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SUMMARY:Buddhism and Donation: Rock-cut Monasteries of the Western Ghats  
 - Gethin Rees\, Faculty of Divinity
DTSTART:20121105T160000Z
DTEND:20121105T170000Z
UID:TALK41133@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Jennifer Bates
DESCRIPTION:The presentation examines the relationship between Buddhist mo
 nastic communities and wider society in Early Historic South Asia. The rol
 e of donation in this relationship is assessed through a case study of the
  rock-cut monasteries of the Western Ghats. Scholarly attention has focuse
 d on monasteries that accommodated large monastic communities and incorpor
 ated ostentatious architectural features and sculptures. These monasteries
  have been prioritised at the expense of many smaller monasteries that acc
 ommodated fewer monks and nuns\, and which were plain in design. The devel
 opment of these diverse monasteries is examined here using texts\, inscrip
 tions\, rock-cut monasteries and landscape archaeology. These data are int
 egrated in a Geographical Information System\, allowing the relationship b
 etween rock-cut monasteries\, urban centres\, trade routes and ports to be
  elucidated. Analysis indicates that donations had an important impact on 
 the distribution and scale of monasteries. The presentation re-evaluates t
 he importance of trade that passed through the Western Ghats and provides 
 a framework for examining Buddhist monasteries located throughout South As
 ia. The study of Buddhism is taken beyond art\, inscriptions and texts by 
 the examination of religious interaction as a process. 
LOCATION:Seminar Room\, McDonald Institute for Archaeology\, Downing Site
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