Wendy doniger in when the lingam is just a cigar, psychoanalysis and hindu sexual fantasies. On hinduism lies in its belongong to wendy donigers broader oeuvre, which has come to play an attentiongrabbing role in the clamorous clash between the practises of freespirited scholarship and the assertions of cultural identity. Yet for a scholar like doniger whom the critics refer to patronisingly as wendy, it is often the little known, the secret, the repressed, that constitute the most attractive objects of study. The author, wendy doniger, has two doctorates, one in sanskrit and one in indian studies, so she is exceedingly well qualified to write meaningfully on this topic. Orientalism stands for the body of knowledge that the european powers began to generate from the seventeenth century onwards with a view to consolidate the economic, military, and political gains they had started making in.
Wendy doniger is one of the foremost scholars of hinduism in the world. Pdf the hindus an alternative history wendy doniger. Wendy doniger oflaherty is an american indologist who has written several books about hinduism and sanskrit texts. Vedic hinduism is a contradiction in terminis since vedic religion is very different from what we generally call hindu religion, at least as much old hebrew religion is from medieval and modern christian religion. I came to know of wendy doniger in 2014, after penguin decided to withdraw her book the hindus. The hindus an alternative history by wendy doniger penguin books november 2010 isbn10. The hindus by wendy doniger, 9780199593347, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. An alternative history is a book by american indologist, wendy doniger which the author describes as an alternative to the narrative of hindu history that they tell.
However, vedic religion is treatable as a predecessor of hinduism. There is a depressing familiarity to the ruckus centred on american scholar wendy donigers book the hindus. 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. On hinduism is the culmination of over forty years of scholarship from a renowned expert on one of the worlds great faiths.
Library of congress cataloginginpublication data doniger, wendy. Wendy doniger and the hindus by murali balaji the new. Its a little bit of both, and i dont know its proper name. Her translations for penguin classics include the rig veda, the laws of. Unlike the usual, arid accounts of dynasties, wendy donigers double vision of hinduism is about women, merchants, lower castes, animals, spirits and, of course, dead male brahmins. Wendy donigers book is at once deeply engaged with textual details, historical sweep, theoretical concerns, and contemporary politics. She is scholarly, persuasive in her interpretations, especially bringing to light the suppressed presence of women, tribals, and untouchables, and witty, providing great reading pleasure and knowledge. A response to wendy donigers the repression of religious. This debate pits traditionalist hindus against american indologists around the work and personality of prof. Wendy doniger social thought the university of chicago. Donigers book on hinduism put on hold dina nath batra warned that unless the book is withdrawn by march 10, 2014, he would take legal action and also launch an agitation for the same. The release of wendy donigers recent book the hindus.
Wendy donigers book is a tribute to hinduisms complexity. An alternative history from publication and pulp the remaining copies in india. Sparked off by sunthar visuvalingams followup observations, in the light of george w. Wendy doniger oflaherty born november 20, 1940 is an american indologist whose professional career has spanned five decades. Examines a rich array of hindu conceptspolytheism, death, gender, art, contemporary puritanism, nonviolence, and many more. One story is about fusing the head of a brahmin woman onto the body of a dalit woman. The latest twist in the tale is the notice served to aleph book company, the publisher of doniger s previous book, on hinduism. Wendy donigers scholarship was critiqued at a roundtable panel in hawaii for two hours.
After severe backlash in india and a court case that ended last. Wendy doniger oflaherty was born in new york in 1940. Donigers flawed methodology and skewed critique doniger claims that she is a recovering orientalist p. A scholar of sanskrit and indian textual traditions, her major works include, asceticism and eroticism in the mythology of siva. Textual sources for the study of hinduism wendy doniger.
I think i should respond to the piece by wendy doniger in the chronicle of higher education entitled the repression of religious studies, as i am the hindu whose piece on hinduism was substituted for her own. Censorship by the batra brigade nyr, may 8, wendy doniger touches on a number of issues when it comes to the academic study of religion and larger questions of representation. Wendy doniger, the 74yearold american author and research scholar in sanskrit is moreover known for the high regard she has had for indian tradition. Wendy instead portrays the history of hinduism from the point of view of women, animals, outcasts, dalits and tribals, in her. By arvind sharma birks professor of comparative religion at faculty of religious studies at mcgill university in canada. Alongside donigers 683page behemoth, i am also reading diana ecks india. In her book, doniger retells hindu stories and provides snarky interpretations. Textual sources for the study of hinduism textual sources for the study of religion, issn 17592739.
It suggests the hinduism she is chronicling is a shadow version of some other more mainstream narrative. The title of donigers book an alternative history is problematic. All you wanted to know about the controversy surrounding. Chakravarthi ranprasad, the times literary supplement. A controversial book on hinduism is back in print in india. This was after a lawsuit filed by the shiksha bachao andolan samithi committee for the struggle to save education against the book arguing that the work was riddled with heresies and that the contents were. Her courses in mythology address themes in crosscultural expanses, such as death, dreams, evil, horses, sex, and women.
