The Vedanta Kesari, Vol 96, No.
4, ISSN 0042-2983, April 2009
A
Tribute to Hinduism (Thoughts and Wisdom Spanning Continents and Time About
India and her Culture)
By
Sushama Londhe
Published
by Pragun Publication,
New Delhi.
Distributed by D.K. Publishers Distributors (P) Ltd.
4834 / 24 Ansari Road, Darya Ganj,
New Delhi
- 110 002.
2008, Hardback, Pp. 549, Rs.895.
In
the Mahabharata, there is the story of a young and arrogant student called
Kaushika who is humbled by a devout housewife. She teaches him that ‘each is
great in his own place’ and can attain the highest knowledge by performing
one’s duty in life with sincerity and devotion. Sushama Londhe, the author of
this book, is perhaps a living
illustration of this story! Sushama Londhe is introduced to the readers thus:
‘…After working as an Urban Planner with the State of
Connecticut
, she decided to devote her time as a mother and a homemaker.’ But her
knowledge of and devotion to Hindu culture will humble even religious scholars
and historians.
The
love of our motherland and her culture are deeply rooted in the Indian American
community. This samskara often expresses itself through a strong urge to
spread this awareness to co-religionists—through books, or websites and in
this case, a website which later took the form of a book!
I
am one of those netizens who closely followed the transformation of Sushama
Londhe’s
website (www.atributetohinduism.com now renamed as www.hinduwisdom.info) since
its inception in 1996. It grew from a beautiful interface into almost an
encyclopaedia on Hinduism. It is happy news for all lovers of Hinduism that the
contents of this website have now been brought out as a book in a pleasantly
readable format.
The
book abounds in a wealth of information about philosophers, writers, historians,
political thinkers, indologists, etc., across continents who were—and continue
to be—fascinated by India and her profound spiritual culture. There are twelve
thematic chapters in the book followed by a thoughtful epilogue. Colourful
photographs and illustrations add life to the print which runs into 500 pages,
including the references.
I
would have loved to say that this book is a must buy for all Hindus but the
price made me stop and think again. Perhaps, the Indian edition of the book
could have been more reasonably priced, keeping in view the average Hindu who is
curious to discover his cultural roots but is cautious when it comes to shelling
out!
- M. PRAMOD KUMAR,
COIMBATORE
https://www.sriramakrishnamath.org/2009/Eng/4-4-1.Pdf
- page 161
Hinduism Today, April/May/June
2008
A Tribute to Hinduism
From time immemorial, India has been synonymous
with spiritual knowledge and has attracted numberless philosophers, poets,
historians, scientists and travelers. Some have been able to physically visit
her sacred land, while others have imbibed translations of her rich and
imaginative literature from afar. Though political leaders have led the world
into wars and imperialism, ancient India's spiritual wisdom has provided an
uplifting counterpoint, profoundly influencing Western scientific and
imaginative thought, arts and literature. Scientists, scholars, poets, writers
and philosophers have paid the highest compliment to India's genius in
metaphysics, religion, art, language and culture by incorporating many of her
ideas and theories into their own work. A Tribute to Hinduism by Sushama Londhe
is a rich collection of Western and Eastern thinkers' inspired gems on Hinduism
and India.
A Tribute to Hinduism,
by Sushama Londhe, Pragun Publications, New Delhi, India. rs. 895;
550 pages. http://www.atributetohinduism.com
http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archives/2008/4-6/56-59_books.shtml
Desh-Videsh:
A Magazine Promoting the Indian Sub-Continent, Vol. 808
A
Tribute to Hinduism: Thoughts and Wisdom spanning continents
and time about India and her culture by Sushama Londhe
Since time
immemorial, India has been synonymous with spiritual
knowledge, and people have been drawn to her sacred land.
Some were philosophers, poets, writers, historians,
scientists, and travelers. Some came to India; others read
translations about her rich and imaginative literature and
felt genuine enthusiasm for her. The fourth Caliph in the
7th century is reported to have said, "The land where
books were first written and from where wisdom and knowledge
sprang is India." Despite the wars and imperialism,
ancient India's spiritual influence and wisdom has had
considerable impact on the West, especially on its
imagination, science, and literature: English Romantic
poetry in particular. Scientists, scholars, poets, writers,
and philosophers all have paid the highest compliment to
India's wonderful metaphysical, religious, artistic,
linguistic, and cultural genius by imitating and
incorporating some of these ideas and theories into their
own work.
Hinduism has
been like the rainforest of the spirit, always rejuvenating,
evolving, and transforming over the millennia. With an ever
expanding globalization today there is a growing disquiet in
the rich countries of the West, a feeling that Western way
of life is itself no longer morally or practically
supportable because of environmentally destructive
activities. It was India which taught us long ago that the
lust for possession and control will destroy and that all
life is sacred. In a world of finite resources, India and
her ancient religious traditions speak to us with great
urgency about our destructive 20th century. It is imperative
and critical for the health of our planet that Hinduism
should not only survive but flourish. Like an elegance of an
exquisite seamless sari which unfolds with supreme grace to
showcase its intricate pattern, so does A Tribute to
Hinduism. This book is a collection of positive and inspired
gems of thoughts and wisdom from the writings of eminent
philosophers, scientists, thinkers, historians, and authors
from the West and the East on Hinduism and India. It
catalogs their thoughts and the inspiration that they have
drawn from Hinduism's rich philosophy.
ABOUT THE
AUTHOR
Sushama Londhe is an Indian American who came to the US as a
graduate student in the mid-1970s. She holds Masters degrees
in Regional Planning and Urban Affairs. After working as an
Urban Planner with the State of Connecticut, she decided to
devote her time as a mother and a homemaker. Subsequently,
she began a website, Hindu Wisdom, as a personal quest for
her own spiritual heritage. The inception of the website
began in the fall of 1996 as a small non-commercial web page
and has grown over the years as a major resource on the
Internet. Ms. Londhe currently resides in the Greater
Philadelphia area with her husband, their two children, and
a cat. Her hobbies include art, gardening, and traveling.
http://www.deshvidesh.com/issues/desh808/bookreview.htm
