Understanding Culture and Society in India : A Study of Sufis, Saints and Deities in Jammu Region

This book is an in-depth account of people’s cultural and religious life in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It brings out the significance of Sufi and deity shrines as alternative places of worship that give meaning and purpose to people’s lives. It includes sites and practices commonly associated with Islam/Sufism and Hinduism as spaces of shared culture. Most of the existing literature of Jammu and Kashmir is on Kashmir focusing mostly on topics such as politics, state, identity, conflict or violence. This book proposes to go beyond these works by delimiting the focus and area of the study to culture, society and religion. It explores the sites of religious pluralism and tolerance in the violence-ridden territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The chapters are mainly based on ethnographic data collected through qualitative methods like observation – participant and non-participant, case studies, in-depth interviews and oral history. The book is of interest to researchers, both faculty and graduate students, in the areas of sociology of religion, social anthropology, religious studies, cultural studies, Sufism, shrines and deity worship in South Asia. Foreword 5 Introduction 7 Contents 39 Editor and Contributors 41 1 Shared Sacred Spaces: The Sufi Shrines of Jammu Region 44 1 Jammu: Mixed Society and Syncretic Cultural Ethos 44 2 Representation of Jammu City: A City of Temples and a City of Shrines 45 3 Sufi Shrines: Patronage by the Rulers 48 4 Sufi Shrines as Part of Jammu’s Culture 50 5 Religious Ambivalence and Popularity Across Religious Divide 51 6 Conclusion 54 References 55 2 The Sufi Shrines of Kishtwar: Dargah of Shah Farid-ud-Din and Shah Asrar-ud-Din 56 1 Introduction 56 2 Sufism and Sufi Shrines in Kishtwar 58 3 Shah Farid-ud-Din and Shah Asrar-Ud-Din: History, Legends and Events 64 4 Inter-community Relations in Kishtwar: Impact of Sufi Saints and Sufi Shrines 69 5 Conclusion 73 References 74 3 Sufism and the Khanqah of Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah in Shahdara Sharief: An Ethnographic Fathom 75 1 Sufism and Sufi Masters in Islam 76 2 The Khanqah and the Tomb 79 3 Arrival of Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah in Shahdara, Rajouri 85 4 The Miracles and the Orange Tree 88 5 The Religious Function and Celebration of Urs 93 6 Beyond the Concept of Khanqah: Emerging Hub of Education and Social-Welfare 96 7 Conclusion 97 References 99 4 The Mystic Sufi Saint in Jammu: Peer Baba Budhan Ali Shah 101 1 Discourse on Mysticism in Classical Sociology 102 2 Sufism, Syncretism, and Symbiotic Relationship 103 3 Sufism in Jammu and Kashmir 106 4 The Dargah of Baba Budhan Ali Shah in Jammu City 108 5 Ethnographic Accounts at the Dargah 111 6 Deg Pakana (Preparing Food/Cooking) 112 7 Oil Offering to Chirag (Lamp) in Dargah 113 8 Faith, Belief and Wishes Granted 114 9 Mythical Stories of Baba in the Course of Narratives 116 10 In Dilemma of Devotion and Religion 117 11 Social and Economic Aspects of the Dargah 119 12 Conclusion 121 References 123 5 Cultural and Religious Perspectives on the Sufi Shrines: Khori Baba Dargah on the Line of Control in District Rajouri 125 1 Introduction 125 2 Jammu and Kashmir Ethnography: Setting the Scene 126 3 Rajouri: The Locale 127 4 Nowshera: Rajouri’s Frontier with Nine Lion Gates 130 5 History of the Shrine of Khori Baba 131 6 The Shrine, the Temple and the Army 135 7 The Bonds that Unite the Communities 136 8 The Architecture 137 9 The Shrine and the Shelled Borders 137 10 The Questions 138 11 Conclusion 141 References 141 6 The Healing Touch Saint: Baba Chamliyal Shrine at the International Border in Samba District 143 1 The Context 144 2 The Shrine of Baba Chamliyal 146 3 Administration of the Baba Chamliyal Shrine 153 4 The Mela: Annual Fair 154 5 The Rules and Restrictions at the Baba Chamliyal Shrine 157 6 The Healing Touch: Narratives of the Patients at the Shrine 161 7 Conclusion 168 References 169 7 Documenting the Folk Deities of Jammu Region 170 1 Background 170 2 Typology and Nature of the Deities 172 2.1 Gram-Devtas (Village Gods) 172 2.2 Gram-Devis (Village Goddesses) 173 2.3 Naag-Devtas (Serpent Deities) 174 2.4 Shaheed-Devtas (Martyr Deities) 174 2.5 Silabantis (Sati Deities) 176 2.6 Aaghat-Devtas (Exotic Deities) 177 3 Geographical Spread of the Folk Deities 177 4 Forms of Folk Deities 178 5 Shrines of the Folk Deities and Their Architectural Style 179 6 Rituals