Workshop on Rasa Theory: February 2017

A bit of a last-minute announcement (which readers may have already seen elsewhere). A few months ago, Mrinal Kaul mentioned that Manipal University has established a new Center for Religious Studies and would be hosting a workshop on rasa theory. This workshop is now set to convene 13th to 17th of February at Manipal University. Applications for participation are being accepted until 30th November 2016. Details here, at Mrinal Kaul’s blog.

Some excerpts from the workshop description:

This workshop will principally include a close textual reading of selections from the Rasādhyāya (chapter 6) of the Nāṭyaśāstra of Bharatamuni—the celebrated work on Indian aesthetics—together with the Abhinavabhāratī commentary of Abhinavagupta. The discussion in the Abhinavabhāratī includes a critical overview of the history of Indian aesthetics up to Abhinavagupta himself in the tenth century, including such thinkers as Śrī Śaṅkuka, Bhaṭṭa Lollaṭa, Bhaṭṭa Nāyaka, etc. The aim of the workshop is not only to familiarize the participants with the principal questions and debates in Indian aesthetics, but also to discuss the philological challenges posed by these texts with experts in the field. We will therefore work with parallel texts and manuscripts in our readings of the Abhinavabhāratī.

Professor C. Rajendran, University of Calicut, Calicut will be the principal instructor. We are also expecting a few other experts of Indian aesthetics to join us. The morning and afternoon sessions will include the readings of the text in Sanskrit followed by special lectures in the afternoon. The seminar will be held in English and readings will be circulated in advance. Special events like Yakṣagāna performance which is a native folk theatre form of Malenāḍu region in Karnataka, will be organized besides an afternoon excursion to the local Jaina temples in Karkala. There also will be opportunities for exploring the incredible richness and diversity of the Udupi region.

In addition to Professor Rajendran, three other scholars are confirmed: Prof Vasant Kumar Bhatt, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, India; Dr Daniele Cuneo, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Dr Andrew Ollett, Harvard University, USA.

Note that an application should be submitted and participants must have advanced comprehension of Sanskrit language and reading ability in Devanāgarī script.

About Malcolm Keating

Malcolm Keating is Assistant Professor of Philosophy in the Humanities Division at Yale-NUS College, Singapore.

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