The Living Hindu World

The Living Hindu World documents the range and depth of the Hindu traditions in its many lived manifestations to the present day. It explores the continuing relevance of Hinduism in contemporary life in India and, indeed, throughout the world, covering Hindu material culture in contexts such as medicine, temple architecture, printing technologies, ritual objects, and clothing. It also includes chapters devoted to the reevaluation of facts and systems of thought ignored or neglected until recently, owing to the dominance of western categories and preconceptions in earlier studies of the tradition. The Living Hindu World takes into account tradition both north Indian and southern, learned and popular, orthodox and devotional, ascetic and social-affirming, traditional and modernizing, high caste and low, and male and female, while emphasizing Hinduism's role in everyday life. It paints a rich and enjoyable picture of one of the world's most vibrant and complex traditions.