The Children of the Immortal: A Quest Into the Hindu Identity

The book, exploring Hindu identity, approaches the culture of the Hindus drawing from various sources like mythology, literature and folklore. For the purpose, it goes beyond historical narrations and religious framework as well. It takes up elementary questions like who the Hindus are, nature of their system of gods and goddesses including their families, Hindu cosmography, the social system especially the caste structure and the Hindu view of divinity and various streams of Hindu philosophy. It discusses how each of the cultural traditions of the Hindus has lent something to the shaping of the Hindu identity. It takes up traditions of Hindus like polytheism and concepts like those of advaita or non-duality. Analysing the interface between Hindu and Western civilisation, it tries to view the impact of the latter on the Hindu identity over the last few centuries and points to re-defining of the Hindu identity in the colonial era.