Speaker: Maurice O'Connor, Departamento de Filología Francesa e Inglesa (Department of French and English Philology), Universidad de Cádiz (University of Cádiz) – Academia.edu, ResearchGate

Abstract: »Hinduism, unlike its Abrahamic religious counterparts, is unique in the fact that there is a marked absence of hierarchal and institutional bodies that impose a moral and political organizing structure upon its followers. In lieu of this lack, it is the singular guru-shishya relationship, established within the walls of the ashram, which forms the backbone of the Hindu faith. Here is framed the transmission of ancient mystic-religious teachings, a relationship understood through the principle of bhakti, the devotional surrender to the guru, who takes on a God-like semblance. Within this context, my paper shall provide a close reading of Anuradha Roy’s Sleeping on Jupiter in conjunction with this guru tradition and, through the central character of Nomita Frederiksen, I shall examine this mentoring tradition and how it can be open to perversion. Central to principal theme in Sleeping on Jupiter is the question of sexual abuse, and I shall juxtapose this violence against brachmacharya, a key philosophy within Hinduism where the practicing of celibacy becomes a vehicle towards spiritual liberation. While the temple town of Jarmuli and the character Guruji pertain to a work of literary fiction, I shall make a bridge between this imaginary locus and other, real-life, locations and actors within contemporary India which evidence the verisimilitude of Roy’s work.« (Source: : 4^o Congreso Internacional de la Asociación Española de Estudios Interdisciplinarios sobre India)

Wikipedia: History of Asia: History of India / History of the Republic of India | Literature: Indian literature / Anuradha Roy (novelist) | Sex and the law: Sexual assault