Stories of the Flesh: Colonial and Anthropological Discourses on the South Indian Goddess Mariyamman
Stories of the Flesh: Colonial and Anthropological Discourses on the South Indian Goddess Mariyamman by Perundevi Srinivasan M.Sc., Chemistry, Annamalai University, India, 1988 M.A., Women’s Studies, Mother Teresa Women’s University, India, 1995 M.A., Religion, The George Washington University, 2008 M.Phil., Human Sciences, The George Washington University, 2005 A Dissertation submitted to The Faculty of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences of The George Washington University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy August 31, 2009 Dissertation directed by Alfred John Hiltebeitel Professor of Religion and Human Sciences The Columbian College of The George Washington University certifies that Perundevi Srinivasan has passed the Final Examination for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy as of June 18, 2009. This is the final and approved form of the dissertation. Stories of the Flesh: Colonial and Anthropological Discourses on the South Indian Goddess Mariyamman Perundevi Srinivasan Dissertation Research Committee: Alfred John Hiltebeitel, Professor of Religion and Human Sciences, Dissertation Director Marshall W. Alcorn, Jr., Professor of English and Human Sciences, Committee Member Andrew Zimmerman, Associate Professor of History and Human Sciences, Committee Member ii © Copyright 2009 by Perundevi Srinivasan All rights reserved iii Acknowledgements This dissertation would not have been possible without the intellectual succor and emotional support provided by Professor Alf Hiltebeitel. A meticulous and brilliant scholar as he is, Alf introduced me to scholarship in the fields of religion and human sciences. Alf helped me shape the ideas of this dissertation as they evolved through our continuous conversations and his stimulating critiques.
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