Mahima Dharma Page04

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SOURCES & METHODS

1. GENERAL
      The task of my investigation must be to give first of all an overall portrayal of the historical development and the present cult and philosophy according to their own writings and pronouncements. For this the really voluminous literature of the sect has to be collected and complemented with the description of the ritual and the temples as also with conversions, interviews and observations. All this was possible only with surprising kindness of the head of the sect, Visvanatha Baba, whom I should like to thank sincerely at this place. He accorded me access to all the sources, gave me repeatedly the opportunity for long discussions & even permitted me for the first time to witness the rites, even such, as are only reserved for the initiated, as for instance, the confession.
      With some diplomatic luck I was successful in coming into contact with two more groups, considered schismatic by the principal group and collecting material, without marring the good relations with the principal group.
      A great problem was to comprehend the spread of the Mahima Dharma and its social structure : Up to now there exist no data at all on the expansion. Like all such denominations the sect is no longer being given a separate entry in the census since 1901 and since its Asramas, on principles do not possess any land, they are also not registered with the religious Endowments Commission.
      In order to work out the position of the sect within and towards the Hindu tradition according to the view points mentioned above, the portrayal must be extended into two direction in accordance with its own writings and pronouncements:

(a) Definite teaching and rites essential for the sect must be examined on the basis of the Hindu tradition, its heterodox movements and tribal religions; furthermore various developments within the Mahima Dharma must be presented;
(b) The movement's portrayal of itself, must wherever possible be complemented with the testimony of other sources relating to the history and position of the sect in order to work out the sect's conception of itself in relation to the tradition on the one hand, the attitude of the orthodoxy on the other, as well as an eventual development or change of the attitude of both.

For this, besides other things, the works on Mahima Dharma appeared so far, as well as the court records are useful source for reference.

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