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.

Rathotsava and rati

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

BY Swami Harshananda

Rathotsava literally means ‘festival of the temple chariot’.

The biggest festival organised in any temple is called ‘brahmotsava’. It is generally spread over number of days. The rathotsava is also an important part of this festival. It is usually held two days before the conclusion of all the ceremonies.

The ratha[1] is a replica of the temple. It is richly decorated along with the utsavamurti[2] and taken around the important streets of the town. It is halted at certain specified places so that the common people can offer their worship almost at their door-step. The ratha is drawn by the devotees, no distinction being made of caste or creed. Of course, there are a number of religious rites connected with the rathotsava, which should be observed scrupulously.


References[edit]

  1. Ratha means temple-car or chariot.
  2. Utsavamurti is the processional image.
  • The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore