108 – PURĀṆA Media: Materiality and Cultural Production in South Asia
This panel will explore the diverse modes of cultural production in South Asia encompassed by the term purāṇa (a Sanskrit word denoting things 'ancient' or 'primordial'). Populated by deities, sages,
and a host of other more-than-human agents, the purāṇic past has been disseminated through a wide range of media and forms of embodied knowledge. As a narrative discourse, purāṇa has played a
crucial role in shaping history and cultural memory in early South Asia. In the contemporary world, this discourse continues to (re)create the past as a social, political, and affective force.
This panel invites contributions that focus particular attention on the materiality of narrative production and the ways material texts—such as manuscripts, maps, narrative images, inscribed objects, printed books, etc.—shape the communities in which they circulate. In what ways are texts' meanings conditioned by the material assemblages and social infrastructures in which they are created, used, sold, seized, stolen, traded, discarded, or treasured? How do the lives of material texts become enmeshed with those of their makers and keepers over time and across space? This panel seeks to attract scholars interested in innovative, transdisciplinary approaches to the intersection of material culture and narrative, encouraging a broader discussion on the impact of purāṇic media in both historical and contemporary contexts. Through these explorations, we hope
to shed light on the enduring significance of purāṇa in the cultural landscapes of South Asia.
