Tulasi Acharya’s book entitled “Sex, Desire and Taboo in South Asia” is going to be released on the 15th of August, and the book is ready for preorder on Amazon and many other online platforms, including the publisher’s website Rowman and Littlefield. This book is published by Lexington, an imprint of Rowman and Littlefield, a part of Bloomsbury Publishing.

Sex, Desire, and Taboo in South Asia: Religion, Culture of Ability, and Patriarchy explores the intersection of religion, culture of ability, and patriarchy in relation to sex, desire, and taboo. Divided into six chapters, this book utilizes Western theorists such as Foucault and Freud in conjunction with Spivak’s theory of the subaltern to establish a theoretical context on sexuality. Through this lens, Acharya evaluates the intersection between religion, patriarchy, and gender and their impact on the perception of sex and desire as a taboo within a South Asian context. The book also examines how individuals contend with their sexual desires, using literature and social media to display the stark difference between the cultural promotion of antisexualism and existing ancient texts on the art of erotica, such as the Kamasutra. In doing so, Sex, Desire, and Taboo in South Asia expands on Eurocentric notions of sexuality and addresses the conditions of the subaltern to explore the complex dynamics of sex in South Asia.

Review

The book critically examines the paradoxes and complexities surrounding sex, desire, and taboo in Nepal and India, situated within their cultural and religious context. Employing a multidisciplinary approach that draws on Foucauldian theory, psychoanalysis, and cultural critique, the book provides a comprehensive analysis of the ways in which religion, culture, and patriarchy influence perceptions of sex and desire. The book serves as a thought-provoking exploration of the intersection between tradition, modernity, and human sexuality in the Global South, advocating for a nuanced understanding that transcends Western frameworks and embraces the local context.– Bhanu Bhakta Acharya, University of Ottawa, Canada

Sex, Desire, and Taboo in South Asia is a book that is hopefully the start of an expanding discussion about sexuality and eroticism. Up until recently such a discussion has been dominated by Western voices privileging the Western experience and concerns. Acharya’s book is a fascinating study showing how such a discussion has been predated by far older discourses about body and desire from other parts of the world. As many in the West are now re-thinking what was previously thought to be basic natural categories, this book is a very helpful and important addition to that discussion.
— Fred Fejes, Florida Atlantic University

“Sex, Desire, and Taboo in South Asia: Religion, Culture of Ability, and Patriarchy accurately encapsulates the themes and discussions within the manuscript. The work’s distinctive contribution to the literature is highly appreciated, addressing vital gaps in understanding the intersectionality of Sex, Desire, and Taboo in South Asia: Religion, Culture of Ability, and Patriarchy in the South Asian context. This manuscript promises to be a valuable addition to scholarly discourse, providing nuanced insights into a complex and multifaceted subject matter.”– Kay Traille, Kennesaw State University

Acharya’s volume offers a comprehensive view of sexuality in South Asia from the classical past to the present. With a firm theoretical grounding, Acharya applies the concepts of taboo and transgression, along with colonial oppression, in order to trace a shift from a more open and artistic eroticism to a dominant, patriarchal discourse of sexual repression. Carefully researched with extensive bibliography, this text compiles a wealth of information from literary and film works, the visual arts tradition, online survey responses, and contemporary religious practices. Acharya moves away from heteronormative notions of sexuality to explore transgender, intersex, and sex and disability in contemporary South Asia. Acharya’s volume shows how literature and the arts push the boundaries of sexuality in South Asian society by revealing glimpses of a multifaceted reality hidden beneath patriarchal strictures and norms. With its accessible prose and its thoughtful and sensitive approach, Acharya’s text will be a touchstone for scholars and general readers alike.
— Bridget Pupillo, Adjunct Professor, Global Islamic Studies, Connecticut College

Writer’s note: यौन र यौन इच्छाका विषयमा हामी अझै पनी खुलेर बोल्न सकेका छैनौ । एउटा स्वास्थ्यकर छलफलको आवश्यकता छ, खास गरी नेपालजस्ता मुलुकमा जहाँ मन्दिरका टुँडालमा रति रागका चित्रहरू कुँदिएका हुन्छन्, जहाँ यौनको सौन्दर्य शास्त्रको जग बस्यो । त्यस्तो ठाउँमा नै यौन हिंसाका घटनाहरू बढ्ने गर्छन् । आखिर किन ? किन यो ढोँगी समाज? यौनलाई व्यक्तिले कसरी हेर्छ? अनि त्यही ब्यक्ती- व्यक्ति मिलेर बनेको समाजले कसरी हेर्छ? युरोपियन सिद्धान्तको आँखाबाट भन्दा पनि स्थानीय सन्दर्भको तहबाट यो विषयलाई बुझ्नु जरुरी छ ।

यो पुस्तक मिसेल फुकोको आलोचनात्मक सिद्धान्तबाट मात्र निर्देशित नभएर, फ्रायडबादी चिन्तनको मिसावट र स्पिभाकको सबाल्टर्न सिद्धान्तबाट सन्तुलित दृष्टिकोण हो । विभिन्न पुस्तक, फिल्म, र अनुसन्धानात्मक लेख तथा रचनाहरू लगायत यौनमाथिका विभिन्न विषय र बहसलाई हेरेर, सुनेर र पढेर सैद्धान्तिक हिसाबले विश्लेषण गरिएको प्राज्ञिक पुस्तक हो यो ।

यसले समाजलाई यौन र यौन इच्छाबारे प्राज्ञिक हिसाबले बुझ्न मद्दत गर्नेछ र नेपालको नित निर्माणमा पनि सहयोग पुग्नेछ !