Why do religious practices diverge despite shared origins and destinations? A comparative study of Pongal among two South Indian communities

Abstract

Background: This study compares Pongal among the Nattukottai Chettiars and Peranakan Indians in Melaka, who share origins in Hindu merchant groups of the South Indian Tamil cultural sphere, examining associations between religious practices and social relationships. Methods: Fieldwork in Melaka, Malaysia, from 2019 to 2025 combined participant observation in households and Hindu temples, interviews, and documentary research. Temple observations, participants’ accounts, and documentary materials supplemented uneven household observations. Findings: Pongal differed in participants, languages, offerings, and rituals. Among the Nattukottai Chettiars, celebrations primarily involved same-caste relatives and community members; Tamil was used at temples, and offerings and rituals reflected South Indian practices. Among the Peranakan Indians, ethnically diverse participants communicated mainly in Malay during temple activities. Bhogi ancestral rites incorporated local foodways and elements participants associated with Chinese cultural influence; offerings were shared across ethnic and religious backgrounds. Rituals and offerings also varied among Peranakan Indian households in relation to differences in social relationships. Conclusion: These differences suggest associations with same-caste endogamy, caste-based temple governance, and continuing networks with South India among the Nattukottai Chettiars, and with interethnic marriage, more inclusive temple governance, and expanding relationships with local society among the Peranakan Indians. However, these associations are ethnographic interpretations limited by observational coverage. Novelty/Originality of this article: Based on ethnographic fieldwork, this study compares two communities sharing cultural and religious origins and a destination but differing in social relationships. Its originality lies in relating differences in participants, languages, offerings, and rituals of the same festival to differences in marriage, temple governance, and ties with local society and South India.