A Beginner's Guide to Hinduism

You’ve heard of Krishna, yoga, and Diwali—but the rest is a blur of long names and longer footnotes. This book stitches the pieces together. It’s a brisk, good-humored overview for readers who want context, not conversion.



Inside you’ll find:

The big picture—how a many-sided tradition fits together without a single founder or creed.

A “pagan cousins” map—Indo-European echoes (Dyaus/Zeus/Jupiter, Uṣas/Eos, twin horsemen) and where similarities stop.

The famous figures—Ganesha, Shiva, Vishnu, the Goddess—and why there are so many deities without “many gods talking over each other.”

Trimurti, avatars, Lokapālas—what these labels actually mean.

A symbols decoder—Om, trident, liṅga, śāligrāma, yantra, tilaka—so art and architecture start making sense.

Four essential stories told fast and usefully: the Ocean Churning, Rāma & Sītā, Durgā vs. the Buffalo, Hanumān’s Leap.

Clear-eyed chapters on caste, cows, “peacefulness,” the swastika, New Age remixing, yoga’s modern detour, and why some Bhagavad Gītā translations preach.

Neighboring traditions—Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism—and the Hare Krishna movement: overlaps, frictions, and real differences.

Beyond India—Bali’s backyard shrines and the global diaspora’s temples, festivals, and adaptations.



No incense to buy, no Sanskrit to memorize—just a guided look at ideas, images, and stories that won’t stop shaping a billion lives. If Wikipedia left you dizzy, this book hands you the map and a smile.