About the Book

The book provides a detailed history of the origin of the culture and religion that flourished along the Indo-Gangetic Plains. It discusses migrations, their impact and the emergent civilizations. The objective is to understand how the religion evolved with people.

The presentation is based on a first-hand reading of Hindu scriptures in Sanskirt combined with knowledge of social sciences. The emphasis is on three major Hindu scriptures: the Bhagavad Gita, the Manusmriti and the Vedas, particularly the Rigveda. It also studies the recent developments, particularly the impact of science and technology with regards to the Hindu society. 

Whether the Rigvedic values are relevant today have also been explored.

About the Auhor

Prof Ramachandran is an indologist and retired professor of Delhi School of Economics. Born into a large family of orthodox Brahmanas, the author obtained his basic training in Vedic religion and rituals from his father, who was a high school headmaster and a scholar in Vedic literature.