Author: Tushar K. Niyogi
Publisher: Calcutta : Anthropological Survey of India, Ministry of Human Resources Development, Department of Culture, Government of India
ISBN:
Category : Cults
Languages : en
Pages : 144
Book Description
Comprises three papers, Sacred complex of Panchananda cult : a study of the myths and the ritual, Study of the ritual structure of the Siva- Gajan, and Expressive actions in cult rituals : a case study relating to tiger cult of the Sundarbans.
Aspects of Folk Cults in South Bengal
Author: Tushar K. Niyogi
Publisher: Calcutta : Anthropological Survey of India, Ministry of Human Resources Development, Department of Culture, Government of India
ISBN:
Category : Cults
Languages : en
Pages : 144
Book Description
Comprises three papers, Sacred complex of Panchananda cult : a study of the myths and the ritual, Study of the ritual structure of the Siva- Gajan, and Expressive actions in cult rituals : a case study relating to tiger cult of the Sundarbans.
Publisher: Calcutta : Anthropological Survey of India, Ministry of Human Resources Development, Department of Culture, Government of India
ISBN:
Category : Cults
Languages : en
Pages : 144
Book Description
Comprises three papers, Sacred complex of Panchananda cult : a study of the myths and the ritual, Study of the ritual structure of the Siva- Gajan, and Expressive actions in cult rituals : a case study relating to tiger cult of the Sundarbans.
The Changing World of Caste and Hierarchy in Bengal
Author: Sudarshana Bhaumik
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1000641430
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 317
Book Description
This book challenges the prevalent assumptions of caste, hierarchy and social mobility in pre-colonial and colonial Bengal. It studies the writings of colonial ethnographers, Orientalist scholars, Christian missionaries and pre-colonial literary texts like the Mangalkavyas to show how the concept of caste emerged and argues that the jati order in Bengal was far from being a rigidly reified structure, but one which had room for spatial and social mobility. The volume highlights the processes through which popular myths and beliefs of the lower caste orders of Bengal were Sanskritized. It delineates the linkages between sedantized peasant culture and the emergence of new agricultural castes in colonial Bengal. Moreover, the author discusses a wide spectrum of issues like marginality and hierarchy, the spread of Brahmanical hegemony, the creation of deities and the process of Sanskritization, popular Saivism, the cult of Manasa in Bengal and the revolt of 1857 and the caste question. Rich in archival sources, this book will be an essential read for scholars and researchers of colonial history, Indian history, political sociology, caste studies, exclusion studies, cultural studies, social history, cultural history and South Asian studies, especially those interested in undivided Bengal.
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1000641430
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 317
Book Description
This book challenges the prevalent assumptions of caste, hierarchy and social mobility in pre-colonial and colonial Bengal. It studies the writings of colonial ethnographers, Orientalist scholars, Christian missionaries and pre-colonial literary texts like the Mangalkavyas to show how the concept of caste emerged and argues that the jati order in Bengal was far from being a rigidly reified structure, but one which had room for spatial and social mobility. The volume highlights the processes through which popular myths and beliefs of the lower caste orders of Bengal were Sanskritized. It delineates the linkages between sedantized peasant culture and the emergence of new agricultural castes in colonial Bengal. Moreover, the author discusses a wide spectrum of issues like marginality and hierarchy, the spread of Brahmanical hegemony, the creation of deities and the process of Sanskritization, popular Saivism, the cult of Manasa in Bengal and the revolt of 1857 and the caste question. Rich in archival sources, this book will be an essential read for scholars and researchers of colonial history, Indian history, political sociology, caste studies, exclusion studies, cultural studies, social history, cultural history and South Asian studies, especially those interested in undivided Bengal.
Engaging South Asian Religions
Author: Mathew N. Schmalz
Publisher: State University of New York Press
ISBN: 1438433255
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 259
Book Description
Focusing on boundaries, appropriations, and resistances involved in Western engagements with South Asian religions, this edited volume considers both the pre- and postcolonial period in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. It pays particular attention to contemporary controversies surrounding the study of South Asian religions, including several scholars' reflection on the contentious reaction to their own work. Other chapters consider such issues as British colonial epistemologies, the relevance of Hegel for the study of South Asia, the canonization of Francis Xavier, feminist interpretations of the mother of the Buddha, and theological dispute among Muslims in Bangladesh and Pakistan. By using the themes of boundaries, appropriations and resistances, this work offers insight into the dynamics and diversity of Western approaches to South Asian religions, and the indigenous responses to them, that avoids simple active/passive binaries.
