Syncretic Shrines and Pilgrimages

This book looks at various syncretic traditions in India, such as Bhakti, Nath Yogi, Sufi, Imam Shahi, Ismailis, Khojas, and others, and presents an elaborate picture of a redefined cultural space through them.
It also investigates different syncretisms-Hindu-Muslim, Hindu- Muslim-Christian and Aboriginal-Ethnic-to understand diverse aspects of hybridity within the Indian nation space. It discusses how Indian nationalism was composed of different opinions from its inception, reflecting its rich diversity and pluralistic traditions. The book traces the emergence of multiple contours of Indian nationalism through the historical trajectory of religious diversity, lingering effects of colonialism, and experimentation with secularism.
This volume caters to scholars and students interested in cultural studies, religion studies, pilgrimage studies, history, social anthropology, historical sociology, historical geography, religion, and art history. It will also be of interest to political theorists and general readers.

Karan Singh is Associate Professor of English at Government College for Women, Pali, Rewari, Haryana, India. He has been Affiliated Fellow at the International Institute of Asian Studies (IIAS), Leiden, the Netherlands, and Associate at the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Shimla, India. He has completed two Major Research Projects of University Grants Commission, New Delhi on Dalit Women and Folk Theatres and one Major Research Project of the Indian Council for Social Science Research on Pilgrimages. He has published four books-Iris Murdoch: Melodrama and Metaphysics (2008); Dalitism and Feminism: Locating Women in Dalit Literature (2011); Unknown Voices (2011); and Folk Theatres of North India: Contestation, Amalgamation and Transference (Routledge 2020).