Drawing on both textual and archaeological evidence, this study offers an integrated approach to scholarly debates on monasteries and guru relics in South India between the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries. This study analyzes the role of the guru in the development of Hindu monastic orders, from centers of education to institutions of traditional authority. Focusing on the complex socio-religious context of the whole-body icon, the author analyzes the relic as a nexus of contradictions surrounding sacredness and death.

Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (1927¿2001) sailed for Sri Lanka in 1947 to find his guru. After years of arduous training, he fell at the feet of the Tamil master, Siva Yogaswami. Following his guru¿s orders, the illumined yogi returned to America to teach the path of enlightenment. Ultimately, he was recognized and befriended by India¿s spiritual leaders as the first Hindu guru born in the West. Gurudeva, as he was affectionately known, founded the Saiva Siddhanta Yoga Order and established Kauai¿s Hindu Monastery in Hawaii. Hinduism¿s many guru lineages are the spiritual rivers that pass the power on through the ages. The lineage that he joined extends to his guru¿s guru, Chellappaswami, and before him to Kadaitswami, then a nameless rishi and countless others, back to Rishi Tirumular and his guru, Maharishi Nandinatha, some 2,200 years ago in the high Himalayas. These are the illustrated stories of Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, his guru Siva Yogaswami and five preceding masters, who all held truth in the palm of their hand and inspired slumbering souls to ¿Know thy Self.¿

This handbook is a comprehensive study of the archaeology, social history and the cultural landscape of the Hindu temple. Perhaps the most recognizable of the material forms of Hinduism, temples are lived, dynamic spaces. They are significant sites for the creation of cultural heritage, both in the past and in the present. Drawing on historiographical surveys and in-depth case studies, the volume centres the material form of the Hindu temple as an entry point to study its many adaptations and transformations from the early centuries CE to the 20th century. It highlights the vibrancy and dynamism of the shrine in different locales and studies the active participation of the community for its establishment, maintenance and survival. The illustrated handbook takes a unique approach by focusing on the social base of the temple rather than its aesthetics or chronological linear development. It fills a significant gap in the study of Hinduism and will be an indispensable resource for scholars of archaeology, Hinduism, Indian history, religious studies, museum studies, South Asian history and Southeast Asian history. Chapters 1, 4 and 5 of this book are available for free in PDF format as Open Access from the individual product page at www.routledge.com. They have been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.

"The first major scholarly history of the important South Indian mural tradition in the early modern period, and a reconception of their role in negotiating the relationship between art and devotion"--

A tasteful arrangement of South Indian and Sri Lankan dishes perfected in homes and temples as offerings to the Lord. Indian ashrams serve the finest cruelty-free meals enjoyed anywhere, and the monks at Kauai's Hindu Monastery carry on that 6,000-year-old tradition. Believing that good food is humankind's best medicine, they are sharing their secret collection of recipes gathered over the years. Includes a comprehensive introduction to ayurveda as it applies to nutrition and health, including the values of spices and herbs and their effects on the body.

Glimpses of the Scriptures of Religions of Indian Origin primarily includes excerpts from the Vedas and the Upanishads (Hinduism); the Dhammapad (Buddhism); the Agam (Jainism); and the Guru Granth Saheb (Sikhism) these (Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism) being four religions that originated in India. A number of essays on the historical backgrounds, the leading fi gures and events, and their interrelations are also included for a deeper appreciation of the pertinent philosophies. The main purpose of writing this book is to illustrate the commonality of these religions due to their common root Hinduism -- that came into being in India some 10-15 millennia ago, and was modifi ed from time to time. These religions have coexisted peacefully and harmoniously for centuries and millennia, and have contributed much in the international religious scene. In particular, Buddhism has been adopted in a signifi cant portion of Asia (China, Japan, South-East Asia), and has been also attracting the intellectuals in the West in recent years.