Hinduism isn’t a religious faith, but an entire civilization, a way of life. Defying a precise definition, it represents a whole civilization, a millennia-long tradition, and a rich cultural heritage – which, with a continuous history of more than five thousand years -- is enormously vast in scope, splendid in expression, profound in illuminating thoughts, and fantastic in flights of imagination. Hinduism is a veritably complex religious system, including a wide range of particular beliefs and practices. Because of this and its evolution over the centuries, there are no single and unequivocal rules to define what Hinduism is. Today, over a billion people call themselves followers of this tradition. Originating in India, millennia ago, the Hindu tradition has spread beyond the Indian subcontinent to Southeast Asia, reaching a far as the remote Pacific islands of Fiji on the one hand, and Britain and North and South America on the other.

In the West, and perhaps elsewhere too, questions are often raised, which particularly have no relevance to study and understanding of the Hindu tradition – questions like, for instance: When did Hinduism begin? Who was its founder? Who is the head of the Hindu ecclesiastical system? What is the ‘creed’ to which Hindus subscribe? What dogmas do Hindus accept? Such questions, in fact, are misleading in the understanding of Hinduism. Therefore, to know what Hinduism is, it is necessary to understand what it is not.

There is no founder of Hinduism, nor was it founded at a certain time, or at a certain place. No single person has been responsible for launching Sanatana Dharma. There are many seers, sages and prophets, who have contributed and continue to contribute to the richness of the tradition, but none of them is regarded as the ‘founder’ of Hinduism. It has no beginning in history, nor does any single historical event mark the birth of the tradition. Actually, Hindus hold that truth is eternal, without beginning or end. Transcending boundaries, it is available to all. Truth manifests itself in many ways in different times and places. Hindu religion is not creedal -- it does not identify its adherents through a prescribed set of beliefs. There are no exclusive theological doctrines or dogmas that are mandatory for everyone in the Hindu community. Then, Hinduism is not a missionary religion; it has no missionary movement or history. Proselytization has no place in Hinduism. Hindus have never been an organized church body; they never accept anyone as the sole authority or spokesperson for the community.

Unlike every other major religion, Hinduism, thus, has no identifiable historical genesis, nor does it have any established church/supreme authority to dictate what it is or ought to be. It has rather grown as an irresistible natural religious force as a way of life; as a most elaborate, yet most complex, system which, in quintessential terms, has advocated coexistence; universal tolerance; and reverence for deities, for myths, for genuine aspirants (risis, sages, gurus) – with affirmation of a transcendent cosmic (divine) principle, and sophisticated analyses of baffling metaphysical issues. Ahimsa (nonviolence), one of the cardinal virtues of humanity, is the keystone of the Hindu ethics. What can be said is that Hinduism is a cultural-religious force that has given rise to a vast body of magnificent sacred literature, music, art, architecture, and philosophy. It is an intangible force that binds millions of people in India and beyond through its Sanskrit hymns and devotional songs, magnificent epics, colourful deities, metaphysical worldviews, and elaborate worship modes.

Monumental, authoritative, nearly exhaustive, Encyclopaedia of Hinduism presents a holistic view of the Indic civilization, spirituality, and culture. A major academic enterprise of the India Heritage Research Foundation (IHRF), it unveils, in a comprehensive sweep, an ancient way of life, a culture that has roots going back to thousands of years and has been called ‘Hinduism’ in the last two hundred years of English discourse. It serves as a book of knowledge about facts, theories, systems, practices, customs, ceremonies, institutions, beliefs, texts, thinkers and values of what, in fact, is a continuity of a living knowledge culture.

The first-ever attempt covering the entire spectrum of Hinduism and the Hindu tradition: from the dawn of civilization to the present, the Encyclopaedia authentically spells out all that one would want to know about the traditional antiquity of Hinduism, its philosophical foundations, aesthetics, sacred writings, languages, literature, poetics, sects, movements, mythology, architecture, sculptural art, iconography, cave temples, music, dance, drama/theatre, paintings/murals, handicrafts, folks arts, oral traditions, polity, statecraft, social institutions, risis/sages, gurus, mystics, law, education, yoga, history and historical dynasties, reformers, thinkers, geography, mathematics, astronomy and cosmology, ayurveda and other sciences, influence, and a lot else – besides similar aspects about Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism.

Ever since the late 19th century, Hinduism has been a major influence in promising development. But, despite its influence around the world, it is also widely misunderstood – specially today in the wake of a global culture that cuts across the boundaries of established religions, the Encyclopaedia of Hinduism sets the record straight by dispelling misrepresentations and distortions around the tradition. Not just this. It also highlights some of the Hindu insights, which are profoundly meaningful to the 21st century. Insights like, for instance -- the sagacity that the great religions of the world are valid paths to Truth/God; the viability of the holistic path in quest of Truth; the validity of feminine symbols in the descriptio