Hindu Mother Cults Caribbean

7/23/2019 Hindu Mother Cults Caribbean

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HINDUMOTHER-GODDESSCULTS IN THECARIBBEAN

StevenVertovec!

IZVLEEK

Med indijskimipriseljencinaTrinidaduso se obdrali trije kuJti boginje matere,poosebljene vboginjah Parmeshwari, KaliinSipari.Greza oblike ljudskegaaenja,kiimajobolj alimanjekstatien in personalistien znaajpomembna pa je zlasti njihova kurativna

funkdja.

ABSTRACT

Hindumigrants in Trinidadhavemain-tained three cults of"mother goddesses ",embodiedby the goddesses Parmeshwari, Kali

andSipari.Thesearepopularformsofdevotionof amore orless ecstatic and personalisticnature, important above all because oftheir

healingfunction.

TheNorth Indian countryside is dotted with shrines and cult centres to minorgoddesses (ultimately conceived to bepartof one Mother Goddess) who are usuallyassociatedwith particular heaUng abilities. These shrines and cults are maintained bynon-Brahman - often even low caste - religious practitioners. Despite thefactthat theserun against the grain of Brahmanic Hinduism, it is not surprising that in India suchphenomena are profuse given their spread over vast regions, the size of low caste

populations therein, and the sheer heterogeneity of ritual traditions among Hindus. Yetnon-Brahmanic shrines and cults devoted to mother goddesses arestillto be foimd amongHindusin the Caribbean onehundredand fifty years after migration and interveningsodo-religious processes in whichcasteidentities have largely attenuated and in which asingle,Brahmanic tradition has come to dominate ritual activity.

In ordertoreplace the Africanslaveswho were freed between1834-8,the Caribbeanwitnessed largescalemigrationofIndiaiimder schemesofindentured labour(seeTinker1974;Clarke,Peach andVertovec1990). Atotalof 238.909Indians arrived between 1838-

1917into what was then British Guiana,143.939 into Trinidad between 1845-1917, and34.304into Surinam or Dutch Guiana between1873-1916.Jamaica,Grenada, Martinique,Guadeloupe, and other islands received smaller numbers duringthe latterhalfof thenineteenth century as well. In eachcase,Hindusformed the overwhelming majority ofmigrants (around 85%).Subsequently only between a fifth and a third ofthese migrantsto the Caribbean returned to India, leaving populationsofconsiderably sizeespeciallyinthe three southernmost territories.

Between the time of their introduction to the region and today, Hinduism -

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hallmarked in India byatremendous diversityofregionallyvaryingbeliefs,rites,deitiesandcaste-specifictraditions-has been transformed into a largely xmiformcomplex(vanderVeerandVertovec1991,Vertovec1992,inpress).This CaribbeanHinducomplex ismarked by a limited, "orthodox" corpusofbeliefsand activities overseen by Brahmaruccontrolof centralized organizations, schools and temples.YetHindutraditions outsideof this"official"corpus continue to be practiced, largely because ofbeliefssurroxmdingtheirefficacydue to divine intervention. The three mother goddess traditions describedhere amongHindusin Trirdad, have been maintained over generations as peripheral,"non-orthodox", even pubUcly disdained sets ofbeliefsand rituals which nonethelesscontinue to bepartof the lives of Hindus.

HINDU MOTHER GODDESSES

Durgaiscor\sidered by mostHindusin Trinidad to be the general embodimentofthe Divine Mother, or female aspect of God. MostHindusharbour vaguebeliefsaboutthe relation ofEhirgato other goddesses(maiiJy Lakshmi,Saraswati,and Kali):whenasked, individuals wiU ultimately insist these are aUpartsof the same goddess; somepersons can evencitescriptureoxPuranictaleswithreferencetothis.Forexample,whenoneHindupriest had to use aLakshmimurtito do Saraswatipujain thelocalHinduschoolin Trinidad, since a child had brought the wrongone,he shrugged, continued hisritual procedures and simply remarked "same thing, same thing."

Inprayer and ritualpractice,however,eachgoddessisaddressed as separate.Thereare prayers directed towards all female deities {devis),and one sometimes hears ofdevotions to "the nine devis'or"sliaktis" (cosmicenergies, associated with the Mothergoddess) or "the nine Lakshmi'.Beliefs concerning the multiple manifestations ofgoddesses characterize the flxiidand indeterminatenatureof lay ideology in TrinidadHinduism. Though these collectivesets of devisare regularly propitiated, rare is thevillagerwho can name morethana few of them (twopundits,however, list the formernine asBhagwati',Bheglamuklii, Bhumawati, Chiti'amasfa,Bharbhee, Tara,Htmeshwari,

VidyaandMahakali,and the latter asGaja, Veera,Dhanya, Adhi, Sathana,Vijya,AiswaiyDhana,andShriLakshmiNarayari).

Kali,in particular, has a very ambiguousplace:she is sometimes regarded moreimportantly as a consort ofShivathanan aspect ofDurga.aZr'maintains a somewhatforbidding reputation in Trinidad, particularly because she is associated with bloodsacrifice.The three traditions described here arelocally equated with Kali:althoughfaithfully engaged in by devotees, these traditions are looked about (upon) by manyTrinidadians -Hindus and non-Hindus alike as strange or sinister due to this Kah

cormection.

PARMESHWARI

Parmeshwari,who is associated with Chamars or tmtouchables, is considered a"sister"or "manifestation" ofKali.The relation to KaJiisrather vague, however, as aremostshaktioTgoddess-relatedconcepts.Klass(1961:172-4)describes Parmeshwari ritesentirelyin terms ofKali,but also notes their reference to 'other goddesses - the "seven


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181amarrecitiramolitve boginjiParmevari,medtemkodrugimokipripravljajopraiazartvovanjein enskeakajo,dapridejonavrstozadarovanje. AChamarmanrecitesprayerstothe goddessPaiTnesAvariwhileothermenprepareapig forsacrificeand women wait fortheir chancetomakeofferings.

sisters".'YetPlanalp(1956:166-8),who conducted research in avillageofUttar Pradesh,provides a myth suggestingthatParmeshwariwas historically a Chamar girl, devotedtoParvati{Shiva'sconsort, and thereforecoextensivewithKalizn.the MotherGoddess)who was eventuallyherselfdeified.Throughout large areasofNorthIndia she eventuallybecameassociatedwithChamars and their particular form of goddess devotion.

