twentieth century. The temple complex, as a result, is an amalgam of classical
and folk, pan-Hindu and regional, relatively ancient and distinctly modern,
national and local expressions – all in juxtaposition with one another.
Pilgrims express many of their multiple identities at once when they come
to Pal
̄
ani.Festivals
Just as there are many types of pilgrimage centers, there are many kinds of
festivals that are popular in India today. Each classical temple, for example,
generally celebrates a series of brahmotsavamsor celebrations of the local
deity’s exploits. Generally, these festivals come to their climax on the day
of the month when full moon and lunar constellation (naks.atra) coincide;
thus, there may be as many as twelve major festivals in a classical temple,
though more commonly there will be anywhere from two to six. The festi-
val calendar in such temples or pilgrimage centers will generally follow
the career of the presiding deity – his or her “birth,” marriage, conquests,
etc. – in a manner that is juxtaposed into the seasonal calendar. Many temple
festivals, for example, fall between the winter and summer solstices – in the
“light” half of the year and occur during the waxing half of a lunar cycle.
Festival activity, even of the classical kind, often combines ritual sequences
with forms of entertainment and play. Crowds mill in bazaars and attend
puppet shows, lectures, or concerts sponsored by the temple authorities. Yet,
for most who attend there is a serious purpose – to celebrate the exploits
of a deity and internalize his or her power, to fulfill vows and bring offerings
that express gratitude for favors granted and ask the deity’s blessing for a
variety of needs.
In addition to those festivals that are centered on temple premises, festivals
can be celebrated in a home with local displays, home pu ̄ja ̄(worship), the
visitation of guests, and the exchange of gifts. Moreover, fairs often spill
over into the streets of a village or town and are characterized by street enter-
tainment, shopping in open bazaars, and processions. Here again, for
illustrative purposes we focus on two distinct festivals.
Makara Vilakku, Sabaramala, Kerala
Around mid-January every year, hundreds of thousands of men, dressed in
black shirts and shouting “Ayyappa, Ayyappa” ascend to a small temple in
the forests of Kerala.^11 It is the culmination of a festival known as Makara
Vilakku. For forty days, groups of men from a variety of cities, especially in
South India (but increasingly in the north as well), have been gathering daily
under the tutelage of a “guru.” They have sworn to refrain from sexual
Religion in Contemporary India 201