Bhuta worship (Daiva worship), known as Bhutaraadane or Daivaraadane in Tulu, forms an integral part of people’s way of life in Tulunad. There have been anthropological, sociological and literary works on Bhuta worship that employ a range of conceptual and methodological tools. The discourses on Bhuta Worship involve contested views on the nature of ‘faith’ and acts of ‘performance’ in ritualistic practices that are distinctive to the region. The interactive session on Bhuta performance artist’s experience of Bhuta worship attempts to capture the lived experience of the tradition and examine its relevance within the broader discourse on Bhuta worship.

Speaker

Sri Ravi Panara is a Daiva (Bhuta) performance artist from Hiriyadka, Udupi District. Notably, he acts as the performance artist for the Babbu Swamy Daiva which is near MIT, 亚洲通_亚洲通官网. Ravi learnt the art of performance from his father Dangu Panara as a child and has been performing the art for fifteen years in this region. His father,

Dangu Panara was a resource person for the Regional Resource Centre (RRC) in Udupi on Bhuta worship. His mother Ammani has been awarded by the Karnataka Janapada Academy for her contribution to Tulu Folk Literature. With twenty eight years of experience in Daiva worship and fifteen years of experience as a Daiva performance artist, Ravi has accumulated deep insights in to the ritualistic practices of Bhuta worship and their correlation to the lived experience of the community.