What does it mean to be a Brahmin, and what could it mean to become one? Over the years, intellectuals and dogmatists have offered plenty of answers to the first question, but the latter presents a cultural puzzle, since normative Brahminical ideology deems it impossible for an ordinary individual to change caste without first undergoing death and rebirth. There is, however, one notable figure in the Hindu mythological tradition who is said to have transformed himself from a king into a Brahmin by amassing great ascetic power, or tapas: the ornery sage Visvamitra. Through texts composed in Sanskrit and vernacular languages, oral performances, and visual media. Crossing the Lines of Caste examines the rich mosaic of legends about Visvamitra found across the Hindu mythological tradition. It offers a comprehensive historical analysis of how the "storyworlds" conjured up through these various tellings have served to adapt, upgrade, and reinforce the social identity of real-world Brahmin communities, from the ancient Vedic past up to the hypermodern present. Using a performance-centered approach to situate the production of the Visvamitra legends within specific historical contexts, Crossing the Lines of Caste reveals how and why mythological culture has played an active, dialogical role in the construction of Brahmin social power over the last three thousand years.

The perfect picture book to introduce children to Rama and Sita and the story of Diwali, with text by award-winning author Malachy Doyle and stunning, colourful illustrations from Christopher Corr. Rama and Sita live happily in the forest - until Sita is kidnapped by the demon king, Ravana. Can Rama and the monkey king Hanuman follow the trail she has laid for them and save Sita, or will she be lost forever? Whether you're looking for a Diwali gift or a simple introduction to the Diwali story to share with your children, this beautiful book, now reissued in a larger picture book format, is ideal. Book band: Purple Quizzed for Accelerated Reader Ideal for ages: 6+

Read the story of two worlds that converge: one of Hindu immigrants in America who want to preserve their traditions and pass them on to their children in a new and foreign land, and one of American spiritual seekers who find that the traditions of India fulfil their most deeply held aspirations. Learn about the theoretical approaches to Hinduism in America, the question of orientalism, and "the invention of Hinduism." The book discusses: * the history of Hinduism and its journey to America * how concepts like karma, rebirth, meditation and yoga have infiltrated and influenced the American consciousness * Hindu temples in North America * the influence of Hinduism on vegetarianism and religious pluralism * the emergence of an increasingly assertive socially and politically active American Hinduism. Hinduism in America contains 30 images, chapter summaries, a glossary, study questions, and suggestions for further reading.

Learn more about Diwali, how it's celebrated, and how you can participate in the festivities!

This is a kids’ book about Diwali, the festival of lights. Celebrated for five days every year during the fall, this festival commemorates the hero Rama’s victory over Ravana, a story that highlights the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness.

This book was made to teach kids aged 5-9 all about this beautiful celebration and how they can participate – no matter their background. Diwali is celebrated in many parts of the world, and it's for everyone!

A Kids Book About Diwali features:

Produced specifically to answer QCA concerns over attainment and assessment in RE at Key Stage 3, "Modern World Religions" is a series that balances learning about religions with learning from religions. It comprises differentiated Student Books, Teacher's Resource Packs and CD-ROMs, on the six major world faiths. Clearly-structured spreads introduce both "learning about" objectives and "learning from" objectives, ensuring that students achieve the right balance. Specifically targeted tasks help students meet the required standards. Each topic includes suggestions for assessment to help gauge students' progress accurately. Foundation and Core edition Student Books have identical pagination, so they can be used together in the classroom to support students of all abilities. The Teacher's Resource Packs provide detailed teaching notes on a topic-by-topic basis, as well as giving clear guidance to specialists and non-specialists alike on key concepts and expected learning outcomes; plus differentiated homework and activity sheets. CD-ROMs enable teachers to integrate ICT, and contain additional activities, together with customisable worksheets for greater flexibility. The evaluation pack contains the Core and Foundation Student Books, the Teacher's Resource Pack and the CD-ROM, at a 20 per cent discount price.

The Mr Men and Little Miss are celebrating Diwali!

The five-day festival of lights is celebrated by millions of people across the world and the Mr Men and Little Miss can't wait to join in. They're busy cleaning their homes, creating Rangolis, lighting lamps and enjoying all the festivities, including large feasts that Mr Greedy is particularly looking forward to. It’s going to be a busy five days of light and laughter!

Mr Men and Little Miss Celebrations introduce children to all the exciting occasions that people celebrate including birthdays, Christmas, Halloween, Easter, Chinese New Year and now Diwali.

The Living Faiths series encourages students to actively engage with religious education by looking into how faiths are practised and lived in people's daily lives. This Student Book covers Hinduism through unique real-life case studies of young people and their families, making RE relevant to KS3 RE Students today. This Student Book uses an enquiry-led approach to help students relate to religion through engaging activities, end-of-chapter assessment tasks, and links to rich audio-visual content.

Focusing on Hinduism, this is one of a series which has been revised in line with developments in Religious Education and examines key themes of the world's major religions - worship, history, festivals and rites of passage.

