Objects of Worship in South Asian Religions - Forms, Practices and Meanings

Objects of worship are one aspect of the material dimension of lived religion in South Asia. The omnipresence of objects of worship and their use is one of the themes that cut across the religious traditions in the pluralistic religious culture of the region. Power becomes manifest in these objects and for the devotees the objects of worship may represent power regardless of religious identity. This book looks at how these objects dominate the religious landscape of South Asia, and how they are of significance not just to the religious but also the social life of the region.