The Splendor of Worship: Women's Fasts, Rituals, Stories and Art

Indian daily life breathes through customary worship, festivals, and stories shaping women’s celebrations.

It is difficult to capture the flavor of Indian daily life without experiencing the richness of the traditions which permeate people's lives. Daily worship of household deities, local shrines, the tulsi plant, mother earth, the rising sun, God's names, ceremonies of the human life cycle, festivals of the Hindu year, pilgrimages, visiting sadhus and folk theater, keep life varied and colorful and raise spirits despite a physically hard existence.

This book, informed by actual fieldwork, contains folk stories that are an inseparable part of Hindu feasts and festivals. Festivals studied are those which are celebrated solely or mainly by women and in which stories and paintings are important.

The chapters of the book correspond to the festivals and are organised chronologically according to the Hindu festival cycle; an outline of the customs associated with each festival is followed by the stories told during that festival.

A book that aims at providing material for better understanding the rich traditions and culture of Indian society.

Table of Contents

• List of Illustrations viii
• Acknowledgement ix
• Introduction 1
• I Worship of Jagannath (Jagdish Swami) 21
• II Baragadahi (Savitiri Puja) 30
• III Tij 34
• IV Nag Pancami 37
• V Bahura Cauth 43
• VI Harachath 47
• VII Avai Athai 60
• VIII Ciraiya Gaur 65
• IX Gobardhan 70
• X Bhaiya Duj 74
• XI Karva Cauth 89
• XII Badi Ekadasi 100
• XIII Sakath 103
• XIV Sitali Astami 123
• Glossary 132
• Bibliography 137
• Index of Tales Types 140
• Index of Motifs 141