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Text, Context & Performance of Indian Bhakti Movement (Optional)

Text, Context & Performance of Indian Bhakti Movement (Optional)

- Prof H.S. Shiva Prakash

This course seeks to study the socio-historical and aesthetic dimensions of Bhakti Movements in India by looking at Bhakti movements, their history, texts, contexts and trations of their performance. This course begins with an over-all study of the phenomenon of Bhakti, its emergence and dissemination in medieval India, and the transformations to which they were subject to in different regions of the country. Some of the major text from Tamil, Kannada, Marathi, Gujarathi, Bengali, Hindi and Punjabi languages will be scrutinized during the course of this broad survey. The researcher will choose a specific area which may be identified based on region, culture, genre or specific aspects common to more than one Bhakti tradition. Apart from these approaches, the researcher can also undertake a comparative study of Bhakti aesthetics vis-a-vis classical, folk or western aesthetics.

Reading list:

 


• TRS Sharma et. al., Ancient Indian Literature: An Anthology, Vols 1 & 2, New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi

• Ayyappa Panikker, (Ed): Medieval Indian Literature: Surveys and Anthologies, Vol-7, New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi • DD. Kosambi, Myth and Reality, Mumbai, Popular Prakashan, 1983

• Alan Envistle & Francoise Malose, Studies in South Asian Devotional Literatures, New Delhi: Manohar, 1994

• K Sharma, Bhakti and Bhakti Movements: A New Perspective, Delhi, Munshilal Manoharlal, 1987

• Swami Tyagishananda (Ed): Narada Bhakti Sutra, Madras: Sri Ramakrishna Math, 1979

 

 

A warm welcome to the modified and updated website of the Centre for East Asian Studies. The East Asian region has been at the forefront of several path-breaking changes since 1970s beginning with the redefining the development architecture with its State-led development model besides emerging as a major region in the global politics and a key hub of the sophisticated technologies. The Centre is one of the thirteen Centres of the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi that provides a holistic understanding of the region.

Initially, established as a Centre for Chinese and Japanese Studies, it subsequently grew to include Korean Studies as well. At present there are eight faculty members in the Centre. Several distinguished faculty who have now retired include the late Prof. Gargi Dutt, Prof. P.A.N. Murthy, Prof. G.P. Deshpande, Dr. Nranarayan Das, Prof. R.R. Krishnan and Prof. K.V. Kesavan. Besides, Dr. Madhu Bhalla served at the Centre in Chinese Studies Programme during 1994-2006. In addition, Ms. Kamlesh Jain and Dr. M. M. Kunju served the Centre as the Documentation Officers in Chinese and Japanese Studies respectively.

The academic curriculum covers both modern and contemporary facets of East Asia as each scholar specializes in an area of his/her interest in the region. The integrated course involves two semesters of classes at the M. Phil programme and a dissertation for the M. Phil and a thesis for Ph. D programme respectively. The central objective is to impart an interdisciplinary knowledge and understanding of history, foreign policy, government and politics, society and culture and political economy of the respective areas. Students can explore new and emerging themes such as East Asian regionalism, the evolving East Asian Community, the rise of China, resurgence of Japan and the prospects for reunification of the Korean peninsula. Additionally, the Centre lays great emphasis on the building of language skills. The background of scholars includes mostly from the social science disciplines; History, Political Science, Economics, Sociology, International Relations and language.

Several students of the centre have been recipients of prestigious research fellowships awarded by Japan Foundation, Mombusho (Ministry of Education, Government of Japan), Saburo Okita Memorial Fellowship, Nippon Foundation, Korea Foundation, Nehru Memorial Fellowship, and Fellowship from the Chinese and Taiwanese Governments. Besides, students from Japan receive fellowship from the Indian Council of Cultural Relations.