PURANA Media is an annual, peer-reviewed, open access journal focused on modes of cultural production encompassed by the term purāṇa (a Sanskrit word designating things 'ancient’ or 'primordial'). Populated by deities, sages, and a host of other more-than-human agents, the purāṇic past has been disseminated through a wide range of media and forms of embodied knowledge. As an authoritative discourse, purāṇa has been integral to the shaping of history and cultural memory in early South and Southeast Asia. In the contemporary world this discourse continues to (re)create the past as a social, political, and affective force.

The journal approaches purāṇa as a way of worldmaking that uses memories of a distant past to meaningfully anchor the relative present and envision a future possible. PURANA Media adopts a broad methodological and regional scope. The journal integrates scholarship on primary historical sources (textual, visual, and material) and their contexts, critical reflections on heritage-making and museum studies, as well as contributions in art, design, photography, and other media.

The journal is inspired by the five-year international collaborative project called PURANA funded by a prestigious European Research Council Advanced Grant (2022-2027): https://purana.pubpub.org 

Open Access

PURANA Media provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. There are no article processing charges, submissions fees, or any other costs required of authors to submit articles to this journal.

Review Policy

The journal accepts a variety of contributions: research articles, field reports, photo essays, exhibition reviews and reflective essays. All research articles undergo double-blind peer review. All other submissions are reviewed by the general editors in consultation with members of the editorial board.