Divālī: The Study of a Hindu Festival

Abstract

The article "Divālī: The Study of a Hindu Festival" by Karine Schomer addresses the lack of in-depth analysis in existing scholarly literature on Hindu festivals, which often falls into categories of descriptive catalogues, ethnographic jottings, or participant handbooks. The article proposes a more comprehensive methodological approach to studying religious festivals, using the prominent Hindu festival of Divali as a case study. Schomer outlines several key assumptions for this approach: that festivals are coherent wholes, that their meaning is not reducible to social function, that multiple levels of meaning exist (drawing on structural and cultural system theories), and that regional variations are significant. The paper then provides a detailed description of the Divali cluster of celebrations, including its timing, regional emphasis correlating with agricultural and calendar cycles, and associated stories and rituals. It particularly focuses on the central observances of Lakshmi Puja and Govardhan Puja, as well as the preceding days of Dhan Teras and Narak Chaudas, and the concluding Yama Dvitiya.