elements is paired with one of the five
senses; akasha is associated with hear-
ing since it is believed to convey sound
from place to place.
Akbar
(r. 1555–1605) Third and greatest ruler in
the Moghul dynasty, a Muslim dynasty
that controlled large parts of India
between 1525 and 1707, existing in
reduced form until 1857. Akbar’s long
reign was marked by generally good
relations with his Hindu subjects, many
of whom were put into positions of
authority and for whom he seems to
have had genuine sympathy and under-
standing. One of his most important
gestures was to repeal a poll tax on non-
Muslims, which had been customary
but was highly unpopular among
Hindus. Although more orthodox
Muslims insinuated that Akbar was a
closet Hindu, the goodwill and coopera-
tion that he fostered helped keep things
peaceful throughout his reign.
Akhand Path
(“unbroken recitation”) The unbroken
recitation of an entire religious text,
which is believed to bring religious ben-
efits; individuals may perform such
recitations for their own benefit, or they
may hire another person to perform the
recitation for them. The benefits of this
action are believed to come from the
perceived power of the sacred text itself.
The recitation may be done as a pious
act, simply for the merit in sponsoring
it, or as part of a festival observance; it
may also be a last resort in times of dire
emergencies or a religious act per-
formed after a death in the family. One
of the texts often recited without a break
is the Ramcharitmanas, a retelling of
the Ramayanaby the sixteenth-century
poet-saint Tulsidas; in the Sikh com-
munity, the Adigranthis recited.Akhara
In its most basic meaning, an akhara
is a “wrestling ground,” a place in the
village or city where young men come
to train, tone, and compete. Such
practices at an akhara are not merely
physical exercise but also a form of
religious practice, since wrestlers
often begin by worshiping Hanuman,
a deityassociated with strength and
power. Among the Nagaclass of theAkharaBoys in Shri Shaku Khashbaug competing in the village akhara, or wrestling ground.
Training in wrestling and participating in competitions are considered religious disciplines.