The Two Sides to Indo-Caribbean Shaktism

I already explained in a previous post on what Indo-Caribbean Shaktism is (my first post actually), but today on this post I want to talk about the two sides to Indo-Caribbean Shaktism, The Madrasi side and the Vedic side. In the Madrasi side, coming from the Dravidian Folk Practitioners, you can find all the things that make Indo-Caribbean Shaktism unique. This includes the more taboo subjects (animal sacrifice, trance-possessions, deities such as Sanganie Baba and Katerie Maa among others, using Tamil as a traditional language for Kirtans and Bhajans). The Vedic side encompasses things such as the original Hindu deities such as Ganesh, Shiva, and Durga (among others), the hierarchy with the Pujaries and Pundits, and other things. Madrasi Side The Madrasi side comes from the indentured servants brought from Tamil Nadu, South India to the Caribbean. They brought their practices and culture, and their practices were largely based on Dravidian Folk Religion. If you ever see something relating to Indo-Caribbean Shaktism that includes trance possession, non-vedic hindu deities (I included a list of them in the Introduction to Indo-Caribbean Shaktism post) and/or something relating to Animal Sacrifice, Bhajans and Kirtans sung in Tamil, you can be super sure that it is referring to the Madrasi Side of Shaktism. Practices may also include traditions such as Karagam Puja, Pujas and Ceremonies to the different non-vedic deva and devi, among other traditions. These are the topics that are considered taboo back in the Indian Subcontinent, since these practices are largely based on Folk practices from Rural villages of Tamil Nadu. The overall basis of Caribbean Shaktism is built on Tamil Folk Religion, and comes from the Rural Cult to Mariamman, a goddess of fertility and rain. Vedic Side The Vedic Side comes from the indentured servants brought from the Bhojpuri, Awadhi, and Hindustani speaking regions of India as well as from the West Bengal region. This side of Indo-Caribbean Shaktism refers to the more orthodox practices which make up the minority of Shakti practices. Deities such as Ganesh, Shiva, Lakshmi, and Saraswati come from the Vedic traditions. These traditions are mostly built on the teachings of the Sacred Scriptures as well as other teachings from Gurus. The traditions found in the Vedic Side of Shaktism are derived from Vedic Hinduism of the Indo-Aryan groups. The main deity worshipped in Indo-Caribbean Shaktism, Kali Mata, is of Vedic origins. Most services are done singing Kirtans and Bhajans in Sanskrit or Caribbean Hindustani, and the reading of Sanskrit sacred mantras during services. I know this was a shorter post than usual, Thank you so much for reading this post. Make sure to give it a heart and comment on what you think I should do next! Om Shree Mahakali Shakti Mata Ki, Jai! - Jai Bhadrakali Community