The Goddess as Shakti
May 17, 2026
Class Description:
The Goddess as Shakti: Gender, Caste, and Worship of the Divine Feminine in Hinduism.” This session will be led by Dr. Dheepa Sundaram’s advisee, PhD candidate Deeptangshu Das, from the DU-Iliff Joint Doctoral Program (JDP). One of the unique doctrinal elements of the Hindu tradition is the worship of the mother goddess as an embodiment of cosmic energy or Shakti. As an expert on the Shakta tradition or the worship of goddesses, Das will offer an exposition on the different iterations of goddess worship, and how the figure of the goddess negotiates gender and caste hierarchies in the context of both mainstream and non-majoritarian traditions thereby highlighting the plurality and paradoxes inherent within Hinduism.
About Deeptangshu Das
Born and raised in the state of Assam (India), Deeptangshu Das is currently a Ph.D candidate in Religious Studies at the University of Denver and ILIFF School of Theology. His dissertation project examines the representation of non-majoritarian Goddesses in Assamese Vernacular Hinduism(s) based on an intersectional feminist study of devotional chapbooks and rituals. He was recently shortlisted by the prestigious Charlotte Newcombe Fellowship, one of 60 finalists to receive this consideration out of 700+ candidates. His broader research areas include Hindu and Buddhist Goddess traditions; Religion in Media and Popular Culture; Feminist and Queer Theory of Religion; Intersections of Religious Studies and Literary Studies. Equipped with M.Phil and MA degrees in English literature from the University of Delhi (India), he also holds over eight years of teaching experience as Assistant Professor in Indian universities.