had fallen in love. In one example, Himavat has
a ragged beggar thrown from his house only to
learn later that this was Parvati’s beau Shiva, with
whom she had become enthralled.
Further reading: Cornelia Dimmitt and J. A. B. van Buite-
nen, Classical Hindu Mythology: A Reader in the Sanskrit
Puranas (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1978);
E. Washburn Hopkins, Epic Mythology (Delhi: Motilal
Banarsidass, 1986).
Hinduism Today (est. 1979)
The quarterly magazine Hinduism Today was
founded on January 5, 1979, by Satguru Sivaya
SUBRAMUNIYASWAMI (1927–2001) as part of the
nonprofit educational activity of the Himalayan
Academy, the publishing and research organiza-
tion of the SAIVA SIDDHANTA CHURCH. The publica-
tion is produced by a small monastic community
on Kauai Island in Hawaii to “inform and inspire
interest in Hinduism, dispel popular myths sur-
rounding the religion, foster solidarity among
sects and lineages, maintain respect for the Vedas,
promote the continuing renaissance of Hindu-
ism and serve as an educational resource for the
promotion of Sanatana Dharma.” It employs over
100 reporters and dozens of photographers. It is
distributed across 39 countries, reaching millions
of readers.
In 1951 the Himalayan Academy began pub-
lishing a series of books on Hinduism and meta-
physics. The quarterly emerged in response to a
growing need in the late 1970s for a nontechni-
cal publication accessible to a wide audience
that could serve as a central resource for those
maintaining the faith outside India. In addition
to articles directly relating to Hindu philosophy,
the Hindu DIASPORA, and international news of
Hindu communities and temples, the publication
includes topics ranging from AYURVEDA medicine
to VEGETARIANISM and YOGA. Interviews with popu-
lar Hindu teachers, reformers, and activists appear
regularly.
The publication has become a reputable source
on the Hindu way of life for many outside the reli-
gious community. Governments, libraries, theolo-
gians, and scholars use it to research the beliefs,
practices, and contexts of Hindu groups around
the world.
Hinduism Today has changed from its first dis-
tribution in 1979 as a black and white newsletter
to the current full-colored magazine and Internet
journal. In 1996, the publication expanded to
include a CD-ROM called Dharma Graphics, con-
taining 1,500 illustrations of village arts and crafts
selected from 20 years of images.Further reading: Himalayan Academy, Himalayan Acad-
emy, 1957–1968 (Virginia City, Nev.: Himalayan Acad-
emy, 1967).Hindu nationalism
Hindu nationalism is a contemporary movement
with religious, cultural, and political aspects,
oriented toward creation of a Hindu state in India
and a monolithic Hindu identity, based on Hin-
dutva (Hinduness).
Critics charge that these nationalists define
Hindu to emphasize Brahminical and upper-caste
values, ethics, and practices. The movement also
includes extremists and Hindu supremacists who
have targeted the economic and political rights of
cultural and religious minorities. Supporters point
out crimes Muslims have committed against India
and the depredations of the Christians in the form
of the British and call for an uprooting of “non-
Hindu” elements in India as much as possible.
Hindutva declares Christians and Muslims
to be “foreign” to India because their faiths have
holy lands outside the boundary of the modern
Indian nation-state. Critics point out that the
ideology of Hindutva supports violence against
religious and cultural minorities, including sexual
violence against women of minority groups and
Hindu women who defy Hindutva’s mandates.
Further, the Hindutva agenda for nation buildingHindu nationalism 185 J