20-24 septembrie 2009 - Biblioteca Metropolitana Bucuresti

On the authenticity of the puberty rituals... 647c. Training imparted to girls as a part of the initiation is revealedthrough secret societies in some of the Australian tribes.Till the emergence of Eliade’s thorough explanation of the theory ofinitiation, Fraser’s contribution to menstrual taboos based on the magicaltheory was held as the absolute. Such societies according to Tyler andFraser were lowest in hierarchy in comparison to the logic-basedscientific achievements of the modern era. Eliade’s scholarly expositionof the initiation theory was certainly epoch making. Without denying themagical theory, he has elevated the status of primitive and ancient societies.He pointed out that the experience of these societies is drastically differentfrom our experience. He had opened a new vista by minutely searching forthe elements of initiation in the puberty rituals through common symbolism.As his usual way he compared it to the anxieties of modern man and showedwhat exactly has been missing in the modern era. This is the context wherehe proposes the theory of circular notion of time. Because of the circularnotion of time, the primitive man could contribute creatively to the cosmicworld. He pointed out that the primitive man had imagined that even thecosmic events are circular because they are placed in circular time. Thatis why symbolic death and rebirth are the main functions of any type ofinitiation.In the case of puberty rituals he explained his theoretical stand byanalyzing the upanayana ritual. In case of the female’s puberty ritualshe took resort to various practices evident in the matrilineal societies. Hehad described and analyzed the rituals of the mother earth and the secretsocieties among the Mordvins to support the initiation theory.It is certainly important that he has not taken any note of the pubertyritual described in Indian ritual texts; I guess, not because he has missed it,but because it shows a superfluous character. It is not because his initiationtheory is too narrow to apply to the Indian puberty rituals, but becausethese rituals do not fit in his theory they seem to be superfluous. Theoryof initiation holds good only in the matrilineal societies wherein the ritualis a genuine one. One cannot apply it to puberty ritual described in thepariśiṣṭas or in late Dharmaśāstras texts which are developed in strongpatriarchal environment having a long history of patriarchy. As describedabove, propitiation is the major force than celebration in such ritual.Further more, the celebration is not to enjoy coming of age of a girl, but thatof a wife. The celebration is not for marking her growth, but to announcethat she has come of age after marriage and not before marriage. Thus, theorientation of the celebration is the fear of the post-pubertal marriage.