எஸ். ராமகிருஷ்ணன் நாவல்களில் சிறுதெய்வ வழிபாட்டு மரபுகள்: ஓர் ஆழ்நிலை ஆய்வு

Minor Deity Worship Traditions in the Novels of S. Ramakrishnan: An In-depth Study

Abstract

“Do not reside in a village that lacks a temple” is a proverb deeply ingrained in Tamil tradition. People hold a profound belief, viewing all the auspicious events in their lives as divine grace and their hardships or ill-effects as divine wrath. This faith emerged during the dawn of human civilization from a primal fear of nature; it later evolved into nature worship and, over time, progressed into the worship of minor and major deities. Among rural folk, the worship of minor deities is intricately interwoven with their culture, history, and social structure.

In the landscape of modern Tamil literature, S. Ramakrishnan—a leading contemporary writer—meticulously records the soil, the people, and the beliefs of the Karisal (black soil) region in his novels. This paper analyzes the methods of minor deity worship, rituals, beliefs, and their social backgrounds as depicted in S. Ramakrishnan’s novels Thuyil, Sancharam, and Nimitham. Various dimensions, such as clan deities (Kuladeivam), guardian deities, goddess worship, and beliefs in malevolent spirits, are explored in detail through this study. Furthermore, this research establishes how folk deities serve as "Crisis Deities" for the people and how the author reveals social truths through literary fiction..