Ritual re-creations:

Hindu-Vedic Ritual in- and outside modern India

Jan Houben
Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, Paris

Vedic ritual in modern India

In South Asia, Vedic ritual has a long history which starts more than a millennium B.C.E., and continues to some extent till the present day: Kashikar and Parpola in Staal 1983; F.M. Smith 1987; M. Witzel 1992.

Some recent performances

March 1994: nine-day Soma ritual with Pravargya was staged in Delhi, sacrificer was Vedic ritualist Selukar Maharaj. March 1995: a Soma ritual with Pravargya are performed at the VedaVijnan Ashram in Barsi, Maharashtra, for students and public practicing medition techniques taught by Gajanan Maharaj. January-February 2001: Atyagnistoma in Barsi. February 2001: Ganeshayaga in Pune.

Delhi 1994
The hall (Mandapa) for the ninedays Soma ritual which tries to follow more than 2500 year old rituals and models, is also used for the performance of rituals of the Arya Samaj founded by the reformist Dayanand, end 19th century. How are the two traditions merged?

Plan of the sacrificial area according to millennia old rules

Pictures installed at the yupa

Where to place the Arya Samajs sacrificial altar (Agnikunda)?

Following the ancient rules at the Pravargya performance for students at the Ashram

Ganesh Yaga in Pune by female priests

Asvamedha

Asvamedha is the most prestigious sacrifice Also, on account of the conditions that must be fulfilled, most rare It is a compulsory study subject for traditional Vedic students It was always already rare, creativity and interpretation were always needed The most recent more or less authentic one was staged in Jaipur, ca. 1740. The year-long roaming of the horse was probably truncated, we doubt whether any animal was actually killed.

Coin to commemorate the Asvamedha: Samudragupta, 4th century

Two different ways of dealing with and of relating to the traditions and texts of the past atta and gata. atta: the past, what has gone by gata: what has come, arrived

The End