Colonial Discourse and the Suffering of Indian American Children is now freely available.
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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.

Idols

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda


An idol is an external symbol that enlivens the living presence of the deity it represents. It is exactly same as the photograph of a person that represents him. The idol of a deity is prepared as per the directions given in the dhyānaśloka[1] of the deity, revealed to sages during their depths of mystical meditation.

When an idol is consecrated by the process of prāṇapratiṣṭhā,[2] it becomes ‘alive’ by the subtle presence of that deity and can then be worshiped. It is like connecting an electric bulb with the source of electricity and putting the switch on. The scriptures are the final authority in these matters.


References[edit]

  1. ↑ Dhyānaśloka means hymn of meditation.
  2. ↑ Prāṇapratiṣṭhā means infilling with life.
  • The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore

Contributors to this article

Deval Sancheti, Apurva Mahendra Bhangdia

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