Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies Volume 17 Article 7 January 2004 Dialogue 'On The Ground': The Complicated Identities and the Complex Negotiations of Catholics and Hindus in South India Selva J. Raj Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/jhcs Part of the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Raj, Selva J. (2004) "Dialogue 'On The Ground': The Complicated Identities and the Complex Negotiations of Catholics and Hindus in South India," Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies: Vol. 17, Article 7. Available at: https://doi.org/10.7825/2164-6279.1316 The Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies is a publication of the Society for Hindu-Christian Studies. The digital version is made available by Digital Commons @ Butler University. For questions about the Journal or the Society, please contact [email protected]. For more information about Digital Commons @ Butler University, please contact [email protected]. Raj: Dialogue 'On The Ground': The Complicated Identities and the Complex Negotiations of Catholics and Hindus in South India Dialogue 'On The Ground': The Complicated Identities and the Complex Negotiations of Catholics and Hindus in South India l Selva J. Raj Albion College INTERRELIGIOUS dialogue is a vital 'dialogue on the ground,' delineates the theological concem for the Catholic Church social and religious themes embedded in this in India:. Over the past three decades, church ritual, and reflects on its implications for leaders (Amalorpavadoss 1978), progressive interreligious dialogue. theologians (Amaladoss 1979), and maverick monastics (Griffiths 1982) have The Shrine, The Saint, and the experimented with various models and Devotees forms of interreligious dialogue. Quite distinct from these contrived institutional A. Shrine initiatives is the dynamic of intimate, subtle, The shrine of St. Antony at Uvari on the and spontaneous ritual exchange and Pearl Fishery coast, situated thirty miles dialogue between ordinary Hindus and north of Kanya Kumari at the tip of the Catholics occurring in the arena of popular Indian peninsula, is a popular Catholic piety and rituals at the grassroots level - shrine in south India. Known as the "Padua often in opposition to institutional norms of the East," Uvari is a coastal village of and directives - that may be described as coconut trees and fishing boats situated on "dialogue on the ground." In light of the shores of the Bay of Bengal. Its five­ ethnographic research at the shrine of St. hundred plus Catholic families of the Parava Antony at Uvari in Tamil Nadu - that serves (fishing) caste group proudly trace their as a representative sample of regional Catholic heritage to the missionary work of shrines in rural south India - this essay stalwarts like St. Francis Xavier who is said focuses on the logic and grammar of a to have spent several days in the village specific public ritual locally known as during one of his missionary trips. Though asanam as an illustrative case-study of the Selva J Raj, who received his Ph.D. in History of Religions from the University of Chicago, is Chair and Stanley S. Kresge Associate of Professor of Religious Studies at Albion College. A Past-President of the Society for Hindu-Christian Studies, he is a Co-Chair of the Comparative Studies in Religion Section of the American Academy of Religion and current President of the Midwest Region of the American Academy of Religion. His research interests are in the area of ritual exchange between Hindus and Catholics in India, Hindu women saints, tribal religions, and contemporary women's movements in India. Author of several articles, he has co-edited two volumes: (with Corinne Dempsey) Popular Christianity in India: Riting Between the Lines (SUNY: 2002) and (with William Harman) Dealing with Deities: The Ritual Vow in South Asia (SUNY: forthcoming in 2004). Currently he is co-editing, with Corinne Dempsey, Ritual Levity, Ritual Play in South Asian Traditions. He is also working on a monograph titled The Dialogue of Rituals: Religion of Tamil Catholics in SOUt11 India. Journal ofHindu-Christian Studies 17 (2004) 33-44 Published by Digital Commons @ Butler University, 2004 1 L Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies, Vol. 17 [2004], Art. 7 34 Selva J. Raj Ii, , situated in a caste-conscious Catholic Around the eighteenth century, said Marion, village, this rural shrine attracts thousands of a modest hut made of coconut leaves was devotees of diverse religious and caste built to house the wooden statue of St. identities who fulfil various vow rituals Antony. A Hindu family looked after the hut collectively known as asanam that include - for several generations until the Catholic, but are not limited to - hair-shaving, ear­ Church took it over from the Hindu family. piercing, ritual bathing, and animal A full-fledged shrine dedicated to St. sacrifices. Antony was built in the 1940s. It was fully