Religion has been a fascinating subject of study because it largely governed the personal, domestic and social life of people in the past. Religious life in Orisea which is inseparately linked with that of the Indian sub-continent is marked at times by mutual rivalry and jealousy among different sects and religious groups. But at the sametime attempts at reconciliation were alzo mede here displaying oneness of religious beliefs of Indian people.
Syncretic creatures of the Indus valley civilization, dual deities of the vedic age, the cult of Harl-Hara, Uma-Mahesvara, Ardhanarisvara," Lakami-Narayan and the cult of Jagannath bear brilliant testimonies to the process of religious rivalry and reconciliation that started since the dawn of civilization in this land. The book is an interpretative study of this process of religious syncretism that marked the religious life of India as well as that of Orissa.
Dr. Niranjan Satapathy is working at present as the Principal of B. R. M. College. Bhuban in the State of Orissa. Widely known as a scholar and successful teacher of History. He got his M. Phil and Ph. D. Degree from the Utkal University. Dr. Satapathy, himself a celebrated theatre personality is now engaged in research work related to the History of the Art of Drama in Orissa.
Since the dawn of civilization religion has been the most noticeable feature of life in India. It governs the personal as well as the social life of people in this vast land. To the students of religion, therefore, India would seem to be an ideal field of research. In fact some of the major religions of the world like Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism originated in this land. Besides, numerous religious cults and sects have also their origin in the Indian society. With a multiplicity of regional variations their number is overwhelming.
The scope of the present work is limited to Orissa. The pioneering efforts of R. L. Mitra, M. M. Ganguly, N. N. Vasu, K. C. Panigrahi, H. K. Mahatab. M. N. Das, K. N. Mohapatra, S. N. Rajguru, S. C. Behera, K. S. Behera, M. P. Dash, H. C. Das, B. K. Rath, U. K. Subudhi, A. Pattanaik etc. have expanded our knowledge in the history and culture of Orissa. The study of major religions in Orissa including the cult of Jagannatha has been made by eminent scholars hike N. K. Sahu, L. N. Sahu, A. Eschmann, H. Kulke, G. C. Tripathy, K. C. Mishra, R. P Mohapatra, L. K. Panda, B. Dash, B. C. Pradhan and H. K. Parija.
As the scope of this book is vast - from New Horizons in Ch. I to his non-fiction in Ch.VI, I have attempted to give the essence of the book in the last chapter In a Nutshell. V.S. Naipaul's book Beyond Belief was published after I had completed and submitted the manuscript of this book. I have included a note on it in the Appendix.
Religious life of Orissa is inseparably linked with that of the Indian sub-continent. Any discussion on the religious history of Orissa, therefore, must be preceded by a brief analysis on the growth of religious beliefs in this vast land. Hinduism, the religion of the majority of people here, has not been started by a prophet. It began with the Aryans during the Vedic age. But it took its shape by absorbing proto-Australoid, proto-Mongoloid, Dravidian and other influences. A systematic study of its growth can be made from the time of the Indus valley civilization otherwise known as the Harappan culture.
**Contents and Sample Pages**
For privacy concerns, please view our Privacy Policy
Christian (207)
Agriculture (80)
Ancient (947)
Archaeology (519)
Architecture (506)
Art & Culture (810)
Biography (584)
Buddhist (527)
Cookery (154)
Emperor & Queen (492)
Hindu (856)
Islam (225)
Jainism (253)
Literary (885)
Send as free online greeting card
Email a Friend
Manage Wishlist