MESAS 190: Hindu Gods and Goddesses

This course, taught by Assistant Professor of Religion Harshita Kamath, examines how Hindu gods and goddesses are described, experienced, and critiqued in South Asia.

After an introduction to key terms and critical concepts integral to the Hindu traditions, we focus on three major deities: Vishnu, Shiva, and Devi. We will cover a range of sources, including pre-modern literary texts in Sanskrit and vernacular Indian languages, ritual images, popular comic books, and ethnographic accounts. 

As an integral component of the course, we will compare representations of Hindu gods and goddesses in the context of local religious sites alongside their artistic representations from the South Asian collections at the Michael C. Carlos Museum.