Malavika is a first-year graduate student whose research explores the intersections of cultural, religious, and political history in the Śrīvaiṣṇava community of South India, with particular emphasis on the Āḻvārs. She works with Sanskrit and Tamil literary sources to examine the development of bhakti practices in medieval Tamil Nadu. Her broader interests include studying the role of music, performance, and temple traditions in shaping religious experience and community identity.