CULTURAL THREADS: INVESTIGATING THE INTERCONNECTIONS OF TRADITIONS, RELIGIONS AND ENVIRONMENTAL PERSPECTIVES ACROSS DIVERSE CULTURES

ICSSR Sponsored One Day National Seminar on Literature, War and Memory: Narratives of Trauma and Healing in 20th and 21st Century English Literature 103 CULTURAL THREADS: INVESTIGATING THE INTERCONNECTIONS OF TRADITIONS, RELIGIONS AND ENVIRONMENTAL PERSPECTIVES ACROSS DIVERSE CULTURES Dr. B. Priyadharishini Assistant Professor, Department of English Kongu Engineering College priyadharishin[email protected].in Ms. V. Priyanka Assistant Professor, Department of English Kongu Engineering College [email protected] https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17283441 Abstract In today’s increasingly interconnected world, human diversity manifests as a vibrant cultural mosaic, where traditions, beliefs, and systems coexist under a global roof. Anthropology, often described as the “most humanistic of sciences and the most scientific of the humanities,” provides a comprehensive lens through which we explore human origin, identity, and cultural expression. This paper delves into the field of cultural anthropology and its relevance in understanding and preserving indigenous knowledge systems and religious beliefs. By examining the practices of distinct communities such as the Bishnois of Rajasthan, the tribal dwellers of the Sundarbans, the Iban people of Malaysia, and the Ashanti of Ghana, the study highlights how deeply rooted cultural and religious traditions contribute to environmental conservation. These communities demonstrate that spirituality and ecological awareness are not mutually exclusive but intricately woven. Through folklore, rituals, taboos, and sacred myths, they offer valuable insights into sustainable living. Ultimately, the paper underscores the importance of respecting cultural heritage as a means to foster empathy and promote ecological balance in a rapidly modernizing world. Introduction Exploring human diversity, unity, and cultural interconnections in a globalized world. The world is a mass global village in a unified setting. In this cultural mosaic, diversity thrives as people from all corners of the world coexist under a single roof. Though the people live under one roof, they have various beliefs, systems, traditions, cultures, and behavioral patterns. Despite sharing this unified setting, individuals maintain a rich tapestry of systems. This diversity is the core of our collective humanity, meditating on the countless ways in which we comprehend and interact with the world. While our deviations may at times seem vast, they finally enrich our global community, offering a mosaic of perspectives and experiences. Mutual respect and understanding of the culture fosters empathy, allowing us to understand the complexities of interconnections. The term Anthropology is defined as the “most humanistic of sciences and the most scientific of the humanities”. A study about human beings can be treasured as a powerful gem or a precious stone. The study of Anthropology is an interesting as well as a vast area. Many contemporary writers dwell on the topic, where it has enormous scope as a discipline. In a broader sense, the study answers many questions like what we mean by being human, the origin, the commonalities among humans, in how human beings stand different from others. There is no one single story available to explain Anthropology. The evolution of this field has its roots in the history of ideas, goes back to the ancient Greeks, which has lots of intellectual traditions, and continues with the evolution of man’s place in the universe. To simplify this ICSSR Sponsored One Day National Seminar on Literature, War and Memory: Narratives of Trauma and Healing in 20th and 21st Century English Literature 104 broader area of study, it is divided into several specialized sub-disciplines. The major divisions of anthropology are Cultural anthropology, biological anthropology, linguistic anthropology, archaeology, applied anthropology, and social anthropology. The anthropologist believes in the realities, events, and processes that shaped human Cultural Anthropology Examines Human Society from Primitive to Modern Societies Cultural anthropology deals with the beliefs, practices, and cultural systems of a group of people settled in a region. Anthropological theories and methods can be applied to study the various cultures. Cultural anthropology includes a broader study of a particular religion’s identity, religion, kinship artistry, race, sex, class, migration, economic process, ethnic groups, and many more. Branches of Anthropology The traditional representation of cultural anthropology pertains to researchers poring over inaccessible communities in distant lands, the actuality is multifaceted. Cultural anthropologists in the early 21st century investigate all kinds of settings, and can work anywhere that the human race lives. Anthropologists