History of hindu temples through the ages thoughtco. An alternative history kindle edition by doniger, wendy. An alternative history quickly became a lightning rod for hindu anger. An alternative history from the worlds largest community of readers. This book is also alternative to the narrative of hindu history that they tell. In her book, doniger retells hindu stories and provides snarky interpretations. Paid subscription of the soft copy of the hindu is available for online readers at rs 175month. P enguin books india has said this week that it will destroy all available copies of the 2009 book by the indologist wendy doniger, the hindus. An alternative history differs from those books in several ways. Ive just finished wendy donigers infamous the hindus. I will generally refer to them as the hindutva faction or the hindu right. Hinduism is only a derivative, a fraction, a part of hindutva. An alternative history after three, maybe four months.
Feb 12, 2014 p enguin books india has said this week that it will destroy all available copies of the 2009 book by the indologist wendy doniger, the hindus. Wendy doniger in when the lingam is just a cigar, psychoanalysis and hindu sexual fantasies. Download the bible, the holy quran, the mahabharata and thousands of free pdf ebooks on buddhism, meditation etc. An alternative history penguin, 2009 has outraged hindus around the world for allegedly insulting and offending hindus and indians. Several books of each of those sorts exist, some of them quite good, which you might read alongside this one.
Part of my agenda in writing an alternative history is to show how much the groups. Mar 17, 2015 the history of any nation or individual is an important part of its selfidentity, and this is especially true of india, which so recently gained independence after centuries of colonial rule. Apr 26, 2009 the hindu nationalists of today, who long for india to become a muscular international power, stand in a direct line of 19thcentury indian reform movements devoted to purifying and reviving a. If the indus valley civilization 3rd2nd millennium bce was the earliest source of hindu traditions, then hinduism is the oldest living religion on earth. This periodisation has been influential, but has also been criticised, for the misconceptions it has given rise to. A critique of wendy donigers the hindus, an alternative. Author wendy doniger talks of the country, democracy and how her life has changed post her book being banned. The latest twist in the tale is the notice served to aleph book company, the publisher of donigers previous book, on hinduism. Wendy donigers book is a tribute to hinduisms complexity. The history book, which its author wendy doniger has described as an alternative, howard zinnesque version of the history of hinduism, has been accused of denigrating hindus and hindu traditions. Contact the nearest hindu community and cultural center for information. Chaplains will need to develop their own contacts with hindu religious leaders. Theres a personal story that i should tell about my relationship with this group of hindus here at the start, in the interest of full disclosure. Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world, and some practitioners and scholars refer to it as sanatana dharma, the eternal tradition, or the eternal way, beyond human history.
A warning to the hindus by savitri devi calcutta 1939 dedicated to divine julian emperor of the greeks and romans. The author is reported to be a great researcher and her books have been acclaimed by some indian scholars the hindus an alternative history, krishna fondling breast. Hinduism is an indian religion and dharma, or way of life, widely practised in the indian subcontinent and parts of southeast asia. The hindu group breaking news, india news, sports news. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the hindus. Sep 30, 2010 an engrossing and definitive narrative account of history and myth that offers a new way of understanding one of the worlds oldest major religions, the hindus elucidates the relationship between recorded history and imaginary worlds.
There has been much handwringing in india about wendy donigers book, the hindus. Arundhati roy criticises penguin for pulping the hindus. History of hinduism james mill 17731836, in his the history of british india 1817, distinguished three phases in the history of india, namely hindu, muslim and british civilisations. The hindu an alternative history pdf free download 110gsv. The newspaper is available in image and text format both. Pdf the hindus an alternative history wendy doniger. Scholars and intellectuals across the board are critical and worried about penguins. The hindus is a book which provide clarity about which incidents can be classified as actual historical facts of hinduism, and which ones are the figments of peoples imagination there is no chronology of events or texts that form a part of hinduism some of them cannot even be traced back to an accurate era some of the core beliefs which are the pillars of hinduism, like karma and dharma, are. She says history as projected by hindutva ideologues, which is being introduced to children through textbooks and is being thrust upon research institutes, precludes an open discussion of evidence and interpretation. The book was initially published by viking penguin in 2009 and later in india by. An engrossing and definitive narrative account of history and myth that offers a new way of understanding one of the worlds oldest major religions, the hindus elucidates the relationship between recorded history and imaginary worlds. Its guiding concept, hindutva hinduness calls for indias former untouchables, christians, and muslims to be assimilated, expelled, or annihilated so that a hindu majority nation. Mar, 2014 there has been much handwringing in india about wendy donigers book, the hindus. Similarly, the history of hinduism suggests a creative tension between asceticism and sensuality, and yields a range of female.
