Encyclopedia of Hinduism

rdf:langString Encyclopedia of Hinduism

rdf:langString Encyclopedia of Hinduism, 1st ed., 2012, is a comprehensive, multi-volume, English language encyclopedia of Hinduism, comprising Sanātana Dharma, a Sanskrit phrase, meaning "the eternal law", or the "eternal way", that is used to refer to Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. It is a 7,184 page, 11-volume publication with full-color illustrations of temples, places, thinkers, rituals and festivals. Encyclopedia of Hinduism is an inspiration and dream project of Swami Chidanand Saraswati, President of Parmarth Niketan and India Heritage Research Foundation. Under preparation for 25 years, it has been edited by Dr. Kapil Kapoor with contribution from over 2000 scholars. The encyclopaedia provides conceptual perspective and a general understanding of the different facets of Hinduism. It does not confine itself to religion alone, and has in it entries on art, history, language, literature, philosophy, polity, sciences, and women's studies. The editorial introduction records: "This encyclopaedia has been prepared to give a fairly comprehensive idea of an ancient way of life, a culture that has roots going back thousands of years and has been called ‘Hinduism’ in the last two hundred years of English discourse. It is a book of knowledge about facts, theories, systems, practices, institutions, beliefs, texts, thinkers and values of, what in fact is, a continuity of one of the two living knowledge cultures of the world, the Vedic (Semitic being the other). Hindu society has been a ‘knowledge society’ in its proper sense for at least 5000 years: the word ‘Veda’ itself means ‘knowledge'." On 3–4 April 2010, a preview and blessings ceremony for the Encyclopedia of Hinduism was held at Parmarth Niketan, attended by the Dalai Lama, M.M. Swami Gurusharananand, Swami Avdheshanand Giri, Sant Shri Rameshbhai Oza, Swami Ramdev, Sant Shri Morari Bapu and other religious leaders as well as top political leaders, including Shri L.K. Advani and then-Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, and IHRF board members and trustees. The International Edition of the Encyclopedia of Hinduism was launched at the University of South Carolina on 26 September 2013. The Encyclopedia of Hinduism was presented to the President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee on 23 June 2014.