Embodied Worship and The Resilience of Aura: An Empirical Investigation at Sri Parthasarathy Swamy Temple, Chennai

Walter Benjamin’s theory of aura proposes that mechanical reproduction diminishes the unique presence of an artwork by detaching it from its ritual and spatial context. While this thesis has been widely explored in literature, cinema, and visual art, empirical research within living religious spaces remains limited. This study investigates the persistence of aura in the sacred environment of Sri Parthasarathy Swamy Temple, Triplicane, Chennai. Using survey data collected from 48 devotees, the research analyzes perceptions of sacred presence, ritual engagement, collective devotion, and attitudes toward mediated worship. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, and relationships among variables were examined using Spearman’s rank correlation and chi-square tests. Findings indicate a significant negative correlation between aura perception and acceptance of mechanical reproduction (rₛ = −.53, p < .01) and a positive correlation between visit frequency and aura intensity (rₛ = .47, p < .01). Results demonstrate that embodied ritual participation sustains cult value despite technological mediation. The study empirically substantiates Benjamin’s aura-decay thesis while demonstrating the resilience of aura within contemporary devotional practice.