Does The Buddha Live? Between the Sacred Spaces, Devotion, Heresy, and Erroneous Identity

Shamili J.

Should religion be boxed divisions of ideological landscapes that favours one over other? Must authorities have greater say over sacred spaces and deities that communities have venerated across generations, even if they are from mistaken identities? To answer these questions that relate to Buddhism and its sacred spaces of Tamil Nadu, the present study investigates three key cases. Buddhism was once a prevalent religion in Tamil Nadu only survives in sparse Buddha sculptures scattered across the state, unlike the rest of India. The sculptures of Buddha are often showcased with severed hands, chopped tuft knots, mutilated faces and headless torsos within the settlement outskirts, near sacred trees or ponds. There are cases where these sculptures are repaired and worshipped as tutelary deities with mistaken identities leading to court cases, such as Pandi Muni Madurai and Thalaivetti Muni Selam. The court cases are regarding the dissonance of not just the identity of the deity but also the nature of worship that included animal sacrifices by the villagers. The court cases involved parties from Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments and Buddhist trusts. Another case from Velankani is a dispute over a sacred piece of land that housed a Buddha between the Hindus and the Muslims. The study examines these three instances of conflict related to Buddha’s identity, sacred spaces that housed the image, and heresy of Buddhist veneration. It further explores contemporary worshippers' inconsequential attitude of the deities' identity amidst religious synchrony as well as the extent of state authority over such sacred spaces.