Provincial Hinduism: Religion and Community in Gwalior City

by Daniel Gold

Provincial Hinduism explores intersecting religious worlds in an ordinary Indian city that remains close to its traditional roots, while bearing witness to the impact of globalization. Daniel Gold looks at modern religious life in the central Indian city of Gwalior, drawing attention to the often complex religious sensibilities behind ordinary Hindu practice. Gold describes temples of different types, their legendary histories, and the people who patronize them. He also explores the attraction of Sufi shrines for many Gwalior Hindus. Delicate issues of socioreligious identity are highlighted through an examination of neighbors living together in a locality mixed in religion, caste, and class. Pursuing issues of community and identity, Gold turns to Gwalior's Maharashtrians and Sindhis, groups with roots in other parts of the subcontinent that have settled in the city for generations. These groups function as internal diasporas, organizing in different ways and making distinctive contributions to local religious life. The book concludes with a focus on new religious institutions invoking nineteenth-century innovators: three religious service organizations inspired by the great Swami Vivekenanda, and two contemporary guru-centered groups tracing lineages to Radhasoami Maharaj of Agra.

Gold offers the first book-length study to analyze religious life in an ordinary, midsized Indian city, and in so doing has created an invaluable resource for scholars of contemporary Indian religion, culture, and society.

304 pages, Hardcover

First published February 12, 2015

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book to use in a course on World Religions. I found the book interesting. It serves my purpose somewhat of providing a good descriptive account of daily Hinduism in a moderate-sized city in India.The books is well-written, contains a lot of description and stories. It would benefit from more theoretical insight.

Gold is an adept of a guru movement in India, which colors his perspective. He too readily accepts the insider explanation for religious practices, which means that he doesn't dig deep enough to examine underlying social and power issues that are always a part of any religious questions.