Publisher: State University of New York Press
ISBN: 1438433255
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 259
Book Description
Focusing on boundaries, appropriations, and resistances involved in Western engagements with South Asian religions, this edited volume considers both the pre- and postcolonial period in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. It pays particular attention to contemporary controversies surrounding the study of South Asian religions, including several scholars' reflection on the contentious reaction to their own work. Other chapters consider such issues as British colonial epistemologies, the relevance of Hegel for the study of South Asia, the canonization of Francis Xavier, feminist interpretations of the mother of the Buddha, and theological dispute among Muslims in Bangladesh and Pakistan. By using the themes of boundaries, appropriations and resistances, this work offers insight into the dynamics and diversity of Western approaches to South Asian religions, and the indigenous responses to them, that avoids simple active/passive binaries.
Tiger
Author: Susie Green
Publisher: Reaktion Books
ISBN: 9781861892768
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 196
Book Description
Smart, readable, and lushly illustrated, Tiger is a natural and cultural history of this potent and much-admired creature.
Publisher: Reaktion Books
ISBN: 9781861892768
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 196
Book Description
Smart, readable, and lushly illustrated, Tiger is a natural and cultural history of this potent and much-admired creature.
Renowned Goddess of Desire
Author: Loriliai Biernacki
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198043872
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 313
Book Description
Tantra is a family of rituals modeled on those of the Vedas and their attendant texts and lineages. These rituals typically involve the visualization of a deity, offerings, and the chanting of his or her mantra. Common variations include visualizing the deity in the act of sexual union with a consort, visualizing oneself as the deity, and "transgressive" acts such as token consumption of meat or alcohol. Most notoriously, non-standard or ritualized sex is sometimes practiced. This accounts for Tantra's negative reputation in some quarters and its reception in the West primarily as a collection of sexual practices. Although some today extol Tantra's liberating qualities, the role of women remains controversial. Traditionally there are two views of women and Tantra. Either the feminine is a metaphor and actual women are altogether absent, or Tantra involves the transgressive use of women's bodies to serve male interests. Loriliai Biernacki presents an alternative view, in which women are revered, worshipped, and considered worthy of spiritual attainment. Her primary sources are a collection of eight relatively modern Tantric texts written in Sanskrit from the 15th through the 18th century. Her analysis of these texts reveals a view of women that is generally positive and empowering. She focuses on four topics: 1) the "Kali Practice," in which women appear not only as objects of reverence but as practitioners and gurus; 2) the Tantric sex rite, especially in the case that, contrary to other Tantric texts, the preference is for wives as ritual consorts; 3) feminine language and the gendered implications of mantra; and 4) images of male violence towards women in tantric myths. Biernacki, by choosing to analyse eight particular Sanskrit texts, argues that within the tradition of Tantra there exists a representation of women in which the female is an authoritative, powerful, equal participant in the Tantric ritual practice.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198043872
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 313
Book Description
Tantra is a family of rituals modeled on those of the Vedas and their attendant texts and lineages. These rituals typically involve the visualization of a deity, offerings, and the chanting of his or her mantra. Common variations include visualizing the deity in the act of sexual union with a consort, visualizing oneself as the deity, and "transgressive" acts such as token consumption of meat or alcohol. Most notoriously, non-standard or ritualized sex is sometimes practiced. This accounts for Tantra's negative reputation in some quarters and its reception in the West primarily as a collection of sexual practices. Although some today extol Tantra's liberating qualities, the role of women remains controversial. Traditionally there are two views of women and Tantra. Either the feminine is a metaphor and actual women are altogether absent, or Tantra involves the transgressive use of women's bodies to serve male interests. Loriliai Biernacki presents an alternative view, in which women are revered, worshipped, and considered worthy of spiritual attainment. Her primary sources are a collection of eight relatively modern Tantric texts written in Sanskrit from the 15th through the 18th century. Her analysis of these texts reveals a view of women that is generally positive and empowering. She focuses on four topics: 1) the "Kali Practice," in which women appear not only as objects of reverence but as practitioners and gurus; 2) the Tantric sex rite, especially in the case that, contrary to other Tantric texts, the preference is for wives as ritual consorts; 3) feminine language and the gendered implications of mantra; and 4) images of male violence towards women in tantric myths. Biernacki, by choosing to analyse eight particular Sanskrit texts, argues that within the tradition of Tantra there exists a representation of women in which the female is an authoritative, powerful, equal participant in the Tantric ritual practice.
