The Rite of the Golden Womb

by Jayanta Bhattacharya

The rite of hiraṇyagarbha (literally 'golden womb') is a unique rite, which, since its inception, remained an expiatory rite in its core, even after being transformed by the purāṇic ritualists as a rite of great gift (mahādāna). From the 4th century of the Common Era to almost up to the modern period, this rite was performed by a significant number of rulers, mostly from the marginal social groups, in different regions of South Asia,. This rite became essential for their acceptance in...