Columbia (South Carolina), Aug 27 (PTI) A 25-year
quest by nearly 1,000 scholars to document and present one of the world''s
oldest living traditions came to fruition when the ''Encyclopedia of Hinduism''
was unveiled here today.
Hundreds of scholars, dignitaries, students, Hindu leaders and the public
converged on theUniversity of Southern California campus to witness the release
of much anticipated and definitive 11-volume guide conceived, compiled and
produced by the India Heritage Research Foundation.
Those present on the occasion included South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley,
Indian Consul General in Atlanta Ajit Kumar and Gandhian Anna Hazare.
The two-day event coinciding with the release featured some of the top Indian
scholars who discussed the significance of the encyclopedia and the richness
and diversity of Indian culture that binds more than one billion people
worldwide.
The event is the launch of the international edition of the Encyclopedia of
Hinduism. Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama had launched the Indian edition
in 2010 in Rishikesh.
Dr Harris Pastides, President of University of South Carolina, said that he was
humbled to see the encyclopedia being launched in his campus.
"It is a deep honor to be participating in the American release of the
Encyclopedia of Hinduism. This is a remarkable work of scholarship and
research. I hope that many in academia and in everyday life will turn to it as
a resource to better understand the characters, the tenets, and the impact that
Hinduism has had, and is having in the world," he said.
Consul General Kumar said India
and Hindus all over the world are grateful to the University of South
Carolina for the launch of the monumental work.
The comprehensive encyclopedia has 11-volume work and it covers Hindu spiritual
beliefs, practices and philosophy, and is the culmination of a 25-year academic
effort.
The encyclopedia is written in English and includes about 7,000 articles on
Hinduism and its practices.
The work also deals with Indian history, languages, art, music, dance,
architecture, medicine, and women''s issues. It contains more than 1,000
illustrations and photographs.
The encyclopedia''s volumes run from 600 to more than 700 pages. Some 3,000
copies are being printed in first edition.
Hinduism is the world''s third-largest religion, with 1 billion followers,
according to a Pew
Research Center
study.
Christians number 2.2 billion and Muslims 1.6 billion.