BOOKS

The selection of papers in this volume seeks to track the changes over the past century and underscore this diversity as well as reflect on some of the challenges facing Hindus and Hinduism in the contemporary period. The chapters by Vahed and Gopalan trace the history of the Maha Sabha; Desai and Chetty focus on temples; Anand Singh, Jagganath, and Kumar examine the reformist Hindu movements; Shukla focuses on the importance of the Ramayana tradition among South African Hindus; Hiralal looks the role of Hindu women; while Maharaj and Shanta Singh examine some of the challenges facing Hindus and Hinduism in the contemporary moment.
     Together, these contributions point to the fascinating journey of Hinduism in South Africa, one that began with the arrival of indentured Indians in 1860 and is today an important part of the South African landscape, as acknowledged by President Jacob Zuma. The articles, while illustrating the specificity of the South African experience, also takes cognizance of the influence brought over the oceans from India and the impact of Hindu organizations with a global reach.