Table of Contents

Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1: Aspects of the Postmortem Cult of the Guru
Chapter 2: The Cult of Relics in Hinduism
Chapter 3: Death of the Guru
Chapter 4: Presence of the Guru
Chapter 5: Sustainability of the Postmortem Cult
Conclusion
Appendix
Notes
Glossary
Bibliography
Index

About the Author

Orianne Aymard has been a Visiting Scholar at the South Asia Institute of Columbia University. She is currently a Research Associate at the Centre d'études et de recherche sur l'Inde, l'Asie du Sud et sa diaspora (CERIAS), in Montreal

Reviews

"A fascinating account."--Journal of Religion
"Orianne Aymard s study of the cult of Sri Anandamayi Ma is among the best works to date on the fate of contemporary post-charismatic religious movements. Through interviews with Ma s devotees, Aymard illustrates the fundamental Hindu belief in the presence of a saint after his or her death. She also describes the perils inherent in the institutionalization of the saint s charisma by her surviving devotees. A tour de force!" --Lisa Lassell Hallstrom, author
of Mother of Bliss: Anandamayi Ma (1896-1982)