Image India: Hindu Temple Rites: Bathing the Image of God
odd: label: General
content: Local Numbers: HSFA 2005.10.72
setName: label: See more items in
content: Carleton College Library educational film collection
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 1 Film reel (color sound; 648 feet, 16mm)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1969
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Human Studies Film Archives
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Film reels
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Edited film: Documents an annual festival of a small Tengali temple in Madras City, India. The special Hindu celebration, utsava, is typical of the minor seasonal festival seen at many South Indian Hindu shrines. Explains the symbolism of the Lord as Supreme Visitor, and discusses the role of priestly specialists.  Shows the elaborate bath offered to Lord Vishnu and his two consorts, Goddesses Sri and Bhu, the burning of incense, bell-ringing, recitations of prayers, and the distribution of the food offerings to the faithful.  Suggests that the temple liturgies are analagous in meaning, intention, and execution to domestic rites at the home shrine, only on a larger scale.  Filmed within the Tengalai brahman community of Srivaisnavas.

Credits: Dir. by H. Daniel Smith, Prod. by H.D. Smith: Hindu Ways Series, Film Marketing Division Syracuse University