buried images

[Dominik Wujastyk]

When travelling in Kathiawar in the early 90s with Peter Schreiner, we 
encountered local living traditions in the Dhank/Junagadh region of 
underground murtis.  These were thought to be relics from an earlier 
and better time, before a sage cursed the former town to sink underground. 
The villagers routinely discovered murtis when building the foundations of 
new houses, and this was their explanation.

I would expect Tod to have records of this in his Travels in Western 
India.  I've found several of the legends he collected are still 
current in village communities today.

Best,
Dominik


-- 
Prof. Dominik Wujastyk
Visiting Associate Professor (Spring Semester '08)
Department of Asian Studies
University of Texas at Austin
http://www.utexas.edu/cola/depts/asianstudies/


On Sun, 20 Apr 2008, ashok.aklujkar wrote:

> Dear Fred,
>
> As I recall, Phyllis Granoff has referred to instances of buried images in
> her writings. Sorry, I cannot provide precise references at the moment.
> Whether the instances lend themselves to reading a purpose of the kind you
> have in mind must be determined by studying the indications in PG's articles
> and in the sources from which she has drawn her information.
>
> Best.
>
> ashok
>
>
> Fred Smith wrote:
>
>> Does anyone know if there is a history of burying statues or any other sorts of
> images in the ground for apotropaic or prophylactic purposes. I came across
> references to burying images of Demeter and other goddesses in the Greek (and
> Roman) world, and wonder if there is any such parallel phenomenon in India or
> Southeast Asia. It seems to me that I have read about this somewhere, but can't
> recall where.
> <
>