|
Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Anthropology
|
Not currently available
God of Justice - Ritual Healing and Social Justice in the Central Himalayas (Hardcover, New)
Loot Price: R1,860
Discovery Miles 18 600
|
|
|
God of Justice - Ritual Healing and Social Justice in the Central Himalayas (Hardcover, New)
Supplier out of stock. If you add this item to your wish list we will let you know when it becomes available.
|
God of Justice deals with ritual healing in the Central Himalayas
of north India. It focuses on the cult of Bhairav, a local deity
who is associated with the lowest castes, the so-called Dalits, who
are frequently victims of social injustice. When powerless people
are exploited or abused and have nowhere else to go, they often
turn to Bhairav for justice, and he afflicts their oppressors with
disease and misfortune. In order to end their suffering, they must
make amends with their former victims and worship Bhairav with
bloody sacrifices. Many acts of perceived injustice occur within
the family, so that much of the book focuses on the tension between
the high moral value placed on family unity on the one hand, and
the inevitable conflicts within it on the other. Such conflicts can
lead to ghost possession, cursing, and other forms of black magic,
all of which are vividly described. This highly readable book
includes a personal account of the author's own experiences in the
field as well as fascinating descriptions of blood sacrifice,
possession, exorcism and cursing. Sax begins with a straightforward
description of his fieldwork and goes on to describe the god
Bhairav and his relationship to the weak and powerless. Subsequent
chapters deal with the lives of local oracles and healers; the main
rituals of the cult and the dramatic Himalayan landscape in which
they are embedded; the moral, ritual, and therapeutic centrality of
the family; the importance of ghosts and exorcism; and practices of
cursing and counter-cursing. The final chapter examines the
problematic relationship between ritual healing and modernity.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
|
You might also like..
|
Email address subscribed successfully.
A activation email has been sent to you.
Please click the link in that email to activate your subscription.
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
