2011

International workshop-cum-conference

The Archaeology of Bhakti
August 1^st - 12^th 2011

Introduction

Organised by Emmanuel Francis, Valérie Gillet et Charlotte Schmid, the first of a series of International workshop-cum-conferences devoted to the "Archaeology of Bhakti in South India" will be held in the Pondicherry Centre of the EFEO from 1st to 12th August 2011. The theme for this year is : "North and South: the cults of Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu and Skanda/Murukaṉ in their infancy".

Padma Kaimal (Associate Professor of Art & Art History and Asian Studies, Colgate University) will be our guest of honour.

This workshop-cum-conference is opened to scholars, students and neophytes. Participants are encouraged to present their work in progress during the workshop.

This event will be followed by the Classical Tamil Summer Seminar, devoted this year to the reading of the Bhakti poems of Poykaiyāḻvār, Pūtattāḻvār and Pēyāḻvār (6th century), and thereafter by a Seminar on Cankam literature. The latter two events will take place respectively from 15th to 26th of August and from 29th of August to 9th September.

Workshop (August 1^st to 10^th)

Our workshop, "The Archaeology of Bhakti in South India", will take place from the 1st to the 10th of August. Each participant may take half a day (or more if necessary) to present Southern or Northern early medieval Bhakti material related to Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu and/or Murukaṉ/Skanda. They may choose to use this time to present iconographical and epigraphical evidence, to read Sanskrit or Tamil texts, to confront textual with iconographical data, etc.

The organisers intend to take the participants to the field to present some material on the spot. A visit to the Pallava temples of Kāñcīpuram, for instance, is already planned.

Conference (August 11^th to 12^th)

As the final part of the workshop, a conference will take place on 11th and 12th of August. Speakers will have 30 to 45 minutes each (+ 15 minutes for questions) to present papers on subjects related to the theme of the workshop. Sources from South-East Asia can also be included.

Speakers who have made a presentation during the workshop need not give a paper related to the same material, but they may choose to do so.

Registration

Deadline for registration : 30th April 2011.

If you wish to speak during the workshop and/or the conference, please fill a registration form and send it back to us before 31st of April 2011.

Please send also a CV (with a list of your publications) and a summary in English and in French, or in English only, of the presentation you intend to give. These documents will help us to determine the selection of speakers, which will be finalised in May 2011. The programme for the workshop and conference will be then be made available on this page.

In order to participate in the workshop and/or the conference without presenting a paper, another registration form should be sent back before the 30th April 2011, along with a CV (students please do include a description of your work in progress !).

There are no registration fees for this event. However, a small financial contribution will be required to cover the expenses of the field-trips (transportation and accommodation outside Pondicherry).

Expenses for flight tickets as well as accommodation in Pondicherry will be borne by the participants. The Centre of Pondicherry may help finding accommodation in town.

Working language

The presentations and all discussions will be held in English.

Proceedings of the conference

The proceedings of the conference will be published in English.

For further information: manufrancis@gmail.com