Thesacrificesshould be conducted annually by a consortium of Chamar families,and byeachseparate Chamar family on theoccasionofabirth or the marriageofason.Ifofthecollectivesort, prior to the rites a setofChamar women go from house to house inthe village, banging adrumand singing a special song while collecting contributions

towardthe ritualexpenses(the donors-who mayallbeChamars-subsequently share inthe goddess's favour).

Parmeshv^rarisacniican be performed by any man knowledgeable of the rites,withtheassistanceofone or more others(especiallytohold themassivepig).Thesacrificeshould be performed on a boimdary between two plots of land: this is an indicationofthe rite's imorthodox and therefore magically powerful nature). But most of the sameitemsas for a more orthodox DurgaPujaare offered: this includes lepsi(a glutinouspaste)andsohari(atypeofbread),neemleaves,anddhar(aKquid mbcture of camphor,

clove,doobgrass, hibiscusflowers,sindhus,saffron,neemleaves,sugarriceand water).Other offerings here include onion, garlic, cumin, and salt - all considered tamasicsubstances (thatisofthe lowest orderofthe threegunasoruniversal substances-therebyfurther indicating Parmeshwari'slesserstatuscompared to deities of the Sanskritic orBrahmarcpantheons). These offerings are set on the ninepaanleaves,representing the"seats"of the various related goddess manifestations.

After a wooden stake is anointed, the heart of the pig is quickly pierced. Anyparticipant maythenpour dharon thedeadanimal's head, and offerings of rum and


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cigarettes are set before it. Traditionally at this point the goddess would "possess" orbecomepresent in thepujarioi ritual practitioner, and healing directly at thehandsofthe deity couldoccur.Today this is less apartof the rites, while devotees still engage inofferings and prayer often with a mind to gain healing for themselves or their lovedones.ThelepsisnA sohari,pork meat, and alcohol are later consumed as holy food in afeastinvolvingallwho contributed, regardlessofwhether they were present at thesacrifice.

Although many otherHindusand non-Hindus think ofParmeshwarisacn&asbalefuland ominous, participants in no wayseethe rites in thisway. (Nevertheless,duringthe courseof one ofSMcYvParmeshwaririie,aparticipant gestured to an "orthodox"Hindutempledownthe road to which all belonged, commenting about the sacrifice and thetemple,"Wemustn't mix this and that.")

Chamarsbelievethey have adutyto propitiateParmeshwari,who theybelievetobetheir specialgroupdeity orkuldevata.It is an essentialpartof who they are and how

they have descended. "This is the way the old people did things," says one man of therites and his forebears, "so this is the way we do it." But by far most active participantsthese days are over forty years ofage;they lament the fact young people currently haveno desire to maintain these kinds of non-orthodox traditions, and they are fearful of theeventual loss ofParmeshwarisac^cein Trinidad.

KALI MAI PUJA

KaliMaiPujain the Caribbeanconsistsofthe mostcharacteristicsetofHinduritespracticed by South Indian-descended Hindus,caueMadrassis(aftertheir portoforiginalembarkation from India, Madras). It is particularly prominent in Guyana, where it hascontinually flourished since the days of plantation indenture (see Phillips 1960;Khan1977;Bassier1987;Singaravelou1987,III:73-83).In Trinidad, however, Madrassi religiousactivityof all sorts wasselectivelysuppressed by white colonial authorities andHindusthemselves: Madrassis' ecstatic rites of spirit possession and firewalking were regardedas the most extreme forms of heathenisms by the former, while the latter, increasingly

"orthodox" North Indian-descended majority regarded Madrassis' ritesofblood sacrificeas especially "low" religious modes of practice.

Where Madrassis settled individually amongst North Indians, the distinct SouthIndian styles of Hinduism gave way to the developing mainstream forms. In Surinam,this Kali-iocusse tradition never existed in any pervasive form mairy because thepopulation lacked South Indians; in Triidad, it remained only in isolated pockets whereMadrassis had settled in niunber. But in Guyana, KaliMaipujabecame a sigiuficantHindutradition parallel to the mainstream. Brahman-dominated one(this is especiallythecasein Demerara, whichishome to a large population ofSouth Indian descendants).

In Guyana, Kaliworship was increasingly standardized in the 1920sand 1930sunderthe direction of oneKistimaNaidoo, then the rites apparently waned in the1940sand1950sbefore imdergoing a significant renewalsincethe1960simder the influenceof

pujari]w\es Naidoo. There are now estimated to be some one hxmdred ifai?'"churches"(koeloos)throughout Guyana, exhibiting a numberofvariations from thecoresetofritespopularized by James Naidoo (Bassier 1987). The Guyana Maha Kali ReligiousOrganizationis one formal body to have been established to oversee activities withinthis tradition.

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climaxingwith a rapid succession ofcock and/or goat sacrifices (brought as votiveofferingsby various participants seeking spiritualhelp).Possessionby one or two lesserdeities (usuallyKoteriMataandMunishpKtit)as well as by MotherKaliherselfensues,sending one to three regularpujaris(ofeither sex) into altered states of consciousness.

