| Summary: |
The ritual of flagellation is commonly studied in regards to questions surrounding religion and body. However, this paper looks at the ritual in order to explore the relationship between ritual and space. It focuses on exploring the 'ritual space' that manifests through the performance of flagellation by Shi'i-Muslims during the commemoration of Muharram. The spatial theories of ritual mainly focus on the ritualization of built space and the way that rituals are staged and accommodated in religious places. However this paper differentiates 'ritual space' from 'the place of ritual' through a set of observations of flagellation during Muharram in Mumbai (India), articulating 'ritual space' as a 'performed space'. |
