Abstract

Rituals as embedded expressions of cultural continuity and community belonging are undergoing transformation in contemporary India due to large-scale urban migration. This paper examines how rural-to-urban migrants in Indian cities adapt modify or abandon traditional ritual practices in the face of urban lifestyles space constraints economic compulsions and social anonymity. Through ethnographic fieldwork in Delhi Mumbai and Bengaluru the study explores how festivals life-cycle rites religious observances and daily devotional practices are being reshaped among migrant populations. The findings reveal a trend of pragmatic negotiation with tradition resulting in hybrid forms of ritual expression that balance ancestral ties with modern urban realities. The paper argues that ritual practices among urban migrants reflect broader processes of cultural adaptation identity reconfiguration and urban integration. Rather than viewing these shifts as loss or dilution the study highlights how migra