Mahima Dharma (‘the Dharma of Glory’) is one of the most fascinating living religious traditions of Orissa. It originated During the Nineteenth century as an autochthonous reform movement, emerging out of the nirguna bhakti tradition of India. The earliest authentic testimonies of this movement are the impressive compositions of Bhima Bhoi, a lay guru, who fought against social evils such as caste and ritualized piety and initiated women into his community.
The Present volume is the first representative and comprehensive anthology of Bhima Bhoi’s religious poetry. It offers a detailed introduction, which discusses the poet and his work in its social, religious, and philosophical contexts. All poems, originally in Oriya, are transliterated into Roman script first and then translated into English on the facing page for easy comprehension.
This critical edition the first ever mad is based on two manuscripts available now on the internet at www.mahimadharma.de. Since Bhima Bhoi’s poetry is above all oral poetry, and his song are still recited by Mahima Dharmis, the editors decided to complement the written text by authentic audio samples from Orissa. An audio CD, recorded in the areas of Sonepur and Sambalpur bhajans of Bhima Bhoi sung by practicing Mahima Dharmis.
In the end, the volume brings to a worldwide audience, for the first time, an outstanding poet, widely unknown outside Orissa.
Johannes Beltz is curator of Indian art at the Meseum Rietberg in Zurich, Switzerland. From 1999 to 2003 he did intensive field research on Bhima Bhoi (www.mahimadharma.de). In addition to his museum assignment, he teaches courses in Buddhism and Hinduism at the University of Zurich.
Bettina Baumer is an Indologist from Austria, researching and teaching in India (Varanasi) since 1967. Professor of Religious Studies (university of Vienna, Berne, Salzburg), Coordinator of the Indira Gandhi National Centre of the Arts (Varanasi), Prof. Baumer is the author of many books and articles and also the translator of texts on Orissan Temple Architecture, Kashmir Shaivism and Indian Aesthetics. She has done fieldwork in Orissa for over 20 years.
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