audiobook Bridges of Reform: Interracial Civil Rights Activism in Twentieth-Century Los Angeles by Shana Bernstein in History

Description

The town of Deopatan; three kilometers northeast of Kathmandu; is above all famous for its main sanctum; the temple of Pa?upati; the "lord of the animals;" a form of 'Siva and the tutelary deity of the kings of Nepal since ancient times. By its name alone; the temple attracts thousands of pilgrims each year and has made itself known far beyond the Kathamndu Valley. However; for the dominant Newar population the town is by no means merely the seat of 'Siva or Pa?upati. It is also a city of wild goddesses and other deities. Due to this tension between two strands of Hinduism -- the pure; vegetarian Smarta Hinduism and the Newar Hinduism which implies alcohol and blood sacrifices -- 'Siva/Pa?upati has more than once been in trouble; as the many festivals and rituals descripbed and analyzed in this book reveal. Deopatan is a contested field. Different deities; agents social groups; ritual specialists; and institutions are constantly seeking dominance; challenging and even fighting each other; thus contributing to social and political dynamics and tensions that are indeed distinct in South Asia. It is these aspects on which Axel Michaels concentrates in this book.