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In this book, we analyze the psycho-social consequences faced by Indian American children after exposure to the school textbook discourse on Hinduism and ancient India. We demonstrate that there is an intimate connection—an almost exact correspondence—between James Mill’s colonial-racist discourse (Mill was the head of the British East India Company) and the current school textbook discourse. This racist discourse, camouflaged under the cover of political correctness, produces the same psychological impacts on Indian American children that racism typically causes: shame, inferiority, embarrassment, identity confusion, assimilation, and a phenomenon akin to racelessness, where children dissociate from the traditions and culture of their ancestors.


This book is the result of four years of rigorous research and academic peer-review, reflecting our ongoing commitment at Hindupedia to challenge the representation of Hindu Dharma within academia.

Grāmadevatā

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Grāmadevatā literally means ‘village deity’.

The concept of grāmadevatā[1] is very ancient. Grāmadevatās are found all over modern day India in either their own shrines or under big trees (especially in the rural and tribal areas).

They are guardian deities situated at the entrance of the villages. Their main duty is to protect the village from epidemic diseases, natural disasters and evil spirits. They are the mother-goddesses mainly the aspects of Pārvatī.

Clay images of horses and elephants are often placed in the premises of these deities.

Grāmadevatās are worshiped by the villagers either regularly or on important occasions like:

  • Beginning of agricultural year
  • Protection of the crops
  • Prevention of diseases
  • Auspicious ceremonies in the family like marriage or birth


References[edit]

  1. ↑ Grāmadevatā is the village deity or a tutelary deity.
  • The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore

Contributors to this article

Krishna Maheshwari, Deval Sancheti

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