Recent items:

The Hindus : an alternative history, by Wendy Doniger. (2009)
The keyword here is "alternate" : this is not a comprehensive history of all of Hinduism or attempt to understand Hindu metaphysics and philosophy.
"Doniger's "alternative history" of Hinduism takes a closer look at how outsiders contributed to its evolution. Some have been the marginalized people within mainstream Hinduism itself, such as tribal people and Dalits (Untouchables) or women (within a strongly patriarchal society). Others have been believers in other religions - notably Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, and Sikhism—or alien conquerors and rulers, such as the Greeks, Moghals, and British. ...." (drawn from Library Journal, courtesy of Syndetics)

The Gita within Walden, by Paul Friedrich. (2008)
"This book explores and interprets the myriad connections between two spiritual classics, Henry David Thoreau's Walden and the Bhagavad-Gita. Evidence shows that Thoreau took the Gita with him when he moved to Walden Pond, and the books have much in common, touching on ultimate ethical and metaphysical questions. Paul Friedrich looks at how each work speaks to fundamental problems of good and evil, self and cosmos, duty and passion, reality and illusion, political engagement and philosophical meditation, sensuous wildness and ascetic devotion.... This book should be of lively interest to those concerned with the origins of Indian and American thought, activism, and poetry."

Hinduism : a beginner's guide, by Klaus K. Klostermaier. (2007)
"The Hindu tradition is complex and esoteric, with scriptures dating back thousands of years and a rich collection of gods and rituals that can appear impenetrable to those unfamiliar with its practices. Capturing the diversity at the heart of Hinduism, Klaus K. Klostermaier keeps the tone both engaging and informative as he explains the origins, beliefs, scriptures, and philosophies of this ancient religion. Covering contemporary issues such as the relationship between Hinduism and modern Western ideas, and the imminent challenges the religion faces, this sweeping exploration of a fascinating and long-lasting belief system will be invaluable for students, followers, and interested readers alike.... (drawn from Syndetics book annotation)

Light on life : the yoga journey to wholeness, inner peace, and ultimate freedom, B.K.S. Iyengar, with John J. Evans and Douglas Abrams. (2005)
Light on Life conveys the discoveries from a lifetime of intensive yoga practice, study, and teaching. Mr. Iyengar invites both those new to yoga and those who are experienced practitioners on an Inward Journey designed to increase their physical stability, emotional vitality, mental clarity, intellectual wisdom, and spiritual bliss. As Mr. Iyengar says, the potential for enlightenment lies in the heart of every person, and the yogic journey will illuminate the path." (Book jacket).

Hinduism, by K. M. Sen ; with a new foreword by Amartya Sen.
"A product of many cultures and traditions, Hinduism has generated and assimilated the religious movements of India over 5,000 years. This book provides an invaluable introduction to its diverse schools of thought and practice." (Reprinted classic).

The essentials of Hinduism : a comprehensive overview of the world's oldest religion, by Swami Bhaskarananda. (2002)
The basic concepts of the Hindu view of life and its rituals.

Hinduism : a very short introduction, by Kim Knott. (2000)
In this short introduction, Knott combines a succinct overview of a major religion with an analysis of the challenges facing it in the 20th century. (Amazon)

The Ramayana, Valmiki; new rendition by novelist Ramesh Menon.
"India's most beloved and enduring legend, The Ramayana is widely acknowledged to be one of the world's literary masterpieces. It recounts the story of the great prince Rama: his banishment to the forest; the abduction of his wife, Sita, by the powerful demon Ravana; and Rama's rescue of her." (Book jacket).

Chakra meditation : discover energy, creativity, focus, love, communication, wisdom and spirit, by Swami Saradananda. (2007)
The enlightening introduction to Chakra Meditation reveals how chakras and energy pathways work. Each chapter then focuses on one main chakra, offering a variety of meditations and visualizations to calm or stimulate that energy centre, as well as self-help tools, including yoga postures and healing foods, crystals and oils, to support it. Full of transforming practices, and illustrated with evocative artwork and instructive photography, this is the ultimate guide to balance and well-being" -www.dbponline.co.uk "

Talks with Ramana Maharshi : on realizing abiding peace and happiness, by Ramana Maharshi. (2004)
"This spiritually significant work is a profound series of dialogues between one of the great sages of our time and his inquirers. These 'talks' offer a genuinely universal approach to Truth by directly pointing to the certainty of our essential nature."

