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Sanskrit Kickstarter

Sanskrit Kickstarter

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A Sanskrit Kickstarter: 15–16 March

Embark on a transformative journey into the heart of Sanskrit – the language of the Gods.

This immersive online weekend school welcomes all levels, from absolute beginners to seasoned practitioners.

Delve into the rich, meditative depths of this ancient language, the cornerstone of Indian history, science, religion, and culture. Explore the elegant Devanāgarī script, learn authentic pronunciation, and unlock the layers of meaning and grammar that make Sanskrit so captivating.

Course page

Sessions

History of Sanskrit
Tutor: Dr Rembert Lutjeharms

An Early Morning Hymn to Śiva
Tutor: Prof. Gavin Flood

Speaking Sanskrit
Tutor: Dr Premraj Neupane

Found in Translation
Tutor: Dr Zoë Slatoff

Sunday Morning Mantra
Tutor: Gaiea Sanskrit

A Mantra to Śiva
Tutor: Prof. Gavin Flood

Sound, Silence, and Script: The Sacred Syllable OM in Early India
Tutor: Prof. Finn Moore Gerety

The Forest in the Trees
Tutor: Dr Zoë Slatoff

Complimentary Zoom Sessions

As an extra thank you, enrolment in the Sanskrit Kickstarter gives you free access to next term’s (May–June) five campus-wide Zoom Sessions on a variety of related topics.

Online via Zoom

Saturday 15–Sunday 16 March 2025
11.00am–5.30pm with breaks between each session.

(Recordings will be made available for any sessions you may miss)

Enrolment Fee: £345

When the ‘esoteric’ strikes back: Revising the field of tantric studies

When the ‘esoteric’ strikes back: Revising the field of tantric studies

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The Intersection of Hinduism and Contemporary Society project

Presenting our next online guest lecture in the Invited Speaker Series

When the ‘esoteric’ strikes back: Revising the field of tantric studies

Friday, 29th November 2024, 6pm UTC/GMT
By Dr. Monika Hirmer (Friedrich-Alexander Universität, Erlangen–Nürnberg, Germany)

Registration

Please register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ochs-ihcs-invited-lecture-series-monika-hirmer-tickets-1086879308269?aff=oddtdtcreator

We will send you a zoom link two days before the event.

Abstract

South Asian tantric traditions have fascinated Western scholars ever since the first colonial encounters, when the term ‘Tantrism’ was coined to indicate a set of practices deemed irrational and morally deprived, as opposed to the supposedly rational and morally superior religious practices of the West. This Orientalist view has nowadays been superseded by more nuanced perspectives, which acknowledge the complexity of South Asian tantric traditions, and emphasise, as some of their primary features, the presence of a guru, the importance of rituals and yantras, and pervasive correspondences between the micro- and macrocosmic realms. Acknowledging the inherent fluidity of tantric practices has paved the way for the most recent scholarly developments in the field, which explore the thus-far understudied interactions between pan-Indian and folk traditions, and mainstream and unconventional ritual practices in South Asia.

While tantric scholarship has advanced significantly, the fact that its focus is mostly limited to South Asia excludes some of the most prominent cross-cultural interactions, namely those engendered by the diffusion of tantric practices in the West. In fact, tantra in the West remains largely ignored by eminent scholars in the field of tantric studies, and is instead explored under different rubrics, such as ‘new religious movements’, ‘esoteric traditions’ and ‘Neotantra’, giving rise to a schism between tantric traditions in South Asia and tantric traditions in the West. Without denying the distinctiveness of tantra in the West and its problematic appropriation strategies, I argue that, as long as the field of tantric studies fails to incorporate Western tantric traditions, it recreates the same colonial dichotomies and violent hierarchies that were advanced by Orientalist scholars—only that, this time around, the ‘Other’ is the West, in opposition to a more authentic and, therefore, superior South Asia.

Indic Manuscript Database Launch

Indic Manuscript Database Launch

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OCHS INDIC MANUSCRIPT DATABASE LAUNCH

Venue: Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies Online,
13–15 Magdalen Street, OX1 3AE, Oxford.
– All are welcome!

