Shriya Sridharan Presents at CAA 2023 conference
Shriya Sridharan (Art and Art History) presented her paper, “Architecture or Agamas: How is the Transcendental Experience Created in Hindu Sacred Spaces?” at the 2023 College Art Association’s annual conference in February. Her paper was part of a panel titled, “Creating Sacred Space.” Shriya’s paper expands the research on Hindu temples through an analysis of the architectural atmospheres and multi-sensory triggers that are structured to produce the experience of sacrality in worshippers. She argues that lived experiences of everyday users are central to the production of meanings delineating Hindu sacred spaces, and highlights this with examples of culturally coded ritual pathways, placement of narrative panels, and ephemeral practices in contemporary temples. Her travel and attendance at this conference in New York were made possible by SCU’s AYAL Professional Activity Grant and the Dean’s grant.