Book Description

The book deals with festivals and rituals at the Nepalese Paupatntha Temple located in Deopatan, the City of (all) Gods, and the Paupatiketra, the "Field of Paupati." Paupati, a form of iva, is regarded as the tutelary and protective deity of Nepal and his temple as both national and sacred monument that has since many centuries attracted thousands of pilgrims from India. After introducing the temple, its history, organisation and vicinity, all major festivals connected to it are thoroughly described and examined. The material used by the author includes mythological and eulogising texts, chronicles, inscriptions and elaborate field-work studies. The book also deals with religious conflicts between different forms of Hinduism as well as with religious identities and contested priesthood. Due to the strength of various tantrically worshipped goddesses in Deopatan, iva comes under ritual pressure time and again. Underlining this religious tension are fundamental conflicts between the indigenous Newar population and the Nepali speaking population which originally immigrated from India or between the South Indian Bhaa priests and the Newar Karmcrya priests. Moreover, ritual forms of worship are contested, as in the instance of tantric forms of worship with alcohol and animal sacrifices versus pure, vegetarian forms of worship. In recent times these conflicts have increasingly been politicized and due to the impact of the World Heritage Monument policy the Paupati area is successively restructured and shaped into a religious pilgrimage place for Indian and Western tourists.