DESCRIPTION: A survey of Hindu religious teachings, stories, and history, as expressed through the holy days and festivals celebrated each fall by Hindus throughout India and abroad, during which ideas, stories, and values are transmitted from one generation to the next. Examines the little understood and rarely discussed historical development behind each celebration, based on both ancient and contemporary sources, thereby reveling why Hindu ideas and history have remained compelling to Hindus for thousands of years. [Download map of India] (3 units, GE area: C1)

THIS SECTION will focus on the fortnight dedicated to honoring ancestors, the festival of Ganesha, the Nine Nights dedicated to the Goddess Durga and the subsequent celebration of Rama's Victory, and the Divali festival of lights. Team-based learning will be the primary mode of engaging with primary sources (see www.teambasedlearning.org).

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: after attentively engaging with the materials presented in this course, you should be able to:

1. (a) effectively answer basic questions, posed by a peer unfamiliar with the religions of India, regarding key terms, images and primary sources related to the Hindu holy days and festivals celebrated each fall; and
   (b) locate reliable scholarly sources that address aspects of Hindu religious life that you want to understand more fully, in order to guide you in locating and reading reliable sources that address those questions.
2. (a) describe accurately and precisely, again for a peer unfamiliar with Hindu traditions, the primary sources that feature the key terms and images mentioned in #1(a); and
   (b) present a balanced selection of excerpts from those sources that supports your statements about them.
3. (a) compare and contrast, for class members as well as peers outside the classroom, different viewpoints and rituals of the Hindu traditions mentioned above; and
   (b) compare and contrast the Hindu traditions you study in class with those you observe directly at local worship sites.
4. effectively communicate with others while refining the skills listed in #1-3.
5. appreciate both the emotional impact and intellectual fascination of South Asian culture.
6. continue to investigate, as modeled in throughout the course, the religion and culture of the people you encounter throughout your life.

SOURCES: You are responsible for obtaining the course pack entitled "HRS 147A: The Hindu Year--Fall Season," which is printed by and available from www.universityreaders.com at the above URL (click the "Buy Here " button at the top right side) or by calling 1-800-200-3908. In the schedule provided below, I refer to the course pack simply as CP. You must bring this course pack with you to each class meeting; with the exception of two sources available on-line (see links in the schedule), CP contains all the required readings for the course.

In addition, the course schedule includes a number of extra credit readings. A few of these are in CP, but most will need to accessed on-line (via the link next to each title) or the reserve book room (across from the main entrance of the library).

Finally, the campus bookstore has also ordered several copies of each of the following recommended texts, for those seeking a deeper understanding of Hindu religious life. The first two are primarily scholarly sources; the others, while generally informed by scholarly research, offer a more of an insider's perspective on the traditions studied. Excerpts from most of these are included in the schedule of readings.

C.J. Fuller, The Camphor Flame: Popular Hinduism & Society in India
   (recommended pages noted in schedule, with title abbreviated as TCF)
Encyclopedia Britannica (On-line entries re: Hindu art & religion)
William Mahony, The Artful Universe: an Introduction to the Vedic Religious Imagination
John Grimes, Ganapati, Song of the Self
Thomas Coburn, Encountering the Goddess: the Devi Mahatmya and its Interpretation
Om Lata Bahadur, The Complete Guide to Hindu Festivals & Ceremonies

ATTENDANCE: This course relies heavily on interactive learning, and such learning cannot take place without your being physically and mentally present in the classroom.  As per the department's policy for courses that meet twice a week, after an allowable maximum of two absences, fifty (50) points will be subtracted (= 1/2 grade) from your overall score for the class for each class missed. Also, repeated tardiness and/or consistent failure to bring assigned reading materials are both highly distracting, and either may be counted as an absence; repeatedly leaving class early may also count as an absence.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Due to the high volume of emails I must process, I ask that you please not contact me (by phone or email) simply to announce an absence. To have your absence considered excused, please submit documentation as specified below under "Exceptions." If you are unsure what you have missed from being absent, please consult the syllabus and/or contact a team member. If you still have questions, these can usually best be addressed by approaching me face to face at the next class meeting.

CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE: I ask students who arrive late to wait outside the door for a pause in the class presentation (usually 10-15 minutes). Please handle cell phones as you would on an airplane: keep them turned off and stowed away for the entire duration of the class.

Once the class has started, I ask that everyone remain seated during all presentations involving the entire class. Also, please be mindful of sights, sounds, and smells that are distracting to the instructor and other students, such as eating, leaving cell phones turned on, and side conversing with a neighbor while someone else is speaking to the class. If you wish to use a laptop, send me a description of exactly what you plan to use it for; please wait to receive my approval before using it. No recording, photographs or text messaging are permitted without my prior permission.

