Cette thèse vise à décrire comment un ordre religieux subit des processus d'évolution et de transformation qui permettent d'interpréter et de satisfaire les besoins religieux de la société. L'hypothèse à la base de ce travail est que les ordres religieux et les gourous sont des éléments centraux qui caractérisent et influencent la société indienne dans le passé et dans le présent.Je focalise mon attention sur le sampradāya des Rāmānandī –groupe religieux datant de Rāmānanda- qui eut un rôle primordial dans la diffusion de la bhakti de Ram (dévotion envers Ram) dans le nord de l’Inde vers la fin du XVème siècle. Mon but est de montrer comment la figure de Rāmānanda et l’organisation de l’ordre religieux ont évolué au cours des siècles, pour être capables ensuite d’interpréter les principaux changements survenus au XXème siècle.A cause de ces différences internes, les Rāmānandīs n’ont jamais eu de représentant dans un centre officiel qui puisse fonctionner comme pôle directeur pour l’ordre. Donc, l’utilisation du titre de Jagadgurū Rāmānandācārya et la construction du Śrī Math au XXème siècle représentent un changement significatif dans l’histoire de l’ordre. C’est pour cela que j’ai formulé mes principales questions, base de ma recherche, sur ce thème :1) pourquoi au XXème siècle, un sampradāya caractérisé par diverses disciplines religieuses (sādhanā-s) et diffusé dans différents centres indépendants a senti la nécessité de créer la fonction de Jagadgurū Rāmānandācārya comme leader principal ?2) le Śrī Math fait-il partie de la reconstruction du charisme du Rāmānanda et est-il un instrument pour aider à la fonction de Jagadgurū Rāmānandācārya ?Pour retracer l’évolution de la tradition des Rāmānandī de leur origine à nos jours j’ai utilisé une approche multidisciplinaire, dans laquelle méthodologies anthropologique et historique coopèrent. / In this dissertation, I focus my attention on the Rāmānandī sampradāya - a religious group supposedly formed by the religious teacher Rāmānanda – that had a primary role in spreading Rām bhakti (devotion toward Rām) throughout northern India, possibly from the end of the 15th century. My purpose here is to reconstruct how the representation of Rāmānanda and the organization of the sampradāya evolved over the centuries in order to interpret the two main changes that have occurred in the 20th century: the establishment of the office of Jagadgurū Rāmānandācārya as the leader of the sampradāya, and the construction of the Śrī Maṭh, a monastery on the place where, according to the Rāmānandī tradition, Rāmānanda used to preach. Because of these internal distinctions, the Rāmānandī-s have never had a single representative leader installed in a particular place that could work as directive pole for the sampradāya. Therefore, the bestowing of the title of Jagadgurū Rāmānandācārya and the construction of the Śrī Maṭh in the 20th century represent a significant change in the history of the order. For this reason, I formulated the main questions at the base of my research as follows: 1 Why has a sampradāya characterized by several religious disciplines (sādhanā-s) and spread across several independent religious centers established the office of a Jagadgurū Rāmānandācārya as central leader in the 20th century? 2 Which role does the Śrī Maṭh play in the reconstruction of Rāmānanda’s charisma and in support of the office of Jagadgurū Rāmānandācārya? To accomplish my analysis I employ a multidisciplinary approach – described in Chapter 1 – in which anthropological and historical methodologies cooperate to reconstruct the evolution of the Rāmānandī tradition from its origin until the present.

Guru Dutt was one of the most important filmmakers in India, who worked for a little over a decade starting in 1951. He died prematurely in 1964. In those few years, he made some of Indian cinema?s most memorable films. Song and dance sequences are an integral part of the narrative structure of popular Indian cinema. Guru Dutt, working within that paradigm, devised innovative methods of using song sequences. In his films, the song sequences were not a distraction, but they served the purpose of carrying the narrative forward, expressing the inexpressible, and replacing scenes. He achieved this by his creative use of locations, lyrics, music, camera angles, and placement of the song within the narrative. This study critically analyzes song sequences from five of his films ? Aar Paar (Through and Through, 1954), Mr. and Mrs. 55 (1955), Pyaasa (The Thirsty One, 1957), Kaagaz ke Phool (Paper Flowers, 1959) and Saahib Biwi aur Ghulam (Master Mistress and Slave, 1962). Guru Dutt?s style of song direction focused on realistic depiction and the quality of storytelling. He used each feature of the song to his advantage never losing control of the larger narrative. This study also brings to the fore Guru Dutt?s conflicted views as an artist on the issues of tradition and modernity, and the position of women in the emerging nation.

