This course focuses on texts, popular culture, and political formations that have shaped religious traditions from earliest times to the present. We explore the intersection of religion and power in order to understand how ritual practices, festivals and events, historical memory, ethical imperatives, and violence have constituted the everyday lives of people living their religions. The course investigates how colonial discourses and institutions have changed the practice and perception of religions in the region. We will not only study religions such as Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, and Sikhism among others, but will also investigate the interface between these traditions.