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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.

Garbhagṛha

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Garbhagṛha literally means ‘inmost house,’ ‘sanctum sanctorum’.

For centuries, temples have played a very significant part in the spiritual, religious and cultural life of the people. Temple is considered as the house of God (devālaya = house of God) and it's sanctum sanctorum, technically called as ‘garbhagṛha’ or ‘garbhamandira’, is related to the drawing room or private living room of God.

Characteristics[edit]

  • The garbhagṛha is generally square in shape with a low roof and no doors and windows except for the front opening through which light falls on the image. Devotees can view the deity from this opening.
  • The roof over the whole shrine is a small tower called ‘vimāna’.
  • This tower is quite high in North Indian temples and of modest height in the South Indian ones.
  • In some temples a pradakṣiṇapatha, a circum-ambulatory passage, is provided around the garbhagṛha to enable the devotees to go round the deity.


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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