2010/02/01 by Jae-Eun Shin · 14 citations
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #Indian and Buddhist Studies #Anthropological Studies and Insights #South Asian Studies and Conflicts #Cult #Worship #Opposition (politics) #Politics #Connotation #Hinduism #Context (archaeology) #History #Literature #Religious studies #Philosophy #Ancient history #Art #Theology #Archaeology #Law #Linguistics #Political science
paper · doi:10.1177/025764301002600101
published in Studies in History 26(1), 1-29 (SAGE Publishing)
openalex publication_date 2010/02/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/14
Focusing on one of the most prominent sacred sites of goddess(es) worship in India, the Nīlācala (blue hill) of Guwahati in Assam, this article delineates the historical evolution of a local goddess cult and its association with the groups of multiple feminine deities. Based on literary, inscriptional, archeological and oral sources, it demonstrates three phases of transition amidst political changes: (i) worship of yoni, the local sacred geography, by autochthonous people, (ii) the reorganized Tantric yoginī cult associated with a new regional goddess, who was worshipped by the ruling family of the Mlecchas and the Pālas and ( iii) the magical and comprehensive Mahāvidyās and the restored goddess Kāmākhyā cult by the Koches. Here the transition does not mean a sudden change, but a steady process by which a former tradition not only altered but also continued and acquired new connotation in a different socio-religious context. Instead of applying the analytical distinction which often simplifies the multi-sided and prevalent traditions in the form of binary opposition such as ‘tribal/Hindu’ or ‘local/universal’ or ‘Tantric/Puranic’, this article shows how the divergent strands of incompatible religious traditions became mutually dependent.