The Jaina Cult of Relic Stūpas

Main author: Flügel, Peter
Format: Journal Article           
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id eprints-8618
recordtype eprints
institution SOAS, University of London
collection SOAS Research Online
language English
language_search English
description This article gives an overview of recent findings on the thriving cult of bone relic stūpas in contemporary Jaina culture. Although Jaina doctrine rejects the worship of material objects, fieldwork in India on the hitherto unstudied current Jaina mortuary rituals furnished clear evidence for the ubiquity of bone relic stūpas and relic veneration across the Jaina sectarian spectrum. The article discusses a representative case and assesses the significance of the overall findings for the history of religions. It also offers a new theoretical explanation of the power of relics.
format Journal Article
author Flügel, Peter
author_facet Flügel, Peter
authorStr Flügel, Peter
author_letter Flügel, Peter
title The Jaina Cult of Relic Stūpas
publisher Brill
publishDate 2010
url https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/8618/