The author presents recent findings on the thriving cult of bone relic stupas and the ritual role of the materiality of the dead amongst contemporary Jains, based on extensive fieldwork in India. The book offers clear evidence for the ubiquity of bone relic stupas and relic veneration across the Jain sectarian spectrum, despite classical Jain doctrine rejecting the worship of material objects. The unique analysis juxtaposes field-based ethnographic materials with textual analysis, and compares Jain textual sources with the relevant sources from the Brahmanical and Buddhist traditions. This groundbreaking work will significantly reshape the field of Jain studies and its relationship with other South Asian religious traditions, and make a major contribution to the history of religions.

Format: Hardback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 01 January 2021
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The author of this book presents recent and somewhat unexpected findings on the thriving cult of bone relic stupas and the ritual role of the materiality of the dead amongst contemporary Jains. Based on extensive fieldwork in India, clear evidence is offered for the ubiquity of bone relic stupas and relic veneration across the Jain sectarian spectrum, although classical Jain doctrine rejects the worship of material objects. The unique analysis applied in this book juxtaposes field-based ethnographic materials with textual analysis. Additionally, the author adds a broad comparative scope by systematically comparing Jain textual sources with the relevant sources from the Brahmanical and Buddhist traditions. This groundbreaking work will significantly reshape the field of Jain studies and its relationship with other South Asian religious traditions. It also offers a major contribution to the history of religions.

Book Title: "The Cult of Bone Relic Stupas and the Ritual Role of the Materiality of the Dead amongst Contemporary Jains"

In this book, the author presents recent, somewhat unexpected, findings on the thriving cult of bone relic stupas and the ritual role of the materiality of the dead amongst contemporary Jains. Based on extensive fieldwork in India, clear evidence is offered for the ubiquity of bone relic stupas and relic veneration across the Jain sectarian spectrum, although classical Jain doctrine rejects the worship of material objects. The unique analysis applied in this book juxtaposes field-based ethnographic materials with textual analysis. Additionally, the author adds a broad comparative scope by systematically comparing Jain textual sources with the relevant sources from the Brahmanical and Buddhist traditions. This groundbreaking work will significantly reshape the field of Jain studies and its relationship with other South Asian religious traditions. It also offers a major contribution to the history of religions.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781138232693