Hinduism and the Diaspora: A South African Narrative

Book Details

• Author: Kumar, P. Pratap

• Publisher: Rawat Publications

• Language: English

• Edition: 2013

• ISBN: 9788131605271

• Pages: 248

• Cover: Hardcover

• Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 0.4 inches

About the Book

This comprehensive and deeply engaging book chronicles the remarkable journey of Hinduism from India to South Africa, beginning with the arrival of indentured Indian laborers in Natal in 1860. These early migrants not only laid the foundations of a new community but also brought with them rich religious traditions that would evolve and flourish over the next century and a half. The book examines how Hinduism took root in South African soil, adapted to new social and political environments, and retained its core identity while embracing change.

Through detailed historical analysis, the book highlights the evolution of Hindu practices in the South African diaspora, from temple rituals and domestic ceremonies to the rise of community institutions, language preservation, and religious education. It brings to light the emergence of distinctive religious expressions and the continued relevance of village traditions that survived migration. The diversity within the Hindu community is reflected in chapters devoted to various sects and movements, including the Arya Samaj, Saiva Siddhanta, Ramakrishna Mission, Divine Life Society, Hare Krishna movement, and Satya Sai Baba followers.

Contents:

1. Indians: A New Community Settles in South Africa

2. A New Religious Tradition on the South African Soil

3. Consolidation of the Tradition: Temples and Priesthood

4. Centrality of Ritual: Temple and Domestic Practices

5. Religious Celebrations

6. Goddess Worship

7. Community Organisations, Schools, Rituals and Language

8. Some Reflections on the Major Neo-Hindu Organisations

9. The Arya Samajists

10. The Saiva Siddhantists

11. The Ramakrishnaites

12. The Divine Life Society

13. The Hare Krishnas

14. The Satya Sai Baba Followers

15. Afterword

About the Author

P. Pratap Kumar is an emeritus professor of Hindu Studies and Comparative Religions at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa. A noted academic, he has published extensively in international journals and authored and edited several books, including The Goddess Lakshmi in South Indian Vaishnavism, South Asians in the Diaspora: Their Histories and Traditions (co-edited with Knut Jacobsen), and Religious Pluralism and the Diaspora. He is also the Associate Editor of the journal South Asian Diaspora and serves on the editorial boards of several renowned academic journals.