https://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/22/world/asia/22India.html?searchResultPosition=2
https://www.nytimes.com/1997/08/30/us/parade-caps-festival-for-a-hindu-god.html?searchResultPosition=2
and https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/calcutta/durga-puja-in-kolkata-migrant-mother-as-the-goddess-at-barisha-club-in-behala/cid/1794797
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durga_Puja
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Hindu_temples_in_India
Your Assignment:
On the basis of the class discussion on the history of the rise of the Bhakti in the post Bhagavadgita, post-Buddhist era, and examples of the current examples of Bhakti in Hindu public life (see the three articles from the NYT, and the Telegraph, India) discuss how Bhakti may function in the popular religious culture in India.
Your presentation should comprise of 5 slides that address the broader function of Bhakti in South Asian religious culture. Make sure to comment on
1) the history of the rise of Bhakti movement, and the role of the idea of Avatar in popularizing Bhakti in south Asia,
2) What are the common expressions of Bhakti, and why is that significant for the health of the religious culture in south Asia?
3) What do the examples of the Puja (of Durga, and Ganesha as depicted in the New York Times, and Telegraph, India articles) tell you about how Bhakti functions in contemporary society?
4) Do you find Bhakti useful in understanding the phenomenon of religion beyond Hinduism?
Remember to cite your sources properly (MLA style), organize your presentation thoughtfully, speak clearly, and show you have understood the material discussed in class.
NOTE: Your presentation should focus primarily on the readings from the text, class notes, and the three newspaper articles cited above. The wikipedia links are provided to give you a very general background but should not be used as primary sources.