Objects of worship in South Asian religions : forms, practices and meanings / edited by Knut A. Jacobsen, Mikael Aktor and Kristina Myrvold.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Jacobsen, Knut A., 1956- editor.

Aktor, Mikael, editor.

Myrvold, Kristina, editor.

Series:

Routledge studies in Asian religion and philosophy ; 13.

Routledge studies in Asian religion and philosophy ; 13

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

South Asia--Religion.

South Asia.

Religion.

Worship.

Physical Description:

xi, 221 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm.

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2015.

Summary:

"Objects of worship are an aspect of the material dimension of lived religion in South Asia. The omnipresence of these objects and their use is a theme which cuts across the religious traditions in the pluralistic religious culture of the region. Divine power becomes manifest in the objects and for the devotees they may represent power regardless of religious identity. This book looks at how these objects dominate the religious landscape of South Asia, and how they are of significance not just to the religious but also the social life of the region. It shows how these objects are shaped by traditions of religious aesthetics and conceptual devices woven into webs of religious and social meaning and demonstrates how the objects have a living relationship with those who use them. It discusses how devotees relate to such objects in a number of ways, and that although they belong to various traditions, objects may attract people from different communities and can be contested. By analysing the specific qualities that make objects eligible for becoming living objects of worship, and demonstrating how the objects have a living relationship with those who use them, the book contributes to an understanding of the central significance of these objects in the religious and social life of South Asia. It will be of interest to students and scholars of Asian Religion, South Asian Studies, Philosophy and Culture and Society"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

The Śivaliṅga Between Artifact and Nature : The Ghṛṣṇeśvaraliṅga in Varanasi and the Bāṇaliṅgas from the Narmada River / Mikael Aktor

Jhāṅkīs : "Living Images" as Objects of Worship in Himachal Pradesh / Brigitte Luchesi

The Material Culture of Sāṃkhya : Kapila as Object of Worship / Knut A. Jacobsen

Yantras as Objects of Worship in Hindu and Tantric Traditions

Materiality, Aesthetics, and Practice / Xenia Zeiler

Wheel of the Liberated : Jain Siddhacakras, Past and Present / Ellen Gough

Object of Worship as a Free Choice : Viṭhobā (god), Dñyāneśvar (saint), the Dñyāneśvarī (book), or Samādhī (grave)? / Irina Glushkova

Architectural Heritage and Modern Rituals : The Ahmad Shah Bahmani Mausoleum between Old Political Concerns and New Religious Perceptions / Sara Mondini

Lāl Beg Underground : The Passing of an "Untouchable" God / Joel Lee

Making the Book a Living Guru : Ritual Practices Among Contemporary Sikhs / Kristina Myrvold

Worshipping the Sword : The Practice of Śāstar Pūjā in the Sikh Warrior Tradition / Satnam Singh

Rites of Reverence, Ways of Worship : The Bodhi Tree in Bodhgayā as a Material Object and Focus of Devotion / Albertina Nugteren.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781138778894

1138778893

OCLC:

874557669

Publisher Number:

99959804875

40024050125