Book Chapters by Sravana Borkataky-Varma
Published Articles by Sravana Borkataky-Varma
International Journal of Hindu Studies, 2022
INTRODUCTION TO SPECIAL ISSUE ON DIGITAL TANTRA
International Jornal of Hindu Studies; Special Issue, 2019
International Journal of Hindu Studies; Special Issue, 2019
This essay explores the connections between Tantric rites and those of Indian tribal religions wi... more This essay explores the connections between Tantric rites and those of Indian tribal religions with "blood" as the central subject. Rooted in ethnographic research in Assam, India, the essay compares the ritual of bali, animal sacrifice, as practiced in the famous śākta pīṭha, Kāmākhyā, with corresponding data gathered from the practice of bali in the indigenous Ṫiwā tribe. The ethnographic findings are further mapped to instructions on bali given in the tenth-century text Kālikāpurāṇa and the sixteenth-century text Yoginītantra to highlight these complex negotiations that have continued for centuries. The primary objective of this essay is to concretize and bring into relief some of the dynamics inherent in the ways these neighboring sacrificial traditions relate to each other, to Brāhmaṅical Sanskritic norms, to sacred space, and to recent challenges from animal rights activists. In doing so, the essay also briefly discusses the mind state of the sacrifier and the effects of the sacrifice on the community.
Religions, 2017
In this paper, we shall examine how possession is understood in Assam, India. We are aware that t... more In this paper, we shall examine how possession is understood in Assam, India. We are aware that the larger northeastern frontier of India retained indigenous practices, religious festivals, and beliefs in a plethora of exotic goddesses, rituals, which have continued unabated through modern times. This has resulted in cross-pollination between the Vedic or traditional Brahmanical or orthodox Hindu practices and the indigenous practices, which in turn has yielded a hybrid world of Śākta Tantra rituals and practices. In this paper, I examine how possession is understood in Assam, India. We are aware that the larger northeastern frontier of India retained indigenous practices, religious festivals, beliefs in a plethora of exotic goddesses, and rituals, which have continued into the present. This has resulted in cross-pollination between traditional Brahmanical or orthodox Hindu practices and indigenous practices, which in turn has yielded a hybrid world of Śākta Tantra rituals and practices. This article is based predominantly on fieldwork conducted over four years and secondary texts. During these years, I documented many sessions of " speaking to the dead " in the Tiwa Tribe. The Tiwa are a culturally rich tribal community in Assam, India. The Tiwa's intersection with mainstream Hindu religion, Śākta Tantra, is rather complex. I first will present a case study of a Mother Tantric who frequently co-creates communication between the living and the departed. Further, I will discuss how Mother Tantrics are seen as community leaders, akin to the religious authority of Brahmins in the Hindu funerary space. Then, I will draw similarities between the rituals performed by the Tiwas to the Deodhani festival in Kāmākhyā, an important ŚāktaTantra pīṭha, to highlight the fusion of mainstream Śākta Tantra with the indigenous practices and to show how aboriginal practices also borrow from conventional Hindu rituals. The interviews were conducted in Assamese and a dialect the Tiwas speak from the Tibeto-Burman language family. I used a translator for the interviews in the Tiwa language.
International Journal of Dharma and Hindu Studies , 2016
Historically the subject of the kuṇḍalinī has captured the interest of many scholars, and today o... more Historically the subject of the kuṇḍalinī has captured the interest of many scholars, and today one also finds growing public interest, particularly in metropolitan India and the Indian diaspora. This paper examines the following questions: What is the women's role in the practice of the Kuṇḍalinī Yoga? What are the chances that women miss the Hindu "mokṣa boat" simply because they have been relegated to being mere accessories to the success of men? Most women hold the strong conviction that their obligatory duty is to be a loyal aid towards their husbands' progress on the tantric path. By presenting a sample set of data collected as part of a larger ethnographic project, this paper provides an answer. This paper has three sections-a brief discussion on what the kuṇḍalinī is, ethnographic interviews analyzing the role of women in the practice of the Kuṇḍalinī Yoga, and finally concluding remarks.