even work online, following ethnographic traits for present-day realistic domains. Anthropologists do fieldwork all over the world; some of them even conduct research in their home countries. To study the culture of the world is the passion of many cultural anthropologists. Lewis Henry Morgan and Edward Tylor, during the 1800s, did a comparative study on cultural systems. Their study reveals that all cultures existing in the world revolve around three stages, which are “Savagery, barbarism, and civilization”. However, Franz Boas strongly opposed their ideas and strongly believed that every culture has its terms and should not be mingled with the human evolution theory. The followers of Franz Boas were Alfred Kroeber, Margaret Mead, Ruth Benedict, and Zora Hurston. The culture of Africa can be identified through the primary sources from the late colonial era, because the study of Cultural anthropology as a discipline originated in Africa, in the late 1920s with the arrival of the trained British social anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski and A. R. Radcliffe-Brown. They began their fieldwork at the end of the 1920s. later, Gulliver as an ethnographer, began his studies in a variety of contexts in central Africa. His field work has long lasted for more than twenty years. During the first six years he worked with the Ngoni and Ndendeuli people of Africa. Gulliver introduced a brand-new way for describing social relations, the concept of ‘action-set’. India gives an incomparable opportunity for anthropological survey. The country shoots a line of vibrant complexity of languages, religious beliefs, customs, and traditions that have developed and integrated over time, bountiful to a new cultural prophet. The Indian civilization has its deep roots in the ancient texts and scriptures. The Holy books like the Rigveda, the Yajurveda, the Samaveda, and the Atharvaveda were the standing proofs of anthropological insight in India. it describes the people, beliefs, and their way of life from ancestral India. However, the systematic study began during the British Colonial period. G.S. Ghurye, M.N.Srinivas, Irawati Karve, Sen, and Herbert Risley were the key figures in the discipline of Indian anthropology. The Indian anthropologist have their key findings in the following areas: Caste System and Social Mobility, Tribal Studies, Religion and Rituals, Language and Identity, Gender and Sexuality. Understanding Cultural Anthropology As the world undergoes speedy urbanization and economic progress, conserving its rich cultural inheritance becomes inevitable. Anthropologists projects an unavoidable role in ICSSR Sponsored One Day National Seminar on Literature, War and Memory: Narratives of Trauma and Healing in 20th and 21st Century English Literature 105 recording and upgrading the preservation of conventional customs, practices, and artistic forms that are at danger of being lost. Religion and culture goes hand in hand more or less it can be identified as two sides of a coin. Religion which is an integral part of culture can be explained as a belief, a commitment to an unknown power which can be realized but cannot be proved. Karl Marx identified religion as “the opium of People”, Freud advocated that religious beliefs are rules or regulation that stops the humans from the worst anti-social replete. Emile Durkheim a French sociologist, defines religion as “a unified system of beliefs”, Clifford Geertz an American anthropologist explains religion as “a set of symbols”. For anthropologists, both of these explanation will be helpful because religion reckon such varied human concept and experiences as cultural structures, sets of cognitive content, a belief of awe, and a light of mystery. While various religious group and praxis sometimes run beyond what can be draped by a simple relationship, we can generally define religion as a common system of beliefs and practices pointing the fundamental interaction of natural and supernatural phenomena. In a nutshell we assign a meaning to religion, we must differentiate some incidental concepts, such as spirituality and worldview. Religion embraces immaterial things such as beliefs, values, notions, thoughts and norms. It can be adjunct to launch some shared signposts. Among the various religions in the world there are some common traits prevails, which receives the attention of many anthropologists. The study further traces the commonalities among the diverse group of people under the label culture and religion.It is also amusing to notice when the religious belief meets with nature and tradition. Evolution of Cultural Anthropology In the arid landscape of Jodhpur ( Rajasthan), rests an unequaled and ecologically awaken community named as the Bishnoi community. The people of the community are best-known for their deep-seated love for nature and wildlife. They stand as the living examples of the concord between humans, animals and nature. The people