From demon to deity
Forging a new iconography for Mahishasur
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2391249 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Moumita Sen (0000-0003-1124-5583, MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion and Society, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 28 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 106-130 |
| Publication date | 2023-03-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Material Culture (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1359-1835 • E-ISSN: 1460-3586 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/13591835221116708 |
| OpenAlex | W4292253731 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 24 |
This article focuses on the forging of a new iconography for Mahishasur, a 'demon' in Hindu mythology who was reclaimed by indigenous communities both as a 'god' and as a champion of their political autonomy. The public political ritual of venerating Mahishasur was deemed blasphemous by the Hindu nationalist party in power. Among clay-modellers of Bengal, the dominant 'demon' image of Mahishasur embodies the highly-valued skill of Naturalistic sculpture; but the movement needed a new benevolent image. Through interviews with image-makers and organisers of this political ritual in several villages of West Bengal, I will show how local aesthetic ideals of masculinity, virtue, and political ideology are expressed in the new aesthetic form(s) and iconographies of this emerging hero of Indian politics
Aesthetics · Archaeology · Art · Demon · Hinduism · Hindutva · Iconography · Ideology · Indigenous · Literature · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Anthropological Studies and Insights · History · Law · Philosophy · Religious studies · South Asian Cinema and Culture · Theatre and Performance Studies
Politics after Television
Introduction
Gods in the Bazaar
Patronage as Politics in South Asia
Dissensus
The Mahishasur Movement Online
Deeper Play
Revelry, Rivalry, and Longing for the Goddesses of Bengal
Post-reform India’s automotive-iconic-cement assemblages
You don't understand, we are at war! Refashioning Durga in the service of Hindu nationalism
Demarginalisation and History
Sanskritization vs. Ethnicization in India
A Note on Sanskritization and Westernization
A thousand plateaus
Postcolonial Developments
Aesthetics of Persuasion
Sanskritization," "Westernization," and "Social Mobility
Performative Acts and Gender Constitution
The Power of Images
From Dull to Brilliant
Korean Shamans and the Spirits of Capitalism
| Unique citing works | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,33 |
| Citation span | 2023 - 2026 (4) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 4 |