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On the life and work of Ram Singh, 1861-1899, second son of Maharaja Ranbir Singh of Jammu and Kashmir, and commander-in-chief of the state forces.
The Wrestler's Body tells the story of a way of life organized in terms of physical self-development. While Indian wrestlers are competitive athletes, they are also moral reformers whose conception of self and society is fundamentally somatic. Using the insights of anthropology, Joseph Alter writes an ethnography of the wrestler's physique that elucidates the somatic structure of the wrestler's identity and ideology. Young men in North India may choose to join an akhara, or gymnasium, where they subject themselves to a complex program of physical and moral fitness. Alter's first-hand description of each detail of the wrestler's regimen offers a unique perspective on South Asian culture and society. Wrestlers feel that moral reform of Indian national character is essential and advocate their way of life as an ideology of national health. Everyone is called on to become a wrestler and build collective strength through self-discipline.
Jaipur, the glorious Pink City of India, sets many a hearts aflutter with visions of grandeur, valour, romance and beauty. This heritage city’s inherent historic charm has always been a major source of attraction. Travellers, poets and philosophers have lavished praise on it, and perhaps no other place is imbued with the richness of ritual and ceremony across the country, as Jaipur is. Among its numerous architectural wonders, the city’s Jantar Mantar (observatory) and Amber Fort have been included in United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s list of world heritage sites. The book elaborates on the lesser known aspects that have contributed to its coveted statu...
The Visual Turn: South Asia Across the Disciplines explores new perspectives made possible by the evidence drawn from visual culture. This evidence is utilized by historians, literary analysts, anthropologists and, in a new way, art historians. Focusing on built environments within their urban contexts; the interactions of buildings, roads, and bodies; the meaning-making achieved through consumption of images (on their own or in concert with literary texts) all contribute to a much broader and deeper understanding of change in South Asia. Juxtaposed, these case studies not only approach their topics in a multi-disciplinary manner, but also make clear just what scholars from various disciplin...