Research
The Department of Cultural and Religious History of South Asia stands as one of Europe's premier research and study centers in the field, offering optimal facilities and resources. Whether you are beginning your academic journey or are an established scholar, you will find here a vibrant intellectual community dedicated to rigorous inquiry into South Asian cultures.
Our international faculty pursues scholarship grounded in philological expertise and textual analysis, distinctively complemented by anthropological fieldwork—a methodological approach known as 'ethno-indology' that bridges textual scholarship with lived cultural realities. Through our research-based teaching, students learn not only about South Asia but how to research South Asia, acquiring the philological, analytical, and fieldwork skills essential for independent scholarly work.
Our research encompasses several key areas of specialization which you can explore below in the individual projects. Each of these areas offers opportunities for both student learning and collaborative research with visiting scholars.
Research in Heidelberg benefits from the exceptional holdings of the South Asia Institute library, part of the CATS library system, which houses over 600,000 titles and extensive audiovisual resources—one of the most comprehensive collections of its kind. Our intellectual community is continually complemented by international visiting scholars who contribute to the Institute's dynamic research program, informed by deep local knowledge, global and transcultural perspectives, and sustained international collaboration.
