with an assurance that he wont be an outcaste but outcasted him away. The Paraiyar Commnuity in Tamil Nadu also has a similar tale that two brothers went to God and God asked them to remove a dead cow and the elder brother told God En Thambi Paarpaan -My brother will do it, but God misheard it as En Thambi Paapaan -My brother is Brahmin and thus they were formed. These myths point out a deeper truth that there was one time in which all were equal, but in the name of God and purity-pollution ideas, they (the Dalits) were tricked into oppression.4

1 2

Sathianathan Clarke, Dalits and Christianity (New Delhi: Oxford Universtiy Press, 1998), 59-60. Sathianathan Clarke, Dalit Religion as a Resourceful Symbolic Domain: A Crtical Review of Theories of Religion and a Constructive Proposition to Glean the Richness of Dalit Subjectivity, Religion and Society 49/2 (2004): 30. 3 Chitrasen Pasayat, Tribe, Caste and Folk Culture quoted in Sathianathan Clarke, Dalit Religion as a Resourceful, 43. 4 Philip Vinod Peacock, In the Beginning is also an End. Expounding and Exploring Theological Resourcefulness of Myths of Dalit Origins, Dalit Theology in the Twenty-first Century edited by Sathinathan Clarke et al. (New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2010), 88. 74-92.

These can be used as a corrective to the hegemonic stories of the Manu Dharmic Sanskrit Hinduism. 1.3. Deities: The deities of the Dalit religion usually have names in the local language. Though Sanskritisation has threatens to co-opt the Dalit religion into the fold of Hinduism, the local names survive. Appavoo records some names of Dalit Deities which has also got a sanskritised name, in Tamil Nadu. Tamil Name Sanskrit Name Periyayi (Great Mother)..........Angkalaparameswari Mina.Minakshi KuththandavarNatarajar Kongaiamma (mother of the breast)..Gangaparameswari 5 In his study of the Paraiyar religion Clarke records that they believe in one supreme, omnipresent Spiritual Being or Sakti (Divine Power). Various goddesses like Gengaiamman, Thandumari, Padavattamman, Muthumariamman, Ellaiyamman, Mariyamman, etc are worshipped but it is believed that they are manifestation of the one Supreme Being. It is interesting to note that the representations are all feminine but as opposed to the Hindu representation, no one goddess is a wife, consort or progeny of any male god, they are independent. It shows that they are not under the Hindu gods in anyway nor are the objects of sexual pursuit. It seems to resist patriarchy as well.6 1.4. Beliefs: There is a belief that God is not chained to any symbol or the idol. The deity possesses any one of the members of the community when there is a festival. The deity comes on the people only when the community is gathered. If a possession takes place separately it is considered to be evil spirit. The possessed person speaks as the deity her/himself.7 This shows that the Dalits do not seek to possess, protect and control their deities, rather are seen as being possessed and protected by them. 1.5. Worship: The Dalit worship is always corporate. The Deity cannot be worshipped individually. If there is enmity between two persons or family, the deity cannot be worshipped. The deities force people to be in solidarity. The temple is often not divided into separate spaces of sacredness and people gather around the deity for worship. The worship place is like arena theatre, the deity in the centre and the people gather around the deity, who is seen as the source of unity. This can be

James Theophilius Appavoo, Dalit Religion Indigenous People: Dalits. Dalit Issues in Todays Theological Debate, edited by James Massey (Delhi: ISPCK, 1994): 114. 6 Sathianathan Clarke, Dalits and Christianity, 71-72. 7 James Theophilius Appavoo, Dalit Religion Indigenous People, 116-117.

seen to emphasis equality of all members of the community and there is no division among them.8

Priests refer Clarke;s book role of priest not to posses god!!! Rituals Hot and cold/ dances, training for war rituals of walking on fire, cock sacrifies, throwin clarke Shrines Sacrifices Symbols Drum that is beyond word and letter The goddess it self a symbol of constructive and resistive symbol.

Festivals Time of celebration, active passive participation p120, women treated equally Conclusion:

Ibid., 116.