[Reader-list] 2nd Posting I-Fellowship/ Guru on the Air

[surya upadhyay]

Dear Readers,

As a part of requirement of Independent Fellowship,
this is the second posting of my work titled "Guru on
the Air: Televised Hinduism in contemporary India".

I mentioned about the plan and reason for taking up
the work in the first posting. Nevertheless, I am
starting from where I left last time. The work is
concerned with the instrumentality of media in the
construction as well as maintenance of socio-religious
life of people. The work looks at all forms of media-
print as well as electronic media. But before print
media or electronic media comes in picture, one
essential element that inevitably
needs to be mentioned is the concept of 'DARSAN'-
sight or visual interaction between the devotee and
the deity. It is darsan that is much important that
makes the devotee to realize the power of the deity
and the deity in turn grants her/his devotee her/his
favour and grace.

Though much has been said about the idea of darsan but
I feel that is the most important part through which
the process of devotionalism propagates. Few  works
that needs to be mentioned here are: Babb (1981)
Glancing: Visual Interaction in Hinduism; Eck (1981)
Darsan: seeing the Divine Image in India; DuPertuis
(1986) How People recognize Charisma: The case of
Darsan in Radhasoami and DLM; Sinha (2007) Visual
Culture and the Politics of Locality in Modern India 
etc.

The point is important in a way because it carries a
big consumer section with it. The photo-iconography
has a vigorous tradition in which photographs- small
and big- and icons of the deity are sold and
purchased. The question emerges that what darsan
itself is? Why do people seek darsan? Whether it is a
two way process or one way?

The idea of Darsan is important because devotees feels
attached with the deity and marks various kinds of
feelings. The devotee complaints, requests,
shows affection, praises, etc in front of the idol or
photo. However, in case of guru, it is urged by the
devotee to see the guru in person. The above mentioned
reviewed articles assets various feature of darsan.

Babb discusses about different aspects of visual
interaction by citing examples from various sects. He
says that in Radhasoami group, the teachings place
strongest possible emphasis on seeing, and being seen
by, a true guru. He mentions the feelings of the poet
devotee, "We join glances as I stand facing him,
Satguru casts on me his glance of compassion (daya
drishti). He discusses about various kinds of analogy
that is made in the interaction like dristhi ki dhar
(current of vision), lahar (wave). In the other
example, he mentions the other kind of glance that is
the glance of anger. This particular visual
interaction is an example from a film named *Jai
Santoshi Ma*. The film includes scenes of deity and
worshippers confronting and interacting with each
other. He mentions one other example about the
transformative power of the vision.

DuPertuis talks about the phenomenon of realization of
charisma of the guru. He talks about three aspects of
darsan and suggests the imputation of charisma on
three interrelated levels. He mentions that by the
vehicles of darsan mundane interactions are
sacralised.

With this brief introduction and literature review, I
would like to stress that this darsan aspect is one
fact of bondage between the individual and the deity/
guru. However,in contemporary scenario, this darsan
has been facilitated and made easier by the coming of
the devotionalists cable television channels. In the
present work, the photos of the guru could be
purchased from the shops often sitated within the
premises of the local ashram or at the shops owned by
any sadhak( devotee).

Hence, it is being tried in the current work to show
that how the various forms of media are working
towards lessening the spatial distance between
the guru and the devotee. The present post is written
on the basis of the ideas formed by reviewing few
articles. This will be discussed at length in
the paper.

Guru dristhi (Guru's vision) is considered so much
potent that it could bless any devotee with
self-realization, it is considered much more than
going to pilgrimages. While I was in the field for
getting permission from the Guru for interviewing the
devotees of the guru, the guru replied, "You
have come under the vision of guru, go you will
accomplish eveything."

END




Surya Prakash Upadhyay
surya.upadhyay at gmail.com
surya_rajan21 at yahoo.com


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