Overview

More than a decade ago, intrigued by his encounter with a few people and a chance discussion about their religious beliefs, Santosh K. Singh began delving deeper into the phenomenon of the dera. What followed thereafter was an extensive engagement with this belief system. The dera culture in Punjab has an ancient history and stands on philosophically rich terrain. Deras are reflective of South Asia's fluid, sacred geography and its propensity to constantly and seamlessly engage in multiple conversations within itself. Be it the hugely influential Dera Sachkhand Ballan, the controversial Dera Sacha Sauda or the many other deras dotting the landscape--all of these are complex institutions. They have a rich diversity of histories of time, people and communities that both draw from the past and negotiate with the present to carve out a new future. The Deras is an effort to discuss this fascinating and emancipatory realm, and prevent it from getting boxed in a narrow, sectarian and parochial framework.

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9780670098316

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Reviews

In this interesting and wide-ranging book, Santosh K. Singh has shown how Deras in the Punjab have had an extraordinary amount of influence on the character of Punjab society, and often intertwined with its politics as well.--From the Foreword by Mark Juergensmeyer, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Sociology and Global Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara Pathbreaking work which critically looks at contemporary Deras from the lens of their rich cultural and historical contexts.--Professor Ronki Ram, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Chair Professor of Political Science, Panjab University, Chandigarh Santosh K. Singh's work is an ethnographer's delight. His writings on the Deras of Punjab, enriched with sociological imagination, offer a compelling people's history perspective.--Manraj Grewal Sharma, Resident Editor, The Indian Express, Chandigarh

Author Information

Santosh K. Singh currently teaches sociology at the School of Liberal Studies, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University Delhi. He earned his master's, MPhil and PhD degrees in sociology from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. In his over two-decade-long teaching and research career, in academic spaces spread across Uttarakhand, Chandigarh and Delhi, his endeavour has been to build bridges between academia, the larger society and the public. Santosh regularly contributes to the Tribune, Indian Express and Deccan Herald, among others. His recent publications include an edited volume titled Remembering India's Villages (2024) and a book of poetry in Hindi, Apne hi Gaon me Ajnabi (2023).

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