of Bishnoi community worships the Hindu god Vishnu and they follow Guru Jambheshwar, a renowned saint belongs to the 15th century. Their way of living is based on the twenty-nine principles of the saint. The people believe that it is their duty to protect the nature and wild life, they have the peculiar habit of feeding the baby animals and hugging the trees. Because of the effort of this group of people the entire area is covered with greenery among the arid landscape. Many national and international organizations recognized the community as Eco-warriors. The Bishnois community people are known for their bravery and sacrifice in saving nature from human victimization. Many examples can be taken while referring back to their history. In the year 1730 more than three hundred Bishnois died to protect Khejiri trees from being cut down to built a fort, a woman martyr named Amirta Devi, hugged a tree and laid down her life in order to save a tree. When the British were about to cut the trees for trade purpose the Chipko movement gathered hundreds of its deploys and prevented the trees before cutting. The Sundarbans,lies in the southwestern part of Bangladesh a largest delta forest. In the year 1987 it has been selected as a world Heritage site, and further it was announced as a reserved area in 1989 by UNESCO. In the mangrove forest lives a diverse group of people, named Munda, Mahato and lodha tribes.The peoples from different regions settled in the forest for the purpose of trade and shelter. The people lives in close proximity to the Sundarbans diverse wildlife. Survival in this locality is extremely challenging.The people encounters the Bengal tigers which stands as a major threat to the dwellers.In this time of religious divisions, an unusual at the same time an amazing thing happens in this arena, it is Bon-Bibia diety who is revered by Hindus, Muslims and Christians alike in the Sundarban forests. Her tale indicate some of what makes this locality so unique.It is a very famous folklore of the Sundarban region, ICSSR Sponsored One Day National Seminar on Literature, War and Memory: Narratives of Trauma and Healing in 20th and 21st Century English Literature 106 ‘Banbibir Jahuranama’. It foregrounds the need for harmonious existence of humans and nature in the wild-infested land of the Sundarbans. ‘Banbibir Jahuranama’ tells about a wise man in the forest inverted greedy and amalgamated to share any of the woods resources with humanbeings. Through his spiritual potency, he took the form of a tiger called Dakshin Rai and killed humans who encountered the forest. He legitimized the human death as tax remittance. Bonbibi, a deity is believed to protect the people of this region from the dangerous creatures of the forest, especially the bengaltiger is interpenetrated with the mystic character , Dakkhin Ray, the king of the southern region of Sundarbans. The unusual environment of Sundarbans unifies the woods and its wild life close to this descendants which is hard to deal up with on one side and beneficial on the other. The woods stands as the sacred land, the place of the saviour Bonbibi, and the dwelling of ‘Dakshin Ray’, the protector of its treasure. He defends the treasure of the forest in the pretense of a ferocious tiger, a threat to life. He present himself only before Bonbibi, the owner of ‘Atharobati’. The deity, Bonbibi represent hope and life. All these beliefs, goes along with the myth, religious rituals and supernatural rites and the harsh reality of struggle for survival intermingled into the matrix of their culture and formed a distinct eco-centric survival, holding across the boundary of castes and creed. The African Origins of Field Anthropology The conventional life-style of the Iban antecedents notably influenced the shaping of their synchronic culture and heritage, eventually threading the distinct identity followed within the Iban community today. Rooted profoundly in nature, Iban culture undergone a complex process of developmental learning, cross-cultural exchanges, and socialization. Tugang (2011) depicted two cardinal aspects of Iban culture: tangible artifacts and intangible practice. Both division intertwine closely, weaving a wealthy tapestry of Iban bequest. Artifacts, can be counted from day-to-day objects to ceremonial components, incarnate complex functions and hold divine significance, passed down through generations as treasured customs. Drafting inspiration and guidance from the natural world, the people artfully crafted their culture strongly rooted in their environment, forming an abiding bondage between culture and nature. Throughout the ages, these cultural traditions, meticulously candied by antecedents, have been jointly embraced to build the united identification of the Iban people. Key to their cultural notion is the belief that their life-style is a sacred gift from Petara, a superior deity. As per Iban’s oral tradition, the kinship betwixt the