Monasteries in South India

Almost all the saints who awakened India were monks, and their message is still a potent force, molding the lives of the people of India and beyond. For a complete understanding, it is necessary to know about the saints and their message as well as the vehicles through which that message is conveyed. This collection of articles about many of the monasteries or maths of South India serve a threefold purpose: to provide an added perspective of the types of institutions that have been founded by South Indian saints and which disseminate their message; to familiarize the public with both the ancient tradition and the contemporary activities of the monasteries; and to preserve this initial research material for future historians. The articles are grouped according to the philosophical persuasion of the monasteries - Saivite, Davaita, Advaita, etc.

The book provides a cogent answer to those critics who believe that the ancient religious maths have outlived their purpose.

Included is an essay by the editor, Swami Swahananda, concerning religious organization in general.

Swami Swahananda was the head minister of the Vedanta Society of Southern California from 1976 until 2012.