{"product_id":"banares-visions-of-a-living-ancient-tradition","title":"Banares: Visions of a Living Ancient Tradition","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDETAILS: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAuthor: by W. M. Callewaert and Robert Schilder\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePublisher: ‎ Hemkunt Press\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePublication date: ‎ 30 May 2009\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLanguage: ‎ English\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePrint length: ‎ 136 pages\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eISBN-10: ‎ 8170103029\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eISBN-13: ‎ 978-8170103028\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eItem Weight: ‎ 900  g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eABOUT THE BOOK\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"1\"\u003e\u003cb data-index-in-node=\"0\" data-path-to-node=\"1\"\u003eBanares: Visions of a Living Ancient Tradition\u003c\/b\u003e, co-authored by the eminent Belgian indologist Dr. Winand M. Callewaert and the visual artist and researcher Robert Schilder, is a magnificent, multidisciplinary cultural study of Varanasi (Benares). Published by \u003cb data-index-in-node=\"260\" data-path-to-node=\"1\"\u003eHemkunt Press\u003c\/b\u003e (and distributed internationally via specialized scholarly channels), this volume is an artistic and academic exploration of one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on Earth. The core philosophy of this text centers on the concept of a \u003cb data-index-in-node=\"518\" data-path-to-node=\"1\"\u003e\"living antiquity\"\u003c\/b\u003e—proving that Varanasi is not a static museum of the past, but an active, breathing urban organism where ancient Vedic rituals, medieval architecture, and contemporary human existence seamlessly blend along the sacred ghats of the Ganges.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"2\"\u003eThe volume is structurally organized into a thematic journey that balances scholarly ethnographic field research with evocative visual documentation. Rather than presenting a dry historical timeline or a superficial tourist guide, the authors deliver a vivid, multi-layered portrait of the city, detailing:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli data-path-to-node=\"3,0,0\"\u003e\n\u003cb data-index-in-node=\"0\" data-path-to-node=\"3,0,0\"\u003eThe Sacred Topography (\u003ci data-index-in-node=\"23\" data-path-to-node=\"3,0,0\"\u003eKashi Mandala\u003c\/i\u003e):\u003c\/b\u003e Exploring the cosmological mapping of the city, where specific ghats, temples, and pilgrimage circuits (\u003ci data-index-in-node=\"143\" data-path-to-node=\"3,0,0\"\u003epanchkroshi yatra\u003c\/i\u003e) mirror celestial layouts.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-path-to-node=\"3,1,0\"\u003e\n\u003cb data-index-in-node=\"0\" data-path-to-node=\"3,1,0\"\u003eThe Rituals of Life and Transition:\u003c\/b\u003e Documenting the daily rhythm of the ghats—from the pre-dawn \u003ci data-index-in-node=\"96\" data-path-to-node=\"3,1,0\"\u003eSubah-e-Banaras\u003c\/i\u003e prayers and ritual purification dips to the mesmerizing evening \u003ci data-index-in-node=\"176\" data-path-to-node=\"3,1,0\"\u003eGanga Aarti\u003c\/i\u003e and the sacred cremation rituals at Manikarnika and Harishchandra Ghats.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-path-to-node=\"3,2,0\"\u003e\n\u003cb data-index-in-node=\"0\" data-path-to-node=\"3,2,0\"\u003eThe Living Traditions and Craftsmanship:\u003c\/b\u003e Highlighting the human element of the city, including its legendary classical music lineages (\u003ci data-index-in-node=\"135\" data-path-to-node=\"3,2,0\"\u003eBanaras Gharana\u003c\/i\u003e), Sanskrit scholars, ascetics, and the intricate, generations-old art of Banarasi silk weaving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eABOUT THE AUTHOR\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"9\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"9\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eDr. Winand M. Callewaert\u003c\/b\u003e (1943–2025) was an elite Professor of Indology and Sanskrit at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium. A world-renowned authority on North Indian Bhakti literature and classical mysticism, he spent decades conducting extensive fieldwork in India, translating medieval Hindi texts and documenting the subcontinent’s intangible cultural heritage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"10\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"10\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eRobert Schilder\u003c\/b\u003e is an accomplished photographer, visual researcher, and ethnographer whose work focuses on capturing the architectural majesty, human geography, and spiritual atmospheres of ancient Asian cultural landscapes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"11\"\u003eThe collective authorial and visual style of this work is extraordinarily immersive, respectful, and academically grounded. Writing with the analytical precision of a European Indologist combined with the artistic sensitivity of a documentary photographer, the creators strip away exoticized caricatures to present the raw, authentic dignity of Varanasi's residents and sadhus. The text is beautifully balanced by rich, full-page photographic plates that capture the interplay of light, water, and ancient stone. By marrying deep historical context with striking visual narratives, their collaborative work remains an indispensable international gold standard for indologists, cultural anthropologists, and connoisseurs of fine art photography worldwide.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hemkunt Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52030275125546,"sku":"VASY-8170103029","price":56.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0693\/1218\/4618\/files\/WhatsAppImage2026-07-02at12.16.54PM.jpg?v=1782991712","url":"https:\/\/crazyshelf.com\/products\/banares-visions-of-a-living-ancient-tradition","provider":"Crazyshelf.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}