[INDOLOGY] Mantras in South Asia (ECSAS 2025)

[Finn Moore Gerety]

Hello colleagues—
On behalf of Borayin Larios, Carola Lorea, and myself, I’d like to share this call for submissions to our panel on mantras<https://ecsas2025.com/panel/93-moral-politics-in-south-asian-publics/> at this year’s European Conference on South Asian Studies (ECSAS). The conference will be held at Heidelberg in October 2025; the deadline for submissions is January 30th through this portal<https://ecsas2025.com/>.

Please share widely with your colleagues and students currently working on mantras. We aim to convene an interdisciplinary conversation animated by our research agendas within the ERC-funded Synergy project, “Mantras in Religion, Media, and Society in Global Southern Asia” (MANTRAMS).

Yours,
Finn

MANTRAS: TRANSCULTURAL AND MULTISENSORY PERPSPECTIVES
This panel delves into the multifaceted world of mantras, emphasizing their significance as sacred utterances used in rituals, prayers, contemplation, and wellness practices. Originating in southern Asia, mantras have played pivotal roles in rites, meditation, worship, and healing traditions spanning millennia. The research explores the materiality and performative aspects of mantras, examining their roles in healing and magical practices across cultures. Central to our investigation are questions about how mantras function through various sensory modalities and the kinesthetic elements that enhance their transformative potential. Our interdisciplinary approach considers mantras not merely as linguistic constructs but as dynamic, multimodal experiences expressed through manuscripts, stones, voice, meditation, movement, amulets, tattoos, aroma, and attire. This panel features contributions from scholars in anthropology, religious studies, history, and digital humanities, drawing insights from ongoing research initiatives such as the MANTRAMS project. Discussions encompass the global dissemination of mantras through diasporic networks, new religious movements, and digital platforms, highlighting their enduring significance in traditional and modern contexts.


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