2025, Vol. 7, Issue 10, Part B

Author(s): Dheeraj Pratap Mitra

Abstract: This paper is an attempt to examine the religious practices prevalent among Dalit communities in Eastern Uttar Pradesh through the framework of Robert Redfield’s concept of Little Tradition emphasizing their role as sites of cultural resilience and resistance. Drawing upon ethnographic posture and participant observation supported by data systematically collected from scholarly works, government reports, news media and community archives the study explores how Dalit communities such as Chamars, Pasis, Dhobis, Koris etc. construct alternative sacred worlds distinct from the Brahminical Great Tradition. In this study Particular attention was given to the worship of local deities like maee, baba, deeh spirits etc, women’s custodianship of shrines and the healing-protection rituals performed outside formal temple structures. The paper highlights two key dynamics. First, it documents the reinterpretation of festivals, with Ambedkar Jayanti increasingly celebrated ‘as Diwali,’ signaling a profound reorganization of sacred time and identity politics. Simultaneously, Dalits selectively deny participation in Hindu festivals such as Holika Dahan, Raksha Bandhan, Dussehra and Ram Navami which are historically associated with caste humiliation or exclusion. Second, it traces the influence of Buddhist and Vajrayana motifs such as the Ashoka Chakra, stupa symbols, dharmapāla-like guardians and yoginī imagery that circulate in Dalit processions, stage programs and shrine iconography. The findings suggest that Dalit little traditions are not residual folk practices but innovative syncretic forms that merge Hindu, Buddhist with local elements while simultaneously resisting caste oppression. By proposing the concepts of ‘Counter-Calendar’ and ‘Shrine Federalism,’ this study contributes to the sociology of religion and subaltern studies demonstrating how marginalized groups reimagine ritual, festival and their collective identity in pursuit of dignity and equality.

DOI: 10.33545/27068919.2025.v7.i10b.1723

Pages: 154-164 | Views: 262 | Downloads: 143

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