Authority beyond the Ashram - Hindu Guru Organisations and the Patronage of Siddha Medicine in Contemporary India

Hindu guru organisations no longer confine their authority to the ashram. This book examines how figures and institutions such as the Isha Foundation and Santhigiri Ashram extend their legitimacy into the field of Siddha medicine — running clinics, manufacturing drugs, and positioning themselves as custodians of a vernacular medical tradition with global reach. Based on ethnographic research, Authority beyond the Ashram traces how these nova religio movements navigate a competitive marketplace of guru organisations, shaped by identity politics and medical pluralism.