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Music and Temple Ritual in South India: Performing for Siva documents the musical practices of the periya m am, a South Indian instrumental ensemble of professional musicians who perform during the rituals and festivals of high-caste (Brahmanical) Tamil Hindu temples dedicated to the Pan-Indian god Siva - an important patron of music since at least the tenth century. It explores the ways in which music and ritual are mutually constitutive, illuminating the cultural logics whereby performing and listening are integral to the kinetic, sensory and affective experiences that enable, shape and stimulate ritual communication in present-day devotional Hinduism. More than a rich and vivid ethnographic description of a local tradition, the book also develops a comprehensive and original analytical model, in which music is understood as both a situated and creative activity, and where the fluid relationship between humans and non-humans, in this case divine beings, is truly taken into consideration.
List of contents
List of Illustrations
List of Audio Examples
Preface
1 Introduction
2 Temple Ritual and Image Worship
3 Musicians, from Past to Present
4 The Repertoire
5 Sound, Space and Divine Images
6 Musical Time vs. Ritual Time
7 Music, Emotion and Devotion
8 Conclusion
Glossary
Bibliography
About the author
William Tallotte is currently Research Associate at the Institut de recherche en Musicologie (CNRS - Sorbonne University). He has published widely on the classical, folk and tribal musical traditions of Tamil Nadu, including several CDs for the well-known collection Ocora Radio France.
Summary
Music and Temple Ritual in South India: Performing for Siva explores the musical practices of the periya me?am, a South Indian instrumental temple ensemble of professional musicians.
Report
The book offers an insightful perspective on the cultural logic of the periya
m am tradition, emphasizing the integral role of performing and listening in Hindu
temple worship's sensory, affective, and kinetic experiences. Overall, Music and Temple Ritual in South India is a rich and vivid ethnographic study that contributes to understanding the complex relationship between music, ritual, and religion. The book will appeal to scholars and students interested in Hindu Studies, psychological anthropology of ritual traditions, ethnomusicology, religious studies, and South Asian culture, as well as to anyone interested in the cultural and spiritual aspects of music.
- Vineet Gairola for International Journal of Hindu Studies
