Rites and Customs
The Bridge to the Three Holy Cities
The study of holy places and pilgrimages to them is treated in the Hindu tradition as a sub-field, called tirtha, of the Dharmasastra. The Tristhalisetu or "Bridge to the Three Holy Cities" of Narayana Bhatta, written in Varanasi in the 16th century A.D., is recognized as the standard and most authoritative text of the voluminous tirtha literature.
The Origins & Development of Classical Hinduism
The late A. L. Basham was one of the world's foremost authorities on ancient Indian culture and religion. Modelled on his monumental work The wonder that was india, this account of the origins and development of classical Hinduism represents a life time of reflection on the subject, and offers an intriguing introduction to one of richest of all Asian traditions.The Origins of Classical Hinduism clarifies much of Hinduism's enduring mystique. Offering an especially helpful bibliography, numerous illustrations of Hidu art never before published, and a lucid, accessible style, this book is much reading for anyone who has ever been intrigued by this fascinating religion.
The Sacred Marriage of A Hindu Goddess
Moving beyond traditional understanding of the catagory of ''sacred marriage'' derived from studies of the ancient Near East, Harman reveals that sacred marriage in India functions as a devotional metaphor for Hindu devotees, a way understanding how deities act toward one another and toward who worship them. Combining sdystematic textual study with descriptive fieldwork, Harman offers us an original and perceptive exploration of the relationship between the human and the divine in Hindu life.
The Tyagaraja Cult in Tamilnadu
Tyagaraja is a Somaskanda and the first visual representation of this composite deity can be traced to the time of pallava rule. The concept of Somaskanda is unique to Tamilnadu. The Cola monarchs were devotees of Tyagaraja. The book analyses the Tyagaraja Cult from three perspectives: as a religious synthesiser, socio-cultural integrator and legitimiser of the ideologies of the State.
