We're still actively developing this site. If you encounter any issues, please report them! - Report an issue

GODS AND GODDESSES OF SOUTH ASIA

ASIAN/RELIGST 405
Course Description

Introduces some of the most important deities of South Asia through visual representation, mythical narratives and rituals of worship. Topics include the development of iconographic forms and concepts, masculine and feminine aspects of the divine, the belief in human embodiments of divinities, the phenomenon of possession, modes of domestic and public worship and the symbolism of the temple structure.

Prerequisties

Sophomore standing

Satisfies

This course does not satisfy any prerequisites.

Credits

Not Reported

Offered

Not Reported

Grade Point Average
3.82

3.93% from Historical

Completion Rate
100%

4.55% from Historical

A Rate
81.82%

10.7% from Historical

Class Size
11

-4.35% from Historical

Instructors (2025 Fall)

Sorted by ratings from Rate My Professors

Similar Courses

HINDUISM

ASIAN/RELIGST 306

A historical survey of Hindu scriptures, rituals, philosophies, and ethics from the ancient to the contemporary world. Concepts such as karma, yoga, and reincarnation will be put in the broader contexts of Hindu theism, worship, and law. Not open to students who completed RELIG ST 355 prior to Fall 2019.

INDIAN TRADITIONS IN THE MODERN AGE

ASIAN/RELIGST 430

Explores how ancient Indian traditions have been reframed for the modern age. Topics include the Ramayama in popular media, negotiations over sacred spaces, and popular Tantra. We will also examine recent controversies, such as the one surrounding the ancient Jain practice of fasting until death (sallekhana) in the modern age.

RELIGION IN SOUTH ASIA

ASIAN/RELIGST 274

Introductory survey of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Sikhism, etc., and an examination of the cultural, historical, ritual, and philosophical foundations of South Asian religion. Not open to students with credit for LCA 274 prior to Fall 2019.

HEALTH AND HEALING IN SOUTH ASIA

ASIAN/RELIGST 218

Study primary and secondary sources to explore how South Asian societies have understood the ideas of health and well-being throughout history. We will consider a number of cases that illustrate uniquely South Asian conceptions of illness and physical dysfunction and the ways in which people in South Asia have attempted (and continue to attempt today) to heal bodies. Students will learn about the traditional healing systems of South Asia, including Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani, the basic components of each systems' ideas about disease pathology and treatment that have been used for centuries to heal illness, maintain good health, and, in some instances, aspire to a state of super-health that transcends the limitations of bodily existence altogether.

ASIA ENCHANTED: GHOSTS, GODS, AND MONSTERS

ASIAN/RELIGST 236

Explores how different cultures in Asia conceive of and relate to the monstrous, ghostly, and divine, both in the past and in the contemporary world. These themes are approached from a range of different disciplinary perspectives, including religious studies, literature, anthropology, and history.