caste system, child marriage, and the ban on widow remarriage. The Arya Samaj was
formed to regenerate and revitalize Hinduism, with the explicit position that
Hinduism was far superior to Christianity and Islam.
The end of the nineteenth century was also marked by the gradual establishment
of Hinduism as a viable religious tradition in the West, as Hindu teachers arrived in
Europe and America. Some of the early figures were Swami Vivekananda and
Paramahamsa Yogananda, and the more recent ones are Prabhupada, Muktananda,
Yogi Bhajan, Guru Maharaj Ji, Krishnamurti, and Shri Chinmoy. This recent group of
teachers had an explicit missionary goal, aiming to gain followers among native-born
Europeans and Americans.
The most recent period in the development of Hindu religious traditions is
marked by the emigration of Indians to America. Many Indians have settled abroad
seeking education or to pursue specialized careers. They have established centers of
Hindu worship, like the temple Aurora, to serve the needs of the Indian community,
including the need to pass on a sense of Hindu identity to their children. Yet despite
their efforts to preserve their traditions and culture, their very presence in a different
society is causing changes in their religious lives. American society has made certain
traditions more difficult to preserve. For example, the community often celebrates
religious festivals on the weekend following the traditional festival day, since this is
when people have more spare time. Life in American society and the influence of
American values have also made it difficult to conform to certain traditional patterns.
The traditional requirement that Hindus marry within their jati has been assailed both
by the American emphasis on the importance of a “love marriage” and by the poten-
tial shortage of suitable partners. In the same way, certain dietary restrictions become
harder to maintain but have greater complexity. A Hindu in America must decide not
only if he or she should simply avoid eating beef but also whether to avoid any place
where beef is served.
In India, the twentieth century has been marked by the development of an
assertive and militant Hindu nationalism. Hindu nationalism’s “founding father” was
V. D. Savarkar, but the most important body promoting this idea in the recent past has
been the Rashtriya Svayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The RSSis the mother organization for
many different affiliates, ranging from labor unions to student organizations to social
relief bodies. Its two most important affiliates for promoting Hindu nationalism are
the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), a religious organization, and the Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP), a mass-based political party. In the early 1990s, both organizations were
instrumental in radical Hindu politics, particularly in the destruction of a mosque
alleged to have been built on the site of the god Rama’s birthplace in the North Indian
city of Ayodhya. Since that time, the VHPhas retained its radical edge, but the BJPhas
not. The BJPhas put greater distance between itself and the VHP, seeking to move
toward the political center and thus expand its reach in electoral politics. It has begun
stressing issues that are vital to a broader spectrum of Hindu voters, such as corrup-
tion and the rising cost of living.
This encyclopedia offers the student of religion a place to begin exploring the key
elements of Hindu religious culture and practice. I hope that the entries will be a
springboard for further study of this great, living religious tradition.xii