Anand Ranjan

The PhD research examines the link between religion, digital technology, and ethnonationalism in India. Drawing on the idea of the ‘Onlife’ (Floridi, 2014) experience, it explores whether the intersection of online and offline spaces (onlife) can promote inclusion and recognition of the previously silenced and marginalised voices (Dalit [untouchable caste as classified by the Government of India], LGBTQIA+, Female) within Hinduism. In digital space, online and offline religious spheres constantly integrate and create a new combined experience called ‘onlife’. The pilgrimage practices at Gaya (Bihar, India) will provide an empirical understanding of an emergent form of Onlife Hinduism. Employing the idea of ‘onlife’, the PhD aims to study the intersection between pilgrimage, digital technology, and politics in India.