Religious Pluralism in India

Subhadra Mitra Channa is retired Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Delhi, India. Her research interests are in Gender Studies, Marginalization, Identity Studies, Urban Ethnography, Environment, Cosmology, and Religion and Caste Studies in India. She is the recipient of Charles Wallace Fellowship, the United Kingdom; Fulbright Lecturer, the United States, 2003 and 2008–2009; Visiting Professor to Maison D’Sciences De L’Homme, Paris; Visiting Scholar, University of Kentucky, the United States (2015); Visiting Professor University of Bahia, Brazil (2019); Fellow of the Society for Applied Anthropology, the United States; President of the Indian Anthropological Association (1997–2000); and S. C Roy Gold Medal (Asiatic Society). She was awarded the Distinguished Teacher Award Delhi University, in 2016, as the best teacher of the university.She is the present Senior Vice-President of (IUAES) from 2018 and Chair of the Commission on Marginalization and Global Apartheid (2017–2021). Her publications were Gender is South Asia; Life as a Dalit (ed.), The Inner and Outer Selves; Gender, Livelihood and Environment (ed.) with Marilyn Porter, and Anthropological Perspectives on Indian Tribes (2019), more than 80 scholarly papers.Lancy Lobo holds a master’s degree in Anthropology and a doctoral degree in Sociology from the Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi, India. He has authored and co-authored 25 books and scores mimeographs based on research over 40 years. He has been a professor and the Director of Centre for Social Studies, based in Surat, an institute under the Indian Council of Social Science Research, Delhi. He was International Visiting Fellow at the Woodstock Centre, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, in the year 1999–2000. He is the founder director of Centre for Culture and Development, Vadodara, completing 20 years. Currently, he is Professor Emeritus at the Indian Social Institute, Delhi. Some of his recent publications include, with Jayesh Shah (eds.), The Legacy of Nehru: Appraisal and Analysis (2018), with A.M. Shah (eds.), Essays on Suicide and Self-Immolation (2018), with Kanchan Bharati (eds.), Marriage and Divorce in India: Changing Concepts and Practices (2019), with A.M. Shah (eds.), An Ethnography of Parsees of India (2022), and with A.M. Shah (eds.), Indian Anthropology (2022).

• List of figures List of tablesPrefaceList of contributors Introduction SUBHADRA MITRA CHANNA AND LANCY LOBOPART I1 Note on the origin of the Hindu Trimurti S.M. EDWARDES2 The supposed Maya origin of the Elephocephalous deity Ganesha SARAT CHANDRA MITRA3 The anthropological method of interpretation of Avestic and Vedic texts, ideas, and usages: part I R.K. DADACHANJI4 The anthropological method of interpretation of Avestic and Vedic texts, ideas, and usages: part II R.K. DADACHANJI5 Deification of light among ancient nations, Eastern and Western S.S. MEHTA6 The migration of a form of Iranian religious ideas to ancient Rome and other countries of Europe, and the narrow escape of early Christianity in its conflict with them for the dominion of the world R.K. DADACHANJI7 Was there any institution in ancient Iran like that of caste in India? JIVANJI JAMSHEDJI MODI8 An ancient Egyptian legend in Buddhist guise SARAT CHANDRA MITRA9 Is the retention of the term “Animism” as a main religion head in our census tables justified? L.J. SEDGWICK10 Totem theories R.E. ENTHOVENPART II11 Tree worship in Mohenjo Daro H. HERAS12 Exorcism of spirit in India and exorcism of physical impurity in Persia: a parallel with respect to the various parts of the body treated in the exorcism JIVANJI JAMSHEDJI MODI13 Ethnographical notes on the Muhammadan castes of Bengal MAULAVI ABDUL WALI14 A book procession of the Tibetan Lamas, as seen at Darjeeling JIVANJI JAMSHEDJI MODI15 On superstitions of the Goa people from Portuguese sources E. REHATSEK16 A note on the worship of the Demon Rahu by the Dusadhs of South Bihar SARAT CHANDRA MITRA17 On curious tenets and practices of a certain class of Faqirs in Bengal MAULAVI ABDUL WALI18 A note on the rise of a new Hindu sect in Bihar SARAT CHANDRA MITRA19 A theoretical history of the Goddess YellammaRAO BAHADUR RUDRAGAUDA CHANVIRGAUDA ARTAL20 The festivities in honour of Siva in the month of Chaitra SATINDRA NARAYAN ROY21 Short account of the reformed Shaiva or Veerashaiva faith R.C. ARTAL AND WATANDAR PATIL22 Swastika S.S. MEHTAGlossary Author Index Subject Index