Metabolism of Culture

Battle of the gods | Metabolism of Culture

PhotoMail — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 13:28:10 +0000

In "The Battle of the Gods," Tulsi Swarna Lakshmi analyzes Indian photographer Abul Kalam Azad's "Men of Pukar" series, using it as a lens to explore the transformation of cultural symbols in India. The author focuses on the shift from the buffalo to the cow as a sacred animal, viewing this change as emblematic of larger cultural metamorphoses. This transition is reflected in the myth of Durga slaying Mahishasura, a narrative that transcends a simple tale of good versus evil. Instead, it represents the complex interplay between indigenous traditions and incoming Vedic culture. By examining the evolving perceptions of the buffalo—from a revered symbol of fertility and strength to a representation of evil—Lakshmi uncovers the deeper cultural metabolism of India, revealing how symbols and myths adapt to reflect changing societal dynamics.

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Taboos and totems, the holy and the unholy

PhotoMail — Tue, 06 Sep 2022 06:03:50 +0000

There is an intrinsic conflict when anything becomes a totem to one and a taboo to another. But when seen objectively, these epical animals share one thing in common – mystical elements attributed to the tamable and productive or the untamable and powerful. The greater their contribution to humans survival and economic well-being, the more sacred they become.

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Manigramam, Prehistoric Merchant Guild of Tamil Legacy

PhotoMail — Sun, 12 Nov 2017 20:34:32 +0000

The existence of Manigramam (Manikkiramam) in Pukar, in this context, is an important surviving evidence of our shared lineage. As literary sources attest, Pukar was one of the gateways through which the Afro-Arabian traders entered Southern India. This simple board points to three thousand and odd years of cultural exchange that happened across borders.

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Sacred Thread, Hierarchal hegemony and identity

PhotoMail — Mon, 16 Oct 2017 02:49:53 +0000

Controversy surrounds the origin of Brahmin clans, which is divided into ‘gotras’, and as such mutually opposing thoughts and evidences – both scriptural and historical – are put forth by the differing factions. As far as South India is concerned, the Tamil Brahmins and their Vedic ideas started spreading during the period when Buddhism and Jainism was gaining popularity (around 5th century BCE).

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Palmyra, Caste system in India

PhotoMail — Mon, 18 Sep 2017 20:43:49 +0000

In South India, coconut palm and palmyra tapping was practiced by the indigenous population who, later during the process of class/caste consolidation, were called the Shanars (Channars). These early settlers considered Palmyra as the single most miraculous tree and were the largest consumers of its products. Scaling a Palmyra, which can grow up to 100 feet, is a rather specialized job done by the men.

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Gaze, Metaphor of Indian farming

PhotoMail — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 02:29:53 +0000

In this photograph, the farmer is not the one who is gazed upon. He is actually returning the gaze. There is an act of seeing and being seen. He becomes more present with an unspoken communication that is transpiring between the photographer and himself. There is a connection, an intimate relation between them.

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Parathavar, Etymology of Naval Force

PhotoMail — Sun, 03 Sep 2017 20:41:18 +0000

The life of fishermen has a certain rhythm and the timings are in tune with nature – the weather, the water current, the movement and the life cycle of fishes. They all go and return at different times - the modern day ‘nine to five routine’ is not applicable here. For example, the crab catchers usually go during the late evening to spread their nets. They would go back again in the early morning to collect their catch.

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Cauvery, River Valley Civlisation

PhotoMail — Sun, 27 Aug 2017 10:17:53 +0000

River Cauvery - the lifeline of South India – that traverses through all the four states and Puducherry Union territory is personified as a goddess/woman. Several rituals, along her course, have been practiced since pre-historic times. The most important amongst them are the ones conducted at the mouth where the river merges with the infinite ocean – the end of a journey often analogized with the journey of a human life.

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Stucco Sculpture, Pre-hisoric Memories and Conflict

PhotoMail — Sun, 20 Aug 2017 01:59:19 +0000

As the tradition dictates, this stucco sculpture is not ‘signed’ by anybody either, even though it is not that old. Stucco techniques have been known to sculptors for millennia. Some historians opine that the pyramids were plastered white. The Greeks and Romans are known to have used stucco in constructions and sculptures. It must be during this period that Sangam era Tamils (the predecessors of modern south Indians) learned this technique, through maritime traders.

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Silappathikaram, A Tragic Epic

PhotoMail — Sun, 13 Aug 2017 06:03:55 +0000

Tamil people are familiar with this scene from the Classical period epic Silappathikaram. They are aware of the background of Kannaki, the lady in the pretty saree, and Kovalan, her husband, who is receiving the anklet. The scene depicts a pivotal moment in which the once wealthy and now penniless merchant Kovalan is returning to his wife, after a brief, passionate affair with a dancer and courtesan, Matavi.

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