Ramanuja Sampradaya in Gujarat: A Historical Perspective (An Old And Rare Book)

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Vaisnavism acquired a new philosophical base with the concept of Visistadvaita propounded by Ramanuja who lived in South India in the 11th century A.D. This book explains how Ramanuja Sampradaya which is also called Sri Vaisnavism made its way and developed in the state of Gujarat.

The book contains six chapter. The introductory chapter deals, briefly, with the rise and development of Vaisnavism in general and that of Sri Vaisnavism in particular. This is followed by a detailed chapter on the life of Ramanuja and his philosophical tenets. The third chapter which constitutes the essence of the study deals with the induction and spread of Ramanuja Sampradaya in Gujarat. While the Acaryas of the Mutts of Tamil Nadu and individual Preachers from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka were responsible for taking Ramanuja Sampradaya to Gujarat, its spread in the later days was mostly due to the Acaryas of Rajasthan, Mathura and Brindavan. Chapter four is devoted to the temples of this Sampradaya preceded by an introduction to the local Tirthaksetras in Gujarat. This chapter also describes the icons of Visnu along with his Consort found in the temples of this sect. Chapter five presents a brief study of the impact of Ramanuja Sampradaya on the social system in Gujarat. The concluding chapter gives the present status of the Sampradaya in Gujarat. The book contains sixty six illustrations of the various Acaryas, temples and icons of Visnu and his Consort.

About the Author

Dr. Haripriya Rangarajan received her PhD in Indian Culture from the Gujarat University in 1987. She has specialized in the iconography of Visnu and has contributed articles to academic journals and popular magazines. Her doctoral thesis was published in 1990 under the title spread of Vaisnavism in Gujarat upto 1600A.D. Besides the current publication, she has completed an iconographic study of the Varaha Images in Madhya Pradesh. She has been the recipient of a fellowship from Indian Council of Historical Research for her research studies

**Contents and Sample Pages**