A celebrated Hindu pilgrimage site, Hardwar lies on the river Ganges at the edge of the Himalayas. Its identity as a holy place is inextricably tied to the mythology and reality of the Ganges, and traditional sources overwhelmingly stress this connection. In this fieldwork-based study, James Lochtefeld analyzes modern Hardwar as a Hindu pilgrimage center, looking at the roles of local residents and pilgrims and the changing context of traditional religious sites in general.

Auteur

Professor of Religion, Director of Asian Studies, Carthage College

Contenu

Contents A Note on Transliteration vii List of Abbreviations viii Chapter 1: On Finding a Sense of Place 1 Chapter 2: Hardwar in Sanskrit Sources 28 Chapter 3: The History and Development of a Pilgrim Town 70 Chapter 4: The Life and Times of a Pilgrim City 150 Chapter 5: The Hardwar Pandas 180 Chapter 6: Ascetic Life 211 Chapter 7: Pilgrims and Visitors 254 Chapter 8: VIII. Pilgrims and Pilgrimage in a Changing World 304 Appendix One: Text of the Inscription at the Sharvan Nath Temple, Hardwar 346 Appendix Two: Exhortations and Warnings for Pilgrims from the Tirtha Welfare League, Hardwar 347 Notes To the Text: 349 Glossary: 428 List of Sources: 435 Index: 463