This chapter deals with the actual process, the legal proceedings, and public repercussions of al... more This chapter deals with the actual process, the legal proceedings, and public repercussions of allowing women to enter und utilize Hindu places of worship in India that were previously out of their reach. The author compares the processes leading to the inclusion of women in the Śani temple in Shani Shingnapur (Maharashtra) and in the Sabarimala Ayyappan Temple in Kerala. Especially in the early 21st century, India has repeatedly witnessed women challenging the religious authorities regarding the restrictions put on women’s entry in temples or access to specific parts of worship sites. Only the women’s public and “loud” challenge initiated a public discussion of these bans. The chapter scrutinizes the arguments used by the authorities of the places of worship as well as the arguments used by the women who challenge the regulations, the legal complications in these matters when they are discussed in the public sphere and in court, and the role of social media, social activists, judic...
Laughter, Creativity, and Perseverance: Female Agency in Buddhism and Hinduism, 2022
In most mainstream traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism, women have for centuries largely been exc... more In most mainstream traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism, women have for centuries largely been excluded from positions of religious and ritual leadership. However, as this volume shows, in an increasing number of late-20th-century and early-21st-century contexts, women can and do undergo monastic and priestly education; they can receive ordination/initiation as Buddhist nuns or Hindu priestesses; and they are accepted as religious and political leaders. Even though these processes still largely take place outside or at the margins of traditional religious institutions, it is clear that women are actually establishing new religious trends and currents. They are attracting followers, and they are occupying religious positions on par with men. At times women are filling a void left behind by male religious specialists who left the profession, at times they are perceived as their rivals. In some cases, this process takes place in collaboration with male religious specialists, in others against the will of the women's male counterparts. However, in most cases we see both, acceptance and resistance. Whether silently or with great fanfare, women grasp new opportunities to occupy positions of leadership. Ten in-depth case studies analyzing culturally, historically and geographically unique situations explore the historical background, contemporary trajectories, and impact of the emergence of new powerful female agencies in mostly conservative Hindu and Buddhist religious traditions.
This chapter deals with the actual process, the legal proceedings, and public repercussions of al... more This chapter deals with the actual process, the legal proceedings, and public repercussions of allowing women to enter und utilize Hindu places of worship in India that were previously out of their reach. The author compares the processes leading to the inclusion of women in the Śani temple in Shani Shingnapur (Maharashtra) and in the Sabarimala Ayyappan Temple in Kerala. Especially in the early 21st century, India has repeatedly witnessed women challenging the religious authorities regarding the restrictions put on women’s entry in temples or access to specific parts of worship sites. Only the women’s public and “loud” challenge initiated a public discussion of these bans. The chapter scrutinizes the arguments used by the authorities of the places of worship as well as the arguments used by the women who challenge the regulations, the legal complications in these matters when they are discussed in the public sphere and in court, and the role of social media, social activists, judic...
Laughter, Creativity, and Perseverance: Female Agency in Buddhism and Hinduism, 2022
In most mainstream traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism, women have for centuries largely been exc... more In most mainstream traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism, women have for centuries largely been excluded from positions of religious and ritual leadership. However, as this volume shows, in an increasing number of late-20th-century and early-21st-century contexts, women can and do undergo monastic and priestly education; they can receive ordination/initiation as Buddhist nuns or Hindu priestesses; and they are accepted as religious and political leaders. Even though these processes still largely take place outside or at the margins of traditional religious institutions, it is clear that women are actually establishing new religious trends and currents. They are attracting followers, and they are occupying religious positions on par with men. At times women are filling a void left behind by male religious specialists who left the profession, at times they are perceived as their rivals. In some cases, this process takes place in collaboration with male religious specialists, in others against the will of the women's male counterparts. However, in most cases we see both, acceptance and resistance. Whether silently or with great fanfare, women grasp new opportunities to occupy positions of leadership. Ten in-depth case studies analyzing culturally, historically and geographically unique situations explore the historical background, contemporary trajectories, and impact of the emergence of new powerful female agencies in mostly conservative Hindu and Buddhist religious traditions.
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