This book analyses the phenomenon of pilgrimage as a religious practice and experience and examines Shrî Shailam, a renowned south Indian pilgrimage site of Shiva and Goddess Durga. In doing so, it investigates two dimensions: the worldview of a place that is of utmost sanctity for Hindu pilgrims and its historical evolution from medieval to modern times. Reddy blends religion, anthropology, art history and politics into one interdisciplinary exploration of how Shrî Shailam became the epicentre for Shaivism. Through this approach, the book examines Shrî Shailam's influence on pan-Indian religious practices; the amalgamation of Brahmanical and regional traditions; and the intersection of the ideological and the civic worlds with respect to the management of pilgrimage centre in modern times.

Prabhavati C. Reddy is an Adjunct Professor of Religion at George Washington University. She is an interdisciplinary scholar with a Ph.D in South Asian Studies from Harvard University, an M.A. in Asian Art History from the University of Texas-Austin, and an M.A & M.Phil in History and Archaeology from Osmania University.