Encountering Epic India
Despite the diversity of Haḍimbā’s character, in recent decades the goddess has become primarily identified with the demoness Hiḍimbā, a renowned figure from the Mahabharata. Drawing on diverse types of materials, this chapter analyzes this identification in light of the different processes indicated by the term Sanskritization, which is also closely explored. Whereas the origins of Haḍimbā’s epic associations remain uncertain, it becomes clear that their current foregrounding is the result of yet another set of encounters and interactions with local, regional, and extraregional forces and ideas. Haḍimbā again emerges here as a complex persona, who serves as a conceptual arena for her devotees to reflect on their self-perception and sense of belonging and to recast their own cultural marginality in a new, inclusive, and rather flattering light. The chapter concludes by showing how the process of Haḍimbā’s Mahabharatization projects outward in ever-growing circles.