Tantra has long been one of the most vibrant yet misunderstood streams of Indic thought and practice. Rooted in Śaiva, Śākta, and Vaiṣṇava traditions, Tantra articulates a worldview in which liberation (mokṣa) is pursued not by renunciation of the world but through its radical sacralisation of body, emotion, sound, image, and ritual. While classical scholarship has focused primarily on pre-modern Tāntrika texts and lineages, the 21st century has witnessed an unprecedented resurgence and reconfiguration of Tantra across literary, cultural, and digital landscapes.
This edited volume, Tantra in 21st Century Literature, seeks to explore how Tāntrika ideas, symbols, narratives, and sensibilities are reimagined in contemporary literary and allied expressive forms. Moving beyond reductive associations of Tantra with eroticism or occultism, the volume foregrounds Tantra as a dynamic aesthetic and philosophical resource that shapes modern engagements with Śakti, embodiment, transgression, ecological consciousness, resistance, and esoteric power. In doing so, it aligns with recent scholarly efforts to reinterpret Tantra as a complex religious and cultural system. The book aims to bring together studies of translations of Saṁskṛta and vernacular Tantric texts, contemporary non-fiction and fiction, regional and global literary expressions, film and music, and emerging digital literatures that draw upon Tantric motifs such as mantra, yantra, maṇḍala, mudrā, śmaśāna, aghora, and kaula praxis. Special attention is encouraged to post-2000 literary cultures— both Indian and transnational— that reinterpret Tantra through lenses of philosophy, theology, identity, ecology, and media modernity.
By situating 21st-century creative and critical writings within the longue durée of Tāntrika traditions, this volume seeks to demonstrate how Tantra continues to function as a living reservoir of symbolic capital and transformative imagination. It aspires to contribute to Indian Knowledge Systems, comparative literature, religious studies, cultural studies, and South Asian literary criticism, while also opening conversations between academic and creative communities.
Research papers are invited in these areas (but not limited to):
- Translations of the Saṁskṛta Tantra Texts in the 21st Century
- Translations of the Vernacular Tantra Texts in the 21st Century
- 21st Century Non-Fiction Texts on Tantra
- 21st Century Fictions Themed on Tantra
- 21st Century Vernacular Fictions in Translations
- Tantra in 21st Century Music
- 21st Century Filmography on Tantra
- 21st Century Digital Literature on Tantra
- Tantra in 21st Century Academic Framework
- Tantra and Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS)
- Tantra and Feminist/Feminine Discourse
- Tantra and Ecology
- Tantra and Folklore
- Tantra Visuals: Art and Graphic Narratives
- Tantra and Global Popular Culture
Guidelines: MLA 9th Edition. Use IAST method of transliteration for all Indic terms, names, or words. Cite Sanskrit mantras/ślokas etc. in Devanāgarī (Font: Utsaha, Size: 14) with English translation whenever necessary.
Important Dates:
Submission of Abstract: 28/02/2026 (Extended Deadline)
Letter of Acceptance: 15/03/2026
Submission of Full Paper: 30/04/2026
Publication (tentative): Latter half of 2026
Submit to: tantra21century@gmail.com
The book is being proposed to be published by a reputed international publication house.
Editors:
Dr. Tirthendu Ganguly (Tirtha) Dr. Jai Shankar Jha
Assistant Professor Professor
Centre for Indic Studies Department of English
Indus University Banaras Hindu University
&
Editor-in-Chief
Journal of Sanātana Dharma