The God Market: How Globalization is Making India More HinduAs India’s economy has liberalized, so too has it become Hinduized. Middle-class Indians are becoming actively religious as they are becoming prosperous. The last decade has seen the proliferation of powerful new god-men, a massive rise in temple rituals, the creation of new gods, and the increased demand for priests. Hinduism has entered public life as well with politicians regularly using pujas and yajnas in their campaigning. The state is enabling this Hinduization with the help of the private sector. From actively promoting religious tourism, to handing over higher education to private sector institutions, some of whom use religious trusts to run these institutions and impart ‘value-based’ education, to giving away land at highly subsidized rates to gurus and god-men, many of the privatization measures of the government are linked with the promotion of Hinduism. Why has this happened? What does it mean? And does this spell the death of Indian secularism? In this eye-opening book, Meera Nanda looks at the rise of popular Hinduism and uncovers, for the first time, the nexus between the state, temple and corporate India, and the ugly truth behind India’s leap into globalization and economic reforms. She argues that india is creating its own, insidious form of fundamentalism, one that can lead the country into grave danger. Hard-hitting and controversial, full of fascinating facts, The God Market is essential reading for all citizens. |
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Amarnath ashrams astrology become believe Berger capitalism cent chapter Christianity Christopher Fuller corporate cultural Dalits Dayananda decline deemed universities Delhi democracy described devotees dharma divine economic elections elite faith free market Gandhi Gandhian Gayatri gentrification global goddess gods growing growth Gujarat Gurcharan Das gurukuls gurus Hanuman higher education Hindu nationalism Hindu nationalist Hindu religiosity Hindu temples Hindutva idea India Indian middle classes industry infrastructure institutions Islam liberal majoritarian majority mantra miracles modern Muslims Nehruvian neo-liberal offer pilgrimage political popular Pradesh priest training schools promote public sphere pujas Ramdev Ravi Shankar reforms religion religious reports rituals Sandipani Sangh Parivar Sanskrit scientific secular secularists secularization theory Shrine Board Sita Ram Goel social society spiritual supernatural swadeshi Swami Swatantra Party Tamil Nadu Tehelka temple priests theories of secularization tourism traditional urban Vaishno Devi Veda Vedic Waghorne worship yagnas yoga