10.50-11.00 Tea/coffee
11.00-11.05 Welcome: Professor Gavin Flood, Dean of Hindu Studies

11.05-11.20 Introduction: Dr Bjarne Wernicke-Olesen
11.20-12.00 OCHS Indic Manuscript Database Launch: Dr Ulrik Lyngs

12.00-12.15 Break

12.15-12.30 Gauḍīya Patrikā: A Digital Archive of Bengali Vaiṣṇava Periodicals: Dr Lucian Wong
12.30-13.00 Creating AI models for Handwriting and Text Recognition in South Asian Manuscripts (Digital Scholarship Development Grant): Tom Derrick

13.00-14.00 Lunch

14.00-15.00 Technical deep dive for developers: Understanding & extending our Database & Web Apps: Dr Ulrik Lyngs

Sign up by email to secretary@ochs.org.uk
You can also join the event via Zoom. 

Join our team! Postdoc in Jain Studies

Join our team! Postdoc in Jain Studies

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Bhagawan Sumatinath Jain Postdoctoral Study

The Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies (OCHS) is pleased to announce that we are accepting applications for the Bhagawan Sumatinath Jain Postdoctoral Study fellowship. Deadline for applications is 18 November 2024.

The role is 0.75 FTE on a fixed-term contract lasting three years with a part-time annual salary of £28,000.

As part of your application, please provide a copy of your current CV, a covering letter (max 1 page), an outline describing your proposed research plan (max 3 pages), and 2 references with email contact information. The ideal candidate will hold a PhD (or be close to completing a PhD) in a relevant field.

Responsibilities of the role:
– Carry out a research project in the field of Jain Studies
– Organise a research symposium (in-person or online)
– Engage and network with leading Jain Studies scholars based in the UK and other European countries
– Publish (or at least submit for publication) two journal articles
– Work on making the PhD thesis ready for publication
– Develop an online course for the OCHS Continuing Education Department

Please note that this is an in-person role and the candidate is expected to be in Oxford during term time.

 
Apply for this position by email to Shawna at secretary@ochs.org.uk
 
About the OCHS 

The Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies (OCHS) is the global leader in Hindu Studies. We are committed to the academic study of Hindu cultures and traditions in all periods and parts of the world. As an academic institution, the OCHS is not affiliated with any religious or political group and welcomes staff, students, and visitors of all backgrounds. Our unique scholarly environment opens the way to ground-breaking research in interdisciplinary fields of study.

Teaching Hindu Studies and Indian Languages are core activities at the Centre. We collaborate closely with the University of Oxford; our Fellows tutor, teach and supervise students of the University. Our mission is to contribute to a more holistic global discourse and educate students to become first-class scholars and future leaders in fields including education, philosophy, religion, ecology, literature, and politics.

Building upon the academic status of the Centre we have been able to provide Continuing Education consisting of online courses and weekend schools. We currently have 40 courses available and more than 11,000 enrolments, making Hindu Studies accessible to a global audience. We enjoy meaningful engagement with many levels of society, not least with local Hindu communities, which sets us apart and models a holistic approach. It is within this comprehensive, cultural awareness that we are able to provide chaplaincy services and support Hindu art, literature, and culture.

Dharmaśāstra and Hindu Law with Prof. Patrick Olivelle

Dharmaśāstra and Hindu Law with Prof. Patrick Olivelle

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MASTERCLASS 2024

Dharmaśāstra and Hindu Law with Prof. Patrick Olivellev

26 May–23 June 2024

You may recall last year we held a very successful masterclass with Prof. Gavin Flood on Tantra. The combination of a hugely important and popular topic with a globally-leading scholar proved irresistible!

So after long and careful planning, we are delighted to offer this year’s Masterclass: Dharmaśāstra and Hindu Law presented by Prof. Patrick Olivelle. See below for more information on Prof. Olivelle’s many qualifications.

In this series, we will ask:

Was there a dharma before the Dharmaśāstras?
What is law?
How do we resolve disputes?
How do we live a good life?
How do we sustain order?

