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Conversions, Interviews, Recording of the Rites and Shrines
Conversions
The text material for the sect's
own writings and pronouncements could be complemented with numerous
conversations with the present head of the principal group, Visvanatha
Baba and with his adversary the head of the other denomination, Jyoti
Baba, as well as with numerous monks and laymen in different regions.
All conversations were each time recorded either by Mr. K.C. Routray,
M.A., whom I would like to thank heartily for his untiring help, or
by myself. In the course of all these conversations vis-à-vis
the higher monks in particular, two basic difficulties became evident:
first running the risk to contribute, through the way of questioning
to the forming of a system. Mahima Dharma does not yet possess a complete
system of dogmas. Therefore, a far too intensive questioning can easily
induce a person to close instantly the gaps which might appear in the
system during the discussion. Therefore, questioning of a very cautious
type is appropriate which foregoes to insist on specific question or
questions not or seemingly not answered adequately. To repeat such conversations
with the same persons after longer intervals proved to be the second
necessity- the persons contacted for conversation are basically never
prepared to reveal their entire knowledge of a particular subject all
at once.
Interviews
For recording the social structures
and expansions of the sect I carried through two different sorts of
interviews:
During the festivals at which we
were present we interviewed in all 955 laymen about the following points
or we let them interview each other on mutual basis:
(1) Residence
(2) Is there a settlement of the sect at that place ?
(3) How many families of the place in question belong to the sect ?
(4) Age
(5) Caste
(6) School Education
(7) Profession
(8) Were the parents already members of the sect ?
(9) Reasons for joining the sect.
A similar interview of the monks would
have been extremely desirable, but it could not come off, since they are
mot permitted to talk about their previous life for instance, about the
caste they originally belonged to, indeed the monks of both the denominations
were prepared to furnish me lists of existing Asramas or Tungis for their
respective spheres of mission. Those were completed by interview the laymen
of the sect.
Rites and Shrines
During my field stay it was possible
for me to record with two exceptions, the entire range of rites, several
times and at different places as well as complete it by visiting the different
groups and their shrines.
Latest Evaluation
Till now* I studied the historical
development and the present aspects of the sect, I started first of all
mainly with the Balkaladhari groups. Further work is expected to bring
forth a thorough examination of the other Kaupinadhari group and its literature
as well as a further analysis of the historical and social context of
the sect.
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