இந்துக் கலைக்களஞ்சியம் - ஒரு மதிப்பீடு

Hindu Encyclopedia – An Evaluation

Abstract

The Department of Hindu Religious and Cultural Affairs has so far published ten volumes of the Hindu Encyclopedias.  The first volume was published in 1990, covering 670 subject areas from ‘A’ to ‘E’. The 670 subjects were related to deities, revered persons, country, sacred sites, texts, journals, festivals, fasting and objects. The primary objective of this study is to examine and reveal the importance and weakness of the volume. In addition, this study attempts to highlight the areas where the research thinking stands out in the compilation and the shortcomings found in the methodology used. This study is based on the first volume of Hindu Encyclopedia, a copy of which is secondary data. It employs descriptive, analytical, and comparative research approaches. The study finds that the first volume of the Hindu Encyclopedia was produced with several deficiencies, possibly due to the pressure to publish within a short timeframe and the fact that it was largely the work of an individual effort. Despite the identified shortcomings, the study also observes that many entries are compiled with excellent information and that in several instances, the intention to present research-oriented interpretations is evident.