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In this book, we analyze the psycho-social consequences faced by Indian American children after exposure to the school textbook discourse on Hinduism and ancient India. We demonstrate that there is an intimate connection—an almost exact correspondence—between James Mill’s colonial-racist discourse (Mill was the head of the British East India Company) and the current school textbook discourse. This racist discourse, camouflaged under the cover of political correctness, produces the same psychological impacts on Indian American children that racism typically causes: shame, inferiority, embarrassment, identity confusion, assimilation, and a phenomenon akin to racelessness, where children dissociate from the traditions and culture of their ancestors.


This book is the result of four years of rigorous research and academic peer-review, reflecting our ongoing commitment at Hindupedia to challenge the representation of Hindu Dharma within academia.

Gṛhakarman

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Gṛhakarman literally means ‘the act of building a house’.

Any householder is expected to build a house for himself and his family (if he can afford it) and is also expected to observe certain rules and regulations while doing so. Some of these observances are:

  • A place where the earth is whitish in color and the ground is level is considered suitable to build a house.
  • One should build a well in one's compound.
  • The entrance of the house should not be in south-east and north-west directions. East, west and north directions are recommended
  • One should start building house on certain auspicious months only like Vaiśākha (April/May) or Āṣāḍha (July/ August)
  • One should not be build in the inauspicious months like Caitra (March/April) or Māgha (February/March)
  • The wood with the following characteristics should be avoided:
    • Wood of a tree from which its milk is oozing out
    • Trees on which birds are living
    • Trees which have fallen to the ground or those which have been burnt
    • Trees grown in the premises of temples
    • Trees in which deities or divine beings are believed to reside
    • Thorny trees

More details[edit]

More details have been provided in the texts relating to Vastuśastra as well as several different Purāṇas.

References[edit]

  • The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore

Contributors to this article

Krishna Maheshwari, Deval Sancheti

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