Mythopolitics in South Asia

Please attend this wonderful talk about the Hindu god of technology. “Historical and regional variation in representations of the god prompts us to ask, “Who and what does Vishwakarma worship make visible? When? How?””

Vishwakarma Worship and Its Iconographies - Centre for Development and the Environment Join us for this seminar with Kirin Narayan (Australian National University) and Kenneth M. George (Australian National University).

In the latest episode of the Nordic Asia Podcast, Moumita Sen and Kenneth Bo Nielsen are joined by Sharika Thiranagama, Praskanva Sinharay and Michael Stausberg to discuss the phenomenon of political deification in South Asia.

Political Deification in South Asia by The Nordic Asia Podcast A Discussion with Moumita Sen, Michael Stausberg, Praskanva Sinharay and Sharika Thiranagama

What are the key takeaways from the recently concluded state elections in India? In this episode of the Nordic Asia Podcast, G**o W. Samuelsen talks about the significance of the BJP victory in Uttar Pradesh (UP) and India - and what the outcome implies for the political landscape ahead of the next general election in 2024.

India's Five State Elections and their Implications India's Five State Elections and their Implications

Mythopolitics contributes to a profile on Narendra Modi in today's Morgenbladet (in Norwegian):

– Modi har et teflonlag rundt seg Årets verste statsleder: Narendra Modi har forvandlet India fra et stabilt demokrati til et hindunasjonalistisk autokrati hvor journalister og minoriteter knebles.

Are you looking for a postdoc? Would you like to join our fantastic team in Oslo? MF is an excellent workplace for postdocs with kind and supportive colleagues and leaders. Please go through our project website, prepare a proposal that addresses our research interests, and apply! Don’t hesitate to drop us a line if you want to ask us about research areas. Deadline 15.01.22. Online form here:

Postdoctoral research fellows (212945) | MF Norwegian School of Theology Job title: Postdoctoral research fellows (212945), Employer: MF Norwegian School of Theology, Deadline: Saturday, January 15, 2022

We are hiring a part-time research assistant. If you are considering pursuing an academic career, this position will provide you with invaluable insights into the research process and the chance to work with a group of young and engaged scholars. https://mythopolitics.mf.no/vacancy-research-assistant/

In 15 minutes (follow link for zoom link):

MF CASR Lunch with Moumita Sen The separation of the religious and the political is posing new problems in Europe, while religious populisms emerge in cahoots with neoliberal capitalism and other novel configurations in the global South. Scholars working on religious politics in various regions of the global South, even those stu...

Moumita Sen and Kenneth Bo Nielsen argue that the terrain of mainstream Indian politics has shifted towards Hindu nationalism forcing us to reconsider the concept of "Soft Hindutva". They propose "Competitive Hindutva" as a more accurate idea for contemporary Indian politics.

Competitive Hindutva – AsiaPortal Competitive Hindutva post October 18, 2021October 18, 2021 Moumita Sen, associate professor of Culture Studies at MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion, and Society Kenneth Bo Nielsen, associate professor of social anthropology at the University of Oslo The run-up to next year’s state assembly...

On October 26th Dr. Moumita Sen will give a lunch talk on "Theory from the Margins: Religion, Politics, Aesthetics". The session is held in the MF library and live-streamed on Zoom. Please join!

MF CASR Lunch with Moumita Sen The separation of the religious and the political is posing new problems in Europe, while religious populisms emerge in cahoots with neoliberal capitalism and other novel configurations in the global South. Scholars working on religious politics in various regions of the global South, even those stu...

Today is the first day of Navaratri. Our researchers have worked extensively on the religious and political dimensons of this festival. Have a look at our publications on the subject at

Publications – Mythopolitics in South Asia Academic publications Sen, Moumita 2021. ‘Can Didi Truly Become Durgā? The Riddle of the Two Goddesses’ in Nine Nights of Power: Durgā, Dolls and Darbārs, eds. Ute Hüsken, Vasudha Narayana and Astrid Zotter, SUNY University Press. Einarsen, Silje L. 2021. Book review. ‘Religion and Technol...

The annual Asianet Conference will take place at MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion and Society on October 21-22. The conference is open to all, no registration required. Check out the programme:

ASIANET 2021: Authoritarianism, populism and new forms of nationalism in Asia - Centre for Development and the Environment The annual Asianet conference 2021 is hosted by MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion and Society, in collaboration with the Norwegian Network for Asian Studies.