History, bhakti, and public memory : Namdev in religious and secular traditions
- Ranikhet : Permanent black, 2008
- xxii, 309 p. : ill. ; 21.5 cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Namdev is a central figure in the cultural history of India, especially within the field of bhakti, a devotional practice that has created publics of memory for over eight centuries. Born in the Marathi-speaking region of the Deccan in the late thirteenth century, Namdev is remembered as a simple, low-caste Hindu tailor whose innovative performances of devotional songs spread his fame widely. He is central to many religious traditions within Hinduism, as well as to Sikhism, and he is a key early literary figure in Maharashtra, northern India, and Punjab.