Devotional Spaces of a Global Saint : Shirdi Sai Baba's Presence

"Devotional Spaces of a Global Saint focuses on the presence and contemporaneity of Shirdi Sai Baba (d.1918), who has a vast following in postcolonial South Asia and an ever-growing global diaspora. Essays consider the saint's influence on everyday life and how visual, narrative, textual, sensorial, performative, political, social, and spatial practices interpenetrate to produce multiple terrains of devotion. Contributions by twelve scholars of several academic disciplines explore eruptions and circulations of sacred materials, spatialities of devotional practices, visual and digital imaginaries, transcultural narrativizations, and material affects and effects of Sai Baba. The presentation transcends routine scholarly discussions about sainthood, cultures of worship, religious objects, Hinduism and Islam. Shirdi Sai Baba's presence conveys inspiration and healing energies and he accepted the entreaties of people of all castes and creeds, offering an alternative to communal ideologies of his time - and the present. Considerations of Shirdi Sai Baba's milieux of devotional praxis situate and localize debates about the meaning of nation and religion, past and present, urbanization, and class identity in transitions from colonial to postcolonial/global South Asia. The book expands the boundaries of the study of Shirdi Sai Baba and makes important contributions to South Asia Studies, Anthropology, Religious Studies, Global Studies, Urban Studies, Indian Ocean Studies, Inter-Asian Studies, Visual and Media Studies, and Cultural Geography"-- Provided by publisher. Cover Half Title Title Copyright Contents List of figures List of tables List of contributors Acknowledgements List of abbreviations Section I Concepts, methods, and introduction to the volume 1 Introduction 2 Cultural policy and development: what are creative industries, and why do we care? 3 Creative industries: definitions, methodologies, and classifications for India Section II Engaging with official statistics 4 Size, growth, and geographies of creative industries in India 5 India’s exports and imports of creative goods and services: comparison with China, Brazil, and the UK 6 Impact of digital technologies and industries on creative industries and its geographies in India Section III Communities and creativity 7 The traditional creative communities of Rajasthan: a case study of Kalbeliyas, the snake charmers and the gypsies of Rajasthan 8 Caught in the wheels of commerce? The commercialization of Madhubani painting in India 9 Creativity among India’s elderly: few case studies Section IV Cinema and music industries 10 Box office success of Bollywood films: an analysis of influencing factors 11 India beyond Bollywood? Exploring the diverse Indian independent music industry in the digital age 12 The changing landscape of travelling cinema in Maharashtra, India 13 Mollywood: the rise and fall of a subaltern cinema Section V Arts and crafts 14 Handloom and handicraft in India: clusters and specializations 15 Cultural embeddedness of gems and jewellery entrepreneurs in Jaipur 16 Leveraging skills into a craft through social entrepreneurship and jugaad innovation: the Chamar leatherworkers’ studio in Dharavi, Mumbai 17 Creative weaving town: the carpet industry of Khairabad Index This book focuses on the presence and contemporaneity of Shirdi Sai Baba (d.1918), who has a vast following in postcolonial South Asia and an ever-growing global diaspora, contributing to South Asia / Anthropology / Religion / Global / Urban / Indian Ocean / Inter-Asian Studies / Visual/Media Studies and Cultural Geography.