Abstract

HERNANDEZ QUIROZ, Anselmo. The Kumbha Mela festival’s social representation in pandemic times: nature and religious imaginary in Modern India. Cultura representaciones soc [online]. 2022, vol.17, n.33, e0001996.  Epub May 05, 2023. ISSN 2007-8110.

I reflect here on one of the most deeply rooted aspects of Indian culture: the mystical, magical and healing powers attributed to waters, mainly river waters, in the context of the current global health crisis. For this, I have selected as a documentary case study the religious festival known as “Kumbha Mela”. I use a hermeneutical methodology (history of religions and qualitative social research) with which I outline India’s response to the global crisis, describe the origin and development of the Kumbha Mela religious festival, and offer a brief reflection on the symbolic power of Ancient and Classical Hindu tradition in Modern Indian tradition, particularly with regard to waters symbolism. I conclude that the study of the religious imaginary’s social representation is relevant to understand atypical social phenomena (in times of pandemic) in societies where tradition justifies them and gives them continuity, even at the cost of political actions.

Keywords : pandemics; religious festivals; religious imaginary; social representation; Hindu culture.

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