Studies on the historical development of religious traditions in South India have shown that religious identity became increasingly important from the 12th/13th centuries. In the traditions of the Pāñcarātra and the Śrīvaiṣṇavas, on which Rastelli’s research focuses, this can be observed in three main factors:

1. Rituals: Religious rituals that have been practised for a long time are presented as characteristic and specific to one's own tradition and ultimately as obligatory for all members of the tradition.
2. Historiography: History writing with the aim of presenting a common history of a particular tradition is becoming increasingly important. The genre of of hagiography begins to flourish.
3. External religious signs that are worn or inscribed on the body become more and more widespread. This can be observed in several literary genres, such as in ritual manuals but also in scholastic works that defend or criticise these practices.

The research in this project focuses aims to shed light on strategies for creating religious identity, but also on the historical circumstances that have led to the growing need to emphasise religious identity.