Consecration Rituals In South Asia

The essays in the volume Consecration Rituals in South Asia address the ritual procedures that accompany the installation of temple images in Shaiva, Vaishnava, Buddhist and Jain contexts, in various traditions and historical periods. Through the performance of complex rites designated with the term pranapratishtha (establishment of, or infusion with, life), man-made sculptures are ritually transformed into (recep­tacles of) deities. The collection is thematically and methodically broad, with a large number of detailed textual studies, but also with ethno­graphic contributions that discuss contemporary instances of con­secration rituals. Among the overarching themes are issues related to historical continuity and change, as well as transformational moments in such rituals. About the Author István Keul Ph.D. (2000), University of Tübingen, is a Professor in the Study of Religions at the University of Bergen (Norway). He has published a monograph on Hanuman and has edited volumes on tantra, yoginis, and science and technology in South Asia.…