Feeding a Thousand Souls
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Author Description
Every Day Millions Of Tamil Women In Southeast India Wake Up Before Dawn To Create A Kolam, An Ephemeral Ritual Design Made With Rice Flour, On The Thresholds Of Homes, Businesses And Temples. This Thousand-year-old Ritual Welcomes And Honors Lakshmi, The Goddess Of Wealth And Alertness, And Bhudevi, The Goddess Of The Earth. Created By Hand With Great Skill, Artistry, And Mathematical Precision, The Kolam Disappears In A Few Hours, Borne Away By Passing Footsteps And Hungry Insects. This Is The First Comprehensive Study Of The Kolam In The English Language. It Examines Its Significance In Historical, Mathematical, Ecological, Anthropological, And Literary Contexts. The Culmination Of Vijaya Nagarajan's Many Years Of Research And Writing On This Exacting Ritual Practice, Feeding A Thousand Souls Celebrates The Experiences, Thoughts, And Voices Of The Tamil Women Who Keep This Tradition Alive.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This book investigates the cultural, ecological, and spiritual significance of the Tamil kolam ritual as a daily practice of environmental and social ethics. Author Vijaya Nagarajan, an associate professor of theology and religious studies, utilizes years of ethnographic fieldwork and personal observation to frame the kolam not merely as art, but as a complex, ephemeral ritual of hospitality and ecological connection. She argues that the practice serves as a vital link between the domestic sphere, the divine, and the natural world through the daily offering of rice flour.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Historical and religious analysis of the kolam tradition in Tamil Nadu.
- Examination of the mathematical precision and artistic techniques involved in ritual design.
- Qualitative data derived from interviews and observations of Tamil women practitioners.
Scope Limits
- The study focuses primarily on the Tamil tradition and does not provide an exhaustive survey of all floor-drawing rituals across India.
- The text prioritizes ethnographic and cultural analysis over a technical manual for learning the art form.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars and readers recognize this work as a foundational text for understanding the intersection of ritual practice and environmental ethics in South Asia. Experts frequently highlight the book's success in elevating a domestic, ephemeral tradition to a subject of serious academic inquiry.
Page Count:
400
Publication Date:
2018-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0190858087
ISBN-13:
9780190858087
Religion
Art History
Anthropology
Asian Studies
Ritual Studies
Womens Studies
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