Miracle in the vernacular Hinduism of Western Rajasthan (India). Cases and generalizations

Abstract

The paper deals with the concept of miracle in the language and culture of the Jaisalmer district (Rajasthan, India). It is argued that a special understanding of miracle in that region is directly related to perceptions of the vernacular Hinduism prevalent in Rajasthan, which is based on mediumism. The concept of miracle, parco in Marwari (from the Old Indo-Aryan paricaya ‘acquaintance’), is a special cultural phenomenon that characterizes cases of unexpected manifestation of a deity or divine power outside the mediumship related rituals aimed at invoking the deity, and mostly not through a medium. The difference between parco in Marwari and camatkār in Standard Hindi is analyzed. Narratives on cases of parco related to the region under study are given as illustrative material.