Fondé en 1955 par un fonctionnaire bengali, Ananda Marga, « la voie de la félicité », est une secte hindoue qui s’est donné un mode d’organisation à échelle planétaire et s’implique dans des activités missionnaires dans un grand nombre de pays. Dans le paysage religieux de l’Inde contemporaine, elle se distingue par les violences dont ses disciples ont été accusés. L’enquête ethnographique menée en son sein, l’analyse de sa littérature interne et le recueil de témoignages d’anciens disciples montrent que ces violences s’expliquent par les aspirations politiques de son fondateur et de ses membres ainsi que par l’instabilité de son assise économique. Mais pas uniquement. Elles visent également une mutation radicale de la personne du disciple et une transformation profonde la société, deux processus intimement liés. En se soumettant volontairement à des violences psychologiques et physiques, le disciple entend se soustraire aux limitations de l’existence ordinaire. S’il se libère ainsi du monde, c’est pour mieux agir dans le monde au service exclusif de son Gourou et de sa mission. Dotés d’une telle finalité, les actes de violence extrême apparaissent comme les expressions d’une ardeur dévotionnelle poussée à son paroxysme. Cette conception singulière de l’ascétisme prend source dans la culture tantrique bengalie, laquelle tient la force pour une manifestation de l’Énergie divine (śakti) et le Maître pour une divinité incarnée / Founded in 1955 by a Bengali civil servant, Ananda Marga, the "way of bliss", is a Hindu sect with worldwide organization and involved in missionary activities in a great number of countries. In the religious landscape of contemporary India, it is distinctively characterized by the violence for which its followers have been accused. The ethnographical research carried out among this sect, combined with the analysis of its internal literature and the collection of testimonies of former disciples shows that this violence can be explained by the political aspirations of its founder and its members as well as by instability of its economic base. But it can also be explained by two interrelated processes: the profound change in the person of the disciples and a radical transformation of the society. By submitting himself voluntarily to psychological and physical violence, a disciple tries to go over the limitations of ordinary existence. However, he frees himself from this world so that he can be in exclusive service to his Guru and his mission in this world. With such a purpose, acts of extreme violence appear as expressions of devotional fervour pushed to its climax. The source of this peculiar conception of asceticism can be traced in Bengali tantric culture, for which the force represents a manifestation of divine energy (śakti) and the Guru represents an incarnate deity

The wave of gurus in America brought with them cultural transformations particularly in how they interpret Hinduism, how their teachings have adapted in engaging a Western audience, and the sustainability of their religious communities, thus changing the landscape of contemporary Hindu spirituality. The traditional model of the guru and disciple relationship according to Yoga and Vedanta is undergoing a transformation allowing for greater autonomy of the disciple to make decisions in how they appropriate the authority of the guru. This thesis examines the guru and disciple relationship within the institutional organization of the Yoga Research Foundation, founded by the contemporary guru, Swami Jyotirmayananda. Research of Jyotirmayananda’s unique following of Western disciples illuminates the nature of his authority through the establishment of his order and methods by which disciples navigate identity formation and experience religious transmission.

The thesis called Education in the Hare Krishna movement aims primarily to gather information about the purpose, principles and methods of education in gurukulas of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) abroad and open research problems of education in Czech Hare Krishna movement. At first the text describes the background and theoretical concepts of education in the movement and its comparison with the original method of education vaisnava tradition. Further, the text describes a specific historical development and education form of ISKCON΄s gurukulas, the issue of child abuse and provides available information about the current form of education in the world gurukulas. The last part is focused on the project Gurukula Krishna΄s court in Czech Republic and reconstruction of failed efforts of Czech devotees dedicated to its inclusion in the network of schools and educational institutions of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic in the period 1995-1997 on the basis of unpublished archival materials. Key words Guru, gurukula, education, ISKCON, Krishna΄s court, Prabhupada, Rochford, The Hare Krishna movement, The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, training

The work introduces three exponents of Indian spirituality of the 20th Century. The first chapter deals with the life and teaching of Bhagawan Nityananda who shows various features of the Kashmir shaivism philosophy that is briefly described in the apendix of this chapter. There are examined the main elements of the Nityananda teaching {--} purity of mind and emotions, faith, meditation, siddha yoga and shaktipat. The second chapter introduces the personage and teaching of Neem Karoli Baba. Significant features of his teaching are the emphasis on the love to God and to fellow humans, detachment, service to others, meditation. Part of the chapter is dedicated to his relation to Christ. The third chapter deals with the legendary Indian saint Sai Baba of Shirdi. Although he died in 1918, his populariry in India has steadily grown and he is adored by both, hindus and muslims. His teaching shows many elements of sufism, bhakti yoga and jnana yoga. One of the leading ideas of this work is to show that the personages and teachings of these masters are universal. They prove in their lives not only the existence of the supersensory, spiritual world, but also the unity of people in the relation to this world.