Who Is a Hindu?

Who Is a Hindu?
AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh

When Draupadi was born from the firepit of her father's yagnashala, according to the epic Mahabharata, she was fully formed. She had no childhood. No parenting. She was complete and autonomous on the day of her birth, ready to marry and fulfil her destiny.

Many Hindus are convinced that Hinduism was born fully formed, a creation of rishis, and that it has a clear purpose: moksha! In their world, all sacred texts were created thousands of years ago, fully formed. Hinduism has no childhood, no evolution, no transformation even, certainly no foreign or even local influences. Hinduism is seen as a transcendent idea that manifests differently depending on history (kala), geography (sthana), and people involved (patra). This is where historians are divided.

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