Intertwinings of the Aniconic and Iconic: Insights From Himalayan Pilgrimages of Amarnath, Kailash and Vaishno Devi

Presenters:

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Abstract

This illustrated paper explores the role of the nature-worship and aniconic worship in major mountain pilgrimages in the Himalayas undertaken by the authors to Amarnath, Kailash-Manasarovar and Vaishno Devi in the 80’s before they became more motorable. The Amarnath cave, Mahashakti peethas houses an ice stalactite described as a Swayambhu or natural Shiva lingam which is open to pilgrims for a few days annually during Shravana Purnima and was visited by the authors in 1987. In 1986 Geetha Srinivasan undertook the month long pilgrimage to Kailas Manasarovar in Tibet when it has just been opened by the Chinese to Indians, travelling on yaks and trekking. The Kailas Parbat or mountain which resembles a lingam and the Manasarovar lake, the vestiges of the Tethys sea is held sacred by both Hindus and Tibetan Buddhists, whom she observed making the parikrama or circumambulation through saashtangadandapradakshina, alternately walking and prostrating themselves. The importance of aniconic worship was observed in 1977 at Vaishno Devi where the goddess is represented by rock formations. The paper touches upon how such aniconic worship was integrated into, and co-existed with more formalised iconic or canonical worship, through the routes of the sacred geographies along the pilgrimage and through the body of myth and lore which motivated the pilgrims.