The possessed individuals gradually comeunder control, each subsequently offeringdirect consultation, exorcism, or hands-on healing - as a deity incarnate - to any and allwho wish, waiting theirturnwhile standing in a lengthy queue. Much of the advicesuppliedbythe temporarily present deitiesconcernsdevotiontothem,fasts,and offeringsthe supplicant is reqxiired to make subsequently at home or on the following Simday(s)at the centre. The tales of miraculous cure, told by participants, are plentiful.

ai?Ma/centresin Trinidad are anomalies: they grew in popularitypreciselyat thetime when a unitary "official"Hinduism was rapidly increasing in intensity and activity.Perhaps these centres represented an outlet for peopledrawnto ecstatic, personalisticand miraculous forms of rehgion while other forms of Hinduism were becoming moremethodical,collective,and doctrinal. The fact also remains that the period of growingpopularity ofKaliMai pujawas also the timeofvastsocialchanges throughout Trinidad:new relationships, new pressures, new anxieties werepartof the coimtry's overnight"modernization".Theavailabilityofthe kindofcharismaticreligion offered toHindusbyaZ?'Maicentres(asby Christian Pentecostalsectsfor others) provided the kindofdirect,immediate salvation or cure many people desired - with the particular characteristic ofbeing within anaccessibleHinducontext.

MostvillageHindusknow of the existence of the Kali Maicentres, or perhapsknow someone who has been to one. ManyHindusstay well away from such"dark"places;nonetheless, theyrecognizethe effectivenessofthe shakti supposed to be presentthere.Ultimately, they admit that in thecaseofsome incurable ailment or insurmotmtablepersonal problem, they, too, would travel across the island to seek help at a Kali Maicentre.

SIPARI KE MAI

SiparikeMai, most often called simplySipariMai,embodies a source of spiritual-curative aid in Trirudad much more acceptable to the bulk ofHindusand non-Hindus(seeComins1893;Niehoff 1960:153-156;Clarke1986:110-111).hi the market town ofSiparia,an old statueofablackVirginisfound in the Cathohc churchofLaLDivim Pastora,which was originally established by Sparsh Capuchin monks in the 1750s.The exactorigin of the statue is a mystery. Spanish Capuchins venerated LaDivinaPastora-theVirginMary as "the Divine Shepherdess" - as well as various blackVirgins;it should benoted, however, that LaDivinaPastora,in Spain, is not one of these black Virgins.

Many folk tales abound about how the statue was found by Arawaks or byindentured Indians, as well as how the statue was known to behave in miraculous ways("growing" from a small girl each morning tobecomean old woman by night; leaving thechurch at night and walking around the countryside). Nimierouscuresaswellasgrantingsofchildren to supposedly barren women, have been claims throughout the statue's longhistory.

Sincethe daysofplantation indenture,Hindushave made pilgrimage to Siparia to

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KiprneDevice, ki jo katolianinaTrinidaduastijokotLaDivinaPastora,hindujcipajidarujejokot boginjiSiparikeMai. *StatueofablackVirgin hailedasLaDivinaPastorato Catholicsin

Trinidad,butpropitiated as thegoddessSiparikeMaihy Hindus.

make offerings at the statue (regarded asamurtioximageofaHindudeity, which in factlooksremarkablylikean Indianwoman).Non-Hindu sources have promulgated the ideathatSipariMai,for Hindus, isKali.This somewhat uninformed notion is based on thesuperficialobservation thatHinduscallthe statue, these non-Hindussay, "SipariK.Mai"-the"K."supposedly standing for"KaH"(thisexplanationisprovided inofficial pamphletssoldby the Catholic church). In fact,Hindusare actually saying, in Hindi, "Sipari keMai,"or simply "Mother ofSiparia."Rather,Sipari Maiisa goddess manifestation imtoherself,bearing the same rather vague relationship toKahanaDurgaandLakslimi-andto all the other mother goddesses - as does any goddess (just as healing goddesses areconsidered ultimately tobeaspectsofone another in India, yet revered as separate, sacredpersonalities)."Sheis all ofthese,"says one femaleHindudevotee regardingSipariMaiand her relationship to the otherdevis.Followingthis lineofthinking,duringone periodofNavratri(see below),it was fascinating to observe that someone had placed a smallplasticmurtioi LakshmibenedAhthe statue in the church, attesting further to the co-recognition of goddesses.

Throughout the year Hindus and others come to Siparia to offer prayers orthanksgivings toSipariMai,pinning on her long dress a varietyofvotive offerings (suchas small eyes, limbs, babies made from gold). The church remainsthesole place wheremanyHinduswill bring their children for their first haircut, seeking blessings andprotection for the children by placing the hair (along witi:\riceand money) at the statue'sfeet.Hindusconduct thek offerings and prayers in the church alongside Catholics andSpiritual Baptist (members of a Trinidad-evolved, Afro-Christian fa'adition).

Eachyear on the Thursday and Friday before Easter, up to ten thousand Hindus

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make pilgrimage to the church, queuingaUnight and day. It is imcertain why these twodays havebecomeinstitutionalized as thetimespecificallyforHindustomake pilgrimagehere (Catholics and Spiritual Baptists do so the second Simday after Easter, a dateassociatedwith the Feast ofLaDivinaPastora).Some localscholars have suggested thatperhaps, since Holy Thursday and Good Friday were major holy days for thepredominantly Catiiolicplantocracy,, tiiese were two of the only days each year whenIndians were allowed off estates. Another possible contributing factor is that thefirstNav ratri (a twice-yearly, nine-day period dedicated to the Motiier Goddess and hermanifestations) of each year takes place around this time (bothNav ratrim Easter areastrologicallydetermined, therefore annuallyco-occurring):therefore,Hinduswould beespeciallyinvolved in goddess worship at this time of year.

WhUe coimtlessbeggarsreceive alms,and transvestite dancers dance withbabies-amodeofblessing imique to Siparia on these days - each person individually filespast

the statsxe/murti, to offer gifts and to anoint the forehead of the statue of the Virgin/SipariMai,just as it is done toHinduimages. This period is when mostwiUbring theirson or daughter for the first haircutrites; hence,at this timethechurchyard is filled withbarbers and bawling children.Apieceoftheclipped hairisoffered to the goddess,justasin villages of India. Nearby, streets are lined with stalls selling sweets, produce andreligious paraphernalia (appropriate to anyofthe religions on theisland).Thevmdertakingismassive, and the local Catholic priest cxirrently tries his best tot accommodatetheHindusin their devotions.

