Roots of Wisdom, Branches of Devotion - Plant Life in South Asian Traditions - Fabrizio Ferrari
10. Rice and Rice Culture. Cultivation and Worship of a Divine Plant in Western Odisha
Roots of Wisdom, Branches of Devotion - Plant Life in South Asian Traditions - Fabrizio Ferrari
Uwe Skoda [+]
Aarhus University, Denmark
Uwe Skoda is Associate Professor of South Asian studies in the Department of Culture and Society at Aarhus University, Denmark.
Description
Uwe Skoda discusses rice culture amongst the Aghrias, a local peasant community in Odisha. The chapter introduces various categories of rice and cultivation techniques, thus demonstrating the extensive agricultural knowledge of Aghria peasants. Furthermore it is shown how rice unites and synchronizes various human and earth cycles in its manifestations as plant, as food, and finally as the goddess Lakṣmī.