Paper short abstract:

The study is a part of my PhD project which aims to explore a) In what ways the use of digital space promotes diverse voices and facilitates the inclusion of previously silenced voices in Hinduism, and b) How digital platforms are contributing to the growth of new fundamentalist Hindutva narratives.

Paper long abstract:

The mandated physical distancing to curtail the transmission of COVID-19 led to an increase of innovative ways of religious engagement like e-Satsang, e-prayer, online ceremonies, email prayer, etc. Contemporary life is becoming a hybrid experience encompassing both offline and digital worlds synchronously (Campbell, 2012). In digital space, both online and offline religious spheres are constantly interpenetrating and becoming a site to explore how religion evolves with the new technology. Through a detailed exploration of offline and online Hindu beliefs and practices, this study asks what it means to be religious or 'do religion' outside traditional physical and institutional contexts?

Over the last few decades, a significant shift can be seen in the ways Hinduism is practiced in India. The fluidity and flexibility of digital space encourage diverse voices in Hinduism, which were once excluded (Balaji, 2017). It facilitates the access to religious services such as online 'ritual'(worship, pilgrimage) for transgender and marginalized Hindus. The communicative structure of new digital media and the Internet during the 1990s empowered the religious symbols to disrupt the social and cultural barrier in established hierarchical social structure (Babb & Wadley,1995). The emergence of new digital media in the last three decades has further enhanced religious symbols' spatial and social mobility (Babb & Wadley,1995). Thus, it challenges us to explore the emerging pattern of Hindu religiosity and how the mediation of technology enriches and modifies individual's everyday religious experiences.