heritage, culture and local traditions |
LANDSCAPE AND FAITH
SHRINES OF RURAL RAJASTHAN | Hiteshree Das & Abhijeet Karwa
LA 68 |
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| Many cultural and religious traditions of rural communities based in different geographical regions across the country have played an important role in conservation of natural resources of land, water and vegetation. Devras, the sites of nature worship, located across Rajasthan, are one such example.
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Devras [a term used to address places of worship by the pastoral communities that practice various versions of nature worship in rural settlements of the Aravalli mountain range] are found across Rajasthan with deities and practices varying from region to region, based on local belief systems and folk tales. The deities found in these sites seem to have evolved with the faith of their devotees. A pictorial description of a devra, would be an enclosed shrine, that is usually found in and around rural settlements that houses either one or several folk gods and goddesses. To understand faith and practices in relation to a devra, we must delve a little into the deities that inhabit these devras.
Devras in Mewar [Southern Rajasthan] are worshipped by pastoral communities that had settled here many years ago. These communities mainly include Gujjars, Ghairis, and the Gametis.
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