Wiley Blackwell, 2014
Introductory essay on Hinduism for accompanying website for Jeffrey J. Kripal, with Ata Anzali, A... more Introductory essay on Hinduism for accompanying website for Jeffrey J. Kripal, with Ata Anzali, Andrea Jain, and Erin Prophet, Comparing Religions: Coming to Terms, Oxford: Wiley Blackwell, 2014.
Public Course- Ongoing by Sravana Borkataky-Varma
What are the Hindu Goddess traditions? How do they relate to Yoga and Tantra? What is the relatio... more What are the Hindu Goddess traditions? How do they relate to Yoga and Tantra? What is the relation between Hindu Goddesses and the lived realities of women and female practitioners?
Book Notes/Reviews by Sravana Borkataky-Varma
Deities and Social Structure is an accessible and comprehensive book that gives readers a wide wi... more Deities and Social Structure is an accessible and comprehensive book that gives readers a wide window into the complex world of Hindu religion. The book has a well laid structure wherein the sections nicely tie in to each other. All eleven chapters and the subsections within them have a consistent style: they start with a bird's eye view and progressively lead the reader to a deeper understanding of the subject. This is achieved by interweaving the information with various mythological narratives and substantiating them with voices of prominent scholars relevant to the topic of conversation. Scholarly commentary is carefully selected; as a result the book is not laced with excessive and extensive notes. This consistency of style is particularly helpful to a new scholar of Hindu religion. In addition, some of the subsections also weave in the " as on the ground " reality, which makes the content relevant and interesting. Considerable amount of thought has been given to preempt the questions that a relatively new and willing reader of this book might come up with, which makes reading the book enjoyable. The extensive glossary and the suggested " further reading " enhance the effectiveness of this book. In short it is not a cut and dry book but written in an approachable fashion. Among the eleven chapters, I especially liked " Class and Caste: 1 E 4 7 Var a and Jāti " and " Women in Home and Community. " These two chapters in many ways differentiate this book from many other similar books that line the shelf. Any instructor that has taught Hindu Religion in the West is well aware of the challenges students face in coming to terms with the dichotomy that exists within the religion. This is particularly stark when discussing the class and caste system and the religion's complex relationship with its women—goddesses, pre-pubescent girls and women—since both these topics are tightly bound with purity and impurity codes. The way
International Journal of Hindu Studies, volume 18.3 (forthcoming)
Religious Studies Review, volume 40, issue 2.
Religious Studies Review, volume 40, issue 2
Dissertation Abstract by Sravana Borkataky-Varma
The historical origins of Hindu Tantra can be traced back to ancient Indian civilization, with it... more The historical origins of Hindu Tantra can be traced back to ancient Indian civilization, with it definitive efflorescence in the medieval, pre-modern, and now modern periods. This dissertation topic focuses on one particular Hindu Tantric practice: Kuṇḍalinī Yoga. There is a large body of literature on kuṇḍalinī yoga, but very little has been written on women and female experiences of the practice. The volume of work becomes even smaller when we look at works written by women and almost nonexistent when we look for work written by Indian female scholars like myself. As far as I can tell, this dissertation would be the first of its kind to be written by an Indian woman studying kuṇḍalinī yoga as practiced by Indian women.
The ethnographic study of this dissertation is focused on to two northeastern states in India, Assam and West Bengal. These two states have the largest concentration of temples that practice forms of Hindu Tantra in the country. This project mines the female voices and experiences for a new look at a tradition that has generally been studied by male scholars focusing on male practitioners. Through my cultural heritage and extensive family network in Assam and West Bengal, I have been successful in multiple forays into the female worlds of Hindu Tantra.
