Drawing on fieldwork conducted in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu over seven years, Eliza F. Kent offers a compelling examination of the religious and social context in which south India's sacred groves take on meaning for the villagers who maintain them, and shows how they have become objects of fascination and hope for Indian environmentalists.

This edited volume brings together a range of scholars to reflect on the varied ways in which caste is manifested and experienced in social life. Each chapter draws on different methods and approaches but all consider lived experiences and experiential narrations. Considering Guru and Sarukkai’s path-breaking work on ‘Experience, Caste and the Everyday Social’ (2019), this volume applies the insights of the theories to multiple settings, issues and communities. Unique to this volume, Brahmin and other dominant castes' experiences are considered, rather than simply focusing on the lives of oppressed castes (Dalits). Analysis of cross-caste friendships or romances and marriages, furthermore, brings out the intimate and ingrained aspects of caste. Taken together, therefore, the contributions in this volume offer rich insights into caste and its consciousness within the framework of everyday experiences.

In World of Wonders, Alf Hiltebeitel addresses the Mahabharata and its supplement, the Harivamsa, as a single literary composition. Looking at the work through the critical lens of the Indian aesthetic theory of rasa, "juice, essence, or taste," he argues that the dominant rasa of these two texts is adbhutarasa, the "mood of wonder." While the Mahabharata signposts whole units of the text as "wondrous" in its table of contents, the Harivamsa foregrounds a stepped-up term for wonder (ascarya) that drives home the point that Vishnu and Krishna are one. Two scholars of the 9th and 10th centuries, Anandavardhana and Abhinavagupta, identified the Mahabharata's dominant rasa as santarasa, the "mood of peace." This has traditionally been received as the only serious contestant for a rasic interpretation of the epic. Hiltebeitel disputes both the positive claim that the santarasa interpretation is correct and the negative claim that adbhutarasa is a frivolous rasa that cannot sustain a major work. The heart of his argument is that the Mahabharata and Harivamsa both deploy the terms for "wonder" and "surprise" (vismaya) in significant numbers that extend into every facet of these heterogeneous texts, showing how adbhutarasa is at work in the rich and contrasting textual strategies which are integral to the structure of the two texts.

At the heart of this in-depth ethnographic study lie the daily life situations of tsunami survivors in war-torn, eastern Sri Lanka. Each chapter is built around the empirical themes derived from the stories and recollections of Tamil women and their families during their stay in relief camps, anticipating relocation. The specifics of the socio-cultural context are firmly embedded in the discussions. Ten years after the tsunami, this publication offers a timely contribution to a better understanding of what it means to cope with the combined effects of disaster, war, and international aid in this matri-focal region of the island.

The Hindu sacred order is guarded by the very gods who violate it and the demons who oppose it. This book is a who's who of such transgressive figures, both familiar and unfamiliar, showing their place within the Hindu order that they violate. It is also a reflection of the serious scholarly debate over the nature and composition of this Hindu order. The chapters range from pan-Hindu deities such as Bhairava and Virabhadra to guardian gods of specific regions and lineages and of different goddess cults. Chapters cover violent themes in SAaivite hagiography, the position of Brahmans in relation to cultic carnivorism, guardian heroes in folk epic, the deified dead, the royal mythology of a "criminal caste," and a wide-ranging overview of transgressive sacrality.

In Hindu India both orality and sonality have enjoyed great cultural significance since earliest times. They have a distinct influence on how people approach texts. The importance of sound and its perception has led to rites, models of cosmic order, and abstract formulas. Sound serves both to stimulate religious feelings and to give them a sensory form. Starting from the perception and interpretation of sound, the authors chart an unorthodox cultural history of India, turning their attention to an important, but often neglected aspect of daily religious life. They provide a stimulating contribution to the study of cultural systems of perception that also adds new aspects to the debate on orality and literality.

Book Contents: Introduction Tamil Nadu The book offers interesting insight about Tamil Nadu's Culture, music, dance, art and craft, fairs and festivals, Adventure and sports, wildlife and flora. The destinations are signposted with details of accessibility and connectivity, Tourist attractions, Local Directory, Guide maps, Popular and little known places of interest. The book has Listing of Hotels, Popular places of dining out, Restaurants Shopping areas, Details on tourist offices, Travel services providers, Travel tips. Tamil Nadu The sprawling metro, Chennai, the famous Meenakshi Temple of Madurai, the world heritage site of Mammalapuram, the hills resorts of Ooty and Kodaikanal and the pilgrim sites of Rameswaram and Kanyakumari are the treasures to be discovered and cherished. The dominating towering gopurams and the architecture of its temples, music, and dance are indelible cultural treasures forming its soul.

Explore one of Tamil Nadu’s many grand Hindu temples, stopping to savour the smell of jasmine garlands piled up before carved granite gods. Crane your neck to see the top of these towering pyramid-like temples adorned with the statues of deities, warriors and dancers. Escape the heat by following the footsteps of the British colonialists into the charming hill stations, or go surround yourself by nature in the blue Nilgiri mountains. Featuring detailed coverage of this wonderfully diverse region, Footprint Focus Chennai & Tamil Nadu will prove an invaluable companion. • Essentials section with practical tips on getting there and around. • Background section with fascinating information on the region’s unique history, culture & cuisine. • Comprehensive listings of where to eat, sleep & play including festivals and horse riding. • Detailed street maps for important cities and towns. • Slim enough to fit in your pocket. Loaded with advice and information, this concise Footprint Focus guide will help you get the most out of Tamil Nadu without weighing you down. The content of the Footprint Focus Chennai & Tamil Nadu guide has been extracted from Footprint’s India Handbook.