Global and International Studies Program, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program, Art History and Visual Culture Program, and Asian Studies Program Present

Durga Puja: The Festival of the Goddess in South Asia

In the state of Bengal, India, the biggest holiday of the year is the great worship celebration of the goddess Durga. In the Hindu tradition of Shaktism, Durga has many roles: as mother, creator, warrior, and savior. During Durga Puja (Sept 28th to Oct 2nd this year), also known as the festival of Navaratri (or “Nine-Nights”), towns across India are full of shrines and celebrations, with special foods, clothing and fireworks. This presentation will look at the arts and rituals associated with this festival, including imagery that is both ancient and modern.

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Dr. June McDaniel is Professor emerita of the History of Religions in the Dept. of Religious Studies, College of Charleston. She is the author of three books on India, including Offering Flowers, Feeding Skulls: Popular Goddess Worship in West Bengal (Oxford, 2004), a book on mysticism, two recently co-edited volumes (on mysticism and Hindu holy women), and many articles. She holds an MTS from Emory University and a PhD in the History of Religions from the University of Chicago. Her two years of fieldwork in India have been funded by the American Institute of Indian Studies and the Fulbright Program (as Senior Research Scholar).

For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].

Time: 3:30 pm – 4:40 pm EDT/GMT-4

Location: Online via Zoom: https://bard.zoom.us/j/89627139138

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