Description:
The article discusses ritual and politics in Nepal to examine the efficacy of ritual in protecting the king. Nepali is a country with a ritual tradition that is accumulative to such an extent that it indeed seems as if each and every trend that once entered the valley of Kathmandu has been preserved and readily absorbed into the already existing body of observances without a commensurate loss. The article discusses Sanskritization and tantrism and argues that ritual in Nepal has not only been fostered with devotion, it has also been persistently subject to political manipulation. The article discusses the political situation of the Rana regime coming to power. The author concludes the king's divinity does no more protect him than it did Lord Vishnu himself in a selected brahmana passage. Also, it is concluded that it does not protect the king from his own people. (Rajeev Ranjan Singh 2007-02-14)
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