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How to Raise the Divine Baby Krishna; The Pushtimarg Way of Devotional Seva

Presenter:

· Anishka Gheewala Lohiya Lse (London, United Kingdom)

Timeslot:

07/26 | 18:10-18:30 UTC+2/CEST

Abstract

“It’s like having a baby, but you don’t have to wait the full nine months!”,said one of my interlocutors laughingly.The Pushtimarg (Path of Grace) who develop a personal kinship relationship with their deity baby Krishna.Through seva (devotional service) that parallels human behaviours devotees get to know their Krishna as one gets to know their child.The Pushtimarg follows the path of devotion or bhakti rather than jnana or knowledge to find their way to Krishna, yet as they say, Krishna is contrary and unknowable.As a child he is adorably naughty, depicted with one handing stealing some butter, and the love that people feel for him goes across sectarian boundaries.However, in 18 months of anthropological fieldwork,I found that there were many ways people worshipped,not simply following strict seva manuals or guidance from a spiritual expert i.e. a guru or priest,but based on their relationship they would feel their way through decisions on how their Krishna leads his life in their home.Whereas scholarly interest has often been restricted to temple-based worship,perhaps due to access,this paper offers an ethnographic view into domestic worship.In the Pushtimarg,this is the ideal-type of worship, where devotees have Krishna at home and spend their time with him.This paper aims to showcase the diversity in the specificities of Pushtimarg worship at an individual level.It is undeniable that we are moving towards,or indeed are at the point of, Hinduism being a World Religion. This can narrow perspectives on on what it means to be Pushtimarg. Through the lens of kinship we can see how the liturgy is interpreted and put into practice by devotees themselves.