Naina Devi: pilgrimage to, 165; temple
of, 166–67
Naipaul, V. S., 238
Nama rupa(name and form), 50
Nambudiris: patrilineal family form of,
218; women, 218, 219
Namdev (bhaktisaint), 201, 203
Nayars, matrilineality of, 23
Nanak (Sikh guru), 209; Ravidas’s initia-
tion of, 214n
Nanda (Krishna’s foster father), 107
Nandgaon (village of Nanda), 107
Nandy, Ashis, 285n9
Narayan, R. K., 149, 152
Narayanan, Vasudha, 25
Narrative: in Hinduism, 14–15, 94–97
Nationalists, Hindu, 257–65; attacks on, 5
Nautankitradition, stagecraft of, 152
Navaratra (festival), 165
Nayakar, Achutappa, 266
Nayars, matrilineal family form of, 23,
218
Nemi-premis: at Ramlilasof Ramnagar,
120
Nepal, Kumaricults of, 170n11
New Year’s celebrations, Hindu, 7; at
Bangalore, 1–2, 4, 5, 8, 23; Hanuman
in, 1–2, 3
New York: Hare Krishna movement in,
2; Hindu Temple Society, 234
North America, scholarship on Hinduism
in, 272–73, 284, 285n6
Nukkad(television serial), 144
Nyaya school, 292
Obeyesekere, Gananath, 162
Ocean of Love (Bhagavata Purana), 106
Oneness: five manifestations of, 251–52;
and the Many, 12; Western versusEast-
ern, 47
Orlando (Fla.), Hindu temples in, 246
Other: Hinduism as, 273, 290; Western
view of, 278
Pachauri, Sudhish, 154n8
Panthis(chanters of scripture), 185, 187,
189
Paramahamsa, Sri Ramakrishna: as
avatara, 175
Parsi theater, 152
Parvati, 130; narratives of, 14
Patton, Laurie L., 26
Penn Hills (Pennsylvania): Hindu-Jain
temple at, 248n21; Srivaisnava temple
at, 24, 231–47
Performance: in Hinduism, 14–15,
56–59, 104, 149–50; by women, 15;
world as, 129–30. See also Lilas(per-
formances)
Phalke, Dadasaheb, 142
Pillaiyar (Ganesha) temple (Pillai-
yarpatti), 7
Pittsburgh (PA): similarity to Tiru
Venkatam, 237. See alsoSri
Venkateswara temple (Penn Hills, PA)
Playing: in Hinduism, 163, 168, 169n7;
Holi, 105. See also Lilas(perform-
ances)
Playing (goddess possession), 162–65,
168; purpose of, 166
Pluralism: liberalism and, 293; values of,
294–95; in Vedic interpretation, 295
Political parties, Hindu, 25. See also
Bharatiya Janata Party; Congress
Party; Vishwa Hindu Parishad
Pollution, Ravidas on, 200–201
Polygamy, Muslim practice of, 71
Polytheism: in Hinduism, 12, 46–52
Pongal (festival), 8
Positivism, 279
Postman, Neil, 155n33
Potnis, Devendra, 271
Power relations: in Hindu festivals, 106;
Hindu/non-Hindu, 290
Prabhupada, Bhaktivedanta Swami, 2
Prahlada (brother of Holika), 99, 100,
106, 108, 111n2