Place of Devotion: Siting and Experiencing Divinity in Bengal-Vaishnavism
Abstract
Hindu devotional traditions have long been recognized for their sacred geographies as well as the sensuous aspects of their devotees’ experiences. Largely overlooked, however, are the subtle links between these religious expressions. Based on intensive fieldwork conducted among worshippers in Bengal’s Navadvip‑Mayapur sacred complex, this book discusses the diverse and contrasting ways in which Bengal‑Vaishnava devotees experience sacred geography and divinity. Sukanya Sarbadhikary documents an extensive range of practices, which draw on the interactions of mind, body, and viscera. She shows how perspectives on religion, embodiment, affect, and space are enriched when sacred spatialities of internal and external forms are studied at once.
Keywords
religious traditions; bengal-vaishnavism; religious devotion; hinduism; bengal; Chaitanya Mahaprabhu; International Society for Krishna Consciousness; Kirtan; Krishna; Mayapur; Nabadwip; Radha Krishna; VrindavanDOI
10.1525/luminos.2ISBN
9780520962668OCN
927153610Publisher
University of California PressPublisher website
https://www.ucpress.edu/Publication date and place
Oakland, California, 2015Series
South Asia Across the Disciplines,Classification
Religion and beliefs
Religion: general
Other religions and spiritual beliefs
Cultural studies
Social groups: religious groups and communities