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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

9

IO

II

I2

13



PART I



CHAPTER I

i8

19

20

2I

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

CHAPTER 2

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

46

47

48

49

CHAPTER 3

51

Map i. The Ganga basin. (Map source: World Wide Fund for Nature-India and Paani Morcha, modified by Cyrus Dawsey.)

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55

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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60

6i

62

Fig. 3. Priest performing arati on Paficganga ghat

64

The Power of Gahga

66

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72

PART 2



CHAPTER 4

76

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79

8o

8i

Fig. 5. Pilgrims washing utensils in the Ganga

83

0(

Sacred Purity and Uncleanness

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87

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90

91

92

93

94

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96

97

98

99

I00

I0I

102

103

I04

105

CHAPTER 5

IO7

108

109

ii..

. .. .

III

112

II3

I 14

II5

116

II7

I18

PART 3



CHAPTER 6

I22

123

I24

I25

I26

127

I28

I29

130

I31

132

133

134

135

136

137

138

139

CHAPTER 7

141

142

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147

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PART 4



CHAPTER 8

On the Banks of the Gahga

157

On the Banks of the Gahga

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I6o

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162

..................

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169

170

I7I

I72

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CHAPTER 9

181

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184

I85

i86

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Fig. 10. Wastewater flowing from a tannery into a nai

194

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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221

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223

224

225

226

227

228

229

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CHAPTER II

233

234

235

236

237

238

239

240

24I

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247



Notes

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Glossary

266

Bibliography

268

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27I

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28o

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29I



Index

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