One God, Two Goddesses, Three Studies Of South Indian Cosmology (jerusalem Studies In Religion And Culture)

One, God, Two Goddesses presents three studies, one of Tamil myths of the god Murugan and two of goddess rituals: Gangamma in Tirupati and Paiditalli in Vizianagaram, both in Andhra Pradesh. All three essays search for lineaments of the cosmos that these deities inhabit and shape. These cosmoi are characterised by the dynamism of their incessant interior movement. Should they become still, they would die. Deities activate and regenerate such a cosmos. The dynamism of Murugan’s cosmos eliminates the chaotic. Through ritual, Gangamma regenerates her cosmos through feminising it. Through ritual, Paiditalli annually re-grows the historic little kingdom of Vizianagaram, regenerating its kingship. All three studies point to the need to rethink cosmology in South India. One God, Two Goddesses presents three studies, one of Tamil myths of the god Murugan and two of goddess rituals: Gangamma in Tirupati and Paiditalli in Vizianagaram, both in Andhra Pradesh. All three essays search for lineaments of the cosmos that these deities inhabit and shape. These cosmoi are characterised by the dynamism of their incessant interior movement. Should they become still, they would die. Dieties activate and regenerate such a cosmos. The dynamism of Murugan's regenerates her cosmos through feminizing it. Through ritual, Paiditalli annually re-grows the historic little kingdom of Vizianagaram, regenerating its kingship. All three studies point to the need to rethink cosmology in South India. Book jacket 1 Bruce Kapferer: The Cosmic Vortex and Don Handelman’s Anthropological Vision: A Personal View 2 Don Handelman: Myths of Murugan: Asymmetry and Hierarchy in a South Indian Puranic Cosmology 3 Don Handelman: The Guises of the Goddess and the Transformation of the Male: Gangamma’s Visit to Tirupati, and the Continuum of Gender 4 Don Handelman, M. V. Krishnayya and David Shulman: Growing a Kingdom: The Goddess of Depth in Vizianagaram One God, Two Goddesses studies through their deities three very different South Indian cosmic worlds whose existence depends on their incessant dynamism, which is deeply and intimately related to ongoing transformation and regeneration By Don Handelman. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 211-213) And Index.