Table of Contents

Preface Notes on Transliteration Introduction 1. Providing the Context 2. Historical Development of the Ram Tradition 3. Ramnam and the Ram Story in Hindi 4. Religion and the Low Caste in Central India 5. The Ramnami Samaj: Its Contemporary Forms 6. Ramnamis' Contemporary Use of the Manas and Ramnam 7. The Ramnami Life: Six Biographic Sketches Conclusion: A Question of Values Appendix I Appendix II Notes Glossary Bibliography Index

About the Author

Ramdas Lamb is Associate Professor of Religion at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Reviews

"Drawing on extensive fieldwork among the Ramnamis and other Untouchable groups, the author strikes a harmonious balance between the informed consideration of various theoretical issues and the presentation of rich and unique ethnographic documentation. This book represents a significant addition to the literature on contemporary and folk religion in India." - Philip Lutgendorf, author of The Life of a Text: Performing the Ramcaritmanas of Tulsidas "Few have written about adherents' beliefs and practices within 'Untouchable' religious movements with this kind of insight and scope before. This book has some wonderful material in it." - Paula Richman, editor of Questioning Ramayanas: A South Asian Tradition