Each Masterclass is followed by a Q&A in which we discuss:

History of dharma and Dharmaśāstra,
How traditional scholars of India have understood dharma over the past millenia,
What happens when the Dharmaśāstra hits the ground? How is it applied in different ages and scenarios?
How society is affected by Dharmaśāstra and how societies are formed around Dharmaśāstra.

You will receive:

Five live Zoom sessions including time for Q&A
Recordings of sessions
Completion Certificate (if completing optional essay) or Participation Certificate
Access to student forum
Specially selected readings

If you’d like to learn more about this special not-to-be-repeated Masterclass, click here or drop me a line.

Your Tutor

Patrick Olivelle is Professor of Sanskrit and Indian Religions at the University of Texas at Austin. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies.

His current research focuses on the ancient Indian legal tradition of Dharmaśāstra. He has edited and translated the four early Dharmasūtras and prepared a critical edition of the Law Code of Manu (Mānava Dharmaśāstra).

Among his many other works is an award-winning translation of the early Upaniṣads. Prof. Olivelle has won several prestigious fellowships, including Guggenheim, NEH, and ACLS. He was elected Vice President of the American Oriental Society in 2004 and President in 2005.

Bursaries and Scholarships 2024

Bursaries and Scholarships 2024

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£15,450 to award to students this year!

We are now accepting applications for our bursaries and scholarships and all our Oxford University students and Visiting students are invited to apply. The deadline is 22 April 2024, before 12 pm.

You should apply by sending a short letter of application to Hari at secretary@ochs.org.uk explaining what you are studying, the reasons for your application, how much you are applying for and include a budget to show us how you plan to use the bursary or scholarship. 

List of bursaries and scholarships: 
Swami Haridas Giri Scholarship: £6,000
The Spalding Memorial Educational Trust: £2,700
The Parvathi Foundation: £1,500
Jiva Goswami Scholarship: £1,050
Tristan Elby: £1,000
Amit Mishra Scholarship: £700
Aku’s Bursary: £500
Professor Charu Chandra Dasgupta Memorial Bursary: £500
Narasimhacharya Bursary: £500
Hansraj and Kanchanben Popat Bursary: £500
The Tagore Centre UK Bursary: £150
Ramalah Alagappan Bursary: £100
Gopal and Elizabeth Krishna Bursary: £100
Wernicke Olesen’s Bursary for Pali and Sanskrit Studies: £100
Professor Makhanlal Roy Chaudhury Book Prize: £50

A warm thank you to all our generous donors who are supporting the next generations of Hindu Studies scholars. 

Annual Report 2022-23

Annual Report 2022-23

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Annual Report 2022-23

It feels unbelievable that the OCHS is in its 25th year, and from such humble beginnings so much has grown. In this letter, we would like to share some of the highlights of the past 12 months. You can also download our full Annual Report here.

Our New Property: 71–75 Woodstock Road, Oxford

Our most exciting news is that after years of searching in a difficult property market, we have found and completed the purchase of a property in central Oxford. This property has more potential than any we have seen before and we are going to develop it in the coming years to create the world’s first purpose-built campus for Hindu Studies. 
…read more.

Developing Indian Philosophy, Digitising Manuscripts, Six New Research Projects

Over the past 25 years, we have grown into a mature research institution and are now, I can say with confidence, leading the field of Hindu Studies. We have seen impressive and constant growth in research, publications, and teaching. Adding six new research projects to our portfolio this year we are now the home of 32 projects. We also hosted four international conferences and our Fellows published 62 books and articles adding significantly to the field of Hindu Studies.

Our Summer Course in Kathmandu

The OCHS Summer University combines lectures and workshops with excursions and fieldwork in rituals, religious spaces, and traditional practices. It was a wonderful experience for students coming from all over the world.
… read more or go to the course website here. 

Here Utsa Bose, a D.Phil Candidate from Bengal, shares his experience of Oxford in his Essay; "Moving On, Moving With"

The Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies is built like a secret. Nestled between the Odeon and a Five Guys on Magdalen Street, it is a small glass door with a bright red lotus, almost like a space living in twilight, a whisper of light that is easy to miss.
… read the full essay here.

