Hindu Pilgrimage

In recent years, changes in religious studies in general and the study of Hinduism in particular have drawn more scholarly attention to other forms of the Hindu faith that are concretely embodied in temples, icons, artworks, rituals, and pilgrimage practices. This book analyses phenomenon of pilgrimage as a religious practice and experience. It focuses on Srisailam, a renowned south Indian pilgrimage site of Shiva and Goddess Durga and investigates two dimensions: the worldview of a place that is of utmost sanctity for Hindu pilgrims and its historical evolution from medieval to modern times. In doing so, it explores the shifting patterns of the worldviews of Srisailam and its modes of management, representing the ideologically-centered religious values and civic-oriented utilitarian practices.

Bringing together the phenomenological and historical study of Srisailam for a comprehensive understanding of both the religious dimension and the historical development of the social organization of the pilgrimage place, this book will be of interest to students of Hinduism, Pilgrimage and South Asian Studies.