Rise of a Folk God

Ramchandra Chintaman Dhere

Prezzo: € 57.16
Nota: in tale importo sono compresi il prezzo di copertina convertito in euro e i costi di import e sdoganamento pari, per questo prodotto, a € 5.00
I vostri commenti:

Altri dati

Formato:
Hardback
Editore:
Oxford University Press Inc
Anno di pubblicazione
2011
Lingua:
Inglese
Pagine:
432
Dimensioni:
234 X 162
Codice EAN:
9780199777594
Generi:
Religion, Hinduism
Altre informazioni:
33 b&w halftones, 1 map
Prezzo di copertina:
$ 74,00

I contenuti

Vitthal, also called Vithoba, is the most popular Hindu god in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, and the best-known god of that region outside India. His temple at Pandharpur is the goal of an annual pilgrimage that is one of the largest and most elaborate in the world. This book is the foremost study of the history of Vitthal, his worship, and his worshippers. First published in Marathi in 1984, the book remains the most thorough and insightful work on Vitthal and his cult in any language, and provides an exemplary model for understanding the history and morphology of lived Hinduism. The author, Ramachandra Chintaman Dhere, is the leading scholar of religious traditions in Maharashtra and throughout the Deccan, the plateau that covers most of central India. Vitthal exemplifies the synthesis of Vaisnava and Saiva elements that not only typifies Maharashtrian Hindu religious life but also marks Vitthal's resemblance to another prominent South Indian god, Venkates of Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. Dhere's analysis highlights Vitthal's connection with pastoralist hero cults, and demonstrates the god's development from a god of shepherds to a god of the majority of the population, including Brahmans. In addition, Dhere also explores the connections of Vitthal with Buddhist and Jain traditions. In the book's final chapter, Dhere presents a culminating stage in the evolution of the worship of Vitthal: the interpretation in spiritual terms of the god, his temple, the town of Pandharpur, and the river that flows past the town. Dhere received India's highest literary award, the Sahitya Akademi prize, for this book.

Indice

INTRODUCTION; 1. Puranic Sources for the Study of Vitthal; 2. Hari in Cowherd's Garb; 3. The Secret of the Dindira Forest; 4. Vitthal, Venkates, and Virabhadra; 5. Vitthalesvar; 6. In Search of the Original Image of Vitthal; 7. Vitthal and Hero-Stones; 8. Pundalik and Pundarikesvar; 9. The Sources of the Story of Pundalik; 10. Vitthal and the Buddha; 11. Vitthal, Jains, and Ramdasis; 12. Mother Vithai; 13. The Vedicization of Vitthal; 14. The Yadavas' God; 15. The Body Is Pandhari; GLOSSARY; ABBREVIATIONS; BIBLIOGRAPHY; INDEX