India

Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895–1986) was an Indian writer and spiritual leader. During his youth, Annie Besant, then president of the Theosophical Society, and Charles W. Leadbeater, a leader in the organization, identified Krishnamurti as a vehicle for the...

In this episode of Om-gnosis, Keith Edward Cantú speaks with Gordan Djurdjevic, an independent scholar and author who writes about global esotericism, South Asian yoga and tantra, and comparative religion. As the author of the books India and the Occult...

In this eighth episode of Om-gnosis, we interview Vinayagam Swamigal, Managing Trustee of the Sri Sabapathy Lingeshwar Jiva Samadhi Temple in Villivakkam, Tamil Nadu. This temple is located on the site of a meditation hall ( maṭālayam ) established by Sri...

In this seventh episode of Om-gnosis, we sit down with Prof. Julian Strube to discuss global esotericism, South Asia, the concept of occultism, and its intersections with political movements. After learning about Prof. Strube's background and his interest...

In this sixth episode of Om-gnosis, Saymon Zakaria, PhD of Bangla Academy, Dhaka, introduces us to the religious and folk worlds of Bangladesh and their connection to Occult South Asia. The episode begins with a survey of Saymon Zakaria's background and...

On November 15, 2023, author and CSWR Research Affiliate, Transcendence and Transformation Database, Keith Cantu discussed with a panel of respondents his book, Like a Tree Universally Spread Sri Sabhapati Swami and Śivarājayoga. Three respondents are...

On Wednesday, October 19, CSWR resident and PhD Candidate in South Asian Religions, Seth Powell, presented "Visual and Material Evidence for the Development of Haṭhayoga in Late-Medieval South India." Seth demonstrated evidence from his recent field work...

On April 14, Professor Vasudha Narayanan gave the Center's first Hindu View of Life Annual Lecture. As previously reported, this lecture evokes the memory of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan's book of that title—a fitting connection, since Dr. Radhakrishnan...

John B. Carman, Parkman Professor of Divinity and Professor of Comparative Religion Emeritus at HDS, discusses Christians in South Indian Villages, 1959–2009: Decline and Revival in Telangana, a book he co-authored.

On Wednesday, October 14, Seth Powell, a PhD candidate in the Committee on the Study of Religion, delivered a presentation on the history of yoga postures ( āsana) in pre-modern India. To put this history in context, Seth began his talk by situating the...