நாட்டுப்புற மக்களின் இறைநம்பிக்கையில் நேர்த்திக்கடன் சடங்குகள்: மானுடவியல் மற்றும் இலக்கியவியல் ஆய்வறிக்கை

Votive Rituals (Nertikadan) in Folk Religious Beliefs: An Anthropological and Literary Research Report

Abstract

The traditional deity worship practices that have prevailed in the Indian cultural landscape since ancient times are deeply intertwined with the daily life and social structure of the people. Conceptualizing the great forces of nature and supernatural elements as deities, folk people surrendered to these gods to protect themselves from fear and diseases. The primary ritualistic method undertaken by people to attain divine grace and to express gratitude for the fulfillment of their prayers is called 'Nertikadan' (votive offering/fulfilling a vow). This research paper comprehensively examines the role of votive offerings in Tamil folk religious beliefs through anthropological, sociological, and folkloric perspectives. Based on ritual intensity, physical effort, and psychological background, this paper classifies vows into two major categories—'Mild Votive Offerings' (Menmai-t-thanmaiyulla Nertikadangal) and 'Severe Votive Offerings' (Vanmai-t-thanmaiyulla Nertikadangal)—and explains their cultural norms. Furthermore, by establishing the historical continuity of this vow-fulfilling tradition through Sangam literature, Silappatikaram, and later ethical texts, it critically analyzes regional ritual variations using field-study data from modern open-access journals.