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Accepted Paper:

The living icon  
Marianne Fibiger (Aarhus University)

Paper short abstract:

Especially in goddess worship (shaktism) we find living icons. This paper will elaborate on the similarities and differences between worshipping a statue and a living icon.

Paper long abstract:

In daily hindu temple practice under the puja it is normal to consider the statues of the gods as the vehicle for the presence of the particular gods they depicts. It means that the worshipper can get a darshan (sight) of the particular god under the puja. But the statues are not the only vehicle for the presence of the god . Especially in goddess worship (shaktism) we do find living icons. As examples can be mentioned the Kumari tradition in Nepal and the now world famed Hugging Amma or Mate Amritanandamayi from Kerala, who is known from her healing hugs, but also in Denmark we have a living shakti icon, who works as a priest and as a healer. She is now wellknown among many Tamil Hindus from all over the world and is both depicted in her temple as an icon, but is now and then the godees her self. This paper will elaborate on the similarities and differences between worshipping a statue and a living icon.

Panel P45
Objects of worship in the lived religions of South Asia: forms, practices and meanings
  Session 1