Contesting Legitimacies, Collective Memories: A Case Study of Peerla Panduga Celebrations from a South Indian Village

Ritual practices are generally understood or studied from the perspective of scriptures. However, festivals like Muharram lack specific scriptures to support them. Muslims, particularly Shias, who are spread across various continents, began commemorating the deaths of Hassan and Hussain in conjunction with the native traditions of their regions, leading to a diversity of practices. In South Asia, Sunnis also commemorate Muharram alongside Shias. In many cases, Sunnis celebrate Muharram independently, especially in areas where Shias are absent. There are also instances where Hindus, in the absence of Muslims in their village, invite a Muzavar (Muslim) from another village to lead the Muharram celebration. Historically, rulers of this region also backed this festival because it helped to harvest solidarity among religions and castes and to gain trust, assertiveness, and confidence among subjects. Thus, the intersectionality of the region and religion has resulted in diverse cultural practices.

In the context of India, the rise of Islamic reformist/ revivalist ideologies like Ahle-hadith jamaat and Tablighi jamaat has introduced a different way of paying tribute to Hassan and Hussain, where individuals observe fasting. This has led to conflicts over the legitimate and correct means of commemoration. However, in the Rayalaseema region, where this study was conducted, Muharram—popularly known as Peerla Panduga—has evolved over time due to various factors despite the relatively low population of Shias.

Based on the ethnographic fieldwork conducted in a village, this paper explores the Peerla Panduga celebrations in the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh. It highlights how a religious festival, transformed into a social practice by including individuals from different faiths and different castes. With Peerla Pandaga’s transformation into a social practice and now the growing influence of Tablighi Jamaat on the celebrations, the paper aims to uncover the religious/cultural contestations, collective memories and their religious and political manifestations.