Hinduism’s faces are several: to some it is a philosophy of life; others associate it with the Vedas, sacrifices and worship of icons; yet others acknowledge Bhagawan as the supreme lord of all beings. In India itself over 700 million people are Hindus: orthodox, reformist, philosophically inclined or a combination of all. Hinduism, as a religion, has evolved continuously since 2500 BC.
Hindu India unfolds the complexities of Hinduism with the startng point that everything in the universe is a manifestation of the Divine: even so-called evil forces emanate from and assimilate with the Divine, and only exist for a cosmic balance. The Divine is the omnipresent principle and bhakti, unconditional submission to the Divine, is often translated into traditions and ritualistic practices. Sometimes there is the danger of the latter overtaking the purity of actual worship.
This is the raison d’etre of this book. It introduces the religion to the reader-its esoteric beliefs, practices, the Hindu concept of the cosmos, and the Hindu aim of life. And all this flows in a story-like narrative with simple explanations, answers to oft asked questions and nuggets of explanatory definitions. Visually compelling, this book offers a dynamic view of Hindu India to all.