As popular as pilgrimage to Sipari Mai/La DivinaPastorais, it is nonethelessregarded by orthodoxSanatanistleaders as an aberration. Thisattitudewas expressedin one article in a national newspaper :

'PimditSeereramJadoonanana, spiritual leaderofthe the Sanatan\^dwadVidyalaya of Penal, said: "The La Divina worship is not related toHinduism in any way. TheHinduswho go to worship the Catholic saintdo so outofsuperstition, not outofan identity with anyHindugoddess."Headded:"TheHinduswho gotoworship tiie[sic]LaDivinain theSiparia

R.C.Churcharenot real devoteesofHinduism." (TrinidadExpress5April1985,p.3)

The struggle by some to create or maintain what they cor\sider to be orthodoxnorms continues.Because5//arz'Ma;'worship is informally centred aroimd what can beregarded as a minor (though miraailous) goddess manifestation-but moreso,perhaps,becauseitisconducted withoutpunditsataCatholicchurch-itisrelegated to a peripheralposition in "orthodox"Hindupractice in Trinidad. Likewise is the case with Kali Mai

puja,since it iscloselyassociated with "low" Madrassipractices,and withParmeshwari

sacrificeassociated with Chamars. These are popular forms of Hinduism, but ones notintegrated into the xmitary brand of the religion advocated by Brahmans in a highlyinstitutionalized an organized formofHinduism in Trinidad. Nonetheless,tiieyare formswhich continue to be central to thebeUefs and healing techniques ofHindus throughoutthe Caribbean, just as in their ancestral villages of India.


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REFERENCES

Bassier,W.M.Z.(1987)"Kali Mai worship: A quest for a new identity," inIndians in the Caribbean,

I.J.BahadiirSingh(ed.), London: Oriental University Press, pp.269-93.

Clarke,Colin G.(1986)East Indians in aWestIndian Town,London,AllenandUnwin.

Comins, D.W.D. (1893)Noteon Emigration Hrom India toTrinidad,Calcutta:BengalSecretariat.Khan,Abrahim(1977)"Kali Mai Puja in Guyana",Religion7:35-45.

Niehoff,Arthur & Juanita(1960)East Indians in the WestIndies,Milwaukee: Milwaukee Public

Museum Publications in Anthropology No 6.

Phillips,Leslie (1960)"Kali-Mai puja",Timehri39:37-46.

Planalp,JackM. (1956)ReligiousLife and Values in a North Indian Village,unpublishedPH. D.

dissertation, Cornell University.

Singaravelou (1987)Les Indiens dela Carabe,Paris: L'Harmattan.

van der Veer, Peter and Steven Vertovec (1991)"Brahmanism abroad: CaribbeanHinduismas an

ethnie religion".Ethnology"iO: 149-66.

Vertovec, Steven (1992)Hindu Trinidad:Religion, EthnicityandSocio-EconomieChange,London:

MacmUlan.

(in press) "Official" and "popular"Hinduismin the Caribbean,Contributions to Indian Sociology.

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HINDUISTINIKULTI BOGINJE MATERENA KARIBSKIHOTOKIH

188StevenVertovec

Sevemoindijskopodeeljejeposejano s svetii inkultnnisredii, posveenimiraznim manjimboginjammateram,kipajihverniki dojemajo kot deleneBoginjeMatere.Tehrame, ki naj bi imeU posebne zdravilne sposobnosti, vzdrujejo in kulte ohranjajonebrahmanski verniki, pogostocelopripadnikinijih kast. eprav njihovi kulti monoodstopajo od brahmaiiskegahinduizma,vendar ne presenea, dajetakih pojavov v Indijina pretek. Razirjeni so namre poprostranihgeografskih podrojih z velikim deleemprebivalstva iz nijih kast. Zavedati se moramotudi,da medhinduistivlada takoreko

popolna heterogenostobredov.Nebrahmanskasvetiain kulte, posveeneboginjimateri,najdemocelomedhinduistina Karibskih otokih,150let po njihovi seUtvitja.Ohranili sosekljubdrubenemuin verskemu razvoju,kijemononaelobutek kastnepripadnostimed priseljenci in kljub temu, dajenad vsem obrednim dogajanjem sasoma prevladalaena sama, brahmanska tiadicija.

Dabi zamenjah afrike sunje, osvobojene v letih1834-1838,so na Karibske otokev okviru programov za pogodbeno delo za doloen as pripeljah mnoiceIndijcev.(GlejTmker1974;Clarke, PeachinVertovec1990.)Vletih od1938do1917jevtakratiioBritai^ko

Gvajanoprispelo skupaj238.909hrdijcev, na Trinidad143.939(1845-1917)in v SurinamaliNizozemsko Gvajano34.304(1873-1916).TudiJamajka,Grenada, Martinique, Guadeloupe indrugiotoki so vdrugipolovici devebiajstega stoletja sprejeU manje teviloindijskih priseljencev.Veina(okrog85%)teh priseljencevsobilihinduisti.VIndijosejepozneje vrnila samo petina do tretjina njih, tako da sopredvsemna tieh najjunejihotokih ostale mone indijskeoz.hinduistine skupnosti.

Vasu od njihove selitve na Karibske otoke dodanessejehinduLzem - ki v Indijipozna neverjetno raznolikost regionalnih inaic verovanj, obredov, bogov in tradicij,

vezanih na to ali ono kasto - spremenil v preteno enoten verski sistem (van der VeerinVertovec1991,Vertovec1992,v tisku). Za karibsko-hinduisticr verski sistemjeznailenomejen, ortodoksenniz verovanj in obrednih postopkov,kijihstiogonadzorujejo centralizirane brahmanske organizacije, ole in hrami. Vendar zunaj tega uradnega niza evedno opravljajotudidrugane hinduistine tiadicionalne obrede,predvsem zaradiverev njihovo uinkovitost,kijopripisujejo bojemu posredovanju.Trijekultiboginjemateremedhinduistina Trinidadu, ki jih bom tu opisal, so se skozi rodove ohranjaU kot sklopiverovanj inobredov.epravveljajoza obrobne, neortodoksne injih celojavnozaniujejo,soe vedno del vsakdanjega ivljenja mnogih hinduistov.


