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Can Indian civilization be compared to a “thousand-branched tree”? What have been its outstanding achievements and its impact on the world?
These are some of the questions this book asks. But it also deals with issues confronting more and more Indians caught in an identity crisis: What does it mean to be Indian? What is specific to the worldview developed by Indian culture? How has it dialogued with other cultures? Is it built on durable foundations, or is it little more than colourful religiosity and quaint but outdated customs? And what are the meaning and application of secularism and tolerance in the Indian context?
The French-born author, who has been living in India for 33 years, argues that Indian culture is not some exotic relic of the past, but a dynamic force that still has a role to play in defining India’s identity and cohesion, and in proposing solutions to today’s global challenges.
Written in a crisp and engaging style, this thought-provoking volume challenges received ideas on India’s culture and invites us to think afresh.
Can Indian civilization be compared to a “thousand-branched tree”? What have been its outstanding achievements and its impact on the world?
These are some of the questions this book asks. But it also deals with issues confronting more and more Indians caught in an identity crisis: What does it mean to be Indian? What is specific to the worldview developed by Indian culture? How has it dialogued with other cultures? Is it built on durable foundations, or is it little more than colourful religiosity and quaint but outdated customs? And what are the meaning and application of secularism and tolerance in the Indian context?
The French-born author, who has been living in India for 33 years, argues that Indian culture is not some exotic relic of the past, but a dynamic force that still has a role to play in defining India’s identity and cohesion, and in proposing solutions to today’s global challenges.
Written in a crisp and engaging style, this thought-provoking volume challenges received ideas on India’s culture and invites us to think afresh.
Marriage or Vivaah, particularly in India, is a sacred ceremony comprising various customs Þ religious and social Þ and Vedic rituals. These are meant to propitiate the gods for obtaining their blessings for the bride and the bridegroom, and to honour and entertain those who participate in the celebrations. This book explains in detail, all the important rituals which form part of the marriage.
Marriage is considered a very significant ritual for giving societys sanction to a close relationship between a man and a woman as husband and wife. It is, therefore, also called a social system. The marriage ceremony is a combination of many rituals, based on information contained in Hindu scriptures. It also represents and reflects the social customs and practices that are prevalent in the society. The rituals vary depending upon the community, the religion and the state where they are performed. The marriage customs, rites and rituals among royal families are mentioned in this book most of these rituals are followed by common people as well and are performed in the original or altered forms in the Indian society. Mr R.N. Kogata and Mrs Lalita Kogata did a lot of research and consulted several authorities and have written in detail about the various rituals involved in a human beings life from birth to death. Different scholars have mentioned different numbers of rituals and sacraments 25, 40 or 48. But Maharishi Veda Vyasa has described 16 rituals as important. Out of these, the Vivaah (marriage) samskaar itself encompasses various rituals the main ones covered in this book are: the Bindaulee (wedding procession); Hathalevaa (hand-taking ceremony or paanigrahan), Phere (agni pradakshinaa, circumambulation of fire); Kanyaadaan (giving away daughter in marriage); Maangbharaaye (filling vermilion); Mangalsutra (tying the wedding thread); Saptapadee (walking seven steps together); and Vadhu kee Vidaaee (brides departure to her in-laws house). This book should be in all households in order that all will know the meanings of the various rituals in a marriage particularly in the present days when learned pandits who can explain the rituals, are few, and people have no time or inclination to go through voluminous scriptures or texts on the subject of marriage.
Does Indian civilization have the capacity to change or has it been static? The impression of this civilization as an unchanging one has been revised today. Conflict-tension processes in a complex heterogeneous civilization like that of India are equally important and require in-depth studies along with investigating the continuity of tradition. It is in this context that protest, dissent and reform movements have also played a critical role and facilitated adjustments to changing social realities over the centuries. From time to time alternate systems to the accepted ideological or normative patterns have been suggested. Apparently many of these movements were religious in nature, but the socio-economic context which remains in the background does require further detailed examination. The present volume reflects some aspects of these movements. It is one in the series undertaken as part of the group project A Sourcebook of Indian and Asian Civilizations at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study. The essays in this volume by such scholars as Arun Bali, Savitri Chandra, Narendra Mohan, M.G.S. Narayanan and Veluthat Kesavan; Y.M. Pathan, M.S.A. Rao, Sachchidananda, G.B. Sardar and Pushpa Suri will stimulate discussion and generate new perspectives towards understanding Indian civilization.