Associated with Folk Deities 180 6.1 Performance of Maile or Annual Congregation 182 6.2 Performance of Jaatra 183 6.3 Performance of Karaks 183 6.4 Persons/Social Groups Associated with Rituals and Other Activities 185 7 Concluding the Findings 186 References 188 8 Understanding the Concept of Shakti: Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in Jammu 189 1 Introduction 189 2 Understanding the Concept of Shakti 191 3 Who Is Mata Vaishno Devi? 193 4 Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine: Cultural Landscape, Myths, and Legends 194 5 History of Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine 199 6 Mata Vaishno Devi: The Shrine Board 201 7 Performance of Rituals at Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine 204 8 Mata’s Call and Sacred Slogans (Jaikara) 205 9 Sacred Pindis and Other Religious Symbols 206 10 Aarti at the Shrine 208 11 The Reasons of Mata’s Popularity 210 12 Mata Vaishno Devi and the Himalayan Goddesses 211 13 Concluding Remarks 213 References 214 9 Religiosity, Ritual Practices, and Folk Deity Worship: Bawa Jitto Shrine in Marh Block of Jammu Region 216 1 Background 216 2 Religion, Modernity and Contemporary Society 219 3 Kul-Deity Worship Among Dogra Community of Jammu Region 221 4 Dynamics of Sacred Complex of Bawa Jitto: Beliefs and Ritual Practices 224 4.1 Legend of Bawa Jitto 224 4.2 The Geographical Location of the Sacred Site 226 4.3 Bawa-Da-Tallab 227 4.4 Beliefs and Rituals Practices During Jhiri-Ka-Mela 228 5 Summing Up 230 References 231 10 Naghui Tewhaar and Deity Worship: A Folk Festival at the Goddess Chandi Temple in Machail Village of Padar Region 233 1 Folk Deity and Folk Hinduism 234 2 Chandi Mata Temple at Machail in Padar Region 235 3 Naghui Tewhaar: A Festive Celebration on the Culmination of Puhaali and Restrictive Sawan 240 4 Religious Restrictions During Puhaali 242 4.1 Milk and Milk Products 242 4.2 Teetotalism 243 4.3 Food Neutrality 243 4.4 Celibacy 244 4.5 Forbearance 245 4.6 Other Restrictions on Puhaal 245 5 Puhaali: Reasons for Decline 246 6 Closure of the Temple During the Month of Sawan in the Padar Region 246 7 Celebration of Naghui Tewhaar 247 8 Conclusion 252 References 253 11 Naag Deity Worship in Bhaderwah: A Case Study of Jaatra Ritual 255 1 Introduction 255 2 Naag Worship in India 257 3 Naag Lords in Bhaderwah of Jammu Region 262 4 Jaatra Ritual 265 5 Conclusion 271 References 272 12 Living Tradition and Faith Galore: Baba Ballo Devasthan of Village Mathwar in Jammu 273 1 Introduction 274 2 Kul-Devta/Kul-Devi Traditions of Jammu 276 3 Apotheosis of Baba Ballo and Emergence of Sacred Place at Village Mathwar 279 4 Devasthan at Village Mathwar 281 5 Village Mathwar: The Sacred Grove 286 6 Conclusion 289 References 290 13 Datti Ji: Folk Deity Worship Among the Jamwal-Pandit Clan of Jammu 292 1 Introduction 292 2 Hinduism: Its Classical and Folk Forms 293 3 The Jamwal-Pandits: A Clan of Brahmins in Jammu Region 296 4 Datti Ji: The Folk Clan Deity of Jamwal-Pandits 298 5 Maile Congregations 301 6 Other Rituals Associated with the Worship of Datti Ji 304 7 Datti Ji: The Protector, Punisher, Provider, and Forgiver 310 8 Believers from Within and Outside the Community 313 9 Folk Deity Worship: Adapting New Forms 314 10 Conclusion 316 References 318 Epilogue 320 Glossary 325 Author Index 332 Subject Index 336 "This book is an in-depth account of people's cultural and religious life in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It brings out the significance of Sufi and deity shrines as alternative places of worship that give meaning and purpose to people's lives. It includes sites and practices commonly associated with Islam/Sufism and Hinduism as spaces of shared culture. Most of the existing literature of Jammu and Kashmir is on Kashmir focusing mostly on topics such as politics, state, identity, conflict or violence. This book proposes to go beyond these works by delimiting the focus and area of the study to culture, society and religion. It explores the sites of religious pluralism and tolerance in the violence-ridden territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The chapters are mainly based on ethnographic data collected through qualitative methods like observation--participant and non-participant, case studies, in-depth interviews and oral history. The book is of interest to researchers, both faculty and graduate students, in the areas of sociology of religion, social anthropology, religious studies, cultural studies, Sufism, shrines and deity worship in South Asia."--Back cover