The Hindu Diaspora - Comparative Patterns (Hardcover)

Hinduism outside the Indian subcontinent represents a divergent diaspora. From Britain to the Caribbean, diasporic Hindus have substantially reformed their beliefs and practiced in accordance with their historical and social circumstances. In this analysis Steven Vertovec looks at why Hindu indentities have developed in such different ways in different contexts and in doing so questions the assumption that subcontinent Hinduism represents the authentic articulation of Hindu identity. Amongst the case studies Vertovec examines are: the historical construction of the category "Hinduism in India", the formation of a distinctive Caribbean Hindu culture during the nineteenth century, the role of youth groups in forging new identities during Trinidad's Hindu Renaissance, the reproduction of regionally based identities and frictions in Britain's Hindu communities and the differences in temple use across the diaspora. This book provides a detailed view of the Hindu diaspora in the past, present and its possible future.