The Domestication of ‘Hindu’ Asceticism and the Religious Making of South and Southeast Asia (DHARMA)

With more than a billion followers worldwide, Hinduism is the third largest religion and has a rich history and diverse traditions, rituals, practices, and theological and philosophical systems. However, due to the diversity and inaccessibility of vital historical sources, it remains under-researched. To fill this knowledge gap, the EU-funded DHARMA project will study the history of Hinduism from a comparative perspective. Focusing on the epigraphy of south and south-east Asia during the period from the 6th to the 13th century, DHARMA will examine inscriptions, manuscripts and archaeological artefacts, using digital technology to contextualise and analyse them. Findings will be disseminated to present the wealth and complexity of regional interacting contexts, including religion, state and society.