Makarand Paranjape’s ‘Swami Vivekananda: Hinduism and India’s Road to Modernity’ Set to Release in December 2019

Arguably, the greatest achievement of Swami Vivekananda, one of the most celebrated icons of modern India, was the reconstruction of Hinduism. This he accomplished by reforming the religion in India and changing its image in the West.

This book tries to get to the heart of Swami Vivekananda’s legacy and his relevance in the contemporary world. It examines hitherto lesser-known aspects of Swamiji’s life and work, including his contributions to practical Vedanta, universal religion, science-spirituality and inter-religious dialogue, dharmic secularism, educational philosophy, poetry, and, above all, to the problem of Indian modernity.

Despite the abundance of literature available on him, Swami Vivekananda is still not understood adequately, remaining somewhat of an enigma. A fresh reading of the life and times of the Swami by someone who has studied him closely, Makarand R. Paranjape’s detailed, thought-provoking account shows that in Vivekananda’s visionary thoughts lay the seeds of the creation of a modern India. This book reclaims Swami Vivekananda’s stature as a pioneer of contemporary Hindu thought and nationalism.

About the Author

Makarand Paranjape is currently Director, Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla. He has been professor of English at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, since 1999. He also taught at the University of Hyderabad and Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. His recent books include Debating the ‘Post’ Condition in India, Cultural Politics in Modern India, The Death and Afterlife of Mahatma Gandhi and Transit Passenger/Passageiro em Transito, an Indo-Brazilian book of poems. Makarand is currently a columnist for The Print and Mail Today.

For any queries please contact: sagiri.dixit@harpercollins.co.in
HarperCollins Publishers India | INR 499 | Non-Fiction/Religion