I employ an interdisciplinary approach in both my research and writing that engages the fields of cultural history, sociology, anthropology, and psychoanalytic theory. The preliminary ethnographic field trip conducted in 2012 focuses on female Tantra teachers—whom I refer to as Tantric adepts—and ardent followers of these adepts. I interviewed five women, three male adepts, and three ardent followers, which helped me, define the purpose of this dissertation. The objectives of this dissertation are: (1) to understand how kuṇḍalinī yoga is understood and practiced by women, (2) to discern whether women follow the same sets of rigorous training exercises as prescribed for men in the texts, and (3) to inquire how women think of and experience the siddhis or magical powers that are so central to this tradition. I plan to go on my second field trip in December 2013 to conduct a few more interviews.
This dissertation will have five chapters, the first focusing on the historic scholarship and conversations that have taken place on Tantra and kuṇḍalinī. The second chapter provides insight on how I mine the female voices in Hindu Tantra and highlights the state of Tantric traditions in Assam and West Bengal. I include extracts from the interviews in which we discuss the reasons for why and how the temples have constructed an effective cloak over the practice of Tantra. The third chapter has detailed interviews with women Tantric adepts conducted so far as well as material expected from my trip in the fall of 2013. Some of these interviews are exclusive and pioneering records of women Tantric adepts discussing and acknowledging the presence of sexuality in Hindu Tantra. In chapter four I use psychoanalytic theory to examine the larger role these mystics play in the society— of a healer and a interlocutor of the two worlds. The concluding chapter reflects on the state and the future of women in Hindu India and in the world of Tantra.
Papers by Sravana Borkataky-Varma
Menstruation: Pollutant to Potent
Hinduism and Tribal Religions, 2022
Special Issue: Digital Tantra
In the Tea-Light of Tantra: an Ethnographic Study of Kuṇḍalinī Rising in Women’s Bodies
The historical origins of Hindu Tantra can be traced back to ancient Indian civilization, with it... more The historical origins of Hindu Tantra can be traced back to ancient Indian civilization, with it definitive efflorescence in the medieval, pre-modern, and now modern periods. This dissertation topic focuses on one particular Hindu Tantric practice: Kuṇḍalinī Yoga. There is a large body of literature on kuṇḍalinī yoga, but very little has been written on women and female experiences of the practice. The volume of work becomes even smaller when we look at works written by women and almost nonexistent when we look for work written by Indian female scholars like myself. As far as I can tell, this dissertation would be the first of its kind to be written by an Indian woman studying kuṇḍalinī yoga as practiced by Indian women. The ethnographic study of this dissertation is focused on to two northeastern states in India, Assam and West Bengal. These two states have the largest concentration of temples that practice forms of Hindu Tantra in the country. This project mines the female voices and experiences for a new look at a tradition that has generally been studied by male scholars focusing on male practitioners. Through my cultural heritage and extensive family network in Assam and West Bengal, I have been successful in multiple forays into the female worlds of Hindu Tantra. I employ an interdisciplinary approach in both my research and writing that engages the fields of cultural history, sociology, anthropology, and psychoanalytic theory. The preliminary ethnographic field trip conducted in 2012 focuses on female Tantra teachers—whom I refer to as Tantric adepts—and ardent followers of these adepts. I interviewed five women, three male adepts, and three ardent followers, which helped me, define the purpose of this dissertation. The objectives of this dissertation are: (1) to understand how kuṇḍalinī yoga is understood and practiced by women, (2) to discern whether women follow the same sets of rigorous training exercises as prescribed for men in the texts, and (3) to inquire how women think of and experience the siddhis or magical powers that are so central to this tradition. I plan to go on my second field trip in December 2013 to conduct a few more interviews. This dissertation will have five chapters, the first focusing on the historic scholarship and conversations that have taken place on Tantra and kuṇḍalinī. The second chapter provides insight on how I mine the female voices in Hindu Tantra and highlights the state of Tantric traditions in Assam and West Bengal. I include extracts from the interviews in which we discuss the reasons for why and how the temples have constructed an effective cloak over the practice of Tantra. The third chapter has detailed interviews with women Tantric adepts conducted so far as well as material expected from my trip in the fall of 2013. Some of these interviews are exclusive and pioneering records of women Tantric adepts discussing and acknowledging the presence of sexuality in Hindu Tantra. In chapter four I use psychoanalytic theory to examine the larger role these mystics play in the society— of a healer and a interlocutor of the two worlds. The concluding chapter reflects on the state and the future of women in Hindu India and in the world of Tantra.
