Divergence and Alterity: Shrines, Sacrality, and Performing Arts in South and Southeast Asia

Friday, April 11, 2025 3:00 – 4:30 PM (HST) / Register on Zoom

Speaker: Abdul Haque Chang, Dept. of Social Sciences & Liberal Arts, IBA Karachi

The Center for Southeast Asian and South Asian Studies is pleased to present a lecture on Divergence and Alterity: Shrines, Sacrality, and Performing Arts in South and Southeast Asia by Dr. Abdul Haque Chang.

Dr. Chang will discuss divergence and alterity by examining the interplay between sacrality and performing arts in South and Southeast Asia, with a focus on Java and Sindh. Chang will highlight how Jathilan (trance dane) and Shah Jo Raag (a Sindhi Sufi musical tradition represent distinct ways of being Muslim in their respective regions.

Drawing from his ethnographic experiences, Chang will explore the cultural and religious significance of these art forms. and discuss how Jathilan in Java has evolved into a syncretic Muslim performing art. He will describe the healing role of the tambura (a drone lure) used in Shah Jo Raag performances at Shah Latif Bhittai shrine, Sindh, particularly for women experiencing spirit possession.

About the Speaker

Abdul Haque Chang is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) in Karachi, Pakistan. His ethnographic research spans Sindh, Pakistan, and Java, Indonesia, and focuses on religion, Sufism, music, and environmental anthropology. Currently, he is investigating Javanese Sufism with his project “Jathilan: Performativity and the (Re)Production of Javanese Sacrality,” which highlights how Javanese performance art challenges gender norms and serves as a mode of cultural resistance.

Register on Zoom: https://go.hawaii.edu/zG8

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about the cultural and religious significance of performing arts in South and Southeast Asia.

This event is presented by the Center for Southeast Asian and South Asian Studies.