On the banks of the Gaṅgā : when wastewater meets a sacred river 9780472068081, 0472068083, 9780472098088, 047209808X
Alley investigates ethno-semantic, discursive, and institutional data to flesh out the interplay between religious, scie
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On the Banks of the Gahga
On the Banks of the
Copyright © by the University of Michigan 2002
For Ali, Zahra, and Khayr
Contents
VIII
Illustrations
Acknowledgments
XII
XIII
Introduction: Field Methods and
On the Banks of the Gahga
3
On the Banks of the Gahga
5
On the Banks of the Gahga
7
On the Banks of the Gahga
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IO
II
I2
13
PART I
CHAPTER I
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2I
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CHAPTER 2
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CHAPTER 3
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Map i. The Ganga basin. (Map source: World Wide Fund for Nature-India and Paani Morcha, modified by Cyrus Dawsey.)
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On the Banks of the Gahga
Fig. ii. Contemporary outdoor exhibit of Ganiga's descent from heaven
Fig. z. Sculpture of Mother Ganga (eighth century)
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6i
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Fig. 3. Priest performing arati on Paficganga ghat
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The Power of Gahga
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PART 2
CHAPTER 4
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8o
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Fig. 5. Pilgrims washing utensils in the Ganga
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0(
Sacred Purity and Uncleanness
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CHAPTER 5
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ii..
. .. .
III
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II3
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PART 3
CHAPTER 6
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I28
I29
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I31
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CHAPTER 7
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PART 4
CHAPTER 8
On the Banks of the Gahga
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On the Banks of the Gahga
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I6o
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..................
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CHAPTER 9
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Fig. 10. Wastewater flowing from a tannery into a nai
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Fig. i i. Human corpses washed up on sandy banks
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N
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CHAPTER 10
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CHAPTER II
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Notes
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Glossary
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Bibliography
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28o
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29I
Index
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