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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.

Anvasṭakā

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Anvasṭakā or Anvastakya literally means ‘after the aṣṭaka’.

Performing religious rites in honor of the departed ancestors and to satisfy their spirits is a universal phenomenon. Such rites are called ‘śrāddha’ (literally, that which is performed with śraddhā or faith).

The anvaṣtakā, also called anvaṣṭakya, is a śrāddha rite performed after the aṣṭakā rite (anu = after). After establishing the fire and erecting a shed round it, offerings like boiled rice, pudding, preparations made out of curds and liquor and scum of boiled rice are spread over barhis (sacrificial grass). After offering some portion into the fire, the rest are dedicated to the manes and their wives. The meat of an animal immolated on the aṣṭakā day should be cooked and offered to the brāhmaṇas invited for the ceremony. The aṣṭakā type of śrāddhas gradually went out of vogue.


References[edit]

  • The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore

Contributors to this article

Krishna Maheshwari, Deval Sancheti

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