Pilgrimage inextricably is considered to bring a personal transformation of a spiritual kind. The travel pursuits usually are done for the fulfillment of certain vows. In a traditional Hindu household, a woman’s position pertaining to vows and ritual observance is vested in praying for the overall well-being of the family. The month of Kartik is an auspicious time in which the entire month is celebrated through ritual enactments and observance wherein women assume a central role. Having legendary associations with Lord Krishna, the temple town of Vrindavan plays host to the month-long festivities for the votaries observing the Kartik Vrata. The devotees during this time bring a strong confluence of ritual practices, observances, performances, and most importantly pilgrimage art to the region of Vrindavan. Based on an already conducted ethnographic study (done in 2019) this paper will focus on the annual pilgrimage of the Women devotees of Orissa to Vrindavan, the paper would also look into the connections these pilgrims forge through ritual art and behavior, giving way to the creation of 'space' not only in terms of actual physical movement but, through the ways these journeys get envisioned in the performance of rituals. It would further pursue to seek construction, renewal, and reaffirmation of traditions which helps in defining different gender roles traditions prescribe contrary to the normative setup.
Surabhi Pandey (Fri,) studied this question.