Popular Indian Religious Art

[Vasudha Narayanan]

Professor H. Daniel Smith, recently retired from the Dept of Religion at
Syracuse University, has done a lot of work in this area.  One of his
articles ("Impact of 'God Posters' on Hindus and their Devotional
Traditions") can be found in *Media and the Transformation of Religion in
South Asia*.  I believe Sushil Mittal has already cited this book.  There
was also a panel on this theme at the AAR a few years ago (1992 San
Francisco?);  I recall Professors Constantina Bailly (Eckerd College), Dan
Smith (Syracuse) and Jack Hawley (Columbia U) were part of the panel.  Dan
has donated his *extensive* collection of poster art to the Syracuse
University Library. One of his favorite pictures was the bill board ad used
by ABT parcel service in India-- that of Hanuman carrying a mountain to Lanka.
Jack Hawley has also briefly discussed the popular pictures of Krishna
eating butter in his *Krishna, The Butter Thief* (Princeton Univ Press,
1983).  I think there are pictures of billboards of Vijaya (or was it Amul?)
Butter in this book.
Vasudha Narayanan