“This Is а Very Big Tabarruk”: Ritual Things and a Sense of Community in the Muslim Saint Veneration Culture of Northern India

Abstract

Relying on materials of a field study of a revered Muslim grave in Delhi, the author analyzes the role of sacred objects (tabarruk) in the ritual of saint veneration of the saint. The exchange of food and other items called tabarruk is one of the essential elements of the cult. The author focuses on the study of the objects involved in the ritual. The primary goal of the work is to discuss the role and characteristics of tabarruk in ritual and social life. Tabarruk (which most often consists of sweets and rose petals) change their status: a pilgrim buys them in a shop near the tomb, brings them to the grave, puts them on the tombstone. Pilgrims exchange sweets among themselves. The employees of the tomb give part of the tabarruk back to the pilgrims. Food from the langar kitchen is distributed free of charge to pilgrims, guests and the homeless and has a comparatively lower status—participants do not have to finish the entire meal. In contrast, sweets given by other pilgrims must be eaten. As the analysis of field material shows, tabarruk has two fundamental properties. First, these items must pass the stage of a gift between real or symbolic participants of the gift exchange; they thus unite the pilgrims with the revered saint and among themselves. Second, they must come into contact with the symbolic agent, part of the distributed personality of the saint, and are his indexical expression.