TY - JOUR

T1 - Landscapes of diasporic religious belonging in the edge-city

T2 - the Jain temple at Potters Bar, outer London

AU - Shah, Bindi

AU - Dwyer, Claire

AU - Gilbert, David

PY - 2012/3

Y1 - 2012/3

N2 - This paper extends current debates about diaspora cities to the suburbs, arguing that new forms of diasporic religious architecture in suburban and edge-city locations are indicative of complex geographies of migration, settlement, mobility, transnational networks and diasporic material cultures. Drawing on a detailed analysis of the building of a new Jain Temple built in Potters’ Bar, on the edge of London, by the Oshwal Community of Jains, we argue that the temple reflects the distinctive hybridities of new suburban faith spaces. The paper also illustrates some of the conflicts between diasporic faith groups and other suburbanites which are shaped by contested narratives of distinctively suburban landscapesand society.

AB - This paper extends current debates about diaspora cities to the suburbs, arguing that new forms of diasporic religious architecture in suburban and edge-city locations are indicative of complex geographies of migration, settlement, mobility, transnational networks and diasporic material cultures. Drawing on a detailed analysis of the building of a new Jain Temple built in Potters’ Bar, on the edge of London, by the Oshwal Community of Jains, we argue that the temple reflects the distinctive hybridities of new suburban faith spaces. The paper also illustrates some of the conflicts between diasporic faith groups and other suburbanites which are shaped by contested narratives of distinctively suburban landscapesand society.

KW - diaspora

KW - ARCHITECTURE

KW - Jainism

KW - transnationalism

KW - suburbs

KW - religion

KW - London

U2 - 10.1080/19438192.2012.634565

DO - 10.1080/19438192.2012.634565

M3 - Article

VL - 4

SP - 77

EP - 94

JO - South Asian Diaspora

JF - South Asian Diaspora

SN - 1943-8192

IS - 1

ER -