ABSTRACT
The amplification of religious sound in public spaces has become a key medium for negotiating identity,difference,and pluralism in societies world-wide. This paper explores the religious soundscape of Hindu traditions in Kerala, India by examining the role of sonic amplification in the sacrifices of Nambudiri Brahmins. While Brahmanical praxis is based on ancient liturgies from the first millennium BCE, the modern performance now incorporates microphones and loudspeakers that amplify recitations well beyond the power of the human voice.This technological shift coincides with significant changes in patronage and participation, as people from outside the Nambudiri community take a more active role in the funding, organization, and celebration of such rituals.In contrast to the private sacrifices of previous generations, the ‘amplified sacrifice’ is now carried out as a public Hindu festival with thousands of attendees and a full suite of marketing and media coverage.In this way,the local,sonic amplification of performance tracks with a regional, cultural ‘amplification’ of Vedic ritual and Nambudiri identity.