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HINDUISTINABOGINJAMATI

Veinahinduistov na Trinidadu imaDurgoza splono poosebljenje boginje materealiza enski vidikboga.In veina njihtudineguje meglena verovanja o sorodstvu Dwgezdrugimiboginjami (predvsem zLakmi,SarasvatimKali).Naboljspecifinavpraanja

o teh odnosih posamezniki na koncu vendarle odgovarjajo, da so vse te boginje del enein iste boginje in nekateri v potrditev tega celo navajajo svete spise ali Purane.V boljkonkretnemprimeruse jemoralduhovnikv lokalni hinduistiniolina Trinidadu posluiti

murti-podobe boginjeLakmi,da bi opravilpudo -obred posveen boginjiSarasvati,ker je nek otrok prinesel napano podobo. Skongn je z rameni in nadaljeval z obredom,reko:Istare,istare.

Pri molitvi in obredih se verniki vendarle obraajo na vsako boginjo posamezno.Obstajajo tudimolitve, namenjene vsem devi (boginjam) skupaj in ponekod omenjajo

posvetitve devetimdevialiakti.(kozminim energijam, ki jih povezujejo z boginjomaterjo) aU devetim Lakmi.Preprianje o mnogovrstnih marfestacijah boginj jeznailno za spremenljivi in nedoloru znaajlaine ideologijev trinidadskemhinduizmu.epravrednospravno darujejo temkolektivrm devi,jih leredkihinduistina vasi znajovse imenovati (dvapundita-uenjaka - sta kotprvihdevet imenovala:Bbagvati,Bheglamukhi, Bhumavati, itramasta,Bharbhi,Tara,Hunevari, Vidain Mahakaliter kotslednjih devet:Gac^,Vta,Dlian/a, AdLii,Sathana,Vidaja,Aivaija,DhanainriLakmi

Narajan).

PredvsemKali zasedazelodvoiunnomesto: vasihjovidijoboljkot sprenjevalkoVekotvidik Durge.Kalivivana Trinidadu nekoliko zlove sloves, predvsem zato,kerjepovezana s krvavim rtvovanjem.Vsetri tradicije, kijihbom tu opisal, povezujejosKalL astilci teh kultov sicer pobono opravljajo obrede, vendar jih imajo mnogiTrinidadani-takohinduistikotdrugi-zaudnealizloveeprav zaradinjihove povezavez boginjoKali.

PARMEVARIParmevari,kijopovezujejo predvsemsamarji,tj.nedotakljivimi, imajozasestro

aUmarufestacijo boginjeKali.Sorodstvo sKalifa jevendar dokaj nedoloeno, kotjetopri veini aMali konceptov, povezanih z boginjami. Klass(1961:172-4)v celoti opisuje

Parmevariobrede kot obrede, posveeneKali,omenja pa vendar njihovo povezavo z'drugimiboginjami-sedmimi sestrami.' Planalp (1956:166-8),ki jeraziskoval v vasi vUttar Pradeshu, omenja mit, po katerem naj biParmevariz^oawinskobila amarskodekle,vdano /krrao'(spremljevalki ive,t.j.sobivajoi sKaJiinboginjo materjo), ki je

bilapozneje sama proglaena zaboginjo.V zeloprostranihpredeUh severne Indije sojosasoma istovetili s amarji in njihovo posebno obliko aenja boginj.

rtvovanje boginji Parmevarimora enkrat letno opraviti zdruenje amarskihdruin, vsaka posamezna amarska druinapa e posebej ob rojstvu ah poroki sina.Kadar gre za kolektivno inaico rtvovanja, skupina amarskih ensk obhodi vse hie vvasi. Udarjajo na boben, pojejo posebno pesem in nabirajo prispevke za stroke obredov(darovalci-ki so vasih izkljuno amarji-so potem vsi deleni boginjine naklonjenosti).

rtvovanjski obred boginjiParmevari lahkoopravlja katerikoH moki, ki je ve

obredov. Pri tem mu pomaga edenaHve mokih, predvsem zato, da obvladajo tekega


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praia. rtvovanje je treba opraviti na meji med dvema zemljiema, kar kae naneortodoksno in domnevno maginomoobreda. Darujejo pa vendarveinoma istestvarikot pri ortodoksnem obredu, imenovanemDurgapuda :7e/s/(lepljivokao) insohari(vrsto kruha), Hste rastline neem ter dhar(tekoozmes kafre, nageljnovih bic, travedoob,

slezovih cvetov,sindhusa,

afrana, listov neema, sladkega ria in vode). Drugidarovi so lahko ebula, esen, kumina insol,ki jih imajo za tamasi snovi(t.j.iz najnijeskupine treh gun aH tmiverzalnih snovi - kar e bolj poudarja niji status boginje

Parmevarivprimerjavi z boanstvi sanskrtskegaaHbrahmanskega panteona). Darovepolagajo na devet listov rastline paan, ki predstavljajo sedee raznih sorodnihmanifestacijboginje.

