Women's Renunciation in South Asia

MEENA KHANDELWAL is Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Women's Studies, University of Iowa, USA. SONDRA L. HAUSNER is an Anthropologist based in Kathmandu, Nepal. ANN GRODZINS GOLD is Professor of Religion and Anthropology and Director of the South Asia Centre, Syracuse University, USA.

'This book provides a series of fascinating, lively ethnographic studies of South Asian women who reject the normative roles of wife and mother and then sometimes conform to them after all. Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Muslim, living in north India, Nepal and Bangladesh, these women attempt to transcend their roles, their sexuality, or even their bodily existence. Their very different, very individual lives represent a much more varied array of possibilities for South Asian women than almost anyone has been aware of. The book will be a wonderful resource for courses on South Asian culture, gender studies, and religious studies, as well as for anyone who simply wants to think about the many different ways in which human beings can live.' Anne Feldhaus, Foundation Professor of Religious Studies, Arizona State University 'What is wonderful about this book is the vividness and intimacy of the ethnographic portraits of female renouncers strikingly diverse Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Jain and Baul, and Bonwomen who have crafted their lives outside of conventional realms, thwarting the overwhelming expectation that South Asian women will marry and procreate. Women's Renunciation in South Asia is an important book that will change the ways both gender and renunciation are understood in the region.' - Sarah Lamb, author of White Saris and Sweet Mangoes: Aging, Gender and Body in North India and co-editor of Everyday Life in South Asia

• Introduction: Grounding Renunciation in the Lives of Real Women PART I: PORTRAITS OF WOMEN ON THEIR OWN Do Saints Need Sleep? Baiji's Renunciation as Service Living Practical Dharma: A Tribute to Chomo Khandru and the Bonpo Women of Lubra Village, Mustang, Nepal The True River Ganges: Tara's Begging Practices Staying in Place: The Social Actions of Radha Giri PART II: LANDSCAPES OF CONTEMPORARY TRADITIONS Passionate Renouncers: Hindu Nationalist Renouncers and the Politics of Hindutv Renunciation and Reciprocity: How Nuns and Monks Rely on Their Kin Renouncing Expectations: Single Baul Women Renouncers and the Value of Being a Wife These Hands are Not for Henna Afterword: Breaking Away