Franchising Kakhi: Converging Mythologies and Geographies in Creating Multiple Manifestations of Kashis in India and Nepal

Volume: 10 | Issue: 02 | Year 2024 | Subscription
International Journal of Landscape Planning and Architecture
Received Date: 10/11/2024
Acceptance Date: 10/18/2024
Published On: 2024-10-25
First Page: 46
Last Page: 63

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By: Divay Gupta and Priyaleen Singh

1. PhD scholar, Department of Architectural Conservation, School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi, India
2. Professor, Department of Architecture and Planning, School of Planning and Architecture. New Delhi, India

Abstract

Sacred sites are created to suit and promote particular legend(s), where myth, realities, histories and geographies converge and become inseparable creating unique Sacred Cultural Landscapes. Most prolific of such example is that of Kashi (Banaras/Varanasi), which is eulogised as the religious capital by Hindus. However beside being a tirtha Kashi has also become an ‘Idea’ which has been replicated or manifested at several places within India. These Kashi’s namesakes neither dilute the identity of the original nor compromises its authenticity, and yet establishes its sacredness into new locations. This process of translocation of spatial sanctity is unique in Hinduism due to its pluralistic nature. The concept of replicating Kashis at diverse locations, transcend, time, space and geographies and creates regional networks of inter-connected sacred regions or Kshetras. Many of these Kshetras are further connected through network of pilgrimage and trade routes, defining cultural regions and even idea of Bharata (India) as a nation. These are at times represented symbolically as a mandala. This paper attempts to establish the exaltation of Kashi in formation of its cultural landscapes elsewhere and identify the factors contributing to creating its sacred cultural landscape in diverse locations through convergence of mythology and geography, an ongoing process for more than a millennium.

Kashi, varanasi, kumbakonam, pashupatinath, scared cultural landscape, sacred replication, translocation of Sanctity

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Citation:

How to cite this article: Divay Gupta and Priyaleen Singh, Franchising Kakhi: Converging Mythologies and Geographies in Creating Multiple Manifestations of Kashis in India and Nepal. International Journal of Landscape Planning and Architecture. 2024; 10(02): 46-63p.

How to cite this URL: Divay Gupta and Priyaleen Singh, Franchising Kakhi: Converging Mythologies and Geographies in Creating Multiple Manifestations of Kashis in India and Nepal. International Journal of Landscape Planning and Architecture. 2024; 10(02): 46-63p. Available from:https://journalspub.com/publication/ijlpa/article=13577
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