The Camphor Flame: Popular Hinduism and Society in India

by C.J. Fuller

Popular Hinduism is shaped, above all, by worship of a multitude of powerful divine beings--a superabundance indicated by the proverbial total of 330 million gods and goddesses. The fluid relationship between these beings and humans is a central theme of this rich and accessible study of popular Hinduism in the context of the society of contemporary India. Lucidly organized and skillfully written, The Camphor Flame brings clarity to an immensely complicated subject. C. J. Fuller combines ethnographic case studies with comparative anthropological analysis, and draws on textual and historical scholarship as well. The book begins with an analysis of namaskara--the graceful gesture with which Hindus greet and show respect to gods and goddesses and to social superiors in the human world. Hierarchy is at the heart of Hinduism and Indian society, and Fuller examines the many contexts in which unequal relationships between deities and people, and among people themselves, are expressed--or denied--in popular religion. Throughout he proposes new ways of looking at many aspects of popular Hinduism and society in India, such as the relationship between worship and sacrifice, the importance of kingship even at the local level, the place of devotionalism in popular religion, the ritual power of goddesses and women, the connection between alternative explanations of misfortune, and the common basis of rituals that range from the most complicated to the simple showing of a single camphor flame to a god or goddess.

Genres: Nonfiction, India, Hinduism, Religion, Anthropology

Paperback

First published April 15, 1992

Reviews

[Vampire Who Baked · Rating 5 out of 5]

very unique book. concerned less with the theology and more with the ethnography of hinduism, which is rare in books of this type. lots of "whoa i didn't think of it that way" moments, especially for people who grew up in hindu households.

(tangentially, "white people writing thoughtful books about india" is fast becoming one of my favourite genres)

[Ellen Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

nice ethnography of religion as it is practiced mostly in the villages of India. It cleared up some misconceptions that we can get in the west learning about bits and pieces of Hinduism from yoga, theosophy, etc. Some will not like the analytical approach, but I do. For example, he explains the relationship between Vishnu/ Rama/ Krishna and Shiva, the other Great God and discusses the relative importance of the deities in ordinary life. didn't manage to finish it, but I will keep it for a reference.

[Blair Hodges · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very workable overview of a complex subject.

[Ke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like how this book addresses the average Hindu believer.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

A really in-depth look at Hinduism. Too in-depth for me actually. It is really a book for academic use.