Abstract
Abstract
The upper reaches of the Supin River are ruled by a divine king whose identity is disputed. Some say that he is Duryodhana, arch-villain of the Mahabharata. Others say that he is Someshvara, a form of Shiva. Whoever he is, his cult is associated with certain controversial and sometimes brutal customs that some his followers would like to do away with: for example, animal sacrifice, overtaxing of his subjects, and livestock rustling. This chapter examines the god’s myth of origin and his recent history, and documents villagers’ efforts to change their world by transforming the very being of their fierce and cruel divine king.
Publisher
Oxford University PressOxford
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