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OverviewExploring medieval manuscripts, Gandhi's writings, and performances in multiple religious and non-religious contexts, Narasinha Mehta of Gujarat demonstrates how over five centuries, performers and audiences of devotional songs and hagiographic narratives associated with the saint-poet Narasinha Mehta have sculpted them into popular sources of moral inspiration. Taking Gandhi's use of these works in his social reconstruction programs as an example, the book suggests that when religious forms such as songs and hagiographies of saint-poets of South Asia acquire dimensions of popular culture, they offer a platform for communication among diverse groups.An illuminating study that provides a vivid picture of the Narasinha tradition, Narasinha Mehta of Gujarat will be a crucial resource for anyone seeking to understand the power of religious performative traditions in popular media. Full Product DetailsAuthor: Neelima Shukla-Bhatt (Assistant Professor of South Asia Studies, Assistant Professor of South Asia Studies, Wellesley College)Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc Imprint: Oxford University Press Inc Dimensions: Width: 23.10cm , Height: 2.50cm , Length: 15.50cm Weight: 0.454kg ISBN: 9780199976423ISBN 10: 0199976422 Pages: 352 Publication Date: 15 January 2015 Audience: College/higher education , Undergraduate , Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly Format: Paperback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: To order  Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us. Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments Preface Note on transliteration Introduction Part I - Devotion and Aesthetics in the Narasinha Tradition 1. Lyrics of Play - Krishna in the Human World 2. Lyrics of Awakening - Mysticism and Moral Reflection 3. Exemplary Bhakti, Exemplary Singing - Narasinha in Sacred Narratives 4. Singing as Bhakti - Musical Performances of Narasinha's Songs Part II - The Narasinha Legacy in Religious and Popular Cultures 5. The Saint of the Threshold, the First of Poets - The Narasinha Tradition in Gujarat and Beyond 6. A Saint-poet in the Making of a Mahatma - Narasinha Mehta and Gandhi 7. Songs and the Saint in Modern Media - Narasinha in Popular Culture Concluding Remarks Glossary Notes Bibliography IndexReviewsNeelima Shukla-Bhatt has written a beautiful book on Narasinha Mehta, a poet-saint beloved in Gujarat since the fifteenth century. His poetry has circulated in diverse ways across centuries and regions, through melodic everyday songs, the social justice of Mahatma Gandhi, and the global reach of YouTube, which demands the comprehensive and accessible elucidation that Shukla-Bhatt is the first to provide in English on this iconic figure. Importantly, Shukla-Bhatt considers Narasinha's poetry as a resource for healing a region with a recent troubled past, and for imagining a harmoniously pluralistic future. In the course of providing social history, Shukla-Bhatt brings the aesthetic possibilities of Narasinha's compositions to the fore: Read his poetry through her graceful prose, and be truly enchanted. --Karen Pechilis, author of Interpreting Devotion: The Poetry and Legacy of aHindu Female Saint of India This wonderful book explores the life, legend, and after-life of a great poet-saint who profoundly influenced Mahatma Gandhi. A work both of cultural history and aesthetic appreciation, it demonstrates how words and music can play a pivotal role in shaping moral codes as well as social behavior. Analytically sharp and elegantly written, this book will be of great interest to literary historians and scholars of South Asia. --Ramachandra Guha, author of Gandhi Before India Author InformationNeelima Shukla-Bhatt is Associate Professor of South Asia Studies at Wellesley College. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |
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