Mauritian Hinduism and Globalisation: Transformation and Reinvention

Description

This book presents an original and comprehensive overview of the transformation of Mauritian Hinduism against the backdrop of globalisation. It discusses themes such as the cult of Baharia Puja; the cult of “Camp De Masque”; changes in popular cults; temples and associative strategies of social integration; emergence of Hanuman; ritual innovations in politics and, religious and political transformation due to globalisation to highlight the link between the reinvention of Hinduism and Mauritian capitalism. The first of its kind, this book with its rich ethnographic accounts, will be an essential read for scholars and researchers of religion, Hinduism, social anthropology, sociology, cultural studies, diaspora studies, sociology of religion and African studies. Cover Endorsement Page Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents List of Illustrations Preface Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1 The cult of Baharia Puja in Camp de Masque Pavé at the kalimai of Petite Cabanne Baharia Puja of Petite Cabanne: the symbolic function of Kali Description of the ceremony The nature of Kali’s power Ceremonial issues The revealing ceremony of conflicts between family groups in the region The Baharia Puja of Royal Road The ceremonial course The ceremonial organisation The Arya Samaj movement in its existing differentiations Notes Chapter 2 The Amourou Puja cult of Camp de Masque Social relations in the ceremonial process The social community of belonging of the faithful The ceremony duality The intrinsic rationality of the ceremony The a priori meaning of the Amourou Panduga ceremony Symbolic efficiency of ritual modification Power is power; it does not separate; it is organised Religion is the “zero degree”15 of the state The political sense of the new ceremonial practices: Baharia and Amourou Pujas Local electoral alliances and strategies of associations The outcome of the regional politics Religion and state The relationship of one to the multiple: a vector centrality Notes Chapter 3 The transformation of popular cults on crown lands A societal transformation of the urban towns: Port Louis and Mahébourg Kalimais on crown lands The new cults of Grand Baie and Palmar The new inter-caste and intercommunity relations Construction of temples and renovation of kalimais of Mahébourg and Port Louis Renovated kalimai and foundation of a new temple in Mahébourg: a caste/community/class contradiction Symbolic changes, political changes Construction of temples and renovation of kalimai of Tranquebar, Port Louis, The transformations of space from 1992 to 2007: land issues and caste/class differences A Hanuman Temple was built. It is placed where the old altar was in 1992. It has been preserved and is inside the temple. Religion and politics: the weight of federations From legal to politics Notes Chapter 4 Kalimai temples and community strategies: The emergence of Hanuman Imbalanced development of the north east and south east of the island The temple foundation and development of community associations since national independence Kalimais and temples: a process of erasure of popular cults Development of egalitarian ideologies: caste/class dialectics The Arya Samaj movement The Hindu Maha Sabha movement The Arya Ravived Prachnari Sabha association Development of national federations Geographical distribution and social re-organisations Hanuman: an authority to overcome community divisions, caste and generations. The disappearance of Dhi Brahma/Baram: overdetermination of statutory distinctions Saï Baba, Shiva, Ram, Krishna Networks and electoral strategies Electoral strategies and ritual clientelism Interdependence and autonomy with regard to party strategies: constituencies No. 5, No. 7, No. 9 and No. 10 Notes Chapter 5 The New Deal: Religious and political transformation New places of worship in the north of the island: social fragmentation New kalimai and temple on Île d’Ambre: Redesign of the labour market New relations plantation/industrialisation and strategies of the minority groups in Constituency No. 7 The kalimais of the Daruty establishment of Plaine des Papayes: Permanence and decadence of the ancient kalimais First kalimai of Daruty: Bellevue-Pilot, a place of memory preserved in the state. Second kalimai Daruty property: Plaine des Papayes, witness of departures to the city after closure of the mill. Third kalimai called Daruty, witness of an old Hindu and Creole conflict today deserted Private kalimais: heritage issues and control of the labour force The New Deal General sense of the multiplication of new temples: new land and financial issues Emergence of a class of small owners and multiplication of cults dedicated to Hanuman Busy lane The development of temporary labour in agriculture and industry wage labour Emergence of international sugar capital and erasure of the large plantation A more complete urbanisation process in the north than in the south of the island Notes Chapter 6 Kalimai temple transformations and changes in rituals Popular cults practised in the temples A unique model of religious representation Differentiated positions of deities in the Sacred Space The Mahashivratri cult at Grand Bassin Emergence of Hanuman and Kali temples Hanuman on crown land and new peripheral areas for early sugar retirees of the Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) New neighbourhoods and the Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) in Montagne Blanche Hanuman and Kali, symbolic management of conflicts between tradition and modernity in globalisation Temples of Kali on crown lands and private lands The first temple of Kali on crown land: Grand Baie in the north Other private temples of Kali have multiplied Social strategies, electoral strategies: 2014 Political redistribution of 2014 elections Symbolic terms of transformation Hanumanisation Shivalisation Brahmanisation Creolisation Recent development of Tantrism Globalisation and migration Annexure 6.1 Tantra: Kali in India Notes Conclusion Glossary Bibliography Index