Offering Flowers, Feeding Skulls
Author: June McDaniel
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190290560
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 368
Book Description
The Indian state of West Bengal is home to one of the world's most vibrant traditions of goddess worship. The year's biggest holidays are devoted to the goddesses Durga and Kali, with lavish rituals, decorated statues, fireworks, and parades. In Offering Flowers, Feeding Skulls, June McDaniel provides a broad, accessibly written overview of Bengali goddess worship. McDaniel identifies three major forms of goddess worship, and examines each through its myths, folklore, songs, rituals, sacred texts, and practitioners. In the folk/tribal strand, which is found in rural areas, local tribal goddesses are worshipped alongside Hindu goddesses, with an emphasis on possession, healing, and animism. The tantric/yogic strand focuses on ritual, meditation, and visualization as ways of experiencing the power of the goddess directly. The devotional or bhakti strand, which is the most popular form, involves the intense love and worship of a particular form of the goddess. McDaniel traces these strands through Bengali culture and explores how they are interwoven with each other as well as with other forms of Hinduism. She also discusses how these practices have been reinterpreted in the West, where goddess worship has gained the values of sexual freedom and psychological healing, but lost its emphases on devotion and asceticism. Offering Flowers, Feeding Skulls takes the reader inside the lives of practicing Shaktas, including holy women, hymn singers, philosophers, visionaries, gurus, ascetics, healers, musicians, and businessmen, and offers vivid descriptions of their rituals, practices, and daily lives. Drawing on years of fieldwork and extensive research, McDaniel paints a rich, expansive portrait of this fascinating religious tradition.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190290560
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 368
Book Description
The Indian state of West Bengal is home to one of the world's most vibrant traditions of goddess worship. The year's biggest holidays are devoted to the goddesses Durga and Kali, with lavish rituals, decorated statues, fireworks, and parades. In Offering Flowers, Feeding Skulls, June McDaniel provides a broad, accessibly written overview of Bengali goddess worship. McDaniel identifies three major forms of goddess worship, and examines each through its myths, folklore, songs, rituals, sacred texts, and practitioners. In the folk/tribal strand, which is found in rural areas, local tribal goddesses are worshipped alongside Hindu goddesses, with an emphasis on possession, healing, and animism. The tantric/yogic strand focuses on ritual, meditation, and visualization as ways of experiencing the power of the goddess directly. The devotional or bhakti strand, which is the most popular form, involves the intense love and worship of a particular form of the goddess. McDaniel traces these strands through Bengali culture and explores how they are interwoven with each other as well as with other forms of Hinduism. She also discusses how these practices have been reinterpreted in the West, where goddess worship has gained the values of sexual freedom and psychological healing, but lost its emphases on devotion and asceticism. Offering Flowers, Feeding Skulls takes the reader inside the lives of practicing Shaktas, including holy women, hymn singers, philosophers, visionaries, gurus, ascetics, healers, musicians, and businessmen, and offers vivid descriptions of their rituals, practices, and daily lives. Drawing on years of fieldwork and extensive research, McDaniel paints a rich, expansive portrait of this fascinating religious tradition.
Human Fertility Cults and Rituals of Bengal
Author: Pradyot Kumar Maity
Publisher: Abhinav Publications
ISBN: 9788170172635
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 256
Book Description
-----------
Publisher: Abhinav Publications
ISBN: 9788170172635
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 256
Book Description
-----------
Tribe, Caste, and Folk Culture
Author: Chitrasen Pasayat
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Caste
Languages : en
Pages : 340
Book Description
With reference to Sambalpur town and two villages: Gainpura and Kainsir, located in Sambalpur District, Orissa, India.
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Caste
Languages : en
Pages : 340
Book Description
With reference to Sambalpur town and two villages: Gainpura and Kainsir, located in Sambalpur District, Orissa, India.
Tiger Cult of the Sundarvans
Author: Tushar K. Niyogi
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Cults
Languages : en
Pages : 164
Book Description
Highlights The Findings Of Fieldwork On Tiger Cult Undertaken By The Author In The Sundarvans That Lies Within The Banks Of Gangetic Delta In West Bengal - Covers Beliefs And Practices Associated With Tiger Cult - Describes The Deities, Shrines And The Ceremonies Observed By The People To Propitiate The Deities. 8 Chapters - Bibliography. Without Dustjacket.
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Cults
Languages : en
Pages : 164
Book Description
Highlights The Findings Of Fieldwork On Tiger Cult Undertaken By The Author In The Sundarvans That Lies Within The Banks Of Gangetic Delta In West Bengal - Covers Beliefs And Practices Associated With Tiger Cult - Describes The Deities, Shrines And The Ceremonies Observed By The People To Propitiate The Deities. 8 Chapters - Bibliography. Without Dustjacket.
Accessions List, South Asia
Author: Library of Congress. Library of Congress Office, New Delhi
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : South Asia
Languages : en
Pages : 694
Book Description
Records publications acquired from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, by the U.S. Library of Congress Offices in New Delhi, India, and Karachi, Pakistan.
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : South Asia
Languages : en
Pages : 694
Book Description
Records publications acquired from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, by the U.S. Library of Congress Offices in New Delhi, India, and Karachi, Pakistan.