Table Of Content

THE LIFE OF HINDUISM THE LIFE OF RELIGION Mark Juergensmeyer, editor; Richard Carp, photo editor 1. The Life of Buddhism, edited by Frank E. Reynolds and Jason A. Carbine 2. The Life of Judaism, edited by Harvey E. Goldberg 3. The Life of Hinduism, edited by John Stratton Hawley and Vasudha Narayanan THE LIFE OF HINDUISM edited by John Stratton Hawley and Vasudha Narayanan University of California Press Berkeley Los Angeles London University ofCalifornia Press, one ofthe most distinguished university presses in the United States, enriches lives around the world by advancing scholarship in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Its activities are supported by the UC Press Foundation and by philanthropic contributions from individuals and institutions. For more information, visit www.ucpress.edu. University ofCalifornia Press Berkeley and Los Angeles, California University ofCalifornia Press, Ltd. London, England © 2006 by The Regents ofthe University ofCalifornia Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data The life ofHinduism / edited by John Stratton Hawley and Vasudha Narayanan. p. cm. — (The life ofreligion) Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn-13: 978-0-520-24913-4 (cloth : alk. paper) isbn-10: 0-520-24913-5 (cloth : alk. paper) isbn-13: 978-0-520-24914-1 (pbk. : alk. paper) isbn-10: 0-520-24914-3 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Religious life—Hinduism. 2. Hinduism—Customs and practices. 3. Hinduism—Social aspects. I. Hawley, John Stratton, 1941– II. Narayanan, Vasudha. BL1226.13.L55 2007 294.5—dc22 2006024692 Manufactured in the United States ofAmerica 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 This book is printed on New LeafEcoBook 50, a 100% recycled ﬁber ofwhich 50% is de-inked post- consumer waste, processed chlorine-free. EcoBook 50 is acid-free and meets the minimum requirements ofANSI/ASTMD5634-01 (Permanence ofPaper). CONTENTS List of Illustrations ix A Note on Transliteration xi Introduction 1 part i worship 1 The Experience: Approaching God 33 Stephen P. Huyler 2 The Deity: The Image of God 42 Diana L. Eck 3 The Miraculous: The Birth of a Shrine 53 Shrivatsa Goswami and Margaret H. Case part ii the life cycle 4 Marriage: Women in India 63 Doranne Jacobson 5 Death beyond Death: The Ochre Robe 76 Agehananda Bharati part iii festival 6 Divali: The Festival of Lights 91 Om Lata Bahadur 7 Holi: The Feast of Love 99 McKim Marriott part iv performance 8 An Open-Air Ramayana: Ramlila, the Audience Experience 115 Linda Hess 9 A Ramayana on Air: “All in the (Raghu) Family,” A Video Epic in Cultural Context 140 Philip Lutgendorf 10 Possession by Durga: The Mother Who Possesses 158 Kathleen M. Erndl part v gurus 11 Anandamayi Ma: God Came as a Woman 173 Lisa Lassell Hallstrom 12 Radhasoami: The Healing Offer 184 Sudhir Kakar part vi caste 13 A Dalit Poet-Saint: Ravidas 199 John Stratton Hawley, with Mark Juergensmeyer 14 A Brahmin Woman: Revenge Herself 218 Lalitambika Antarjanam part vii diaspora 15 Hinduism in Pittsburgh: Creating the South Indian “Hindu” Experience in the United States 231 Vasudha Narayanan 16 A Diasporic Hindu Creed: Some Basic Features of Hinduism 249 Sitansu S. Chakravarti part viii identity 17 Militant Hinduism: Ayodhya and the Momentum of Hindu Nationalism 257 John Stratton Hawley 18 Tolerant Hinduism: Shared Ritual Spaces— Hindus and Muslims at the Shrine of Shahul Hamid 266 Vasudha Narayanan 19 Hinduism for Hindus: Taking Back Hindu Studies 271 Shrinivas Tilak 20 Hinduism with Others: Interlogue 288 Laurie L. Patton and Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad, with Kala Acharya List of Contributors 301 Index 307