While Jain ascetics typically walk on foot from town to town and are prohibited from owning possessions, Yatis can ride in vehicles, directly manage temple property, practice astrology and mantra-tantra, and, in some cases, marry and have children. Eric Villabos and Dr. Peter Flügel (Chair, Centre of Jaina Studies, SOAS) will discuss Eric’s upcoming MA project at SOAS, which focuses on the figure of the Yati, a nearly-extinct class of 'semi-renunciant' monks in Śvetāmbara Jainism. His project will analyze some of the first European colonial encounters with Jains in the 18th Century, when Yatis were more powerful and widespread. He plans to support this principal examination with fieldwork undertaken during a Hindi Language Intensive Fellowship at the AIIS in Jaipur involving some of the last remaining Yatis in India.

The talk will be held on Zoom on Tuesday 25 August at 12pm PDT / 3pm EDT / 8 pm BST (UK). Attendance is free, but you must RSVP in advance to attend. For more details visit our Eventbrite page.