Hinduism download books, sacred, spiritual texts and pdf e. Unless it is made clear what is meant by the latter the first remains unintelligible and vague. Hindu believes that class, caste, and religious affiliation have no. Not only the spiritual or religious history of our people as at times it is mistaken to be by being confounded with the other cognate term hinduism, but a history in full. This section explains the history, meaning and use of some common hindu symbols. Om also spelled aum is a hindu sacred sound that is considered the greatest of all mantras. There are hindu temples in all almost countries of the world, and contemporary india is bristling with beautiful temples, which hugely contribute to its cultural heritage.
Wendy donigers the hindus, an alternative history penguin books 2009 by vishal agarwal aldous huxley once said that an intellectual was someone who had found something more interesting than sex. The hindu nationalists of today, who long for india to become a muscular international power, stand in a direct line of 19thcentury indian reform. After 1900 general discussion about alternate history scenarios where the divergence from real history happens from 1900 ad onward. Wendy donigers rise after the ban srivathsan nadadhur. Hinduism does not render the upholders of such views unfit to be recognised as pious and honourable members of the hindu religious society. Wendys children and the struggle for the hindu past pdf, asian studies.
The book was initially published by viking penguin in 2009 and later in india by penguins indian subsidiary, penguin india. Its guiding concept, hindutva hinduness calls for indias former untouchables, christians, and muslims to be assimilated, expelled, or annihilated so that a hindu majority nation is transformed into an exclusively hindu. Ganesha, elephantheaded hindu god of beginnings, who is traditionally worshipped before any major enterprise and is the patron of intellectuals, bankers, scribes, and authors. S freeze on who funding keep track here is a collection of all our cartoons about the covid19 outbreak in india published over the. One story is about fusing the head of a brahmin woman onto the body of a dalit woman. Hinduism download books, sacred, spiritual texts and pdf. Hinduism does not lend itself easily to a strictly chronological.
Hinduism does not condemn those who deny god as the creator and ruler of the world, who do not accept the existence of an eternal soul and the state of moksha or state of liberation. An alternative history is a book by american indologist, wendy doniger which the author describes as an alternative to the narrative of hindu history that they tell. Oct 30, 2015 author wendy doniger talks of the country, democracy and how her life has changed post her book being banned. How to get a pdf of the hindu newspaper daily quora.
Fight back and reclaim wendy donigers valuable book taken away. The 10day festival ganesh chaturthi is devoted to him. It is towards countering the contemporary straitjacketing of hindu beliefs that she offers this alternative history. Wendy doniger, a professor of history of religion at university of chicago, is a prizewinning author of book, the hindus. Today, hindu temples across the globe form the cynosure of indias cultural tradition and spiritual succor.
An alternative history is a book by american indologist, wendy. The history of any nation or individual is an important part of its selfidentity, and this is especially true of india, which so recently gained independence after centuries of colonial rule. There is hue and cry by the selfappointed intelligentsia, free media and secularists on the decision of penguin books deciding to withdraw a book the hindus an alternative history by wendy doniger an american author. They usually signify hindu concepts, the attributes of deities, or the gods or goddesses themselves. Hinduism does not lend itself easily to a strictly chronological account. An alternative history book online at best prices in india on.
Scholars regard hinduism as a fusion or synthesis of various indian. Seventythreeyearold doniger is an american jewish indologist who has been a professor at the university of chicago since 1978. A hindu history book becomes hot after being recalled in india. The real reason wendy donigers book on hindus was banned in.
The systematic rewriting of history is a critical component of hindu nationalist ideology. The beginnings of hinduism the modern archaeological record for south asia indicates a cultural history of continuity rather than the earlier 18th through 20th century scholarly interpretation of discontinuity and south asian dependence upon western influences. The hindus an alternative history by wendy doniger penguin books november 2010 isbn10. Dinanath batra has armtwisted publisher penguin india into recalling and destroying american scholar wendy donigers book, the hindus. The controversy over indias history centers on the origin of the aryan culture, as we shall see in more detail below. An alternative history by wendy doniger of the university of chicago is really not a history at all. Beginning with the prehindu indus valley civilisation and ending in the. The real reason wendy donigers book on hindus was banned. And he also does not believe doniger when she writes that there is no hindu. Hinduism, major world religion originating on the indian subcontinent and comprising several and varied systems of philosophy, belief, and ritual.
Pdf the hindus an alternative history wendy doniger ripu. This week it emerged penguin had buckled to pressure following a lawsuit filed by organisation made up of hindu. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. A variety of hindu symbols are used in art, sacred objects and ritual. The hindus alternative history krishna fondling breasts. This book attempts to extend that particularizing project to the whole sweep of indian history, from the beginning and i do mean. Wendy donigers enthralling and encyclopaedic book reveals her vision of a hindu culture that is plural, varied, generous, and inclusive.
845 1058 1268 1533 1473 1262 949 1532 52 675 1275 452 167 280 821 1484 624 79 1202 82 890 68 89 301 778 1561 868 993 1104 201 112 135 74 875 1222 418 1409 639 438 320 189 806 36 25 1347 547 624