Swapna Joshi, Ph.D.

Swapna Joshi is trained in archaeology with a strong interest in architectural history. Her interdisciplinary research examines built heritage in their natural and cultural environments. She received her PhD in Humanities and Social Sciences from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, in 2024, with a dissertation titled Celestial Impact: A Cultural Narrative of Lonar Crater through Architectural Forms. She also holds an M.A. in AIHC and Archaeology from Deccan College, Pune; a B.A. in History from the University of Mumbai; and a postgraduate diploma in Built Heritage and Conservation from J.J. College and CSMVS Museum, Mumbai.

Swapna has received fellowships from institutions including the Akshara Foundation, Sahapedia, Interglobe Foundation, and the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute. In 2025, she was awarded the CIAR Ashoka Postdoctoral Research Grant at Ashoka University. She has worked on research projects with organisations such as the Living Waters Museum, Jio Institute, and heritage conservation consultancies. Recently she was working on research project focussed on medieval Marathi manuscripts at IISER Pune. Her publications have appeared in journals including South Asian Studies, Education About Asia, and the Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute.

As part of the Connected Teams program, her research explores sacred landscapes and religious architecture in the medieval Deccan, examining how geography, mythology, and built environments shaped regional histories.