Hinduism in Five Minutes

Hinduism in Five Minutes provides an accessible and lively introduction to common questions about the practices, ideas, and narratives commonly identified as Hindu. Suitable for beginning students and the general reader, the book offers more than 60 brief essays on a wide range of fascinating questions about Hinduism and its study, such as: How did Hinduism begin? How many gods / goddesses do Hindus worship? Why do some people refer to the Bhagavad Gita as the Hindu Bible? Why do Hindus have to be vegetarian? What is the role of women in Hindu rituals? What do Hindus believe? Why are Untouchables treated differently? Why do Hindus throw colors during Holi? Is yoga Hindu? What makes arranged marriage appealing to Hindus? Do you have to be Indian to be a Hindu? Each essay is written by a leading authority and offers succinct, insightful answers along with suggestions for further reading, making the book an ideal starting point for classroom use or personal browsing.