Reawakening in Bundelkhand: Cultural Identity in Orchha and the Effects of Tourism on its Creation, Preservation, and Loss

The purpose of this study is to explore the roots of the cultural identity of the Indian town of Orchha today, and with that context in place, to analyze the influence tourism has had in Orchha in the past twenty years. In particular, how tourism has created new cultural identity, how it has influenced a movement towards the preservation of cultural identity, but also how it has threatened loss of cultural identity. The research was conducted using a combined historical and ethnographic approach, using both archival research and ethnographic techniques. Throughout the study, and as this paper shows, the medieval history of Orchha still has a heavy influence on the way the locals identify themselves. In addition, it is the draw for tourists, whose recent increase is the main force behind the cultural shifts in Orchha today. Shifts that have resulted in renewed pride in local heritage, but in some other cases have resulted in reduction of local heritage, in some cases by commodifying the local culture

A Hindu Temple in Kalamazoo: An Ethnographic Study on the Role of Temple Communities in the Preservation and Re-creation of Identity among Hindu-Americans

A drastic change in immigration legislation in the United States in 1965 led thousands of professionals to immigrate into the United States from Asia. Among those immigrants were Indian Hindus who upon arrival began a complex process of diaspora formation. Many of these immigrants did not come on a temporary basis but they came to stay; to pursue education and careers, and to raise their families. In order to continue their religious lives, prayer groups began to congregate in rec halls and temple communities formed in storefronts. As these groups grew too large for these spaces, temples were built. These temples are not merely places of worship but spaces in which cultural identities can be acted out in the diaspora. The research in this study consists of participant observation, interviews, and archival analysis at a dozen Hindu temples in the United States. The resulting work shows the various roles of temples in the preservation and re-creation of Hindu-American identity

Indian scientists’ definitions of religion and spirituality

Scientists are often assumed to be irreligious and little research has examined the role of religion and spirituality in their lives. Recent research shows that many scientists do articulate a commitment to the sacred and see religion and spirituality as influencing their work. However, we lack a basic understanding of how scientists define religion and spirituality, particularly outside of the Western world. We examine Indian Scientists’ definitions of religion and spirituality and their tie to scientists’ views on the relationship between religion and science. Drawing on 80 in-depth interviews with Indian scientists, we find that although science often operates as a global institution, national context influences definitions of religion and spirituality. Further, the views a scientist has about the relationship between religion and science are linked to their definition of religion. To understand and navigate the relationship between religion and science, we must study definitions of religion and spirituality, as well as the way they are shaped by national context

SCIENCE–RELIGION BOUNDARIES IN INDIAN SCIENTIFIC WORKPLACES

Recent social scientific studies have focused on the different ways in which scientists conceive of the relationship between science and religion, conflict, complementary, independent, or some other understanding. However, there is still much less research on scientists’ religious lives outside the United States and the United Kingdom. Drawing on data from participant observation, in-depth interviews (N = 80) and nationally representative surveys (N = 1,763) with physicists and biologists in India, we begin to address this gap. We find that even though the majority of scientists report the independence view through our survey, when interviewed they say that religion and scientific work overlap considerably and in distinctive ways from the United States and the United Kingdom. Specifically, Indian scientific institutions (1) seek religious authorization, (2) offer religious accommodation to staff and students, and (3) facilitate selective integration of religion into the workplace. Our article shows how, in spite of scientists’ espoused preferences for non-overlapping magisteria and attempts to construct boundaries between religion and science, religion overlaps with science in scientific workplaces