Znamazariim kolom praiu na hifro prebodejosrce.Zatem vsak udeleenec obredalahkozlijenekajdharapo glavi mrtve ivaH in postavi rum in cigarete kot daroveprednjenoglavo. Po tradicijijeto trenutek, ko naj bi boginja obsedlapudari{dvihovrnkaoz.izvajalca obreda) aH se v njemjavila;tako lahko boginja celo neposredno zdravi. Todanesni ve sestavni del obreda, vendar astilci e vedno pogosto darujejo in moHjoPari77esra77'predvsemzato, da bi biH sami aH njihovi blinji deleni ozdravitve.Lepi,sohari,svinjino in alkohol pozneje pojedo in popijejo kot svetohranona pojedini, kisejeudeleijo vsi, ki so prispevaH, ne glede na to,aHsobiHnavzoi pri rtvovanju.

epravimajomnogihinduistiin nehinduisti tovrstno rtvovanjeboginjiParmevarizazloveein pogubno,sosami udeleenci seveda povsem druganega mnenja.(Avendar

jemed takim Parmevariobredom nekdo kazal na blinje ortodoksno hinduistinosvetie,kateregapripadnikisobiHvsi prisoti, in dejal, da ne smemo meati tega tu inonega tam.)

amarjiverjamejo, dajespravnortvovanje boginjiParmevarivii\awadolnost,ker jo imajo za posebno boginjo svoje skupnosti, t.j.kuldevata.Boginjaje sestavni delnjihove identitete in porekla.Takoso delali e nai predniki, jerekel nekdo o obredih,inzatotudimitakodelamo. Vendar so udeleenci teh obredovdanesveinomasrednjihlet ali stareji in se pritoujejo, da mladi ne kaejo zanimanja za ohranjanje tehneortodoksnihobiajev.Bojijose,dasebo rtvovanjeboginjiParmevari^ovsemizgubilo.

KALI MAI PUDA

Na Karibskih otokih se je kot najbolj znailen niz hinduistimh obredov ohranilkultKaliMaipuda.Opravljajojihpriseljenci iz juneHidije,imenovanimadrasovci(popristaniu Madras, v katerem so se njihoviprednikivkrcaH na ladje za karibske otoke).Obred uiva poseben ugled v Gvajani, kjer je cvetel vse od asa pogodbenega dela na

plantaahnaprej (glejPhiUips1960;Khan1977;Bassier1987;Singaravelou1987,EI:73-83).Na Trinidadusotakobelci(kolonialnaoblast)kot samihinduistiselektivno preganjaHvse madrake verske aktivnosti. Njihove ekstatine obrede zduhovnoobsedenostjo inhojopo ognju sobelciimeH za najbolj skrajne oblike poganstva,hinduistis severa pa sopostajah vse bolj ortodokstH in so na madrake krvave rtvovanjske obrede gledaU kotna vulgarne obHke verske prakse.

Tam,kjersosemadrasovcinaseHHposamezno med severnimiHidijci,soseteizrazitojunoindijske obHkehinduizmaimiakrlerazvijajoemu glavnemu toku.VSurinamu ta

tradicija,posveena boginji AainikoH ni obstajala v nekiprodorniobliki,ker pa nibilo

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dovoljjiinoindijcev;na Trinidadusejeohranila samo v manjih izoliranih krajih, kamorsose madrasovciboljtevilnonaselili.VGvajai pajeKali Maipudapostala pomembna hinduistina tradicija ob glavnih, t.j.brahmaiiskih obiajih ( to predvsem velja zaDemeraro, kjer ivijo tevilnijunoindijci).

VGvajani se je aenje boginjeKali vsebolj poenotilo v dvajsetih in tridesetihletih tega stoletja pod vodstvom Kistime Naidooja. V tiridesetih in petdesetih letih somenda e zaeli izginjati, dokler niso od estdesetih let naprej ponovno zaiveli podvplivom pudah ]amesNaidooja.Ocenjujejo, da je danes po vsej Gvajani okrog 100cerkva{koeloos),posveeriihKali.Vnjih opravljajo tevilneinaicetistegajedraobredov,kiga je raziril James Naidoo (Bassier 1987).Ustanovljena je bila Gvajanska verskaorganizacijaMaha Ka{TheGuyanaMahaKaliRehgious Organization)kot formalnoteloza nadzor aktivnosti znotraj tradicije.

Samo v tistih redkih krajih na Trinidadu, kamor se je naselilo veje tevilo

madrasovcev, se drubeno-verske aktivnosti kotKaliMaipudaohranjajo v institucio-nalizirarobliki.Ob koncu estdesetih letjeopravljanje obredov postalo e zelo redko.Na zaetku sedemdesetih let pa sta dva madraka Trinidadana (oba imata sorodnike vGvajani)neodvisnodrugod drugega na otoku ustanovila kultna srediaKaliMai{enonajeseveru,drugona juguotoka).Obaslabilauenca naboljvidnegagvajanskegapudari(dxihovriika),Jamesa Naidooja. Sredii zdaj tekmujeta med sabo in njima ustanoviteljanista v dobrih odnosih. Medtem pasov osrednjem Trinidadu ustanovilietretje sredie,kini povezano ne z enim ne zdrugim.Vendar ni tako priljubljeno kotprvidve, ker v

njemni tako dramatine obsedenosti niti ne opravljajo krvavih rtvovanj.Vsakonedeljoseljudje z vsega Trinidada zbirajo v obeh srediih v iskanju pomoi

za telesne aH duevne teave (od konih bolezni, bojasti, domnevne obsedenosti dozakonskih sporov indepresij).Polagajo posebne darovepredtevilnemurtijeahpodobeboanstev. Bogovi in boginje, upodobljeni v trinidadskih srediih kulta KaliMai,soedinstvena zmes ortodoksiuh (sanskrtskih in brahmanskih) boanstev, kot soKrina,Hanuman, GaneainDurgana eni strani in madrakih boanstev, kijihneastijonikjerdrugodna otoku, namreKoteriMata,Sangani,MadraViraninMuniprem.KaliMai(aHBadraKali,njenoime vposebnogrozeiobliki),jev srediuaenja.Sanjam;,MadraViraninMunipremzahtevajo zajcrasac/darovanjeruma,krvi incigaret,matiKali(Kali

Mai)pa izkljunokri.Pri rtvovanjuboginjiKaHmoratisti,ki ga obsede, pogosto piti krineposredno s telesaaHglave obglavjenega petelinaaHkoze.

