Hinduism and the Diaspora : A South African Narrative

Contents: Introduction. 1. Indians: a new community settles in South Africa. 2. A new religious traditions 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. Appendix. Bibliography. Index. The book is about how Hinduism arrived in South Africa and has flourished in the last one-and-a-half centuries. It is a narrative of the indentured Indians who arrived in Natal in 1860 and propagated Hindu religion in Southern Africa for the first time. The book also details the unique practices that have emerged in South Africa and how Hinduism in the diaspora could be shaped by local social and political conditions as well as immigration patterns. The book reflects the diversity of Hindu practices and the survival of many village traditions that were brought to South Africa. (jacket)