LOCAL WISDOM IN HINDU RITUALITY: ETHNOGRAPHIC INSIGHTS FROM INDIGENOUS TRADITIONS

Abstract

This article explores the deep entanglement between Hindu ritual practices and the indigenous local wisdom that shapes their meaning, form, and function. Drawing on ethnographic insights, the study examines how ritual expressions—such as offerings, purification ceremonies, seasonal rites, ancestral worship, and spatial sanctification—are embedded within the cultural logic of local communities. Far from being static traditions, Hindu rituals evolve as living systems informed by communal values, ecological rhythms, and cosmological understandings. The findings highlight how indigenous knowledge systems guide ritual symbolism, material culture, sacred timing (kāla), and the relational dynamics between humans, nature, and the divine. This research contributes to broader discussions on ritual theory by demonstrating how local wisdom sustains cultural resilience, spiritual identity, and social harmony in Hindu communities across diverse regions.