-
Ritual as Ideology...
Ritual as Ideology
Text and Context in Teyyam by: T.V. ChandranIt looks into specific cultural formation of Teyyam. It re-frames and interprets various myths of mother-goddesses and hero-deities by situating them in the historical conditions in which they originated and explores from a sociological perspective how the ritual functions as ideology.
₹585.00
ISBN: 9788124602751
Year Of Publication: 2006
Edition: 1st
Pages : xx, 133
Bibliographic Details : One Map; 54 Coloured photographs; Bibliography; Index
Language : English
Binding : Hardcover
Publisher: D.K. Printworld Pvt. Ltd.
Size: 20 cm.
Weight: 600
Teyyam, the spectacular ritual dance widely performed in north Kerala, has its distinct forms of visual and verbal expression. However, what was once expressed through the distinctly indigenous forms of this religious other no longer remains the same, as the specificities of meaning and messages as encoded in the whole structure of its ritual performance were levelled out and superceded by the ideological laundering of caste Hinduism. RITUAL AS IDEOLOGY looks into the specific cultural formation of teyyam it re-frames and interprets various myths of the mother-goddesses and hero-deities by situating them in the historical conditions in which they originated. Based on a study of the myths at a micro-structural level, the book explores from a sociological perspective how the ritual functions as ideology, apart from its cultic or religious significance. The study also unfolds and explains the gender disparity between the archetypal Female Devourer and her Male Victims, the recurrent motifs in the myths related to various manifestations of the Terrible Mother in teyyam. The study thus acquires contemporary significance in the face of cultural authoritarianism that in its design of appropriation attributes the village pantheon of every little tradition to canonical Hinduism, a process that has been so rife in todays cultural politics.
Preface
Acknowledgements
Note on Transliteration
List of Illustrations
Map of Kerala
1. Teyyam: Culture Politics the Popular
2. Formation and Transformation of Teyyam
3. Female Devourer and Male Victims
4. Ritual as Ideology: the Case of Heroes
5. Looking Alike, Being Different: Face Painting in Teyyam and Kathakali
Descriptive Notes
Bibliography
Index
Plates
-
Sale!Bhagavad Gita ₹765.00
Nearing its fiftieth year of being continuously in print, Nataraja Gurus monumental analysis of one of the greatest philosophical classics of Planet Earth is now available in a new edition. Generations have benefited from its unique angle of vision, which introduces a universal framework that does not depend on faith to impart its message of infinite potential for every human being. The Gurus wry humor, fresh insights, and fearless challenges to prevailing orthodoxies, are clear marks of his style. His analysis is radical by any measure, yet it must be noted that much of the scientific and philosophic community has evolved over the same half century toward a similar global, broad-minded outlook to the one which the Guru brings to bear in these pages, and which not coincidentally is advocated by the Bhagavad Gita itself.
-
Sale!Bhagavad-Gita ₹716.00
This Exposition on the Bhagavad-Gita is an exception to the traditional translation of and commentary on the scripture. It covers all the eighteen chapters of the Gita in the form of essays, with English translation of almost all verses and commentaries thereupon. In addition, the essays do contain the reflections of the author who has analyzed the topics in the light of modern thought in a broader spectrum. The Sanskrit text in Devanagari script, with Roman transliteration, has been appended to the main text.
The Gita is not a religious book. It does not belong to any single faith. In the language of Aldous Huxley, it is the perennial philosophy of mankind. Keeping this context in view, the book has been addressed not only to the present citizens but also to the whole mankind which will inhabit the earth in the future.
This scripture had its birth in a battlefield. Symbolically speaking, everybodys life is a battleground. Arjuna represents all members of the human species. In a situation of agony and dejection, being utterly perplexed, he could not decide what to do and what not to do. The Gita provides practical solutions to the problems of life and leads the path to liberation. It humanizes and divinizes man. The present book gets success if it helps man ascend humanely and spiritually. -
Sale!Ancient Gods and Heroes of East and West ₹810.00
This book is a study of the people of nomadic groups or clans of Central Asia from about 6000 bce to the last millennium bce to explore why cultures and history developed the way they did in Central Asia by taking up the Indo-European and other settlements notably, the Greeks, the ancient Iranians and Indo-aryans of the Indian subcontinent for in-depth study. It deals with the quest for knowledge which led to evolution of cultures from simple primitive life to a society complex in structure, from philosophy to religion. The study of gods and heroes examines stories relating to migration and settlements and the geography of ancient civilizations. It is in this setting that their unique philosophies and religious beliefs flourished, giving rise to belief in numerous gods and heroes. It discusses the myths and legends of the ancient cultures, highlighting names, deeds and events relating to honoured gods and much-praised heroes. Dr Marta Vannucci significantly concludes that both Indo-aryan and Indo-Iranian people had been able to maintain their traditional customs and habits backed by technical developments up to the last centuries bce. Throughout, she bases her observations on reliable information provided by archaeology substantiated by oral and written traditions of Central Asia, Greece and Rome. The volume will be invaluable to scholars of history, anthropology and archaeology who are keen to systematically unravel the obscure origins of the great human civilizational march.
-
Sale!Blissful Experience, Bhakti ₹738.00
Bhakti-yoga is seen as the direct path to perfection that leads to the very heart of religious consciousness. Ramanujas concept of bhakti (devotion) emphasised the practice of self-surrender through which a person realises his personality, strengths and weaknesses, and hidden powers. Bhakti, for him, acts as a link between mortals and the Ultimate Reality.
This book examines the views of Vishishtadvaita of Ramanuja on bhakti and prapatti (self-surrender). It studies in-depth the meaning of God, the soul and the Supreme Soul, and the world; the concept of bhakti; the different stages of bhakti referring to numerous sources that include the Vedas, the Bhagavad-Gita, the Upanishads and the Puranas. It focuses on Ramanujas teaching of bhakti, examining his philosophy in general and his sevenfold practice, Sadhana Saptaka to generate bhakti that expounds the qualities and significance of discrimination for viveka, freedom from sensual attachment or anger for securing vimoka, repeated reflection of God, performance of religious duty for inner mental strength, development of ethical virtues, freedom from despair and freedom from excessive joy. It understands the relevance of symbols in devotion and examines nature and use of symbols in Buddhism and Hinduism. The scholarly study discusses the importance and cultivation of peaceful emotions, and need for prayer and dietary regulations in devotion.
The volume will prove an indispensable work for scholars of Indian philosophy and religious studies. -
Sale!Bharatiya Samskriti men Striyon ki Sthiti ₹198.00
Respecting of women was prevalent in Indian culture ever since the Vedic period. The life values of women were considered holy and pure in those times. In the literature pertaining to Ramayana, Mahabharata, Upanishads, Buddhist, Middle Age and the British times, the highly respectable status of women is clearly shown. How differently were the women viewed at various times in different eras? Which were the women who made a special place for themselves in the different fields of life? In this context we remember Brahmavadini Gargi, Rajmahishi Durgavati of Gondvana, Queen Ahilyabai, Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi, and some other women for their special contribution in maintaining the high status of women in Indian society.
Portraying the position of women in the ancient period and comparing them to the present times when life is full of struggles, this book becomes a valuable tool for the scholars engaged in women studies and also for the people specializing in Indian traditional culture besides the general readers.
