Published on: April 2026
RITUAL AS A SITE OF GENDER SUBVERSION: A STUDY THROUGH THE LENS OF PERFORMATIVITY
Maitreyee Kuhu
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Abstract
Rituals hold the potential to transcend social ethos, serving as platforms for the expression of barred themes and the enactment of collective solidarity. This paper examines a particular ritual performed during wedding ceremonies in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh, known as Domkach, Loharghat, or Lohandi. In this ritual, women don male personas and engage in improvisational performances characterized by humor, “vulgarity”, and social critique. These performances serve as a subversive enactment of gender, desire, and power. Despite lacking a standardized name across regions, the ritual retains a common structure and objective: providing a communal space for women to momentarily transgress patriarchal expectations.
How to Cite this Paper
Kuhu, M. (2026). Ritual as a Site of Gender Subversion: A Study Through the Lens of Performativity. International Journal of Creative and Open Research in Engineering and Management, <i>02</i>(04). https://doi.org/10.55041/ijcope.v2i4.451
Kuhu, Maitreyee. "Ritual as a Site of Gender Subversion: A Study Through the Lens of Performativity." International Journal of Creative and Open Research in Engineering and Management, vol. 02, no. 04, 2026, pp. . doi:https://doi.org/10.55041/ijcope.v2i4.451.
Kuhu, Maitreyee. "Ritual as a Site of Gender Subversion: A Study Through the Lens of Performativity." International Journal of Creative and Open Research in Engineering and Management 02, no. 04 (2026). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.55041/ijcope.v2i4.451.
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- •Peer Review Type: Double-Blind Peer Review
- •Published on: Apr 17 2026
This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. You are free to share and adapt this work for non-commercial purposes with proper attribution.
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