The book titled Televising Religion in India – An Anthropological Reading was released on the 21st February, 2022. Authored by Dr. Manoj Kumar Das, HOD/In-Charge of the Department of Mass Communication, Central University of Sikkim, the book has been published by Routledge. The book — is currently priced between £120 ( INR 13284.00 INR on Flipkart, and INR 11340.00 on Amazon)—and makes its global debut in the American and European markets before its South Asian Edition is released.
This is significant given that not many works are available on media anthropology in India, and hardly any in television-religion studies. Dr Manoj Kumar Das is one of the few single authors in the country to have a Routledge (or similar international) publication in the field of communication studies.
Through three case studies from Sikkim, Dr. Das underscores how rituals and myths function in mass media, how traditional institutions and religious practices redefine themselves through their association with the visual mass medium, and how identities based on religion, cultural traditions and politics are reinforced, transformed, and amplified through television. Of late, Dr. Das has been working in the field of online religion and has completed an ICSSR funded project on youth’s engagement with online religion. He has been guiding and mentoring MPhil and PhD scholars. Indeed. he is an inspiration to all academics, media practitioners and media researchers.
Title of the Book: Televising Religion in India – An Anthropological Reading
Author: Dr. Manoj Kumar Das
Pages: 254
ISBN: 9780367146184
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
This book explores how religion manifests itself in television. It focuses on how religious traditions, practices, and discourses have been incorporated into non-religious television programmes and how they bring both the community and the media into the fold of religion.
The volume traces the cultural and institutional history of television in the state of Sikkim, India, to investigate how it became part of the cultural life of the communities. The author analyses three televised shows that captured the community’s imagination and became ceremonial and religious engagement. Through these case studies, he highlights how rituals and myths function in mass media, how traditional institutions and religious practices redefine themselves through their association with the visual mass medium, and how identities based on religion, cultural tradition, and politics are reinforced, transformed, and amplified through television. The book further analyses the engagement of televised religion with audiences, its reach, relevance, and contents and its relationship with urbanity, tradition, and identity.
This volume will be of interest to students and researchers of media and communication studies, cultural studies, religious studies, sociology, cultural anthropology, and history.
The book can be accessed through the link below:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Manoj Kumar Das is a senior assistant professor and in charge of the Department of Mass Communication, Sikkim University, Gangtok, India. He worked as a development sector professional with some leading organizations in India before making a mid-career switch to academics in 2007. With a master’s degree and MPhil in Mass Communication, he earned his doctoral degree from New Delhi-based Jamia Millia Islamia’s Centre for Culture, Media and Governance. His primary area of interest has been in the field of media and religion, and he has recently concluded a research project on digital religion and youth, sponsored by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR). His other interest areas include media anthropology, journalism studies, and communication for development.
