Food, ritual and interspecies intimacy in the Chitwan elephant stables: A photo essay

Type of content
Journal Article
Publisher's DOI/URI
Thesis discipline
Degree name
Publisher
University of Canterbury. School of Social and Political Sciences
University of Canterbury. Anthropology
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Language
Date
2013
Authors
Locke, P.
Abstract

This photo essay focuses on the hattisar, or elephant stable, a multispecies institution where humans and elephants live together in intimate and mutually entangled ways. The Nepali hattisar was historically staffed by the indigenous Tharu, who captured and tamed elephants for the rulers of Nepal for trade, for tribute, for use in agriculture, and for use in regal hunting expeditions (rastriya shikar). This essay illustrates the daily routines involved in feeding captive elephants in and around the Chitwan National Park, the sacrificial practices conducted by handlers, and the ways in which worshipful acts convert gifts into sacred food that bind handlers to both elephants and gods.

Description
Citation
Locke, P. (2013) Food, ritual and interspecies intimacy in the Chitwan elephant stables: A photo essay. The South Asianist, 2(2), pp. 71-86.
Keywords
Ngā upoko tukutuku/Māori subject headings
ANZSRC fields of research
Field of Research::16 - Studies in Human Society::1601 - Anthropology::160104 - Social and Cultural Anthropology
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