In this magisterial volume of essays, Wendy Doniger enhances our understanding of the ancient and complex religion to which she has devoted herself for half a century. This series of interconnected essays and lectures surveys the most critically important and hotly contested issues in Hinduism over 3,500 years, from the ancient time of the Vedas to the present day. The essays contemplate the nature of Hinduism; Hindu concepts of divinity; attitudes concerning gender, control, and desire; the question of reality and illusion; and the impermanent and the eternal in the two great Sanskrit epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Among the questions Doniger considers are: Are Hindus monotheists or polytheists? How can atheists be Hindu, and how can unrepentant Hindu sinners find salvation? Why have Hindus devoted so much attention to the psychology of addiction? What does the significance of dogs and cows tell us about Hinduism? How have Hindu concepts of death, rebirth, and karma changed over the course of history? How and why does a pluralistic faith, remarkable for its intellectual tolerance, foster religious intolerance? Doniger concludes with four concise autobiographical essays in which she reflects on her lifetime of scholarship, Hindu criticism of her work, and the influence of Hinduism on her own philosophy of life. On Hinduism is the culmination of over forty years of scholarship from a renowned expert on one of the world's great faiths.

"This English-English-Hindi-Dictionary will completely serve the academic and writing interests of students, aspirants of competitive examinations, researchers, scholars, translators, educationists, and writers. This dictionary is unique in the sense that the 'Words or Terms' have been drawn from literature, science, geography, commerce & business etc to give it a touch of completeness. 'Words or Terms' come complete with grammatical details, syntax, meaning both in English and Hindi along with a sentence (in English only) to improve writing or speaking. 'Words or Terms' have been serialized in alphabetical order, i.e., A-Z for ease in making searches. To the extent possible, Terms used in common parlance have only been included, avoiding less frequent ones. In the Appendices section, body parts, common ailments, apparel, cereals, fruit & vegetables, herbs & spices, household items and other useful information have been included for added utility. This dictionary will be found useful by student community besides others such as, educationists, writers, translators, aspirants of competitive exams. "

When good King Manu prays for God Vishnu to protect the world, his prayers are answered in a most unexpected way. Vishnu appears as a small fish that grows and grows, obliging the king to find larger and larger aquariums to hold him. Eventually, Vishnu reaches a gigantic size and enters the ocean. He announces that a terrible flood will drown the world and that Manu should fill an ark with plants and animals of every species. As in the biblical tale, the floods eventually subside and peace returns to the earth.

Holi - the festival of colour - is celebrated by Hindus worldwide and this book lets children discover how people around the globe celebrate this important festival and what it means to them, with age-appropriate language. The history, preparation and celebration of the festival are all visualised with beautiful photography, capturing the many ways in which this festival is marked. This approach offers children a visually arresting and diverse introduction to one of the most celebrated religious festivals. Ideal for leisure reads, use in the classroom and to support cross-curricular studies.

In this magisterial volume of essays, Wendy Doniger enhances our understanding of the ancient and complex religion to which she has devoted herself for half a century. This series of interconnected essays and lectures surveys the most critically important and hotly contested issues in Hinduism over 3,500 years, from the ancient time of the Vedas to the present day. The essays contemplate the nature of Hinduism; Hindu concepts of divinity; attitudes concerning gender, control, and desire; the question of reality and illusion; and the impermanent and the eternal in the two great Sanskrit epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Among the questions Doniger considers are: Are Hindus monotheists or polytheists? How can atheists be Hindu, and how can unrepentant Hindu sinners find salvation? Why have Hindus devoted so much attention to the psychology of addiction? What does the significance of dogs and cows tell us about Hinduism? How have Hindu concepts of death, rebirth, and karma changed over the course of history? How and why does a pluralistic faith, remarkable for its intellectual tolerance, foster religious intolerance? Doniger concludes with four concise autobiographical essays in which she reflects on her lifetime of scholarship, Hindu criticism of her work, and the influence of Hinduism on her own philosophy of life. On Hinduism is the culmination of over forty years of scholarship from a renowned expert on one of the world's great faiths.

Provide students with a strong understanding of religion with high quality, engaging and content-rich resources building a firm foundation for the new GCSE 9-1 Religious Studies. Deliver a rich, coherent RE course at KS3 and equip pupils with a deep understanding of religion with ready-made, flexible and high quality KS3 lessons. 'Knowing Religion' is written by an author team of experienced RE teachers and led by series editor Robert Orme of West London Free School. Discover the history and beliefs of Hinduism as well as Hinduism in the modern world Start teaching straight away with Teacher Guide resources available on Collins Connect, including teaching ideas and support along with answers to questions in the student books Give pupils the grounding they need to excel at GCSE RS Ignite an interest in religion through a compelling narrative, fascinating facts and extraordinary people Aid pupil memory with a 'knowledge organiser' at the end of each unit covering key vocabulary, people, places, and dates Spark discussion and assess understanding with questions for each lesson including longer-form discursive questions to provide extended writing and essay practice Each book structured as 16 lessons to offer flexibility and map onto the school timetable with ease The 'Knowing Religion' series also includes resources on Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and Sikhism

Read the story of two worlds that converge: one of Hindu immigrants to America who want to preserve their traditions and pass them on to their children in a new and foreign land, and one of American spiritual seekers who find that the traditions of India fulfil their most deeply held aspirations. Learn about the theoretical approaches to Hinduism in America, the question of orientalism and 'the invention of Hinduism'. Read about: * how concepts like karma, rebirth, meditation and yoga have infiltrated and influenced the American consciousness * Hindu temples in the United States and Canada * how Hinduism has influenced vegetarianism * the emergence of an increasingly assertive socially and politically active American Hinduism. The book contains 30 images, chapter summaries, a glossary, study questions and suggestions for further reading.