Zaporedje obredov vkljuuje vrsto rtvovanj inpetjeraznim boanstvmom, vrhunecpa doseeshitrim zaporednim rtvovanjem petelinov in/aHkoz(pripeljejojihudeleenciobreda kot votivne daroveviskanjuduhovnepomoi).PotemenoaHdvemanjiboanstvi(ponavadiKoteriMatainMuniprema)aHpatudisama mati aZr'obsede enega dotreh

pudari (obeh spolov), ki doivljajo spremenjena stanja zavesti. Boanstva postopoma

prevzamejo nadzor nad njimi in obsedeni - kot mkarnacije boanstev - ponujajoneposredno svetovanje, izganjanje hudia, zdravljenjespolaganjem rok vsem,kito eHjoin v dolgih vrstah akajo. Mnogo nasvetov, ki jih dajejo zaasno navzoa boanstva, jepovezanih s predanostjo njim, s postom in darovi, ki naj jih prosilec daruje naslednjonedeljo/naslednje nedelje v svetiu. Udeleenci teh obredov vedo povedati tevilnezgodbe o udenih ozdravitvah.

SrediaKaliMaisona Trinidadu posebnost: postalasovseboljpriljubljenapravvasu,kojeunitami uradni hinduizem hitro in mono iril svoje aktivnosti. Morda so

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pomeriila izhod tistim,ki so jihboljprivlaile ekstatine,personaUstine in udeneobUkevere v asu, ko sodrugeobUke hinduizma postale vse bolj metodine, kolektivne indoktriname.Dejstvopajetudi,dasi jeKaliMaitolikoprivrencev pridobilvdobi vehkihdrubenihsprememb po vsem Trinidadu. Noviodnosi,pritiski in strahovisobihsestavi

del modernizacije, kise jeodvilaez no.Stem, dajebila hinduistom v srediihKaliMai na voljo tako karizmatina vera (drugim so nekaj podobnega nudile kranskebinkotnesekte)jemnogim pomenilo tisto neposredno odreenje ah ozdravitev, po katerisohrepeneU. Posebnaprednostkulta pajebila v tem, dase jevse odvijalo vboljaHmanjsprejemljivem hinduistinem okviru.

Veinahinduistov na podeelju ve za srediaKaJiMaiahpozna nekoga, ki ga jeobiskal.Vendar bodo mnogi naredUi irok ovinek okrog tehmranih krajev.Kljubtemupriznavajo uinkovitostakti,ki naj bi bile tam navzoe.Koneckoncevcelopriznavajo,

da bi se vprimeruneozdravljive bolezni aH nepremostljivih osebnih teav tudisamiodpraviHna pot ez otok in iskaH pomo v srediuKaliMal

SIPARI KE MAI

SiparikeMai, veinomajokHejokarSipariMai,pooseblja vir duhovne-zdravUnepomoi,kijeveini hinduistov indrugimna Trinidadu veHkoboljsprejemljiva kot prejomenjena kulta(glejComins1893;Niehoff1960:153-156;Clarke1986:110-111). Vmestecu

(trgu) Sipariasev katoliki cerkviLaLovinaPastora,kiso jopanski kapucini ustanoviHv petdesetih letih osemnajstega stoletja, nahaja kip rneDevice.Toni izvor kipa je evedno neznan. panski kapucinisoastiHLaDivina Pastora-Devico Marijokot boanskopastirico- skupaj zdrugimirnimi devicami. Vedeti pajetreba, daLaDivina Pastoravpanijini istovetaa z nobeno od teh rnih devic.

Obstajajotevilne legende o tem, kako so kip naH Aravaki (avtohtoni Indijanci)aH Indijci na pogodbenem delu in o udenem vedenju kipa (ponoi naj bi iz malegadekletazraselv staro ensko;pravtako naj bi ponoi odhajal iz cerkve in se sprehajal

po deeH). V dolgi zgodovini kipa so mu pripisaH tevilne ozdravitve Hi zanositvedortmevno neplodiHh ensk.

Od asa pogodbenega dela naplantaahnaprejhinduistiromajo v Sipario, da bidarovaHkipu(kigaimajozamurtia^podobo hinduistinega boanstva, kip pajedejanskopresenetljivo podoben indijskier\ski).Yuiizven hinduistinega okolja so razHiH misel,da hinduisti istovetijo SipariMaiz boginjo Kali.Vendar gre tu za povrno znanje inrazumevanje, ki izhaja iz tega, dahinduistikHejokip, takovsajpravijodrugi,SipariK.Mai- in ta K.naj bi stal za KaH.To pojasnilo HijorazruuradrHpamfleti, ki jih

prodaja katoHkacerkev.Vresici pahinduistipravijo, v hindujini,SiparikeMai,aHpreprosto MatiSipari.Prej dri, dajeSipariMaisamapo sebi boanska manifestacija,ki jev meglenem sorodstvu sKali,DurgoinLakmi-intudiz vsemidrugimiboginjamimaterami, kot velja za katerokoli boginjo (podobno merjo v Indiji, da so vse boginje zzdravikiimi sposobnostmi konec koncev razHni vidikiene,vendar vseenoastijovsakokot posebno, sveto osebnost). Ona je vse topravineka hinduistina astilka boginjeSipariMaigledenjenega sorodstva zdrugimidevi.Takojebilo med praznovanjem Rav

natri(glejspodaj)pravganljivo, ko je nekdo postavil majhen plastien murti boginje

Lakmih kipu v cerkvi in tako v bistvupotidskupnopriznavanje boginj.

