Temple Management in Āgamas
Indica.Courses is pleased to offer a pioneering course to understand temple management through the lens of the ancient canon of the Agamas which codify temple building and worship.
Faculty
12 June 2021 - 20 September 2021
06:30 PM - 07:30 PM IST
Saturday and Monday
Introduction
When modern organizations are lauded for longevity and management just for lasting 100 years, isn’t it amazing that we have temples functioning for more than 1500 years? What is the secret of this continuity?
The secret lies in the āgamas – the canonical texts that are the heart of temple building and worship.
In this course, we will explore the āgamic basis of temples, the essence of what makes a temple, the functions of a temple, the worship schedule, resources required and reconstruct the management structure intended in the āgamas. We will also look at a few case studies.
Learners will be given homework and short assignments.
Objectives
- Understand Temples and Temple Management in ancient India
Expected Outcomes
- Understanding the unique nature, functions, people, structure and organization of āgamic temples
- Understanding of what makes an āgamic temple sacred
- Appreciation of the nature and schedule of pūjā performed at an āgamic temple
- Understanding the work done by the various people in a temple
- Understanding what needs to be managed at a temple
- And hopefully, a passion to learn more about temples, āgamas and inscriptions!
Syllabus
- Introduction to temples
- Management concepts
- Introduction to āgamas
- Worship structure
- Workforce
- Administration
- Organization structure
- Case studies
- Lessons for the present
Reading List
- Temple Management in the Āgama-s by Dr. Deepa Duraiswamy
- Srimad Kāmikāgama, English translation by Dr. S. P. Sabharatnam
- Other material to be provided in class
Faculty
Dr. Deepa Duraiswamy
Dr. Deepa Duraiswamy holds degrees in engineering and management from the University of Pune and IIM Calcutta. Her desire to understand the āgama-s and make them more accessible for a modern audience led to an interdisciplinary Ph.D. on “Temple Management in the Āgamas” at the Department of Sanskrit, University of Madras that is now published as a book by Indic Academy. She has taught an introductory course on Śaiva Siddhānta at the Department of Saiva Siddhanta, University of Madras. She hopes to continue exploring this ancient system that seems to be at the core of sanātana dharma in practice.