Maloney, William (2025) Diasporic Ritualists: An ethnography of Karva Chauth in Montreal. Masters thesis, Concordia University.
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Abstract
This thesis explores the roles, meanings, and functions of the Karva Chauth ritual as practiced within Montreal’s South Asian diaspora. Drawing on participant observation and interviews, I demonstrate why the ritual can be understood as a site of tension, and how it functions as a lever for alleviating that tension—enabling participants to manage emotional strain, negotiate relational dynamics, and assert agency through structured symbolic action. I argue that Karva Chauth’s ongoing relevance lies in its capacity to transform tension into a generative resource—enabling participants to manage uncertainty and renegotiate tradition through performative
devotion, aesthetic authorship, and collective ritual engagement.
| Divisions: | Concordia University > Faculty of Arts and Science > Religions and Cultures |
|---|---|
| Item Type: | Thesis (Masters) |
| Authors: | Maloney, William |
| Institution: | Concordia University |
| Degree Name: | M.A. |
| Program: | Religion |
| Date: | 31 July 2025 |
| Thesis Supervisor(s): | Orr, Leslie |
| Keywords: | Karva Chauth, Ritual Studies, South Asian Diaspora, Ethnography, Gender and Religion, Ritual Agency, Montreal, Votive Rituals, Women in Religion, Ritual Negotiation. |
| ID Code: | 995899 |
| Deposited By: | WILLIAM MALONEY |
| Deposited On: | 04 Nov 2025 17:44 |
| Last Modified: | 04 Nov 2025 17:44 |
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