EXCEPTIONS to the above-stated policies may be granted in rare instances for compelling reasons, which generally must be verified in writing by a medical or some other professional. An absence will be considered unexcused until and unless you present documentation to explain it--ideally by the next class that you are able to attend, or as soon therafter as possible.

EMAIL: in order to receive updates regarding class sessions throughout the term, you are required to maintain an active email address for the duration of the course. Please send me an email to confirm this within the first ten days of the term; to facilitate my handling of student correspondence, include the abbreviation "HRS 147A" or "THY" in the subject heading of all emails. You may register for an advertisement-free email account from any open lab on campus; for instructions, call 278-7337 or go to www.csus.edu/saclink/settingUp.stm.

IMPORTANT NOTE: I answer student emails on Monday and Wednesday afternoons, and usually sometime end of week or weekend, as time allows. For queries that require immediate attention, please call or leave a voice mail at 278-5332. As noted about under "Attendance," I ask that you not contact me simply to announce an absence.

ASSIGNMENTS: In order to successfully finish this course you must complete
1. four (4) RPTs ( "reading preparation tests") (3 x 50 points, 300 points total)
   [composite of individual and team scores, with lowest score dropped]
2. a portfolio of in-class team assignments (300 points total):
   [includes a 100 point Peer Evaluation and 50 points for individual homework]
3. three (2) Unit Tests (1 page take-home, 2 x 50 points, 100 points total with lowest score dropped)
4. two (2) Observation Reports (or substitute an interview for second report)
   (2-3 pages each, 2 x 100 points, 200 points total)
5. one (1) Observation Analysis (5-6 page take-home, 100 points)
[GRADING SCALE: 940-1000 points=A, 900-939=A-, 870-899=B+, 840--879=B, 800-839=B-, etc.]

GRADING POLICIES: Barring genuine emergencies, no make-ups are available for RPTs. Generally no rewrites of observation reports are allowed; however you may wish to show me prelimary drafts (submitted for review at least three days prior to the deadline). I do accept late assignments, but subtract 5% from your overall score for each class day late; I will however not accept late submissions for the final assignment ("Observation Analysis").

If you have a documented disability and verification from the Office of Services to Students with Disabilities (Lassen Hall 1008, x6955), and wish to discuss academic accommodations, please contact me within the first two weeks of the term. I consider extreme difficulty with social interaction and interpersonal communication a legitimate disability (formally known as ASD), which should be brought to my attention as soon as possible since team work is such an integral part of the course.

I will generally elect severe penalties for academic dishonesty on Unit Tests, Observation Reports, and the final Term Analysis: a zero score for the assignment, and failing the course for a second offense. You are responsible for reading my comments regarding the importance of academic honesty in FAQ, #10-13, and for requesting clarification if there is anything you do not understand.

Finally, students needing extra time to complete their work for the course must submit an application for an incomplete grade, available in MND 2011. Without this form I cannot assign an imcomplete grade.

SCHEDULE: All readings listed should be completed by the day under which they are listed. All numbers in the schedule are page numbers unless otherwise noted.

Introduction: "Hinduism," Contemporary Sacramento, & Team-Based Learning

Unit 1: Daily Worship in the Vedic & Shaivite Traditions

Unit 2: The Fortnight of the Ancestors & the Festival of Ganesha (September 3)

Unit 3: The Nine Nights of the Great Goddess (September 30-October 8)

Unit 4: Victory Tenth & the Festival of Lights (October 9 & 28)

WARNING:Barring submission of a petition for an incomplete or some documentation of an extreme circumstance, and in contrast to my late policy during the semester, no term analysis will be accepted after the beginning of class of the final class session.

IMPORTANT NOTE: if you wish to retrieve your term analysis & observation reports, please attach to your paper a self-addressed stamped envelope (4" x 9" is usually OK if unless your paper is unusally thick) with sufficient postage for 3 ounces (currently $0.76 or two first-class stamps). Papers submitted without an envelope will receive only minimal comments and eventually be recycled without shredding.

DISCLAIMER:  As you will learn from this term’s calendrical study of Hindu traditions (if you didn’t know it already!) the nature of life is change.  In creating this syllabus I have tried to be as careful as possible to get all the details right.  However in certain situations, whenever I notice that an error has been made--or that a change would significantly further the objectives of the course--I reserve the right to make alterations in the syllabus. I will always give you at least three day’s notice, both in class and by sending out an email about the change.

OTHER COURSES OF INTEREST: • Asian Civilization" (HIS 006) • "Art of India &Southeast Asia" (ART 117A) • "Cultures of South Asia" (ANTH 149)

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