Dasanami naga Sannyasis : In worldly and soldierly Activities / Ananda Bhattacharyya.

1. An account of two fakeers
2. Notes on a Buddhist Monastery
3. A brief history of the Bodh Gaya Math
4. The Sannyasi Rebellion in Bengal
5. Selections from Duncan Records

This is a compilation of articles about the various activities, both mundane and religious of the famous Dasanami sects, especially, the two groups, the Giri and Puri. Although the common people of India view them as primarily engaged in ascetic practices in line with the ascetic principle attributed to the great Sankaracharya, in the eighteenth century these sub-orders were very engaged in various activities rather beyond the confines of the instructions of their Adiguru. The articles in this book clearly show that the Giris and Puris were obviously more interested in non-ascetic activities like trading, money-lending and diplomatic activities.