Join us at library where Anamika Bhattacharjee will present her doctoral research, which explores how British colonial scholars and administrators interpreted Hindu religious festivals during the East India Company period. Focusing particularly on Diwali and Holi, Anamika examines the ways in which British writings on Indian traditions were shaped by orientalist thought, astronomical interests, missionary ambitions, and colonial governance. Her thesis analyses key figures like William Jones, Horace Wilson, and Claudius Buchanan, investigating how their representations of Indian religious practices reflected broader political, cultural, and intellectual dynamics. The research sheds new light on the complex interplay between colonial knowledge production and indigenous religious life in South Asia.
Anamika is a PhD candidate in the School of History at the University of East Anglia. She holds previous degrees from the University of Delhi and Rabindra Bharati University and has taught history both in India and the UK. Her broader research interests include British imperialism, colonial historiography, orientalism, and religious and cultural exchanges in colonial India.
The talk will be followed by a Q&A session.
