Sacred Screens: Mobile Phones and Temple Worship in India During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Internet technologies have reduced the distance between people and places. The internet and mobile phones gainfully rose to a must have devices for everyday communication. The use of mobile phones for the purpose of religious worship and archive gaining momentum over the years. Due to covid-19 it has made the religious institutions innovate and offer similar experiential worship to the devotees. The practice of keeping the images of gods in digital places has clues from the physical places like calendars, framed photographs and idols made with a variety of metal, rock and earth. But the digital has given an opportunity to keep the most believed god or goddesses as screen saver, live viewing of Aarti (worship prayers), offering donations etc.
The study aimed to explore how the internet and mobile phone infrastructures have reshaped the idea of worship, which includes every prayer, sacred offerings, and keeping the memoirs of god and goddesses in Hindu religion in India. The study identified the most popular Hindu temples includes Tirupati Balaji, Vaishno devi temple, Shree Jagannath Temple based on geographical location as well as diversity of devotees. The three temples have a grand history and are situated in three different parts of India.
The study also incorporated the interview with the devotees for understanding the mediating of devotion through mobile phones. The mobile phone practices of sacred and devotional activities were also studied.