F our towering churches - including a remodeled in 2003. church built in the shape of a ship bearing an Dvari residents assert that the wooden airplane - dedicated to four different statue ofSt. Antony enshrined on the altar is Catholic saints dominate Dvari's physical the same wooden statue installed by the and religious landscape. Among these four Portuguese sailors. According to the churches the recently renovated shrine of St. villagers and the clergy, a glass stand on the Antony is undoubtedly the most prominent altar contains the relics of St. Antony sent when measured by the number of pilgrims it from Rome to the local bishop Gabrielle attracts and the wondrous miracles attributed Francis Roche in the 1960s. The tiny to its patron saint. While many south Indian wooden statue of St. Antony is one' of the Catholic shrines - like the popular shrine of major spiritual attractions for pilgrims. Vellankanni in northern Tamil Nadu - are Every Tuesday - considered sacred since St. known for fertility and healing, the shrine of Antony died on a Tuesday - pilgrims flock St. Antony is regarded by many pilgrims - to the shrine to see the wooden statue and St. Catholics and Hindus alike - as the Antony's relics, the two major spiritual preeminent site for miraculous healing for attractions for pilgrims. The two annual those suffering from demonic possessions, festivals, observed in February and mid various fonns of black magic and sorcery, June, attract tens of thousands of pilgrims of and psychological distress. The old men and all religious affiliations. According to a women of the village never tire telling conservative estimate, the February festival pilgrims and visitors the Dvari legend that draws over 100,000 pilgrims from far and recounts the shrine's humble yet wondrous neaL During the festival season streams of begimlings and the powerful miracles devotees stand in long lines to touch the attributed to its patron saint. glass case containing St. Antony's relics or Marion, an eighty-year-old retired have an item blessed by the saint by placing catechist, enthusiastically recounted this it on the wooden statue. legend to me. Long, long ago, nearly three or four hundred years ago - so goes the B. Saint legend - Dvari had a small harbor where The original St. Antony ,of Padua, a native of local villagers would trade with the Lisbon but commonly referred to as the saint incoming ships. The crew of a Portuguese of Padua since he spent his mature years in ship approaching Dvari contracted cholera. the Italian city of Padua, is well known A sculptor on board the ship began chipping throughout the Catholic world as the "finder a block of wood and carved the image of St. of lost articles" and the bestower of fertility,. Antony. No sooner than he completed the However, Dvari St. Antony is especially sculpture the entire crew was miraculously renowned for his powers over demonic saved from cholera. The ship was docked at spirits, particularly malevolent local Hindu Dvari. In gratitude for the miracle, the deities/spirits like Isaikki Amman and sculptor and the sailors installed the Chutalaimadan who command the religious miraculous wooden statue on the shores of attention of a vast number of his local Hindu Dvari against the backdrop of a huge rock. and Catholic devotees.2 Although his https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/jhcs/vol17/iss1/7 DOI: 10.7825/2164-6279.1316 2 Raj: Dialogue 'On The Ground': The Complicated Identities and the Complex Negotiations of Catholics and Hindus in South India Dialogue 'On the Ground' 35 iconography is consistent with St. Antony of to the shrine for a brief or extended stay Padua's typical representation in the either to establish or strengthen ties with the Catholic world where he is portrayed in saint. While the resident devotees are Parava Franciscan habit holding a book and the c Catholics, the vast majority of the visiting infant Jesus in his anns, Uvari Antony's pilgrims come from diverse caste and sacred persona and powers are radically religious groups with Hindus and Catholics recast to reflect indigenous assumptions of the Nadar caste group constituting the concerning sacred figures and the existential single largest group. Throughout the year, human and spiritual needs of his local visiting pilgrims flock to the shrine on devotees. This recasting enables Uvari Tuesdays to perfonn vow rituals. Many Antony's religiously pluralistic clientele to arrive early in the morning by bus, rented embrace the European saint as their chosen vans, or private cars, spend the day at the clan or family deity (kula teyvam) equal in shrine to complete the rituals, and return by power and attributes to such popular Hindu dusk while others stay in the church guest tutelary deities as Mariamman, the Tamil house for an extended period that can be goddess of dis~ase and healing. Called as the anywhere from two days to three weeks. As Parava saint to distinguish him from St.