THE VILLAGE GODS OF SOUTH INDIA

The Village Gods of South India by Henry Whitehead is an insightful exploration of the indigenous religious practices and deities worshipped in rural South India. Originally written by Whitehead who served as the Bishop of Madras this book provides an anthropological and historical account of the customs rituals and spiritual beliefs surrounding the village gods. It examines the contrast between the pre-Aryan Dravidian traditions and the later influences of Brahmanical Hinduism shedding light on animism ancestor worship and the socio-religious structures that shape village life. Through meticulous observation and inquiry Whitehead documents various regional deities their symbolic representations modes of worship and the interplay between folk beliefs and established Hindu traditions. The book also delves into the role of sacrifice supernatural beliefs and the social and moral influences of these practices. This reprint by Salmon Books aims to preserve this rare and valuable work for researchers historians and readers interested in South Indian religious traditions.