Iban and Petara traces back to a mythological time when they co-occurred in harmony at Tembawai Tampun Juah. After the eventual parting of mortal and divine realms due to conflict, the Iban followed the teachings given by Petara, thus sustaining their cultural heritage. Through oral transmissions, the legacy of Petara and ancestral wisdom persists as the cornerstone of Iban identity, resonating throughout their community to this day Within the Iban community, those adhering to traditional beliefs hold a steadfast conviction that blessings emanate from the benevolent nature of the gods, obliging humanity to reciprocate through rituals and offerings (Masing 1997:23). Consequently, in earlier times, the celebration of traditional festivals among the Iban, marked by religious song and offerings, held superficial significance as a post-harvest ritual. The peregrine lifestyle prevalent among the Iban descendant profoundly influenced the evolution of their culture and heritage, defining the essence of their recognition as observed within the modern Iban society. Rooted in the natural environment, Iban culture underwent a multifarious biological process and cross-cultural interactions. In Ghana, between the eleventh and thirteenth centuries settled an ethnic group named, The Ashanti, in the deep rain forests. The primary form of governmental and social group of this area was the Ashanti tribe, which has ties to other groups of Ghana from the origin. Native cultural ICSSR Sponsored One Day National Seminar on Literature, War and Memory: Narratives of Trauma and Healing in 20th and 21st Century English Literature 107 exercise played a momentous role in the improvement of forests within rationalistic communities in the Ashanti part of Ghana. Taboos, myths, beliefs, proverbs,and songs were essential traditional methods used by the Ashantis to efficaciously preserve their forests.The woods, such as the Numafoa, long-lasted till date owing to the strict regard for taboos, myths, and pedagogy’s in proverbs handed down by ancestors.As per their system certain days in the year were considered as divine, ‘taboo days’, during that period entry into their arena was totally restricted. The people of that community beliefs that it allows the entire ecosystem under rest from anthropological activities.The people inherited the rainforest from their fore-fathers and considers it to be an abode to respective deities, exalting venerating fear and close protection to the rainforest. The community trusts that the Proverbs and songs stresses the importance of conservation and protects human action that may lead to destruct the forest. Some incidents can be recounted where some of the native of their community violated the taboo day rule and entered in to the rainforest on a forbidden day, that person was not able to enter the forest again for several years. It is believed the man was able to enter the forest as soon as the elders offered animal sacrifices to pacify the gods. Conclusion The respect for cultural practices, religious beliefs, and traditions creates a serene atmosphere to protect the ancient lands, which in turn increases the productivity essential for human life. To conclude, cultural threads across different societies often meet on a shared veneration for the environment. Through various beliefs, myths, songs, folklore, and proverbs, communities across continents demonstrate a deep-rooted relation to their ecosystems. These cultural commonalities serve as a directional force, uniting various countries in the protection and conservation of their environment. By upholding conventional practices and regarding sacred spaces, communities play an important role in protecting the delicate scale of the ecosystem. In an era well-marked by environmental disputes, the lessons taught from these cultural systems offer invaluable insight into sustainable coexistence with the world around us. As the human race continues to navigate the complexities of our contemporary world, holding and observing these cultural bequests can pave the way towards a more harmonized relationship between human and nature. Works Cited Introductory Readings In Anthropology: Editors: Simon Underdown, Hilary Callan, Brian Street, Philip Hugh Gulliver (1921-2018), Posted by Eric Henry April 30, 2018. Social and Cultural Anthropology and the Study of Africa, Herbert Lewis Introduction to Cultural Anthropology: Studying people and cultures around the world. Kakali Chakrabarty: The Cult of Bonbibi: A Folk Paradigm in Deltaic Sundarbans 55 Journal of History, Art and Archaeology Vol. 1, No. 1, 2021, pp. 49-61 © ARF India Moribundity of Iban Traditional Festivals: Impact on Traditions and Culture ROBERT MENUA SALEH, Ph.D. The Use of Indigenous Cultural Practices by the Ashantis for the Conservation of Forests in Ghana Abayie-Boateng A. (1998). Traditional conservation practices: Ghana’s example. Institute of African Studies Research Review, 14, 42-51.