The Arya Samaj movement is essentially a religious institution but became a significant force in India's religious and secular struggle for social and cultural self-determination. Its founding in 1875 presaged the creation of independent India in 1947. This work does not attempt a detailed examination of the movement but provides an outline of its growth and philosophy in the light of the work of its founder Swami Dayanand Sarasvati. the complex of institutions and upliftment programmes initiated by the Samaj and the major historical forces which acted to shape the movement are a cause for considerable pride. The Arya Samaj was one of several socio-religious movements which were founded in the nineteenth century. It was however responsible for constructing some of the best known educational institutions in north India. The repercussions of this were felt by emigrant Indian communities in such places as mauritius, South Africa and Guyana. What started then as a small religious sect has now grown into a religious denomination of considerable influence. In South Africa the Arya Pratinidhi Sabha is one of the best known Hindu organisations wielding influence among the north Indian segment of the Hindu population.

Spiritual travel is an area of growth as more and more people seek refuge from the materialism and superficiality of life in the post-modern world. Spiritual travel includes pilgrimage to sacred sites, religious retreats, or simply visits to places associated with the great religions of the world.

Mauritius : a parallel society -- Guyana : invented traditions -- Trinidad : ethnic religion -- South Africa : reform religion -- Fiji : a segregated society -- East Africa : caste religion.

Religious identity constitutes a key element in the formation, development and sustenance of South Asian diasporic communities. Through studies of South Asian communities situated in multiple locales, this book explores the role of religious identity in the social and political organization of the diaspora. It accounts for the factors that underlie the modification of ritual practice in the process of resettlement, and considers how multicultural policies in the adopted state, trans-generational changes and the proliferation of transnational media has impacted the development of these identities in the diaspora. Also crucial is the gender dimension, in terms of how religion and caste affect women’s roles in the South Asian diaspora. What emerges then from the way separate communities in the diaspora negotiate religion are diverse patterns that are strategic and contingent. Yet, paradoxically, the dynamic and evolving relationship between religion and diaspora becomes necessary, even imperative, for sustaining a cohesive collective identity in these communities. This bookw as published as a special issue of South Asian Diaspora.

Covering all aspects of Hinduism, this encyclopedia includes more ethnographic and contemporary material in contrast to the exclusively textual and historical approach of earlier works.

A comprehensive guide to three global religions that have established strong local communities in South Africa. A valuable resource for exploring the rich diversity of religion.