First noted by Tucci and Snellgrove the MASTA ARE THE MOST WELL KNOWN GODS OF JUMLA area linked with the AVATAR LINE DEVTA or incarnating gods, the oracular religion associated with DHAMIS.
The primary sources of information about the gods individual life and histories is the
PARELI
recited by the DHAMI/ORACLES during the God’s possession.
THE PARELIS ARE THE GOD’S AUTOBIOGRAPHIES.
Collectively the Masta gods are always spoken of as the
BARA BHAI (twelve brothers)
in the sense of the fraternal relationship attributed to them.
According Gaborieau twelve is a ‘nombre ideal plutot que reel'(“Dieu Masta”). Despite most Jumlis are unable to list more than five or six Bara Bhai, a compilation of all the lists collected by different sholars results in 33 different Masta names, 14 of which are reported by more than one sources (Campbell).
Follow a list of the 33 reported Bara Bhai and the location of their principal shrines.
(G=GABORIEAU; P=P.R.SHARMA; D= DEVKOTA; H= HAMAL; S= BK SHRESTHA; C = CAPBELL).
THE FIRST AND MORE COMMON SOURCE OF THE MASTA’S NAME IS THE NAME OF THE VILLAGE IN WHICH ITS PRINCIPAL SHRINE IS LOCATED.
IN ALMOST EVERY CASE THE NAME HAS A SEMANTIC MEANING DESCRIPTIVE OF THE GOD.
KALOSILA (GDC) for example refers to “black rock” a term used to mean “blood-accepting”
DUDHESILA refers to “milk rock” meaning “milk acceptating”
ACCORDING GABORIEAU THE DIFFERENTIATION OF THE MASTA GODS ON THE BASIS OF THE LOCATION OF THEIR MAIN SHRINES SUGGESTS THAT MASTA IS ONE GOD WHOSE INCARNATION IN DIFFERENT VILLAGES AND DIFFERENT FORMS ARE IDEALLY REFERRED TO AS TWELVE BROTHERS; TO OTHER IT SEEMS TO INDICATE THAT MASTA IS A COLLECTION OF A NUMBER OF VILLAGE GODS WHOSE ORIGINS AND NATURES HAVE CONVERGED OVER THE YEARS.
According Campbell
COMMON FEATURES SUPPORT AT LEAST THE PARTIAL IDENTITY OF THE VARIOUS SEPARATE INCARNATIONS.
These common features are found in the similarity with which the shrines are organized, the regular worship performed, in the origin stories and life-histories recounted by each brother in his PARELI.
THE SISTERS NAU DURGA BHAWANI
CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE TWELVE MASTA BROTHERS ARE THE NINE SISTERS THE
NAU DURGA BHAWANI.
SHARMA MENTION A LEGEND IN WHICH THE REASONS FOR THE MASTA INCARNATION WAS GIVEN AS NECESSARY IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE VIRTUE OF THEIR SISTERS FROM DEMONS (RAKSAS). (SHARMA ‘DIVINITIES’).
ALSO HERE THE NUMBER OF 9 (sisters) IS LIKE THE NUMBER 12(brothers) MORE IDEAL THAN REAL.
(G=GABORIEAU; P=P.R.SHARMA; D= DEVKOTA; H= HAMAL; S= BK SHRESTHA; C = CAPBELL)
BAWANI SOURCE MAIN SHRINE LOCATION
1.BAWANI SGPC MANY LOCAION GIVEN 2.MALIKA SGPC JUMLA. DHARAL, 3.KALIKA SPC LITAKOT, MALIKA, LEKH, 4.KANAKASUNDARI SPGC JUMLA-BAJURA, HADSIJA 5.TRIPURASUNDARI SPGC SIJADARA, JUMLA-CHAUDA 6.PUGELNI SHC JUMLA-TIBRIKOT 7.JALPA GPC RAKALDARA, KHATYAR LEKH 8.THAGALNI S KHESAMALLINI SC UKHADI, CHAUDABHISDARA. 9.HIMALINI S 10.MAHAKALI G 11.SARDA G 12.DEURALI G 13.AMBIKA P 14.CANDIKA P 15JALANDHARI P 16. SETI P
From an ethimological point of view most if the sister’s names are puranic epithets of the brahamanical ‘hidden’ goddess Durga.
ACCORDING CAMPBELL THE IDENTIFICATION OF THESE GODDESSES WITH DURGA IS MADE BY ALL JUMLIS AND IS THE SOURCE OF THE CLASSICAL NUMBER 9.
MANY PURANIC ACCOUNTS MENTION NINE 9 DURGA FORMS.
AFTER JUMLIS HAVE LISTED THE FIRST 5 OR 6 SISTERS WHOSE SHRINES THEY KNOW, THEY COMPLETE THEIR LIST BY RECALLING CLASSICAL EPITHETS OF dURGA LEARNED THROUGH PURANIC ACCOUNTS.
THE MATERNAL UNCLES: MAHDEV
CLOSELY IDENTIFIED WITH THE BROTHERS MASTA AND THE SISTERS BHAWANI ARE A GROUP OF DEITIES CONSIDERED TO BE THEIR MATERNAL UNCLES MAMAS
1 MAHDEV,MAHADEV,MAHADEO PC MANY LOCATION 2.MAHARUDRA PC PADMARA 3.KULDEV,KULDEO C MANY LOCATIONS 4.MAHABANI,MAHABHYA PGHC MABU (JUMLA/DAILEK)
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ETHNOFLORENCE INDIAN AND HIMALAYAN FOLK AND TRIBAL ARTS 