Iconographic representations of renunciation and activism in the Ramakrishna math and mission and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh

The growth of seva activities (organised service to humanity) in Hindu movements since the nineteenth century has been the subject of debate among both Hindus and scholarly observers. This article examines popular iconographic images within two movements that claim to have developed modern forms of service rooted in long-standing Hindu principles. Through a consideration of popular depictions of the inspirational figures most associated with the creation of each of these movements, it will be shown that the iconographic representations reveal an unresolved tension between symbolism designed to inculcate social activism and constant allusions to an ideal of renunciation pre-eminently associated with the role of the sannyasi.     

Celebrating Heritage,Promoting Tourism,and Relocating Svāmī Vivekānanda: A Study of the Vivekananda Rock Memorial

International Journal of Hindu Studies - Svāmī Vivekānanda’s (1863–1902) relationship with his guru Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa (ca. 1836–1886),...     

Iconographic representations of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda

Through the use of popular statuary, devotional pictures and calendars available in the markets and temple stalls of Calcutta, I compare the ways in which the legacy of Ramakrishna and Vivekananda has been preserved in popular symbolism with the ‘photo‐iconographic’ tradition which has been fostered within the Ramakrishna Math and Mission. I argue that links between Ramakrishna and the Kali tradition remain strong in the popular imagination, as expressed through popular art in Calcutta, and that Swami Vivekananda often appears as a more peripheral figure in settings which include the goddess Kali. In this respect, I argue that such popular depictions of Ramakrishna and Vivekananda are more in accord with the conclusions reached by critical scholars who have distanced Vivekananda from Ramakrishna's passionate involvement in the Kali cult, than with depictions of Ramakrishna and Vivekananda within the Ramakrishna Math and Mission which stress the novelty of Ramakrishna, and the continuity between his teaching and that of Vivekananda.     

Responding to Conflict: A Test of the Limits of Neo–Vedāntic Social Activism in the Ramakrishna Math and Mission?

International Journal of Hindu Studies -