Colonial Discourse and the Suffering of Indian American Children Book Cover.webp

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.

Manmatha (

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Manmatha literally means ‘one who churns the mind’.

Manmatha is also known by other names such as Madana[1] and Kandarpa.[2] He was born out of Brahmā as the personification of bewitching male physical beauty. He got the boon that he could entice anyone with lust. When he tried this power on Brahmā, creating uncontrollable lust in him towards Sandhyā, his own daughter, he cursed Manmatha to be reduced to ashes by Śiva.

When this happened, he was restored to life again, by Śiva who was moved by the piteous wailings of Rati[3] and also the interventions of the gods. His distinguishing features are the bow of sugarcane stalk, a bunch of five kinds of flowers as arrows, fish as his flag-symbol and the makara[4] as his carrier. Rati is his consort. Actually Manmatha and Rati are the archetypes of physically perfect man and woman. Manmatha is akin to Eros or Cupid.


References[edit]

  1. Madana means one who intoxicates.
  2. Kandarpa means the one who was arrogant towards Brahmā the creator.
  3. Rati is Manmatha’s wife.
  4. Makara is the mythical crocodile.
  • The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore