Includes a range of voices - such as women and Hindus in the diaspora - which are often excluded or given short shrift in other textbooks, so that readers are provided with a more comprehensive overview of the tradition.Explores both the commonalities and differences between the various aspects of Hindu traditions to introduce students to their complexity and diversity.Explores the rise of Hindu nationalism and other developments of the 21st Century to ensure that this is the most up-to-date introduction to Hinduism available.