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Full Product Details

Author:   Hugh B. Urban
Publisher:   The University of Chicago Press
Imprint:   University of Chicago Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 2.50cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.399kg
ISBN:  

9780226831121

ISBN 10:   0226831124
Pages:   288
Publication Date:   27 March 2024
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Out of stock  
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Table of Contents

List of Figures and Tables Introduction. The Path of Desire: Living Tantra, Vernacular Religion, and the Study of Secrets Chapter 1. The Left-Hand Path: Secrecy, Transgression, and the Kaula Tradition in Assam Chapter 2. “The Land of Black Magic”: Healing, Enchantment, and Witchcraft Chapter 3. The Politics of Sacrifice: Blood Offerings and the Struggle over Local and National Identity in Modern India Chapter 4. Dancing for the Snake: Possession, Performance, and Gender in Manasā Pūjā Chapter 5. “The Cradle of Tantra”: Modern Transformations of a Tantric Center from Nationalist Symbol to Tourist Destination Chapter 6. “Sinister Tāntriks”: Tantra in Popular Culture, Fiction, and Film Conclusions. The Path of Desire in the Age of Capital: Living Tantra in the Context of Globalization and Neoliberalism Acknowledgments and Entanglements Notes Selected Bibliography Index

Reviews

“Set in the lush hills of northeast India among Hindu communities that practice diverse and sometimes transgressive rituals, this book is about desire, but it’s also about the path that may lead us through tangled webs of experience into well-being and beyond. Through well-crafted narrative and patient attention to daily life, Urban contributes a rich and detailed analysis of texts, histories, rituals, and sensibilities.” -- Paul Courtright, Emory University “This engaging book opens new vistas in the study of living Tantric traditions. It shows how Tantra is embedded in concrete social realities, especially in Assam. A must-read for those interested in contemporary religion in India.” -- Gavin Flood, Oxford University “Urban skillfully combines historiography and ethnography to reveal the remarkably complex dimensions of Tantra in northeast India, including a brilliant analysis of the many aspects of desire. He also explores ongoing developments in Tantra in the larger contexts of globalization and the influences of nationalism, neoliberalism, and popular culture.” -- Glen A. Hayes, Bloomfield College “The Path of Desire is a skillfully crafted and readable ethnography of ‘living Tantra’ in the twenty-first century. In this powerful account, Urban refuses to simplify complex entanglements surrounding female sexual agency, menstruation, and indigenous identities that endure—and thrive—despite confrontations with nationalism, tourism, neoliberalism, and globalization.” -- Amanda Lucia, University of California, Riverside

Author Information

Hugh B. Urban is College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor at the Ohio State University. He is the author of numerous books including Secrecy: Silence, Power, and Religion, also published by the University of Chicago Press.

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