The Cultural Heritage of Śākta Tantric Communities in India

Despite the long tradition of exploring the Tantric temple culture of Nampūtiri Brahmins within Tantric studies, the Śākta stream remains under-researched. This book therefore enriches understanding of these largely neglected sampradāyas (spiritual traditions), bringing them to the attention of the wider academic community and ultimately shedding light on Śākta communities often marginalised in the discourses on mainstream Asian religions.

Forming one of the richest surviving religious-philosophical traditions of South Asia, Kerala Śākta Tantra is a complex ritualistic system that evolved under the strong influence of various esoteric traditions, including Kashmirian Śaivism (Krama). Drawing on ethnographic data and anthropological research collected during fieldwork in Kerala, as well as interviews with practitioners of kaḷaripayaṯṯu and members of the Nāyar, Piṭārar, Panikkar, and Kalari Kurupp clans, this book explores the diversity of folk and Sanskritic traditions and highlights the importance of Śāktism, particularly Kālī Krama and Śrīvidyā traditions in Kerala. Chapters discuss sacred spaces in Kerala, introduce various Tantric communities, and examine the social changes in modern Kerala that instigated broader acceptance of those from so-called low castes to worship in Hindu temples. The book also offers a philological study of hitherto unexamined Sanskrit and Malayalam manuscripts (ritual manuals) from Kerala, which provide insights into the modes of worship of fierce and fearsome goddesses of the Tantric pantheon.

Arguing that the Kerala Śāktism forms an intricate system preserved by so-called Śākteya clans in Kerala, this important volume will be of use to scholars, postgraduate students, and researchers in the fields of Asian religion, Tantric studies, South Asian religion, and South Asian studies.