Studying Hinduism in practice / edited by Hillary P. Rodrigues.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction : studying Hinduism in practice -- Discovering a story / Brenda E. F. Beck -- Hanumān Jayantī in Maharashtra / Jeffrey Brackett -- Searching for Satī / Paul B. Courtright -- Pilgrimage to Kāmākhyā through text and lived religion : some forms of the goddess at an Assamese temple site / Patricia A. Dold -- The accidental pilgrim : Vaisnava tīrthas and the experience of the sacred / Jason D. Fuller -- Dance and Hinduism : a personal exploration / Anne-Marie Gaston -- Just my imagination? : puzzling through a Duryodhana festival near Dharmapuri, Tamilnadu / Alf Hiltebeitel -- The wisdom of Kapila's cave : Sāmkhya-yoga as practice / Knut A. Jacobsen -- Tablā, spirituality, and the arts : a journey into the cycles of time / Jeffrey Lidke -- Divine times : goddess worship in Banāras / Hillary P. Rodrigues -- A Himalayan exorcism / William Sax -- Experiencing sanskrit drama in Kerala : epic performances and performers / Bruce M. Sullivan -- Learning about HIndu practice : fighting late-colonial attitudes and discovering temples and festivals / Paul Younger.

Drawing on personal experiences of Hinduism on the ground, this book provides a reflective context within which religious practices can be understood and appreciated. It conveys the rich realities of the Hindu tradition and the academic approaches through which they are studied. The chapters cover a wide range of topics, including dance, music, performance, festival traditions, temples, myth, philosophy, women{u2019}s practices, and divine possession. The engaging narratives are accompanied by contextual discussions and advice on such topics as conducting fieldwork, colonialism, Hindu seasonal celebrations, understanding deities, and aesthetics in Hinduism. All the entries are accompanied by photographs and suggestions for further reading.