On the banks of the Gaṅgā

Description:

Alley investigates ethno-semantic, discursive, and institutional data to flesh out the interplay between religious, scientific, and official discourses about the river Ganga. Using a new outward layering methodology, she points out that anthropological analysis must separate the historical and discursive strands of the debates concerning waste and sacred purity in order to reveal the cultural complexities that surround the Ganga. Ultimately, she addresses a deeply rooted cultural paradox: if the Ganga river is considered sacred by Hindus across India, then why do the people allow it to become polluted? -- Publisher's description.

subjects: Effect of human beings on,  Environmental conditions,  Hinduism,  Nature,  Pollution,  Religious aspects,  Religious aspects of Water,  Religious life and customs,  Sewage,  Water,  Water quality,  Nature, effect of human beings on,  Water, pollution,  India, religion,  India, environmental conditions,  Sewage disposal

Places: Ganges River Valley (India and Bangladesh),  India) Vārānasi (Uttar Pradesh,  Vārānasi (Uttar Pradesh, India)