Taming Hindu Śakta Tantra on the Internet
Red: An Ethnographic Study of Cross-Pollination Between the Vedic and the Tantric
International Journal of Hindu Studies, 2019
This essay explores the connections between Tantric rites and those of Indian tribal religions wi... more This essay explores the connections between Tantric rites and those of Indian tribal religions with “blood” as the central subject. Rooted in ethnographic research in Assam, India, the essay compares the ritual of bali, animal sacrifice, as practiced in the famous śākta pīṭha, Kāmākhyā, with corresponding data gathered from the practice of bali in the indigenous Ṭiwā tribe. The ethnographic findings are further mapped to instructions on bali given in the tenth-century text Kālikāpurāṇa and the sixteenth-century text Yoginītantra to highlight these complex negotiations that have continued for centuries. The primary objective of this essay is to concretize and bring into relief some of the dynamics inherent in the ways these neighboring sacrificial traditions relate to each other, to Brāhmaṇical Sanskritic norms, to sacred space, and to recent challenges from animal rights activists. In doing so, the essay also briefly discusses the mind state of the sacrifier and the effects of the sacrifice on the community.
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Book Chapters by Sravana Borkataky-Varma
Published Articles by Sravana Borkataky-Varma
Public Course- Ongoing by Sravana Borkataky-Varma
Book Notes/Reviews by Sravana Borkataky-Varma
Dissertation Abstract by Sravana Borkataky-Varma
The ethnographic study of this dissertation is focused on to two northeastern states in India, Assam and West Bengal. These two states have the largest concentration of temples that practice forms of Hindu Tantra in the country. This project mines the female voices and experiences for a new look at a tradition that has generally been studied by male scholars focusing on male practitioners. Through my cultural heritage and extensive family network in Assam and West Bengal, I have been successful in multiple forays into the female worlds of Hindu Tantra.
I employ an interdisciplinary approach in both my research and writing that engages the fields of cultural history, sociology, anthropology, and psychoanalytic theory. The preliminary ethnographic field trip conducted in 2012 focuses on female Tantra teachers—whom I refer to as Tantric adepts—and ardent followers of these adepts. I interviewed five women, three male adepts, and three ardent followers, which helped me, define the purpose of this dissertation. The objectives of this dissertation are: (1) to understand how kuṇḍalinī yoga is understood and practiced by women, (2) to discern whether women follow the same sets of rigorous training exercises as prescribed for men in the texts, and (3) to inquire how women think of and experience the siddhis or magical powers that are so central to this tradition. I plan to go on my second field trip in December 2013 to conduct a few more interviews.
This dissertation will have five chapters, the first focusing on the historic scholarship and conversations that have taken place on Tantra and kuṇḍalinī. The second chapter provides insight on how I mine the female voices in Hindu Tantra and highlights the state of Tantric traditions in Assam and West Bengal. I include extracts from the interviews in which we discuss the reasons for why and how the temples have constructed an effective cloak over the practice of Tantra. The third chapter has detailed interviews with women Tantric adepts conducted so far as well as material expected from my trip in the fall of 2013. Some of these interviews are exclusive and pioneering records of women Tantric adepts discussing and acknowledging the presence of sexuality in Hindu Tantra. In chapter four I use psychoanalytic theory to examine the larger role these mystics play in the society— of a healer and a interlocutor of the two worlds. The concluding chapter reflects on the state and the future of women in Hindu India and in the world of Tantra.
Papers by Sravana Borkataky-Varma