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News and Events
Fall 2011
'Intro to Hinduism' taught for the first time at Brandeis this Spring 2012!!!
The long-awaited birth of REL/SAS 152a - Intro to Hinduism is finally upon us and we are excited!!!!
Please take a moment to celebrate with us and meet our instructor, Shankar Nair, by reading in his brief introduction below!
Dear Students,My name is Shankar Nair, and I am currently a PhD candidate in the Committee on the Study of Religion at Harvard University, focusing on Hindu-Muslim interaction in South Asia. My main research interests include Hindu and Islamic philosophy and theology, Sufism, mysticism, and comparative religion. Having already taught at Brandeis once in the fall of 2010, I am simply thrilled to be returning to campus this spring to teach "Introduction to Hinduism"!
Teaching a tradition as variegated and complex as Hinduism is truly a daunting task! Every introductory book out there is quite different from the others, and I view it as one of my primary responsibilities to expose students to the various ways this subject has been approached. Accordingly, in class and in my choice of readings, I seek to introduce the Hindu tradition from these multiple angles, ranging from discussing Hindu scriptures and texts, to more historical and political approaches, to an exploration of the lived daily experience of Hindu practitioners from many walks of life, whether in the city or the village, male or female, within India or beyond. Along the way, we will explore such fascinating topics as Hindu ritual, the Hindu social and cosmic order, Hindu myth, image, and pilgrimage, philosophy, devotional and epic poetry, Hindus under Muslim and colonial rule, and, of course, those countless gods and goddesses!
I know students at Brandeis have been waiting for an introduction to Hinduism for quite some time. All I can say is: I hope you can make it, and I'll do my best not to disappoint!
Take Care,
Shankar Nair
REL/SAS 152a Intro to Hinduism Instructor, Shankar Nair