Introducing Hinduism

Hindusm is said to be the world's oldest religion. Yet the word 'Hindu' is of foreign 18th-century origin. Hindusm is defined as a polytheistic religion, but Mahatma Gandhi famously declared that one can be a Hindu without believing in any god. Hindusm appears to accommodate endless contradictions. It is a religion at least as much of myth as of history - it has no historical founder, no single authoritative book, and few central doctrines. This book offers a guide to this extraordinary diverse faith. It untangles the complexities of Hindusm's gods and goddesses, its caste system and its views on sex, everyday life and asceticism. Why do Hindus revere the cow? Must Hindus be vegetarian? It explores the links with and differences from Buddhism, Jainism and other religions, and describes the resurgence of Hindu extremism, the phenomenon of Bollywood and the overseas Hindu diaspora.