Rites and Customs
Religions Of The World Hinduism
Philosophical Foundation of Hinduism
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.
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.
Kumbha Mela