This volume is collection of eight lectures delivered by Dr Kapila Vatsyayan on different occasions, some in the memory of four eminent persons and another four on critical issues related to culture.
This volume is collection of eight lectures delivered by Dr Kapila Vatsyayan on different occasions, some in the memory of four eminent persons such as Ancharlott Eschmann, an art historian; Dr C.D. Deshmukh, founder of the India International Centre and former Chairman, University Grants Commission; Prof. Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya, eminent writer social worker andformer president of the Sahitya Akademi and Dr D.S. Kothari, the doyen of science and a dedicated Gandhian, and the remaining four on a few critical issues related to culture.
These lectures delve upon crucial terms and topics like shastra and prayoga, and marga and desi in the study of Indian arts, other social systems and the sociology of religion; interface of culture and development; role of arts in social transformation; a modern rishi, the eco-cultural cartography of South Asia; the oral and written systems of knowledge transmission; the different aspects of Indias cultural heritage and identity; and Hinduism as a religion of divine immanence, where concepts like purusharthas and varnashrama-dharma are all part and parcel of the all-encompassing Sanatana Dharma.
This book thus enables readers to enlarge and nurture Indias cultural heritage and its allied features. In a fast-changing world, one should know his cultural past and thereby prepare himself to absorb what is needed, without losing his identity and existence.
The book deals with evolution of Mughal architecture (ad 1526 to 1658) and explains the distinct characteristics of Mughal art the use of architectural material by the Mughals, their roofing techniques, their dome and the special features of the Mughal jharokha. Prof. Nath delves into the concepts and customs the Mughal architecture involved, discussing examples of monuments in detail.
It deals, extremely briefly, with the evolutionary process of Mughal Architecture, practically from Babur to Shah Jehan (1526 to 1658 ad). Instead of being an exotic phenomenon, as it is largely misunderstood, Mughal Architecture, like the Gupta art, was deeply rooted in the soil and it grew and developed not only on indigenous forms and techniques, but also on its concepts, customs and beliefs. It was owing to the decisive participation of native sources, in its development, that such a wonderful monument as the Taj Mahal could be built in India, and nowhere else. The Land, the People and the Culture have made it what it is, which is why it is so diametrically different from any other art of Islam. Written in a simple language, without the research jargon, and adequately illustrated, the book gives an authoritative appraisal of the subject with landmark examples.
The two volumes present a comprehensive study of political, cultural and religious history of Indonesia. Of encyclopaedic significance, they take up a whole gamut of themes relating to history, politics, religion, literature, art and architecture, and sculpture of Indonesia. The volumes will immensely benefit scholars of political history, religion and culture specialising in South-east Asia and its links with other regions of Asia.
The two volumes present a comprehensive study of political, cultural and religious history of Indonesia. Of encyclopaedic significance, they take up a whole gamut of themes relating to history, politics, religion, literature, art and architecture, and sculpture of Indonesia. The first volume is on political history of Indonesia. It covers all dynasties/rulers of Indonesia from the earliest Sailendras of Srivijaya to the political scene in current times including the rise of President Sukarnoputri in the recent past. It covers a very wide range of aspects: struggles of dynasties, establishment of empires by the Sailendras, the Indo-Javanese empire of the kingdoms of Mataram, Kadiri, Singhasari and others, emergence of new cultures, decline and fall of the Hindu kingdom, colonial invasions and growth of nationalism. The second volume begins with the history of East Timor. It makes an in-depth survey of Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam in Indonesia, covering their establishment, contacts with other places owing to their religious links, modes of religious worship and rituals. The art, architecture and sculpture of the country symbolising Hindu, Buddhist and Islamic traditions are surveyed meticulously. A detailed account of Indonesia’s literature involves study of writers and their works, and languages and characteristics of the literature at various times. The volume discusses chronicles, historical writings, writings on medicine and on numerous miscellaneous topics, throwing light on their contents and styles of expression. The volumes will immensely benefit scholars of political history, religion and culture specialising in South-east Asia and its links with other regions of Asia.
