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On a voyage of discovery
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Three books that hit the market recently throw light on different aspects of Hinduism
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Three books, “The Holy Himalayas An Abode of Hindu Gods”, “Hindu Tenets” and “Hindu Rites, Rituals, Customs and Traditions” hit the stands recently. As the titles suggest, the books attempt to give an overview of t
he different aspects of Hindu dharma, rituals, customs as well as the seat of Hindu gods — the Himalayas.
Shantha N. Nair’s “The Holy Himalayas, An Abode of Hindu Gods”, published by Hindology Books, aims to give a complete account of the mountain range itself, its origins, the important peaks, pilgrimage centres as well as avenues for adventure sports.
It was a holiday in the Himalayas that prompted Shantha to pen her impressions. “I jotted down many things on my trip. It was meant to be a diary for my son and daughter-in-law. But they along with my husband encouraged me to make it a book,” says the author.
But while she deleted the personal elements from the diary, it turned out to be too small and that’s when Shantha enriched it with more information.
“If a reader is thrilled about the Himalayas, they will get some happiness from it. The book is a way for children to know more about the Himalayas. For a pilgrim it is a guide,” says the author.
In the book replete with colourful pictures, Shantha clarifies in the preface that certain information has been drawn from secondary sources. But quiz her if it undermines the authenticity of the book, the author is quick to add, “Even the rishis who wrote the Vedas said they were merely transmitting knowledge.”
“Only Tenzing knows the real height of the Himalayas,” she says, adding, attaining primary data on various aspects is not always feasible. “Even if it undermines authenticity it is okay. I am being true to myself,” she says candidly.
The latest edition of Prem Bhalla’s “Hindu Rites, Rituals, Customs and Traditions”, published by Pustak Mahal, incorporates and answers many more questions on the subject. The book is a result of research and information gathered from various sources.
Reasons behind rituals
“The book explains the reasons behind the various rituals, be it birth, death or others,” says Bhalla. On his target readers he says, “I think it appeals to everyone. Elderly people have found it interesting and so have newly married people.” And for J. Agarwal, it was his stay in the U.S. where he came face to face with young professionals who were ignorant about the concepts of Hindu philosophy that prompted him to write “Hindu Tenets”, published by Hindology Books. “The book gives the essence of ancient Hindu way of life through 11 doctrines,” says Agrawal.
P. ANIMA
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Mangalore
Puducherry
Tiruchirapalli
Thiruvananthapuram
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
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