Description
Since the late 1990s, the Indian community in Australia has grown faster than any other immigrant community. The Indian Diaspora has substantially contributed to Australia’s multi-ethnic and multi-religious diversity. The growth of Hinduism and Sikhism through gurus, temples, yoga, and ritual of many kinds has brought new colours, images, customs, and practices to the profile of Australian religion. At the same time, Hinduism and Sikhism have been transformed as Hindus and Sikhs from different parts of India, Fiji, Malaysia, and other parts of the world have come together to establish a pan-Indian ethos. Hindus and Sikhs here have also interacted with other sectors of the Australian population and religions from the Western world.
The Indian Diaspora covers the theory of diaspora, the historical development of the Indian communities in Australia from the late 19th century to the present, current practices and statistical profiles of Hindus and Sikhs in Australia, and interactions between Hindus and Sikhs with the broader Australian community. In addition, there are case studies of the Indian students and women in the Australian community, of Indian communities in Melbourne and South Australia, and of temple building.
The book has been edited by and contains contributions from Purushottama Bilimoria, an internationally known scholar of philosophy and religion, Jayant Bhalchandra Bapat, one of Australia’s most senior Hindu priests and a scholar of Hinduism, and Philip Hughes, a leading analyst of the religious profiles of the Australian people. It also contains contributions from several other prominent scholars. Included are unique essays on the importance of diaspora by the late Ninian Smart and on the 19th-century Afghan cameleers and Indian hawkers.
The new 2019 edition also contains revised content and updated information.
