New Religious Formations of the West and India : A Comparative Analysis from the Perspective of the Hare Krishna Movement
Abstract:
This paper aims to explain the evolution of New Religious Formations (NRFs) in
the West and India with special reference to the Hare Krishna Movement. The
comparison can be traced back to the role played by religion at an individual and
community level and by examining the term ‘New’ in NRFs. While elaborating on
the ‘secularization ‘debate that assesses the ‘newness’ of the NRFs, the author
traces genealogy of the NRFs in the West since the days of the “ancien régime”
matrix. The matrix was characterized by not only divine will and efforts to
suppress ‘popular religions but also reactions of popular religions to be
reconstituted in the face of such suppression. Therefore, NRFs, in the West
reflected a bottom-up approach in their evolution. In India, on the other hand, it
was colonialism that provided impetus to the NRFs. Impact of colonialism
encapsulated instances of emergence of religious nationalism as well as Gandhiji’s
idea of spiritualizing politics as the basis of nation building. In fact, the trend of
spreading religious teachings incorporated in Indic religious worldview that began
with Swami Vivekananda was carried forward by Srila Prabhupad through his
Hare Krishna movement. In the initial days of its inception in the United States of
America, not only its popularity increased among the Indians, but it also provided
emotional support to the youth of United States of America at the peak of Cold War
when capitalism characterized by motives of profit and conformist attitude was
reigning supreme in the West. In the contemporary socio-economic milieu of
globalization, the Hare Krishna movement is also trying to bind the international
diaspora of communities across the globe in helping them with forging their
individual as well as collective identity amidst professional competitions through
its basic tenets like popularizing vegetarian food, prohibition of any form of
addiction, and cultivation of the Kirtan culture Thus, in the contemporary context
also the Hare Krishna movement is adapting itself to the requirements of
globalization. This effectively means that NRFs in India exhibit a top-down
approach.
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