Andrea Wollein

Andrea is a PhD candidate at the Department for the Study of Religion. She holds an MA in Modern South Asian Studies and a BA in Tibetan and Buddhist Studies. Her dissertation explores Buddhist traditions in Nepal through the case study of Yampi Mahāvihāra (Ī Bahī) in Patan, a Newar Buddhist monastery (Skt. vihāra) known as E yi gtsug lag khang in Tibetan. This monastery currently features a unique constellation of Newar Vajrayāna, Newar Theravāda as well as Tibetan Buddhist traditions. Her study utilizes ethnographic and textual research to engage with the site. It deploys materiality as a lens to understand dynamic aspects of vihāra culture and trace novel developments.