Interdisciplinary Study of Religions Program and Asian Studies Program Present
A God’s Second Life: Adi Atti Varadar Utsava
Monday, December 9, 2019
Olin Humanities, Room 102
3:10 pm – 4:30 pm EST/GMT-5
3:10 pm – 4:30 pm EST/GMT-5
A Talk by Dr. Ute Huesken
Head of Department, Cultural and Religious History of South Asia
Heidelberg University
The festival Adi Atti Varadar Utsava is celebrated only once in 40 years. At that time, the original wooden image of Viṣṇu, the main deity of the Varadarāja temple in the South Indian city Kanchipuram, emerges from the huge temple tank and is venerated for 40 days, only to be immersed again in the temple tank for another 40 years. I will talk about the different myths connected to this second statue of Viṣṇu and trace the historical roots of this event, which in summer 2019 attracted more than one million visitors from all over India.Head of Department, Cultural and Religious History of South Asia
Heidelberg University
For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].
Time: 3:10 pm – 4:30 pm EST/GMT-5
Location: Olin Humanities, Room 102