Neither Kittens nor Baby Monkeys: Enhancing devotees’ Agency in Hyperlocal Guru-Bhakti Communities

Abstract: The paper explores devotees’ transformations of agency in hyperlocal guru-bhakti communities in the poor peripheries of Delhi. It challenges the widespread perception of a static, hierarchical, and at times abusive guru-devotee relationship by moving beyond the rhetoric of devotees’ surrender in front of a charismatic omnipotent guru. The paper narrates gurus’ and devotees’ recollections of their first interaction and analyses the internal discourse over the question of who is responsible for the devotees’ kalyāṇ (well-being). It argues that for the newcomers to move forward to the next stage of becoming full-time community members, they need to adopt the gurus’ point of view, that is, to see themselves as active, responsible individuals with an enhanced agency that can even challenge social norms, and not as needy, passive individuals who have the least control over their lives.

Presenter bio: Michal Erlich is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of East Asian Studies at Tel Aviv University. For the past twelve years, Erlich has divided her time between Delhi and Tel Aviv, studying vernacular languages and conducting fieldwork. Her research explores current meanings of well-being in India’s specific and dynamic contexts as well as how individuals and communities in Hindu settings pursue well-being. Her research interests include new religious movements, guru devotion (bhakti) tradition, marginalized and hybrid urban communities, and internal migration.

Presenter affiliation: Tel-Aviv University