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Based on fieldwork in the north Indian state of Rajasthan, this book focuses on supernatural affliction - illness and misfortune ascribed to demonic spirits or ghosts and to other mystical agents, such as sorcerers and witches. The study augments and extends the existing scholarship on a range of issues, including inter alia beliefs about spirit possession, sorcery, witchcraft and the evil eye. The themes of ritual practice, especially exorcism or healing ceremonies, Hindu priests and curers, popular Hinduism and pilgrimage are discussed, and the anthropology of South Asia is explored with an emphasis on medical anthropology and Indian ethnomedicine. At a theoretical level, the book sharply contrasts with much of the literature on spirit possession or on supernatural affliction and its treatment, as the author's phenomenological orientation involves movement away from psychological or psychiatric paradigms as well as from other forms of Western rationalism that have tended to dominate scholarly work. The book thus offers fresh insights, both in terms of understanding supernatural malaise and its treatment, and in terms of the application of the approach the author engages.
Religion has long been a powerful cultural, social, and political force in the Himalaya. Increased economic and cultural flows, growth in tourism, and new forms of governance and media, however, have brought significant changes to the religious traditions of the region in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. This book presents detailed case studies of lived religion in the Himalaya in this context of rapid change to offer intra-regional perspectives on the ways in which lived religions are being re-configured or re-imagined. Based on original fieldwork, this book documents understudied forms of religion in the region and presents unique perspectives on the phenomenon and experience of religion, discussing why, when, and where practices, discourses, and the category of religion itself, are engaged by varying communities in the region. It yields fruitful insights into both the religious traditions and lived human experiences of Himalayan peoples in the modern era. Presenting new research and perspectives on the Himalayan region, this book should be of interest to students and scholars of South Asian Studies, Religious Studies, and Modernity.
Fifty Years as a Journalist is the autobiography of Lala Mulk Raj Saraf, widely known as the “Father of Journalism in Jammu and Kashmir”. This book offers a glimpse into the remarkable life of a man who defied the odds and dared to challenge the status quo. It chronicles his struggles, his triumphs, and the indelible impact he made on journalism and society. As you turn these pages, you will witness the birth of a movement for conscientious journalism in Jammu and Kashmir dating back to the times when applying for permission to bring out a newspaper was looked upon as an act against the State. Mulk Raj Saraf’s autobiography is not just an account of personal achievements but a narrative of a broader struggle for freedom and equality. It serves as an authentic history of the political, social and journalistic life in Jammu and Kashmir State during the crucial years from 1916-1966. This book is an inspiration for all those who believe in the transformative power of journalism.
Here is a personal tribute to "the father of modern yoga" Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya (1888–1989), written by one of his longtime disciples. Krishnamacharya was a renowned Indian yoga master, Ayurvedic healer, and scholar who modernized yoga practice and whose students—including B. K. S. Iyengar, K. Pattabhi Jois, T. K. V. Desikachar, and Indra Devi—dramatically popularized yoga in the West In this book, the author, A. G. Mohan, a well-respected yoga teacher and yoga therapist, draws on his own memories and notes, and Krishnamacharya’s diaries and recorded material, to present a detailed and fascinating view of the man and his teachings, and his own warm and inspiring relationship with the master. This portrait of the great teacher will be a compelling and informative read for yoga teachers and students who truly want to understand the source of their tradition and practice.
The book is a survey of the rise and downfall of India with specific reference to the effect of political and social conditions on its educational system. The course of the low percentage of educated population today can be traced in the neglect of education by fanatic Muslim rulers and wrong policy of education wilfully adopted by Britishers.