The real reason wendy donigers book on hindus was banned. An alternative history after three, maybe four months. She frames the debate over her book, as well as other topics when it. From one of the worlds foremost scholars on hinduism, a vivid reinterpretation of its history an engrossing and definitive narrative account of history and myth that offers a new way of understanding one of the worlds oldest major religions, the hindus elucidates the relationship between recorded history and imaginary worlds. From one of the worlds foremost scholars on hinduism, a vivid reinterpretation of its history an engrossing and definitive narrative account of history and my slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. During a lecture in london in 2003, doniger escaped being hit by an egg thrown by a hindu nationalist apparently angry at the sexual thrust of her interpretation of the sacred ramayana. Wendy doniger oflaherty born november 20, is an american indologist whose professional career has spanned five decades. Fight back and take back wendy donigers valuable book taken away from you by a spineless publisher and the fundamentalists they made a. This is not a pipe rene magritte this is not wendy donigers the. Wendy donigers derogatory hinduism studies introduction i do not believe in burning books, but wendy donigers 779page tome titled, the hindus. Right or wrong, wendy donigers the hindus should be. Wendy doniger but it isnt a hedgehog, and it isnt a tortoise said the young painted jaguar. Fight back and reclaim wendy doniger s valuable book taken away from you by a spineless publisher and the fundamentalists they made a deal with.
The kama sutra does not refer to temple worship, it talks only of festivals you go to. Bushs state of the union address in 2001, on david loys buddhist appeal, just after 911, for a pacific approach to the problem of terrorism. The hindus an alternative history is an utterly wonderful book. Hinduism underwent changes from the organized religion of the vedic period before you had temple worship. Many nonhindu westerners have ideas about what hindus believe. Includes more than 60 essays and lectures spanning the decadeslong career of one of hinduisms most prominent scholars. Pankaj mishra on wendy donigers the hindus satyamshot. Ive just finished wendy donigers in famous the hindus. Yet the greatness of hinduism its vitality, its earthiness, its vividnesslies precisely in many of those idiosyncratic qualities that continue to inspire debate today. 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.
P enguin books india has said this week that it will destroy all available copies of the 2009 book by the indologist. Wendy donigers research and teaching interests revolve around two basic areas, hinduism and mythology. Through this magisterial volume which she calls the book of my books wendy doniger, widely acknowledged as one of the greatest and most original scholars of hinduism, enlarges our understanding. With her inimitable insight and expertise doniger illuminates those. An alternative history by wendy doniger of the university of chicago is really not a history at all. An alternative history is a diachronic study of hinduism that highlights the complexity and diversity of the religion. The book was initially published by viking penguin in 2009 and later in india by penguins indian subsidiary, penguin india the book was criticized in india, and in february 2014 it was the subject of litigation in.
A critique of wendy donigers the hindus, an alternative. Wendy donigers book is a tribute to hinduisms complexity, not an insult. Wendy donigers compendious account of religious traditions that constitute. The hindus an alternative history by wendy doniger. The notice demanded that the publisher withdraw this book too. This lively, earthy account explains why ancient india is the worlds richest storytelling culture. The two books have hinduism as their subject but their approach is different. Wendy doniger is the mircea eliade distinguished service professor of the history of religions in the divinity school at the university of chicago, where she is also a professor of south asian languages and civilizations. Donigers book on hinduism put on hold india news,the. Pdf the hindus an alternative history wendy doniger ripu. Wendy doniger, one of the worlds foremost scholars of hinduism, illuminates those moments within the tradition that resist forces that would standardize or establish a canon. This book will no doubt further expose her to the fury of the modernday indian heirs of the british imperialists who invented hinduism. 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.
About wendy doniger oflahertys translation of the rig. Doniger provides several variants of the theme of transposed heads. This is not wendy donigers the hindus an alternative history. Doniger, a scholar of religion and professor at the university of chicago, wrote the hindus.
Banning wendy donigers the hindus by koenraad elst. An alternative history, which has been both revered and reviled by different sections of society, stirred up a huge controversy. An alternative history is the latest in a long line of incidents that show the state refusing to protect liberal values. She holds doctoral degrees in both sanskrit and oriental studies, and is the mircea eliade. Hinduism does not lend itself easily to a strictly chronological. For them, neoved antic hinduism is the only hinduism, or alternatively, is the only hinduism that matters. A controversial book on hinduism is back in print in indiawith a tweak wendy donigers book was booted from india after conservative hindu activists cried foul. The book makes certain claims which certain segments of hindus believe portray hinduism in a bad light.
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