ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with defining and discusses mediatization and gurus. It focuses on the website of art gurus, namely, of guru Munna Shukla of Indian classical kathak dance. The chapter explains mediatized gurus in contemporary India, specifically by focusing on the interface of religious and artistic authority in Hindu contexts as related to digital culture. It demonstrates how gurus construct their authority in an online environment. Guru Munna Shukla comes from a family of hereditary kathak dancers of the Lucknow gharana. In a sense, the heritage is thought to stay alive through the lineage and generations with the blessings of gurus and elders. Radhe Maa is a self-declared “Hindu spiritual teacher and guru from India” who has been active especially in the field of seva “to all sentient beings as a means of self-purification for those aspiring for divine grace”.
