It brought their individual interests closer to the public. The idea was to display unusual examples of what these scholars collect, as a matter of personal preference, when they travel. What the public saw was hidden treasure, objects of special affection kept privately, at home or in an office, far from the public eye. For those of us studying at the Centre, viewing these examples contributed to, and enhanced, the fascination we feel for utilising a Study of Religion perspective. This is especially so since the provenance of the exhibits strongly suggested that, in order to advance our understanding of religion in South Asia, we need to combine textual studies and material culture. Furthermore, the exhibition showed how religious objects can be seen from new angles, and take on added significance, when gathered together and displayed in a non-religious setting.

All the exhibits originated from the South-Asian region and have been generously loaned by four academics related to the OCHS.