The Invisible Path of Karma in a Himalayan Purificatory Rite
Indic rites of purification aim to negate the law of karma by removing the residues of malignant past actions from their patrons. This principle is exemplified in the Kahika Mela, a rarely studied religious festival of the West Himalayan highlands (Himachal Pradesh, India), wherein a ritual speciali...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2018-03-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/9/3/78 |
| _version_ | 1819053381550866432 |
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| author | Arik Moran |
| author_facet | Arik Moran |
| author_sort | Arik Moran |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Indic rites of purification aim to negate the law of karma by removing the residues of malignant past actions from their patrons. This principle is exemplified in the Kahika Mela, a rarely studied religious festival of the West Himalayan highlands (Himachal Pradesh, India), wherein a ritual specialist assumes karmic residues from large publics and then sacrificed to their presiding deity. British officials who had ‘discovered’ this purificatory rite at the turn of the twentieth century interpreted it as a variant of the universal ‘scapegoat’ rituals that were then being popularized by James Frazer and found it loosely connected to ancient Tantric practises. The However, observing a recent performance of the ritual significantly complicated this view. This paper proposes a novel reading of the Kahika Mela through the prism of karmic transference. Tracing the path of karmas from participants to ritual specialist and beyond, it delineates the logic behind the rite, revealing that the culminating act of human sacrifice is, in fact, secondary to the mysterious force that impels its acceptance. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T12:34:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c9168c1554624201932a0f0ef9cda4d7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T12:34:50Z |
| publishDate | 2018-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-c9168c1554624201932a0f0ef9cda4d72022-12-21T19:03:57ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442018-03-01937810.3390/rel9030078rel9030078The Invisible Path of Karma in a Himalayan Purificatory RiteArik Moran0Department of Asian Studies, University of Haifa, Abba Khoushy Ave 199, Haifa 3498834, IsraelIndic rites of purification aim to negate the law of karma by removing the residues of malignant past actions from their patrons. This principle is exemplified in the Kahika Mela, a rarely studied religious festival of the West Himalayan highlands (Himachal Pradesh, India), wherein a ritual specialist assumes karmic residues from large publics and then sacrificed to their presiding deity. British officials who had ‘discovered’ this purificatory rite at the turn of the twentieth century interpreted it as a variant of the universal ‘scapegoat’ rituals that were then being popularized by James Frazer and found it loosely connected to ancient Tantric practises. The However, observing a recent performance of the ritual significantly complicated this view. This paper proposes a novel reading of the Kahika Mela through the prism of karmic transference. Tracing the path of karmas from participants to ritual specialist and beyond, it delineates the logic behind the rite, revealing that the culminating act of human sacrifice is, in fact, secondary to the mysterious force that impels its acceptance.http://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/9/3/78Himachal Pradeshhuman sacrificekarmaKhasKulluNarritualscapegoatshaktismTantra |
| spellingShingle | Arik Moran The Invisible Path of Karma in a Himalayan Purificatory Rite Religions Himachal Pradesh human sacrifice karma Khas Kullu Nar ritual scapegoat shaktism Tantra |
| title | The Invisible Path of Karma in a Himalayan Purificatory Rite |
| title_full | The Invisible Path of Karma in a Himalayan Purificatory Rite |
| title_fullStr | The Invisible Path of Karma in a Himalayan Purificatory Rite |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Invisible Path of Karma in a Himalayan Purificatory Rite |
| title_short | The Invisible Path of Karma in a Himalayan Purificatory Rite |
| title_sort | invisible path of karma in a himalayan purificatory rite |
| topic | Himachal Pradesh human sacrifice karma Khas Kullu Nar ritual scapegoat shaktism Tantra |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/9/3/78 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT arikmoran theinvisiblepathofkarmainahimalayanpurificatoryrite AT arikmoran invisiblepathofkarmainahimalayanpurificatoryrite |