What do Hindus believe?, by Rachel Dwyer. (2008)
Hinduism describes the religious beliefs and practices of up to a billion people, most of whom live in India. Yet Hinduism is a religion which lacks a set of core beliefs. It has no founder, no single scripture nor any central organization, and Hindus may be atheists, polytheists and monotheists. The sheer diversity of practices and beliefs across social groups and regions have led some to claim that the term 'Hindu' is almost meaningless." "What do Hindus Believe? argues that there are central themes in this diversity, which can be traced back thousands of years and yet are subpart of today's beliefs and practices...."--BOOK JACKET.

The Hindu world, edited by Sushil Mittal and Gene Thursby. (2004)
"The Hindu World" is the most authoritative and up-to-date single volume on Hinduism available today. In twenty-four chapters, written by leading international scholars, it provides a comprehensive and critical guide to the various literatures, traditions, and practices of Hinduism. Ideally tailored as an introduction to key topics in Hinduism and for use as a definitive reference source, the book offers fresh insights into many aspects of Hindu life. It reflects upon the impact of recent poststructuralist approaches while emphasizing Hinduism's classical heritage and everyday customs in ways that will be familiar to Hindus themselves." (Library Catalogue)

Commentaries on the Vedas, the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita : the three branches of India's life-tree, by Sri Chinmoy. (1996)
Introduction to the three ancient Indian scriptures which are the foundations of Hindu spiritual tradition.

An introduction to Hinduism, by Gavin Flood. (1996)

A popular dictionary of Hinduism, by Karel Werner. (1994)

Reference books:

An illustrated dictionary of Hindu iconography, by Margaret Stutley.
"This dictionary demonstrates the rich profusion of divinities, symbols, sects, and philosophical views encompassed by the Hindu religious tradition. It makes clear that every part of an icon has some symbolic significance. Comprehensive dictionary with several illustrations." (Amazon)

Online databases & articles

Database Articles

Wellington City Libraries subscribe to a number of different online databases that provide news and periodical articles on a wide range of topics. Below you'll find some links to recent articles on Hinduism, selected by our librarians.

If you have signed on to EBSCO (one of our magazine databases) in the last month, the article links below will take you straight in to the database to view the article. Otherwise, you'll be prompted to use your library card number and surname details to log in and view the articles. If you'd like to discover what our databases have to offer on topics other than religion, visit our online databases section, www.mygateway.info.

• What Canadians think of Sikhs, Jews, Christians, Muslims...., by John Geddes, in, MacLeans; 4 May 2009, Vol. 122 Issue 16, p20-24.
  The article presents the findings of a survey conducted by the magazine that examined Canadian views on a number of social questions related to ethnicity and religion. "Canadians may embrace it in theory, but most say they would find it unacceptable if one of their kids came home engaged to a Muslim, Hindu or Sikh. "

Other online articles:

• Moksha : A Journal of Hindu Philosophy and Religion. (Electronic Journal)

Useful websites:

• Study of Hinduism
  An overview study of the principles and practices of Hindu religion, yoga, and philosophy. Additional sections offer comparisons between the four Hindu sects, between the three Western Religions, between Eastern and Western Religions, and between various sects and non-religious movements.
  
• Hinduism (BBC)
  General introduction to Customs, Worship, History, Holy days, and Beliefs.
  
• Sanskrit texts and Stotras
  As the name suggests, this site contains a wide variety of Sanskrit texts and stotras in the pdf format, which you can view or print for your personal use. Most of the texts are in Devanagari script, some with English translation.
  
• Hinduism from Beliefnet
  Information and discussions about different aspects of Hinduism including sacred texts and prayers. Features many links.
  
• Sri Vaishnava
  Sri Vaishnavism is one of the preeminent religious traditions of Hinduism. Over its long history, Sri Vaishnavism is a multifaceted tradition that has both popular and philosophical aspects. These pages attempt to present a glimpse into a few sides of this religion -- its vibrant temple culture, the philosophical love poetry of the Alvar saints, the Vedanta discourses of the Upanishadic sages, the penetrating insight of the acharyas -- all culminating in the grand philosophy of Visishtadvaita.
  
• Diwali : Festival of Lights
  (Society for the Confluence of Festivals in India). One of the biggest festivals of Hindus, Deepawali or Diwali in India is celebrated for five continuous days, with the third day being celebrated as the main Diwali or as 'Festival of Lights'.
  
• Essentials of Divali (Diwali)
  A brief description of the Hindu Festival of Lights and its celebration.
  
• Hindu net
  Hindu Scriptures, introduction to Hindu Dharma, list of temples in North America, festivals information, comparative anthologies, links to sites on Jain Dharma, Buddha Dharma and Sikh Dharma, and more.