monism in, 12, 47; monolithic, 290;
monotheism in, 12, 249; mythic imagi-
nation of, 42; narrative in, 14–15, 94-
97; nativist discourse in, 273; New
Year’s celebrations in, 1–2, 3 , 4, 7;
non-Hindu scholars on, 26; nonvio-
lent, 5, 10–11, 253; North American
scholarship on, 272–73, 284, 285n6; as
Other, 273, 290; with Others, 11,
288–98; particularism in, 11; perform-
ance in, 14–15, 56–59, 104, 149–50; as
personalized religion, 250; as philoso-
phy, 244; polytheism in, 12, 46–52; re-
ceived history of, 277; reciprocity in,
38; representation of, 288–89; research
on, 271–85; right to knowledge of,
280; sanatana dharmain, 10, 11, 250;
societal, 13–14, 200; spirituality in,
278–79; television preachers of, 20;
tolerance in, 11, 24–25, 245, 266–70,
293; transnational, 8, 9; trinity in, 245;
unifying force of, 253; universalism in,
11; in Western lifestyles, 289; Western
misinterpretation of, 272. See alsoDi-
aspora, Hindu
Hinduism (term), English coinage of, 10
Hinduness (hindutva), 258
Hindus: Aryan, 207; assimilation of, 294;
caste position, 13–14; conflict with
Muslims, 258, 266; homeland for, 11;
interlogue with Christians, 288–89,
294, 298, 299n1; at Muslim shrines,
266–68, 270; relations with Muslims,
25, 262; relations with non-Hindus,
288
Hindus, American: knowledge of Hin-
duism, 243–44. See alsoDiaspora,
Hindu; Sri Venkateswara temple
Hindu studies, 271; benefits of, 282; de-
colonization of, 277–78; emic/etic,
279–80; ethics of research in, 279; im-
perialism in, 272–73; indigenizing of,
281; reclaiming of, 282–83; research
communities in, 280; research para-
digms in, 281–82; satyagrahain,
283–85; sites of resistance in, 278; sub-
altern studies in, 282; in university
curricula, 297, 298; Western influence
on, 272, 274–79, 280, 282
Hindu Temple Society (New York), 234
Hiranya Kasipu. SeeHarnakas (demon
king)
Historiography, Indian, 273–75; Other
in, 274
History, universal, 273
Holi festival, 18–19, 99–111: Brahmans
in, 108, 109; caste in, 100; community
in, 101; fire in, 100; “King of Holi”,
108; Krishna in, 102, 104, 106–10; ori-
gins of, 107–8; Radhain, 106, 109;
Rama in, 99, 108; role reversal in,
109–11; sexual idioms of, 105; shudras
in, 13, 108, 109; singing at, 104; social
form of, 108–11; in Uttar Pradesh,
111n1
Holika(demoness), 18–19; cremation of,
99–100, 107
Humans, deified, 168
Husbands: as pratyaksha deivam, 219, 222
Huyler, Stephen, 16, 19Icons, Hindu, 252
Images, 42–52; adornment of, 37, 38; an-
drogynous, 51; in Christianity, 45;
cleansing of, 37; consecration of, 37;
of Ganesha 42, 44, 92; Greek, 45; He-
brew resistance to, 44–45; of Mari-
amman, 36; in Srivaisnava theology,
238–39; symbolism of, 238–39; view-
ing of, 37–38; Western travelers on,
44
Immigrants, Indian, 231; Caribbean, 24;
to United States, 2, 24, 238
Imperialism, 272; in Hindu studies,
272–73
Incarnations. See Avataras