Ankur Goswami | Jawaharlal Nehru University (original) (raw)
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Papers by Ankur Goswami
International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage, 2016
The notion of a holy place as an idea - consciously and deliberately constructed - is the topic o... more The notion of a holy place as an idea - consciously and deliberately constructed - is the
topic of this paper. This notion of place is not inherent within the idea but is imagined
and ascribed by people’s agency. Here, I will explore the construction of the sacred
image associated with the major pilgrimage centre of Prayag (modern day Allahabad). I
examine how the organisation of this particular space and the use of knowledge about it
has had an impact on the pilgrimage to which it is linked. A preliminary study shows
that often the notion of sacred space and sacred time is invoked in order to give an
impression that pilgrimage will provide the pilgrim with religious merit. This paper
examines the beliefs and rituals associated with Prayag and concludes by showing how
sacred literature created and reaffirmed its hallowed status.
International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage, 2016
The notion of a holy place as an idea - consciously and deliberately constructed - is the topic o... more The notion of a holy place as an idea - consciously and deliberately constructed - is the
topic of this paper. This notion of place is not inherent within the idea but is imagined
and ascribed by people’s agency. Here, I will explore the construction of the sacred
image associated with the major pilgrimage centre of Prayag (modern day Allahabad). I
examine how the organisation of this particular space and the use of knowledge about it
has had an impact on the pilgrimage to which it is linked. A preliminary study shows
that often the notion of sacred space and sacred time is invoked in order to give an
impression that pilgrimage will provide the pilgrim with religious merit. This paper
examines the beliefs and rituals associated with Prayag and concludes by showing how
sacred literature created and reaffirmed its hallowed status.