Hindu World: An Encyclopedic Survey of Hinduism

Hindu World is the first general encyclopaedia of the vast world of Hinduism in two volumes. It succeeds in achieving the impossible task of covering almost every facet of Hindu life and thought embodying the result of recent scholarship as well as the traditional point of view. It contains over 700 lucidly written articles on a wide range of subjects ranging from lesser known subjects like dress, diet, alchemy magic, tantrism, medicine, magic, erotics, science, dance festivals and handicrafts, to more frequently discussed topics like religion, philosophy, yoga, art, music, architecture, history, and mythology. The articles give a comprehensive account of the subject and-by a system of cross references-all topics related to it are interlinked so that a single them is traced through the whole book. Backed by an index of over 8000 items, the encylopaedia is a unique reference book as well as treasury of Sanskrit terms and names.  Hindu Word has been subjected to a continuous check for clearness and accuracy, but discrepancies will necessarily remain a long as there is no unanimity and the facts. Thus, little attempt is made to reconcile dates for the early historical period since traditional dates frequently differ from those given by modern scholars.