Researching on religion
Prasheel, is the only Indian to present a paper in the 12th World Congress of Semiotics
By : anisha dhiman
Update: 2014-09-02 23:35 GMT
Hyderabad:Prasheel Anand Banpur, a PhD student of University of Hyderabad (UoH), wrote a research paper on a topic that not only angered his family but also had institutions running a mile away when he approached them for sponsorships.
But Prasheel is having the last laugh as he prepares to present the same research paper at the 12th World Congress of Semiotics to be held in Bulgaria from September 16 to 20. Flesh, Metal, and Verse: Culture of Violence in Brahmanic Mythological Sign Systems and Meaning is the title of the Prasheel’s paper.
The research paper aims at addressing the popular myth that Hinduism is a peaceful religion and by way of semiotic analysis brings to the fore certain aspects of the religion which are violent in nature.
“The paper looks at the three primary male Gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva and three Goddesses Saraswati, Laxmi, Parvati of the Brahmanic conception,” says Prasheel, who spent three to four years collecting all the data.
Prasheel is not only representing UoH but also the country as he is the only one chosen this year to present his research paper. “My family is very religious and they weren’t very happy when I took up this research. I had a tough time getting funding because of the research’s controversial nature and my university, too, rejected the topic I had chosen. I know it is a sensitive issue, but my work is not a writing on the wall and is open to debate,” he says.