Prof. Christ Dorsett has completely reformulated our Artist in Residence programme (AIR)

We now offer an annual affiliation that can be used by artists to envisage and debate future ideas and projects. Our first appointment this year was the painter and performance artist, Rosanna Dean. 
… read more about the programme, listen to a TED Talk by AIR Director Prof. Chris Dorsett, or listen to the podcast “The World in Sounds” with Rosanna Dean.

We said a sad farewell to our supporter, benefactor and friend, Mrs Elizabeth Krishna

With sadness, in 2022 we said farewell to Elizabeth Krishna.  A Fellow of Lady Margaret Hall, former Indian Institute Librarian, Lecturer at Delhi University, and long-term supporter of the OCHS.  We were very fortunate to be remembered by her (and her late husband Gopal Krishna) in their generous Legacy Gift to the Centre. 
… read more.

Here’s to the next 25 years.

Are you interested in supporting our work with a donation? You can do that through our website here. Thank you.

NEW COURSE: ASCETICISM, SĀDHUS, AND YOGA

NEW COURSE: ASCETICISM, SĀDHUS, AND YOGA

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Asceticism, Sadhus, and Yoga:
Hindu Asceticism and its embodied practices

It’s always exciting to launch a new course and our newest is really something to get excited about!

Dr Daniela Bevilacqua has brought her considerable expertise to the creation of our latest offering: Asceticism, Sādhus, and Yoga: Hindu Asceticism and its Embodied Practices

Dr Bevilacqua brings us on a journey from the traditional to the modern practices of asceticism that have been a key part of of yoga practices for centuries.

What does asceticism have to do with contemporary practices
such as tapas, Haṭha-yoga, and yoga sādhanā?

How have these developed over the ages?

What are the most important ascetic groups and what do they practice?

Asceticism is a topic that is widely misunderstood and yet it remains a vital practice. This course makes it accessible. 

Click here to learn more

The Professor Charu Chandra Dasgupta Memorial Bursary

The Professor Charu Chandra Dasgupta Memorial Bursary

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New Bursary Endowment:
The Professor Charu Chandra Dasgupta Memorial Bursary

Thanks to a generous endowment from the Nahar Foundation & the Dasgupta Family we are now able to offer a new bursary at the OCHS to support students, faculty, and other individuals involved in the study of ancient Indian languages and history.

The bursary is established in memory of Professor Charu Chandra Dasgupta who was born on September 6, 1908, in the Dinajpur district of present-day Bangladesh, into a respected Vaidya family. His father, Hem Chandra Dasgupta was the first Indian full-time professor and Head of the Geology Department at Presidency College. A renowned and visionary educator, Hem Chandra made pioneering contributions to mass education in Bengal. Professor Charu Chandra Dasgupta followed in the footsteps of his father and, from a very early age, distinguished himself in the study of history. He was awarded the prestigious Premchand Roychand Scholarship and eventually the Mowat gold medal. He earned two doctoral degrees: the first from Calcutta University in 1944 and the second from Cambridge University in 1946. He held various professorships including the Head of Department of Ancient Indian and World History at Sanskrit College in Calcutta and later served as the Principal of Darjeeling Government College in West Bengal.

Professor Dasgupta’s scholarship led to significant advances in the field of ancient Indian fine arts and scripts. He authored four books and more than a hundred scholarly articles in various academic journals. Among these is his seminal work, “The Development of Kharosthi Script,” which is still widely regarded as an indispensable source for the study of the Kharosthi Script. As a prolific scholar, Professor Dasgupta’s research interests were broad and spanned various other disciplines including fine arts, sculpture, architecture, numismatics, history, anthropology and conservation of archives. He was an active member of various scholarly and academic societies including the Asiatic Society and Bangiya Sahitya Parisad. At the time of his death on 23rd June 1962, Professor Dasgupta was less than 54 years of age. But despite his relatively short lifetime, his accomplishments as a scholar remain exemplary.