Coloured Rice: Symbolic Structure in Hindu Family Festivals (Second Edition) - E-book - ePub

This is an ethnographic study of rituals and myths as celebrated by multiple castes in two Karnataka villages. Four types of rituals are described and analysed: some by and for married women, some for restless and dangerous goddesses endangering whole families, ancestor rites, and ant-hill festivals for cobra deities. Numerous photos have been added to the original text, which got good reviews. Meanings of the myths and rituals are interpreted -- using structuraliism and other methods -- in the context of a kinship system where women's position can be insecure.
A detailed study of family structure and the place of women in lineages provide insights into the possible meanings of annual ceremonies to those who perform them. Historical and comparative insights contribute to the understanding of numerology, colour symbolism, and deities.