From the blurb
The Wandering Sufis — Qalandars and Their Path: Kumkum Srivastava; Indra Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya, Bhopal & Aryan Books International, Pooja Apartments, 4B, Ansari Road, New Delhi-110002. Rs. 1250.
This is a comparative study of two Sufi shrines, Abu Bakr (in Delhi) and Bu Ali (in Panipat), which are affiliated to an antinomian order known as the Qalandar. Antinomian groups do not follow the Islamic tenets as enshrined in the Shariat and hence they are called Beshara (‘without law’). Sufi orders following the Shariat are known as Bashara (‘with law’).
This study shows that the theoretical distinction made between Bashara and Beshara is blurred in reality.
Social life in these shrines is similar to that of the Chishti (and other Bashara) shrines.
When I Saw Tirupati Balaji — Naham Kartha: P.V.R.K. Prasad; Gyan Publishing House, 5, Ansari Road, Darya Ganj, New Delhi-110002. Rs. 720.
A record of the author’s experiences during his tenure as Executive Officer of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).
Sarasvati — Vedic River and Hindu Civilization: AIM for Seva; 2nd Floor, Sri Nidhi Apartments, 32/4, Sir Desika Road, Mylapore, Chennai-600004.
This e-book is the outcome of a conference organised recently at the India International Centre, New Delhi on the River Sarasvati mentioned in the Veda.
It features the conference proceedings, the geological evidence for this lost river and the reference in the Rig Veda about its location in the Sapta Sindhu region.
Censoring the Moving Image: Philip French and Julian Petley; Seagull Books, 26, Circus Avenue, Calcutta-700017.
From its birth in the dying days of the 19th century to its hi-tech proliferation today, cinema has been a mote in the eye of the censors. Its popular appeal and widespread dissemination made it an obvious and easy target; it was widely accused of corrupting morals.
This book shows that the spread of new forms of communication technology, such as DVD and the Internet, has democratised the moving image and made the task of the censor much harder.
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