My proposed research topic for the time I will spend in India is focused on the relationship that Indian people have to water, from Delhi, to Chennai, to Varanasi. I’ll investigate why there is such a frequent connection between human beings and water, (aside from the obvious biological need for hydration) looking at the association between water and peace, serenity, and spiritual connection/cleansing. This is a phenomenon that has existed for much of recorded history, so I’m curious to study the phenomenon’s presence in India. Clearly there is a spiritual connection that exists between many people and water and I’ll consider the Ayurvedic traditions surrounding the cleansing power of water. For both physical and mental health, we often go to water—along with admiring the beauty of its forms in rivers, the ocean and lakes, and using it for entertainment, (i.e. swimming, kayaking, rafting, etc.). This topic is especially meaningful to me, given that I’ve grown up near the ocean and now live near some of the most beautiful rivers and waterfalls in the country, (and lately have been using them to learn whitewater kayaking!). Personally, I often feel at peace when in the presence of water, and am curious about the religious and Ayurvedic beliefs surrounding it within India.
When in Delhi, I plan to focus particularly on the Ayurvedic side of Indian peoples relationship with water. Its seen as balancing and creating physical harmony and I’m eager to learn how this harmony is orchestrated. Because Delhi is such a huge city, I’m assuming that it will be easiest to find information on this aspect of my topic. I plan to travel to Ladakh, where I can look into the Indus River. Next, I’ll consider the ocean in Chennai, and observe if there is a love for, and connection to the ocean there in the same way that there is in the United States. I hope to travel to Goa, which is also on the coast but seems to be a more tourist-oriented, vacation town, which will provide a new perspective as well. If I have time, I hope to visit Rishikesh as well, which is a center for white-water rafting. Finally, in Varanasi, I will immerse myself in the spirituality surrounding the Ganges. This portion of my topic has a great deal of research on it already, which will be helpful as the trip comes to a close. As many of us know, the Ganges is a river that flows throughout India coming from the Himalayas, (going to the headwaters would be an incredible side trip, if possible!) and people often bathe in the water, and even cremate bodies in it, with the hope that there is a religious power to the river.
The kinds of people that I want to interview will vary. In Delhi, I’ll hope to meet citizens that have experience with Ayurveda and can explain it in an accessible manner. While in Chennai and Varanasi I’ll look more towards spiritually-minded people, who can explain the connections, (or perhaps the lack of connections) to the river and ocean. In places like Goa and Rishikesh, I can interview both tourists and those that work in tourist economies on their experiences connecting with water. Ideally I’d like to speak with a great number of people to get a variety of views, but I’m not sure how many people I’ll be able to speak with given the language barrier, which poses a potential problem. I can probably use tactics of participant observation by immersing myself in these various environments, and perhaps just observing and taking notes.
Thomas Caldwell. “River of Life and Death: Women, Religion, Power and Purity in ‘Water,’” Screen Education Summer 2011.
This is about a film called Water from 2005, that discusses Varanasi and the sacred Ganges, and tells a realistic fictional story of three women living in poverty and a very conservation reading of Hinduism.
Rana P.B. Singh. “Water Symbolism and Sacred Landscape in Hinduism: A Study of Benares (Varanasi).” Erdkunde, 1994.
This excerpt seems perfect for my proposal—it begins by discussing ancient Hindu mythology and the importance and symbolism of water, often a symbol of life and giving us the ability to wash away our sins. It discusses the Ganges specifically as the most powerful and purifying body of water in Hinduism as a whole.
Swinal Samant. “Manifestation of the Urban Public Realm at the Water Edges in India.” University of Nottingham, June 2004.
Samant’s article also refers to the ghats along the Ganges and brings up potential strategies that could help the water become less threatening to the health of the environment around it, including the people who use it.
Govindasamy Agoramoorthy. “Sacred Rivers: Their Spiritual Significance in Hindu Religion.” Springer Science & Business Media, New York, 2004.
This writing covers not only information about the Ganges, but also the Indus river, and how Hinduism views these sacred spaces. He mentioned the personification of large rivers in India, being seen as deities and cleansing sins.
Carolyn Gregoire. “Why Being Near the Ocean Can Make You Calmer and More Creative.” Huffington Post, Sep 9, 2014.
This brief article just refers to a study from marine biologist Wallace J. Nichols, discussing the tendency for blue colors and proximity to water to create a more meditative state of mind.
Md. Nazrul Islam. “Reviving Ayurveda in Modern India: Prospect and Challenges.” International Review of Modern Sociology, Spring 2009.
Here is an article that focuses on the traditional use of Ayurveda as an alternative medicine, based off of filed work done in 2004-2005 in Calcutta.
Steven Engler. “‘Science’ vs. ‘Religion’ in Classical Ayurveda.” Numen, 2003.
This paper compares Ayurveda with typically western forms of medicine.
Bron Taylor. “Surfing into Spirituality and a New, Aquatic Nature Religion.” Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Dec. 2004.
Taylor’s paper actually begins with a quote from the Bhagavad Gita, “I am the ocean,” and a discussion of the healing power of nature and particularly of water. He focuses mainly of surfing communities, but I think that I could find some relevant writing.
Steven Knapp. “The Heart of Hinduism: The Eastern Path to Freedom, Empowerment, and Illumination.” 2005.
Here we see some details about the way Hinduism tends to deal with the ocean, seeing it as the place where material creation takes place.
A. Whitney Sanford, “Pinned on Karma Rock: Whitewater Kayaking as Religious Experience.” Oxford University Press, Dec. 2007.
This seems like a fun, interesting article and a fascinating take at whitewater kayaking. It describes kayaking as “an embodied encounter with the sacred, and the sacred encounter is mediated through the body’s performance in the water.” (875)