The Department of Religious Studies is excited to share an upcoming Study Abroad opportunity in Goa, India for Summer 2027. The program is directed by Professor Mark McLaughlin of the W&M Religious Studies Department and runs from May 28 to July 3. Students will have the opportunity to participate in 2 courses taught by both Professor McLaughlin and Professor Vishvesh Kandolkar of the Goa College of Architecture.
The first 3 weeks of William & Mary's summer abroad program in India will be based in Panjim, Goa, where students will participate in a COLL 300 art history course (taught by Professor Vishvesh Kandolkar of the Goa College of Architecture), and a COLL 200 ALV (taught by Professor McLaughlin, Director of the Goa Program). The art history course focuses on Goan architecture and its reflection of and relationship to social, political, and cultural identity of Goa and its appropriation in the colonial, modern, and post-modern eras. The COLL 200 ALV examines the intersection of Hindu temple architecture & ritual with modern western conservation practices, as well as environmentally sustainable solutions for the Hindu religious festivals of Ganesh Chaturthi and Holi.
Students will also briefly explore the historical and philosophical development of Hindu and Buddhist meditation/yoga traditions and the ramifications of the subsequent globalization and biomedicalization of their practices. Students will be introduced to these secularized evidenced-based meditation practices with the option of attending daily morning meditations on site in Panjim.
The last two weeks of the program carry students into the field to the ancient and medieval temple compounds of Hampi, Pattadakal, Badami, Mahakuta, Ellora, & Ajanta. Via these site visits, students conduct their culminating project exploring the ramifications of modern conservation practices on the intimate and tactile ritual engagement of Hindu temple traditions.
Reves Summer Scholarships are available for the program, and seniors are eligible to apply. If you are interested, please visit the program's website for further information and contact Professor McLaughlin (mjmclaughlin@wm.edu) with any questions.
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