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Hinduistiindrugivse leto romajo vSipario,dabimolilih kipu in pripenjali razno-razne votivne darove na njeno dolgo obleko (majhneoi,ude, dojenka izzlata).CerkevvSiparijijeza mnoge hinduiste edinikraj,kamor pripeljejo otroke naprvostrienjelasiniejoblagoslov in zaito zanje tako, da kipu k nogam polagajo ostriene lase (skupaj zriem in denarjem).Hinduistiopravljajo darovanje in molitve v cerkvi ob katolianih in

duhovnihbaptistih (lanih afro-kranke sekte, ki sejerazvila na Trinidadu).Vsakoleto na veliki etrtek in petek roma kakih deset tiso hinduistov k cerkvi in

prednjo akajo dan in no v vrsti. Ni povsem znano, zakajhinduistiromajo ravno na tadva dneva ( katoHani induhovnibaptisti romajo v cerkev nadrugonedeljo po Velikinoi,na dan, ki je povezan s praznikom svetaiceLa DivinaPastora).Nekateri domaiuenjakimenijo,da sta bavelikietrtekin petek pomembna verska praznika zaveinomakatolikeveleposestnike in zatotudidva od redkih dni,kojebilohinduistom dovoljeno,da so odU s planta. Drugano pojasnilo lahko najdemo v dejstvu, dajeprvi Navratri

(dvakrat letno je Nav ratri devetdnevnica, posveena boginji materi in njenimmanifestacijam) vsako leto okrog tega asa (tako Nav ratrikot Veliko no doloajoastroloko in vsako leto sovpadata). Zato domnevajo, da so sehinduistipravv tem asuletaposebno posvetihaenjuboginje.

Medtemkotevilniberaidobivajomiloinoinvenskepreobleeniplesalcipleejoz dojenki v naroju - to je nain blagoslova, ki ga poznajo izkljuno ta dva dneva vSipariji-seljudje vrstijo mimo kipa/murti,polagajo darove inDeviciSipari Maimazilijoelo,tako kot to sicer delajo hinduistinim podobam. V tem asu veina ljudi pripeljesina ali her naprvoobredno strienje las; dvoriejepolno brivcev in vreeih otrok.Boginjidarujejo koder odstrienih las, tako kot v mdijskih vaseh. V bliini cerkve socestepolnestojnics sladkarijami, pridelki in verskimi okraski (primernimi za vse religijena otoku). V cerkvi in njeniokolicise drenjajo mnoice, pristojni katoHkiduhovrkpasezelotrudi,da bi hinduistom olajal opravljanje obredov.

eprav je romanje kSipariMai/La Divina Pastorae tako priljubljeno, ga imajoortodoksnisanatanskiduhovnivodje vendarle zablodnjo.Njihovo mnenje izraalanekv zelo razirjenem asopisu:

PunditSeereramJadoonanana,duhovnivodja penalske Sanatan VidwadVidyalaye,jedejal:aenjeLa Divine Pastore nima ni s hinduizmom.Hinduisti, ki hodijo astit to katoKko svetrco, to delajo iz praznoverja,ne pa zato, ker bi bila istovetaa s katerokoli hinduistino boginjo.Dodal je : Hinduisti, ki hodijo astit [sic] La Divino v siparijskirimskokatolikicerkvi,rsopravi, poboni hinduisti. {TrinidadExpress5.aprila 1985,str.3)

Boj,ki ga nekateri vodijo zato, da bi ustvarjali aH ohranili to, kar imajo sami zaortodoksnenorme,evednotraja.KerseaenjeSipari Maiodvrjaokrog manj pomembne

(eprav udodelne) marufestacije boginje - aH morda prejzaraditega, ker se dogaja vkatoHki cerkvi in brez hinduistirdh duhovrkov-joortodoksnihinduistina Trinidaduodrivajo na obrobje. Podobno je s KaliMaj pudo, ker jo istovetijo z vulgarnimimadrakimi obredi in z darovanjem Parmevariin nedotakljivimi amarji. Ti kulti sotorejljudske oblike hinduizma, vendar niso sestavni del tiste unitame verzije vere, ki jozagovarjajobrahmani v mono institucionaHzirani in organizh-ani obliki hinduizma naTrinidadu. Kljub temu so osnovnega pomena za verovanja in zdravilne postopkehinduistov po vseh Karibskih otokih, podobno kot v vaseh njihovih prednikov v Hidiji.

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LITERATURA

Bassier,W.M.Z.(1987)Kali Mai worship: A quest for a new identity,* v Indians in theCaribbean,

I.J.BahadurSingh(ur.),London: Oriental UniversityPress,str. 269-93.

Clarke,Colin G.(1986)East Indians in aWestIndian Town,London,AllenandUnwin.

Comins, D.W.D.(1893)Noteon Emigration from India to Trinidad.Calcutta,BengalSecretariat.Khan,Abrahim(1977)KaUMaiPujain Guyana,Religion7:35-45.

Niehoff,Arthur&Juanita(1960)East Indians in the WestIndies. Milwaukee: Milwaukee Public

Museum Publications in Anthropology No 6.

Phillips,LesUe(1960)KaU-Maipuja, Timehri39:37-46.

Planalp,JackM.(1956)ReligiousLife and Values in a North Indian Village, neobjavljena doktorska

dizertacija,Cornell University.

Singaravelou(1987)Les Indiens delaCarabe,Paris: L'Harmattan.

van der Veer, Peter and Steven Vertovec(1991)Brahmanismabroad:CaribbeanHinduismas an

ethnic religion.Ethnology"iQ: 149-66.Vertovec,Steven (1992)Hindu Trinidad:Religion,Ethnidty andSodo-EconomicChange,London:

MacmUlan.

(v tisku) Official andpopulrHinduismin theCaribbean,Contributions toIndianSociology.

Izangleineprevedel

FrancSnrrke

BESEDAOAVTORJU

Steven Vertovec. dr., antropolog, je

raziskovalec na Univerzi v Oxfordu. Je avtor

dela Hindu Trinidad (1992, MacmUlan) inurednik South Asians Overseas (1990) inAspects of the South Asian Diaspora (1991,OxfordUniversityPress).

ABOUTTHE AUTHOR

Dr.StevenVertovecis an anthropologistwho is currently Research Fellow at Oxford

University. He is author of Hindu Trinidad(1992,Macmillan) and editor of South AsiansOverseas (1990,Cambridge University Press)andAspects ofthe South Asian Diaspora(1991,OxfordUrversity Press).

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