2017/02/19 by David L. Haberman
Social Sciences · Psychology · #Anthropological Studies and Insights #Geographies of human-animal interactions #Animal and Plant Science Education
paper · doi:10.1080/0048721x.2017.1290663
Natural entities such as rivers, trees, and mountains have long been worshiped in Hindu India as embodied forms of divinity. This essay examines the devotional tendency to anthropomorphize such aniconic objects as a way of bringing out their personality – in other words, to draw the iconic out of the aniconic. Primary attention is given to neem trees in Banaras – considered to be embodied forms of the goddess Śītalā – and stones from the celebrated Mount Govardhan of Braj – regarded as embodied forms of Kṛṣṇa. Descriptions of the anthropomorphic techniques employed in the worship of these trees and stones are provided along with explanations to demonstrate that they are performed by devotees for the expressed purpose of achieving and nurturing intimate relationships with these natural forms of divinity. Brief consideration is given to contemporary reevaluations of anthropomorphism.