Hindu sociology and its impact on the fortunes of India; a study.

All religions find themselves at the crossroads of history in this age of science and democracy. Traditional values of Hinduism have also been subjected to this scrutiny and these enquirers demand an explanation – philosophical, scientific and historical – for the ideas and institutions which give Hindus their identity. This book by Swami Harshananda, a senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order, answers these questions by enquirers and critics about Hindu religion. It helps clear misconceptions about Hinduism and offers explanations about its ideas and institutions.

This book surveys the Pre-vedic religion of ancient India. It reflects upon controversies surrounding discoveries at the Indus sites and then takes a dip into the world of Vedas to discover the religion of that age. The book uncovers interesting facts about ancient Hinduism reviewing controversies surrounding the Aryan Invasion (now migrations) theory, the Asuran Indus theory, and the Indigenous theories.

An engrossing and definitive narrative account of history and myth that offers a new way of understanding one of the world's oldest major religions, The Hindus elucidates the relationship between recorded history and imaginary worlds. The Hindus brings a fascinating multiplicity of actors and stories to the stage to show how brilliant and creative thinkers have kept Hinduism alive in ways that other scholars have not fully explored. In this unique and authoritative account, debates about Hindu traditions become platforms to consider history as a whole.

History of Vārānasi, Uttar Pradesh, India between 1781-1857 B.C.

It is virtually an axiom in the study of Hindu religion and culture that the Hindus lived in a mythic universe and lacked a sense of history. This text examines this proposition in detail.

This book explores how ethnic groups living in the Himalayan regions understand nature and culture. The first part addresses the opposition between nature and culture in Asia’s major religious traditions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Shamanism. The second part brings together specialists of different representative groups living in the heterogeneous Himalayan region. They examine how these indigenous groups perceive their world. This includes understanding their mythic past, in particular, the place of animals and spirits in the world of humans as they see it and the role of ritual in the everyday lives of these people. The book takes into account how these various perceptions of the Himalayan peoples are shaped by a globalized world. The volume thus provides new ways of viewing the relationship between humans and their environment.