Full Description
The battle between scientific temper and superstition has raged since ages. One may believe that unusual rituals and customs are extinct in the times of artificial intelligence and bots, but it is far from the truth as this book will prove.
As bizarre as it might seem, in France one can marry a dead person, and in Africa a married woman can marry another married woman as a practical way of solving the social problem of old-age neglect. This book is a collection of unusual superstitions, rituals and customs that are practiced by ordinary people all around the world. It should be read to build awareness about these rituals and to know about the many shades of faith in this world we inhabit.
Sacred and Profane is not a religious exposition or vindication of rituals; it aims to arouse human curiosity about such beliefs while shedding light on some important social issues.
Contents
Foreword by Air Marshal K. K. Nohwar (Retired)
Preface
Acknowledgements
Introduction
A Living Deity : Goddesses and Womanhood
Marry a Dead Person : Unusual Marriages and Strange Customs
Human Sacrifice with Safety Measures : Sacrifices and Penances
Feast to the Monkeys : Of Stratified Societies, Festivals and Prasads
Hurling Obscenities in Front of a Deity : Celebrating with Abandon
Tale of Platonic Love That Bestows Boons : Miracles, Myths and Boons
Sadasuhags: The Cross-dressers Veneration of the Oddities and Peculiar Practices
Epilogue
