Erotic Art of the Kathmandu Valley


Book Description

This A Book About The Erotic Art Of Nepal In Its Various Forms. It Is Also A Book About The Kathmandu Valley, Its Strange, Mysterious, Magical And Enchanting Powers. Whether We Speak Of The Odd-Looking, Carved Stone Representations At Pashupatinath. What Do These Exotic And Erotic Art Forms Really Represent?Why Have Such Images Been Placed On The External Structure Of So Many Sacred Temples? Who Do These Erotic Depictions Serve?. This Book Goes A Long Way To Providing An Insight Into These Questions. It Gives Us Glimpses Of The Depicted As Explicitly As It May Without Hurting The Sentiments Of More Conservative Societies.




Goddesses of Kathmandu Valley


Book Description

In South Asia goddesses are conceptualized and worshipped in a fascinating range of forms — from cosmic beings to bacterial manifestations, from human-like appearances to creatures with animal and insect semblances. This book maps the diverse identities of goddesses through metaphors of grace, rage and knowledge, and offers an in-depth insight into femininity, sexual politics, ritual worships, religion, ecology and gender. Grace manifests as motherly sublimity, warring protectors, and varying personifications of sexuality. Rage encapsulates the fearful aspects of goddesses and independent identities of women. Knowledge evokes associations with order, reason and intellect in conflating gendered binaries of body/mind and nature/culture. The volume explores how these deity attributes are expressed and embedded through anthropomorphic as well as inorganic forms of nature, beautiful women, multi-legged and many-armed animals, epistemic selves, demonic beings, glamorous personifications as also grotesque sub-humans. A methodological combination of critical theory, mythological and philosophical concepts, along with popular ethnographic narratives and lived experiences, this monograph will greatly interest scholars and researchers of religious studies, cultural studies, folklore, art, literature, sociology and gender studies, especially those interested in Nepal and Hinduism.










Library of Congress Subject Headings


Book Description




Bhutan the Unremembered Nation


Book Description

The process of modernization has brought discontinuities in collective memory. This volume and its prequel provide an act of collective remembrance, knitting together many voices and stories. It shows the readers a world of the past before modernization began in the 1960s. Volume 2 covers the monumental architecture of dzongs (castles) and administration of the country, authority and power, cosmological concepts and beliefs, religions and rites, visualization and meditation, visual arts, and folk drama that affected the daily life of the people. Some chapters also dwell on monastic life and monkhood, and Guru Rinpoche's imprints on the land and its people.




Yoga, Bhoga and Ardhanariswara


Book Description

This book offers a social–scientific interpretation of the Hindu and Buddhist traditions of Tantra dating back 15 centuries. It is a self-reflexive study approached with an insider’s empathy and the perspective of an Indologist, anthropologist, mystic and practitioner of the cult. The work includes a discussion of non-modern Indic themes: mandala as a trope and its manifestations in South Asian regions such as Nepal; yoga and Indic individuality; the concept of bhoga; disciplined wellbeing; gender; and Indic axiology. Using personal praxis to inform his research, the author examines three core themes within Tantra — a ‘holonic’/mandalic individuality that conduces to mystical experience; a positive valorisation of pleasure and play; and cultural attitudes of gender-mutuality and complementarity, as neatly encapsulated in the icon of Shiva as Ardhanariswara. This analysis, as captured by the Tantric mandalas of deities in intimate union, leads to his compelling metathesis that Tantra serves as a permanent counterculture within the Indic civilization. This second edition, with a new Afterword, will greatly interest those in anthropology, South Asian studies, religious studies, gender studies, psychology and philosophy, as also the general reader.




Saints & Sinners


Book Description

I once was led to believe that the United States of America and the Vatican coulddo no wrong. Th en one day south of the border I realized that Uncle Sam was not such a nice guy, and the pope wasnt either. U.S. troops and advisors ran the Banana Republics, propped up dictators and trained the military to oppress the poor. In those days, the Catholic Church hierarchy in Latin America mostly sided with the status quo, dictators, military and wealthy. But in 1968, the bishops dramaticallydeclared a preferential option for the poor and later embraced liberation theology,aiming to bring heaven down to earth. It sounded a lot like Marxism to the Vatican,especially to Pope John Paul II, a staunch opponent of communism. He set out to appoint only bishops who were hostile to liberation theology. Pope Benedict XVI followed suit. Pope Francis, however, once a slum priest in Argentina, gave new life to the movement which was born and raised in Latin America. Most of the characters profiled in this book subscribe to a version of liberation theology and a preference for the poor. Th eir honor roll includes Ivan Illich and Ted Hesburgh, Salvador Allende and Samuel Ruiz, Oscar Romero and Daniel Ortega, Fidel Castro and Jean-Bertrand Aristide, and an actual, canonized Chilean priest named Alberto Hurtado. The reader may decide who is a saint and who is a sinner.







Lonely Planet Nepal


Book Description

Lonely Planet: The world’s number one travel guide publisher* Lonely Planet’s Nepal is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Explore the historic temples of old Kathmandu, search for rhinos and tigers in the dawn mist of Chitwan National Park, and trek in the shadow of the world’s highest mountain on an Everest Base Camp expedition – all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Nepal and begin your journey now! Inside Lonely Planet’s Nepal: Colour maps and images throughout Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sightseeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights provide a richer, more rewarding travel experience - covering history, people, music, landscapes, wildlife, cuisine, politics Covers Kathmandu, Around the Kathmandu Valley, Pokhara & Around, The Terai & Mahabharat Range eBook Features: (Best viewed on tablet devices and smartphones) Downloadable PDF and offline maps prevent roaming and data charges Effortlessly navigate and jump between maps and reviews Add notes to personalise your guidebook experience Seamlessly flip between pages Bookmarks and speedy search capabilities get you to key pages in a flash Embedded links to recommendations' websites Zoom-in maps and images Inbuilt dictionary for quick referencing The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet’s Nepal is our most comprehensive guide to the country, and is designed to immerse you in the culture and help you discover the best sights and get off the beaten track. Looking for more extensive trekking coverage? Check out Lonely Planet’s Trekking in the Nepal Himalaya. About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world’s number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we’ve printed over 145 million guidebooks and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. You’ll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, video, 14 languages, nine international magazines, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more. ‘Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.’ – New York Times ‘Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves; it's in every traveller's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.’ – Fairfax Media (Australia) *Source: Nielsen BookScan: Australia, UK, USA, 5/2016-4/2017 Important Notice: The digital edition of this book may not contain all of the images found in the physical edition.