Dr. Diana Dimitrova

Biography

Diana Dimitrova is a Professor of Hinduism and South Asian Traditions at the Université de Montréal. She received her doctorate in Modern Indology, Classical Indology, and English American Studies from the University of Heidelberg in Germany. Before joining the Université de Montréal, she was a Professor at the University of Frankfurt and held positions at Emory University, Loyola University Chicago, and Michigan State University. Her area of specialization includes Hinduism, South Asian religions, Bhakti Hinduism, Sikh traditions, Buddhist traditions, and modern Hinduism from the 19th to the 20th centuries. Dimitrova’s research explores Hindu reform movements and South Asian cultural studies, incorporating elements such as drama, theatre, and Hindi cinema (Bollywood films). She is proficient in Hindi-Urdu, Sanskrit, and Classical Hindi. Her notable publications include "Cultural Identity in Hindi Plays: Poetics, Politics in Theatre India" and "Gender, Religion, and Modern Hindi Drama". Dimitrova actively supervises Master’s and PhD theses focused on India, South Asia, and the South Asian diaspora, and is involved in several research projects related to the Brahma Kumari tradition and sexualities in India. In 2022, she became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, reflecting her significant contributions to the field of Religious Studies and South Asian studies.

Research Interests