E-Book, Englisch, 242 Seiten
'Merchandizing' Diasporic Hinduism
E-Book, Englisch, 242 Seiten
Reihe: Routledge Research in Religion, Media and Culture
ISBN: 978-1-136-90824-8
Verlag: Taylor & Francis
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)
Traditionally, both services and objects required for worship were provided and produced by occupational communities. The almost sacred connection between caste groups and occupation/profession has been clearly severed in many diasporic locations, but importantly in India itself. As such, skills and expertise required for producing an array of physical objects in order to support Hindu worship have been taken over by clusters of individuals with no traditional, historical connection with caste-related knowledge. Both the transference and disconnect just noted have been crucial for the ultimate commodification of objects used in the act of Hindu worship, and the emergence of an analogous commercial industry as a result. These developments condense highly complex processes that need careful conceptual explication, a task that is exciting and carries enormous potential for theoretical reflections in key fields of study.
Using the lens of ‘visuality’ and ‘materiality,’ Sinha offers insights into the everyday material religious lives of Hindus as they strive to sustain theistic, devotional Hinduism in diasporic locations--particularly Singapore, Malaysia, and Tamilnadu--where religious objects have become commodified.
Autoren/Hrsg.
Fachgebiete
Weitere Infos & Material
1. Setting the Scene: The Scope of Research 2. Mapping Spaces and Objects: Disapora Hinduism and Prayer Items 3. Visualising Divinity: Statues, Paintings & Photographs 4. Homes for Gods: Prayer Altars for Family Shrines 5. Flowers for Sale: Flowers for Worship 6. Sustaining Festival Hinduism: Deepavali and Tai Pucam 7. Spirituality and Commerce: Theorising the Complex Ties