I teach the religious history of India and South Asian religious literature in translation. My research interests focus on the Tamil-speaking peoples of South Asia from their earliest appearance to the present, with special attention to two periods : the 8th-9th century period of Alvar and Nayanmar developments in the context of temples and expansion into Southeast Asia; and the 18th-19th century period of interaction between Christians, Hindus, and Muslims, notably between the Protestants and others. I am completing a detailed study of the Vaikuntha Perumal Temple in Kanchipuram and am applying its Bhagavata code to other Vaishnava temples in India and in Southeast Asia. I seek to understand the history of the Bhagavata religion and its diffusion as manifest in written texts and in built texts in the form of temples and sculptures. Involved is the relation of Bhakti to Tantra or Agama, with particular attention to the Pancaratra Agama as the most ancient and pervasive liturgical dimension to the Bhagavata religion, whose origin appears to date at least to c.400 BCE.

On Samavesham:
"Men Dressed as Women: What Does it Mean?" My intent is to explore this theme as I find it in the Bhagavata Religion, which centers on Krishna as the complete embodiment of Narayana. I will draw on stories from traditional literature, both Sanskrit and Tamil, to look for ways to understand why men dressed as women play important roles in South Asian religions and cultures; this phenomenon does not appear to be important to religions that have developed from the Mediterrean region. This talk will probably raise more questions than it answers, but I hope it will stimulate further thought and discussion.