Weaving the Body and the Cosmos: Two Menstrual Festivals in Northeastern India.

This paper explores the cultural context and ecological implications of two menstrual festivals in northeastern India: Rajaparba in Orissa and Ambuvaci in Kamakhya, Assam. We argue that these festivals are extremely fruitful sites to explore questions of women and power in religious communities wher...

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Publicado en:Worldviews: Global Religions, Culture & Ecology Vol. 24; no. 3; pp. 245 - 285
Autores principales: Apffel-Marglin, Frédérique, Jean, Julia A.
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Brill Academic Publishers 2020
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Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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        atl: Weaving the Body and the Cosmos: Two Menstrual Festivals in Northeastern India.
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        au:
          Apffel-Marglin, Frédérique
          Jean, Julia A.
        affil: Smith College USA Northampton, MA
      su:
        Festivals
        Social change
        Religious communities
        Goddesses
        India
      sug:
        subj:
          India
          Festivals
          Social change
          Religious communities
          Goddesses
      keyword:
        earth
        eastern India
        goddess
        menstruation
        tantra
        women
      ab: This paper explores the cultural context and ecological implications of two menstrual festivals in northeastern India: Rajaparba in Orissa and Ambuvaci in Kamakhya, Assam. We argue that these festivals are extremely fruitful sites to explore questions of women and power in religious communities where the Goddess is a central focus as well as their ecological implications for an integral worldview. These festivals, usually held at the beginning of the monsoon when the Hindu Goddess menstruates, are times when the earth is regenerated, when the body of the Goddess is regenerated, and when women and communities are regenerated in various ways. Participants report that pilgrimages to these festivals are indeed transformative and have positive impacts on their lives. As a result, we critique feminist arguments that claim that Hinduism is the basis for women's social disempowerment, and as a result, the only meaningful social change must occur on a secular basis. We also use these festivals to critique contemporary feminist developmentalist ideologies.
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    language: English
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