Paper short abstract:

The idea of deification is a commonplace in South Asia as elsewhere. But how should we characterise deification? The paper approaches deification through three dimensions, all of which can be understood as interrelated: emotions, emotional community and material culture.

Paper long abstract:

The idea of deification is a commonplace in religion and is not therefore restricted to the Hindu realm. But how should we characterise deification in the sense of a human becoming a god? Deification in the area of study that the paper is concerned with is reflected in oral tradition, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, and forms of knowledge. It is a living idea, both traditional and contemporary at the same time, which has found different strategies to survive in a globalised world. One prominent example of the powerful influence of deification is in the field of healing and counselling.

The paper will seek to identify problems to which deification offers or contributes to a solution. It will further ask: What role do emotions and materiality play in deification? And how do deification, materiality, and emotions influence and affect one another? Faced with such questions relating to the popular Hindu realm, the paper aims to show the interpretative potential of emotions and material culture and how the two perspectives illuminate and communicate an essential message of deification.