The Afterlife of Sai Baba : Competing Visions of a Global Saint / Karline McLain.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

McLain, Karline, author.

Series:

Global South Asia.

Global South Asia

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Sri Sai Baba, 1836-1918--Cult.

Sri Sai Baba.

Asian :--South and Southeast.

Asian :.

Genre:

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (281 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Seattle and London : University of Washington Press, 2016.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Nearly a century after his death, the image of Sai Baba, the serene old man with the white beard from Shirdi village in Maharashtra, India, is instantly recognizable to most South Asians (and many Westerners) as a guru for all faiths-Hindus, Muslims, and others. During his lifetime Sai Baba accepted all followers who came to him, regardless of religious or caste background, and preached a path of spiritual enlightenment and mutual tolerance. These days, tens of thousands of Indians and foreigners make the pilgrimage to Shirdi each year, and Sai Baba temples have sprung up in unlikely places around the world, such as Munich, Seattle, and Austin. Tracing his rise from small village guru to global phenomenon, religious studies scholar Karline McLain uses a wide range of sources to investigate the different ways that Sai Baba has been understood in South Asia and beyond and the reasons behind his skyrocketing popularity among Hindus in particular. Shining a spotlight on an incredibly forceful devotional movement that avoids fundamental politics and emphasizes unity, service, and peace, The Afterlife of Sai Baba is an entertaining-and enlightening-look at one of South Asia's most popular spiritual gurus.

Contents:

Cover; Title; Copyright; Contents; Acknowledgments ; Note on Translation, Transliteration, and Orthography ; Maps ; Introduction ; 1. Shirdi Is for Everyone: The Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust's Plea to Pilgrims ; 2. Shirdi Is My Pandharpur: Das Ganu's Plea to Brahmins and Non-Brahmins

3. Shirdi Is the Future of Religion in India: Narasimhaswami's Plea to Hindus 4. Shirdi Is for Unity in Diversity and Adversity: Bollywood's Plea to the Nation ; 5. Shirdi Is for Humanity: Many Gurus and Their Pleas to the World ; Conclusion ; Filmography ; Notes ; Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780295806518

0295806516

OCLC:

936379727

Publisher Number:

2027/heb34020 hdl