Rise of a Folk God

Vitthal of Pandharpur
1. Auflage 2011
ISBN: 978-0-19-977759-4
Verlag: Sydney University Press

Buch, Englisch, 432 Seiten, Format (B × H): 157 mm x 236 mm, Gewicht: 658 g

Reihe: South Asia Research

The first English translation of an important book by an influential scholar.
The first major work on the god Vitthal to be published in English since Guy Deleury's The Cult of Vithoba appeared in 1960
A strong argument for the pastoralist roots of the god Vitthal

Vitthal, also called Vithoba, is the most popular Hindu god in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, and the best-known god of that region outside India. His temple at Pandharpur is the goal of an annual pilgrimage that is one of the largest and most elaborate in the world.

This book is the foremost study of the history of Vitthal, his worship, and his worshippers. First published in Marathi in 1984, the book remains the most thorough and insightful work on Vitthal and his cult in any language, and provides an exemplary model for understanding the history and morphology of lived Hinduism. The author, Ramachandra Chintaman Dhere, is the leading scholar of religious traditions in Maharashtra and throughout the Deccan, the plateau that covers most of central India.

Vitthal exemplifies the synthesis of Vaisnava and Saiva elements that not only typifies Maharashtrian Hindu religious life but also marks Vitthal's resemblance to another prominent South Indian god, Venkates of Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. Dhere's analysis highlights Vitthal's connection with pastoralist hero cults, and demonstrates the god's development from a god of shepherds to a god of the majority of the population, including Brahmans. In addition, Dhere also explores the connections of Vitthal with Buddhist and Jain traditions. In the book's final chapter, Dhere presents a culminating stage in the evolution of the worship of Vitthal: the interpretation in spiritual terms of the god, his temple, the town of Pandharpur, and the river that flows past the town.

Dhere received India's highest literary award, the Sahitya Akademi prize, for this book.

Zielgruppe

Scholars of Hinduism in the US and Europe; educated readers in India; historians; anthropologists interested in pastoralism and its cultural influences.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Dhere, Ramchandra Chintaman

Feldhaus, Anne

Weitere Mitwirkende

Feldhaus, Anne

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Religionswissenschaft Hinduismus Hinduismus: Kult, Riten, Zeremonien

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Introduction
1: Puranic Sources for the Study of Vitthal
2: Hari in Cowherd's Garb
3: The Secret of the Dindira Forest
4: Vitthal, Venkates, and Virabhadra
5: Vitthalesvar
6: In Search of the Original Image of Vitthal
7: Vitthal and Hero-Stones
8: Pundalik and Pundarikesvar
9: The Sources of the Story of Pundalik
10: Vitthal and the Buddha
11: Vitthal, Jains, and Ramdasis
12: Mother Vithai
13: The Vedicization of Vitthal
14: The Yadavas' God
15: The Body Is Pandhari
Glossary
Abbreviations
Bibliography
Index

Über Autor(innen)

Feldhaus, Anne
Anne Feldhaus is Foundation Professor of Religious Studies at Arizona State University, Tempe, where she teaches Hinduism, Sanskrit, and religious geography.

Dhere, Ramchandra Chintaman
Ramachandra Chintaman Dhere, the foremost scholar of religious traditions in Maharashtra, has published over 100 books in this area. The dozens of awards he has received for his scholarly work include the highly coveted Maharashtra State Prize and the Sahitya Akademi prize.

Ramachandra Chintaman Dhere, the foremost scholar of religious traditions in Maharashtra, has published over 100 books in this area. The dozens of awards he has received for his scholarly work include the highly coveted Maharashtra State Prize and the Sahitya Akademi prize.

Anne Feldhaus is Foundation Professor of Religious Studies at Arizona State University, Tempe, where she teaches Hinduism, Sanskrit, and religious geography.