three therapies of south india 67
(priests/shamans) occasionally administered ayurvedic medications, and the
talk therapy employed by the staff at Vettucaud church resembles the practice
of clinical psychology. Th ese three therapies did, however, have crucial features
in common such as appealing to the divine for relief from suff ering and doing
so in an environment that was aesthetically engaging, featuring music, smells,
tactile and kinesthetic experiences, and visually engaging settings.
I chose to conduct research at Chottanikkara Hindu temple, Beemapalli
mosque and Vettucaud church in order to represent the religious diversity of
Kerala, where Hindus are in the majority but Christians and Muslims make
up almost half of the population. Th ese sites also constitute three of the most
well-known and frequently patronized religious healing centers in the state.
Chottanikkara: Abode of Amma-Narayana
Upon arriving at Chottanikkara temple in Ernakulam District, central Kerala,
one is enticed with the appeal “Amme Narayana,” calling upon the incarnation
of God that is present at Chottanikkara. On powerful public address systems
and stereos, cassette sellers outside the temple play devotional songs featuring
the prominent refrain “Amme Narayana.” On checking into the temple guest
lodge, one sees “Amme Narayana” on stickers, posters, and painted signs on the
walls of the reception offi ce, and one’s fi rst night’s sleep at the lodge is ended by
the loud, predawn, call to worship proclaiming “Amme Narayana” and praising
the goddess. In fact, this invocation and its many musical incarnations are so
ingrained in me from my time at Chottanikkara that they begin playing in my
head involuntarily as I write this paragraph. “Amme Narayana” calls the atten-
tion of the divinity, Amma-Narayana, to whom spirit-possessed or mentally
affl icted persons at the temple appeal for relief from their suff ering. Th is appeal
and the benefi cence of Amma-Narayana, along with a special dietary regimen,
the experience of undergoing daily pujas (worships, ceremonies), the singing
of devotional songs, and the opportunity to cathartically act out have helped
mentally affl icted people at Chottanikkara overcome their distress.
Chottanikkara temple is an eminent abode of Amma-Narayana, one of the
many Hindu incarnations of the divine. “Amma” refers to the female aspect
of the deity, and “Narayana” to the male side of the incarnation. “Amma” also
means “mother” in Malayalam and is one of the most commonly used terms
for “God” in the broad, generic sense among Hindus in Kerala. “Amma” also
appears as other female manifestations of the divine in Hindu iconography
including Lakshmi, Devi and Kali. It is the female aspect of Amma-Narayana
that is most celebrated at Chottanikkara, and worshippers often refer to the
deity simply as “Amma” or “Devi.”