William Dalrymple: "Nine Lives - In Search of the Sacred in Modern South Asia"

Friday - Saturday
June 18 - 19, 2010
7:30 - 11:30 pm

Asia Society and Museum
725 Park Avenue (at 70th Street)
New York City

Writer and historian William Dalrymple reads from his latest book, Nine Lives: In Search of the Sacred in Modern India, at a special evening program kicking off his US book tour. Artists visiting from India and Pakistan will perform music and dance exploring ritual, ancient tradition, and sacred expression in contemporary society. The evening offers unique insight into the lives and spiritual beliefs of the performers, exploring how faith and rituals are thriving in South Asia despite huge social and economic changes.
Nine Lives looks at South Asia's diverse sacred traditions through the personal stories of a Sufi, a possession dancer, a Buddhist monk, a Jain nun, a tantric, and others. While much has been written about how India is transforming at a most incredible rate—the economy has been predicted to overtake that of the US by 2050—little has been said about the way the country's growth has affected the great South Asian traditions of mysticism, monasticism, music, and dance.

The evening's performances include Paban Das Baul, who comes out of the tradition of the Bauls of Bengal—the itinerant mystic minstrels whose beliefs draw on Vaishnavite Hindu and Sufi Muslim thought—and the Shah Jo Raag Fakirs, who sing at the shrine of Sufi saint Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai in Sindh, Pakistan. British Indian singer Susheela Raman offers insight into the Thevaram hymns of Tamil Nadu, and while the Theyyam Dance Group showcase the spectacular folk ritual from Kerala.

Asia Society: http://asiasociety.org/arts-culture/performing-arts/music/nine-lives-search-s...

Category:

Education

Tags:

• william Dalrymple
• Nine Lives
• Book Launch
• South Asia
• India
• Fakirs
• Bauls
• traditional rites
• sacred
• susheela

[Sabih2424]

@aghashams86 tell me as well if you find it...

[aghashams86]

PLz PLz...i wana hear shah jo raag....plz....guide me from where i can get the whole raag!

[Sabih2424]

How can I view the full video of the 'Shah Jo Raag Fakirs'?

[ENAIRAMA1]

I just learned about the Bauls through a discurse of Paramahamsa Nithyandanda. I was curious and googled it. He also made a reference to the book Nine Lives and how he liked it so much. Thank you for your posting! I can't wait to read the book.