The book studies the evolution of euhemeristic deities of the Vedic period mainly Indra, the Rbhus, the Asvins and the Maruts. It explores the rationale behind the euhemerism and the historicity of events leading to their mythologization.
In deities : whether in anthropomorphic or symbolic forms, the Vedic sages conceived a transcendent principle, which is far too subtle, far too abstract for the ordinary minds to grasp. And likewise, they concretized as divinities the various forces of nature recognizing the indispensability of rain and thunder, of the sun and fire for human survival. Alongside the material representations of the cosmic order or of nature and nature-related phenomena, mankind has also mythologized some of its exceptionally great personalities (like, for instance, the Buddha, Mahavira and Jesus), who were believed to incarnate superhuman qualities or the highest of human ideals though these deities of our times were veritably the magnified men of real history. Dr. Uma Chakravartys book investigates this phenomenon of euhemerism: the deification of historical personages, from among the divinities of Vedic writings. It is the first, all-exclusive study to look into the evolution of euhemeristic deities of the Vedic period and how these mortals-turned-gods came to have varying deific positions on the hierarchic scale of the Vedic pantheon. Meticulously describing Indra, the Ribhus, the Ashvins and the Maruts together with the connotations of their names and epithets the author not only explores the rationale behind the age-old euhemerism, but even the historicity of the events leading to their mythologization. Supported by extensive bibliographic references, the book is a brilliant effort to demonstrate the complementarity of history and mythology. And is, thus, invaluable to the scholars of Indology and its kindred disciplines.
The present volume is an outcome of the expert discussion on the theories of Brahmanism and Buddhism, in an International meet at Jnana-Pravaha. Philosophical and artistic interaction between the two have been brilliantly discussed with references to famous places as well as texts to unravel basic principles.
Brahmanism and Buddhism adopted symbol and image worship almost simultaneously in the pre and early centuries of the Christian era. With the passage of time, the forms and plethora evolved and despite several distinctive features common elements between the two religions continue and fructified. The fact is revealed both at the philosophical and artistic levels. The present volume is the outcome of the well discussed theories by the experts, assembled in an International meet on the subject in the second week of February 2003 at Jnana-Pravaha, Varanasi, organized in the joint collaboration of Acharya Narendra Dev International Research Institute for Buddhist Studies, Lucknow. The book incorporates a good number of papers dealing with philosophical and artistic interaction between Brahmanism and Buddhism for more than a millennium years. The interaction was largely peaceful but there were certain phases in the Medieval period when clash also surfaced. It was most profound in the region of art and architecture, as a result of which some similarities as well as unique features between the two had emerged. All these aspects have been brilliantly discussed and specific references to famous places associated with Brahmanical and Buddhist arts in Asia as well as textual references to unravel basic iconographical principles have been adequately reflected in the present volume. The book besides being useful to scholars and students researching on ancient Indian art and architecture would appeal to general readers interested to know more about Indias glorious art traditions.
The book investigates the bhakti beliefs and practices of the subaltern Kabirpanth community in comparison with the nirguna bhakti thought of their guru, the medieval iconoclastic bhakti saint Kabir. By doing so, the book attempts to investigate the Kabirpanthis’ attempt at dissent and submissiveness vis-a-vis the dominant Sanskritic Hindu tradition. This dual strategy of dissent and submissiveness is analysed through subaltern postcolonial lens as well as by employing social anthropological empirical research.
The book begins by making an analytical study of the medieval Bhakti movement and the nirguṇa bhakti teachings and practices of Kabir. Using postcolonial discursive tools such as postcolonial mimicry, ambivalence and hybridity, the author investigates how the bhakti beliefs and practices of the subaltern Kabirpanth community are elements of subversive and resistance stance against the dominant Sanskritic Hindu tradition.
This book is a must read for anyone interested in bhakti religion and movement and those who wish to analyse subaltern religion through postcolonial lens.
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