The <i>Mahimā</i> of Ājali Āi and the Persecuted Māyāmārā Śatra: Guru-Mā as Holy Patroness and Divine Mother
Every year around 200,000 Māyāmārā Vaiṣṇavas congregate in a small village in Mājulī, Assam, India, for the annual <i>śevā</i>, or worship service, to Ājali Āi, a 16th-century female figure. She was the mother of Sri Sri Aniruddhadeva, the founder of Māyāmārā Vaiṣṇavism, a religious sect...
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MDPI AG
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/15/1/36 |
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| author | Arunjana Das |
| author_facet | Arunjana Das |
| author_sort | Arunjana Das |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Every year around 200,000 Māyāmārā Vaiṣṇavas congregate in a small village in Mājulī, Assam, India, for the annual <i>śevā</i>, or worship service, to Ājali Āi, a 16th-century female figure. She was the mother of Sri Sri Aniruddhadeva, the founder of Māyāmārā Vaiṣṇavism, a religious sect originating in medieval Assam that experienced royal persecution and ethnic cleansing. Among contemporary Māyāmārā Vaiṣṇavas, veneration of Ājali Āi as the mother of the founding Guru has become popular, which is somewhat puzzling since historical information about her life is scarce. Nevertheless, as Guru-Mā, Ājali Āi today has become a symbol of holiness in Māyāmārā society with community members attributing to her <i>mahimā</i>, translated as a divine agency, mysterious glory, or supremacy. Guru-<i>riṇ</i> and Mātri-<i>ṛin</i>, categories that are a part of the Vaiṣṇava and the larger Hindu canon, can generally explain the holiness accorded to the mother of the Guru. In the case of the Māyāmārā Vaiṣṇavas, however, they are not sufficient to explain the power in the form of <i>mahimā</i> that the community ascribes to her in the present day to the degree of attributing to her the power to grant wishes. This exploratory chapter argues for a systems approach to understand the phenomenon of the <i>mahimā</i> of Ājali Āi in contemporary Māyāmārā society. The chapter finds that socio-economic and political forces interacted with extant legends around Ājali Āi and ideas around Āi as Devi and mother in complex ways to create the community’s contemporary understanding of Ājali Āi as a holy and loving maternal figure with <i>mahimā</i>—one who keeps a watchful and nurturing eye over the community and grants the wishes of ardent devotees. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T10:36:25Z |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T10:36:25Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-6c0b820b1728482e957d8fa880111e342024-01-26T18:14:42ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442023-12-011513610.3390/rel15010036The <i>Mahimā</i> of Ājali Āi and the Persecuted Māyāmārā Śatra: Guru-Mā as Holy Patroness and Divine MotherArunjana Das0Department of Theology and Religious Studies, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USAEvery year around 200,000 Māyāmārā Vaiṣṇavas congregate in a small village in Mājulī, Assam, India, for the annual <i>śevā</i>, or worship service, to Ājali Āi, a 16th-century female figure. She was the mother of Sri Sri Aniruddhadeva, the founder of Māyāmārā Vaiṣṇavism, a religious sect originating in medieval Assam that experienced royal persecution and ethnic cleansing. Among contemporary Māyāmārā Vaiṣṇavas, veneration of Ājali Āi as the mother of the founding Guru has become popular, which is somewhat puzzling since historical information about her life is scarce. Nevertheless, as Guru-Mā, Ājali Āi today has become a symbol of holiness in Māyāmārā society with community members attributing to her <i>mahimā</i>, translated as a divine agency, mysterious glory, or supremacy. Guru-<i>riṇ</i> and Mātri-<i>ṛin</i>, categories that are a part of the Vaiṣṇava and the larger Hindu canon, can generally explain the holiness accorded to the mother of the Guru. In the case of the Māyāmārā Vaiṣṇavas, however, they are not sufficient to explain the power in the form of <i>mahimā</i> that the community ascribes to her in the present day to the degree of attributing to her the power to grant wishes. This exploratory chapter argues for a systems approach to understand the phenomenon of the <i>mahimā</i> of Ājali Āi in contemporary Māyāmārā society. The chapter finds that socio-economic and political forces interacted with extant legends around Ājali Āi and ideas around Āi as Devi and mother in complex ways to create the community’s contemporary understanding of Ājali Āi as a holy and loving maternal figure with <i>mahimā</i>—one who keeps a watchful and nurturing eye over the community and grants the wishes of ardent devotees.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/15/1/36HinduismMāyāmārāVaiṣṇavaGuruholiness<i>śatra</i> |
| spellingShingle | Arunjana Das The <i>Mahimā</i> of Ājali Āi and the Persecuted Māyāmārā Śatra: Guru-Mā as Holy Patroness and Divine Mother Religions Hinduism Māyāmārā Vaiṣṇava Guru holiness <i>śatra</i> |
| title | The <i>Mahimā</i> of Ājali Āi and the Persecuted Māyāmārā Śatra: Guru-Mā as Holy Patroness and Divine Mother |
| title_full | The <i>Mahimā</i> of Ājali Āi and the Persecuted Māyāmārā Śatra: Guru-Mā as Holy Patroness and Divine Mother |
| title_fullStr | The <i>Mahimā</i> of Ājali Āi and the Persecuted Māyāmārā Śatra: Guru-Mā as Holy Patroness and Divine Mother |
| title_full_unstemmed | The <i>Mahimā</i> of Ājali Āi and the Persecuted Māyāmārā Śatra: Guru-Mā as Holy Patroness and Divine Mother |
| title_short | The <i>Mahimā</i> of Ājali Āi and the Persecuted Māyāmārā Śatra: Guru-Mā as Holy Patroness and Divine Mother |
| title_sort | i mahima i of ajali ai and the persecuted mayamara satra guru ma as holy patroness and divine mother |
| topic | Hinduism Māyāmārā Vaiṣṇava Guru holiness <i>śatra</i> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/15/1/36 |
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