Shani on the web: Virality and vitality in digital popular Hinduism

Bhatia, Varuni (2020) Shani on the web: Virality and vitality in digital popular Hinduism. Religions, 11 (9). p. 456. ISSN 2077-1444

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Abstract

What do god posters circulating online tell us about the practice of popular Hinduism in the age of digital mediatization? The article seeks to address the question by exploring images and god posters dedicated to the planetary deity Shani on Web 2.0. The article tracks Shani’s presence on a range of online platforms—from the religion and culture pages of newspapers to YouTube videos and social media platforms. Using Shani’s presence on the Web as a case study, the article argues that content drawn from popular Hinduism, dealing with astrology, ritual, religious vows and observances, form a significant and substantial aspect of online Hinduism. The article draws attention to the specific affordances of Web 2.0 to radically rethink what engaging with the sacred object in a virtual realm may entail. In doing so, it indicates what the future of Hindu religiosity may look like.

Item Type:	Article
Authors:	Bhatia, Varuni
Document Language:	Language English
Subjects:	News media, journalism, publishing Religion > Philosophy & theory of religion > Concepts of God Social sciences > Sociology & anthropology > Culture & institutions
Divisions:	Azim Premji University - Bengaluru > School of Arts and Sciences
Full Text Status:	Public
URI:	http://publications.azimpremjiuniversity.edu.in/id/eprint/7180
Publisher URL:	https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11090456

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