Drawing on personal experiences of Hinduism on the ground, this book provides a reflective context within which religious practices can be understood and appreciated. It conveys the rich realities of the Hindu tradition and the academic approaches through which they are studied. The chapters cover a wide range of topics, including dance, music, performance, festival traditions, temples, myth, philosophy, women’s practices, and divine possession. The engaging narratives are accompanied by contextual discussions and advice on such topics as conducting fieldwork, colonialism, Hindu seasonal celebrations, understanding deities, and aesthetics in Hinduism. All the entries are accompanied by photographs and suggestions for further reading.
Reviews
"Studying Hinduism in Practice is an innovative approach to presenting a religion such as Hinduism. Too often textbooks and readers are concerned only with texts. This work greatly embellishes the study of religion with first-hand, first-person accounts of not only the living traditions, but the research activity itself as it has transpired in real time. The book would be a wonderful companion in a course on Hindu traditions, or a course in Anthropology where field-work is addressed."
- Guy Beck, Tulane University, USA
Contents
1. Discovering a Story 2. Hanumn Jayant蘋 in Maharashtra 3. Searching for Sat蘋 4. Pilgrimage to Kmkhy through Text and Lived Religion: Some Forms of the Goddess at an Assamese Temple Site 5. The Accidental Pilgrim: Vai廜€ava T蘋rthas and the Experience of the Sacred 6. Dance and Hinduism - A Personal Exploration 7. Just My Imagination? Puzzling through a Duryodhana Festival near Dharmapuri, Tamilnadu 8. The Wisdom of Kapila’s Cave: S廜khya-Yoga as Practice 9. Tabl, Spirituality, and the Arts: A Journey into the Cycles of Time 10. Divine Times: Goddess worship in Banras 11. A Himalayan Exorcism 12. Experiencing Sanskrit Dramas in Kerala: Epic Performances and Perfor. Learning about Hindu Practice: Fighting Late-Colonial Attitudes and Discovering Temples and Festivals
Author Bio
Hillary P. Rodrigues is Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Lethbridge, Canada, where he has been honoured with a Distinguished Teaching Award. His books include Introducing Hinduism (2006) and Ritual Worship of the Great Goddess (2003).
