Shared Sacred Sites in South Asia
Negotiating Coexistence and Belonging
Aminah Mohammad-Arif author Grégoire Schlemmer author Christophe Jaffrelot editor Laurent Gayer editor
Format:Paperback
Publisher:C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd
Publishing:11th Jun '26
£37.50
This title is due to be published on 11th June, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
Across the world, religious and cultural identities are being weaponised for political gains. South Asia is no exception, with frequent conflicts between faith communities strengthening politico-religious organisations, and severely straining social cohesion. Yet this region also has a history of religious intermingling, exemplified by shared sacred sites such as saints' tombs, temples, churches, and natural elements serving as places of worship.
Such 'sites in common' offer rich insights into the dynamics of religious interaction. This book investigates them through two key questions. First, it examines what shared places of worship can reveal about plural societies in the midst of persistent religious and ethnic nationalism. Are they exceptional? Do they reflect or transcend socio-religious fault lines? The authors approach coexistence as a tensile equilibrium, in which conflict is no stranger to sharing: South Asia's shared sacred sites are seen as social laboratories, where communities experiment with pluralism and its challenges. Second, the contributors consider the politics of belonging, questioning the boundaries between groups and religions. They examine the logics at work in people's visits to places outside their own religious affiliation, challenging theoretical frameworks of religious demarcation and showing the importance of other markers, such as caste, class, language and gender.
‘A major contribution to the study of everyday forms of religion in South Asia. While its sensitive consideration of inter-religious relations will be regarded as especially pathbreaking and important, comparative studies of Nepal, Pakistan and Mauritius also add powerful and important contributions. This is Area Studies scholarship at its best: analytically driven, empirically rich and historically and culturally informed.’
-- Magnus Marsden, Professor of Anthropology, University of Sussex‘This timely and impressive volume is distinguished by the breadth of traditions and regions represented and the high quality of each chapter. Here we can experience, as vividly as if we were there, the scope and limitations of shared sacred sites. A capacious, compelling picture of lived religion in contemporary South Asia.’
-- Carla Bellamy, Professor of Anthropology and Religious Studies, Baruch College, CUNY‘A rich and inviting collection of essays on places of inter religious engagement throughout the region. The authors refuse simplified and reductive narratives about “peace” and “conflict” by digging deeply into the complex dynamics that characterise the sites where religions converge. An essential read for anyone interested in South Asian religious histories and futures.’
-- Anna Bigelow, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Stanford University‘At a time when religious and political polarisation seems to be winning the day, it is important to be reminded by careful ethnographic and historical scholarship that shared shrines and practices are still deeply embedded in everyday life in South Asia. This remarkable collection of case studies demonstrates that there are still sacred spaces where people come together on the basis of a shared humanity, and where identities such as Muslim, Hindu or Christian, high caste or low, rich or poor, are irrelevant. Highly recommended.’
-- David N. Gellner FBA, Professor Emeritus of Social Anthropology, University of OxfordISBN: 9781805262992
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
336 pages