While numerous studies exist on major South-Asian temples, surprisingly little is known about 'minor shrines' and 'lesser states'. Here fifty-five new documents, in a western-Himalayan script and language, and belonging to a small Siddha shrine, redress this remarkable gap in our knowledge. The documents cover a wide spectrum-from revenue grants to those dealing with ritual, pilgrimage, legality and temple-economy-thus building a picture of the relationship between state and shrine, and particularly so for the minor centres: their popularity and relationship with major temples; mundane matters; notices, petitions, and law-suits. It becomes clear how 'lesser states', despite their limited resources, patronized numerous small shrines, along with major temples; and the role played by the Nath-Siddha-ascetics in creating consent-to-rule, acculturation, and constructing hybridity between the Hindu and Tibetan-Buddhist traditions.
- ISBN10 9004176934
- ISBN13 9789004176935
- Publish Date 24 June 2009 (first published 1 January 2009)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country NL
- Imprint Brill
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 400
- Language English
- URL brill.com/product_id34129