Nesa Arumugam writes with passion about themes she chooses. Added to this, her meticulous research and careful scholarship make her a trustworthy author of non-fiction. Her books have an easy literary style that belie the wealth of information in them.

An invaluable encyclopedia of Hinduism Hinduism is one of the world’s oldest religions; an amalgam of diverse beliefs and schools, it originates in the Vedas and is rooted in Indian culture. Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide illuminates complex philosophical concepts through lucid definitions, a historical perspective and incisive analyses. It examines various aspects of Hinduism, covering festivals and rituals, gods and goddesses, philosophers, memorials, aesthetics, and sacred plants and animals. The author also explores pivotal ideas, including moksha, karma, dharma and samsara, and details the diverse commentaries on the Bhagavad Gita and other important texts. Citing extensively from the regional languages, the book describes Hinduism’s innumerable myths and legends, and looks at the many versions of texts including the Ramayana and Mahabharata, placing each entry in its historical context and tracing its evolution to the present. • Outlines all eighteen major Puranas, the 108 Upanishads, and a selection of Vaishnava, Sahiva and Tantric texts • Provides quotations from rare original texts • A product of years of research, with a wide range of entries

Astrology is the practice of relating the heavenly bodies to lives and events on earth, and the tradition that has thus been generated. Many cultures worldwide have practised it in some form. In some it is rudimentary, in others complex. Culture and scholarship have categorised it as both belief and science, as a form of magic, divination or religious practice – but in many ways it defies easy categorisation. The chapters in this volume make a significant contribution to our understanding of astrology across a range of periods of cultures. Based on papers presented at the annual conference of the Sophia Centre held in 2012, the contributions range from China and Japan, through India, the ancient Near East, the classical world and early modern Europe, to Madagascar and Mesoamerica. The different topics include ritual and religion, magic and science, calendars and time, and questions of textual transmission and methodology. Astrology in Time and Place is essential reading for all interested in the history of humanity’s relationship with the cosmos.

In the process of evolution, human beings have overcome a multitude of challenges and trials. One such recent encounter was with the pandemic COVID-19. The onslaught of a pandemic is not new in history, not so frequent and will also not be the last. However, during this pandemic, while some people perished, many evolved fighting against it and that’s what makes the journey of human species fascinating. This book is a perception of the journey of a variety of demographics through the pandemic and the series of lockdowns initiated to contain it. If on one hand, there was a closure of economic, religious, education and governmental institutions, on the other, there were attempts made to go digital and cope with new realities. While the women and LGBTQ+ community became vulnerable in their homes, the migrant labourers and sailors longed to return to their homes. If addiction to adult films was worrying, the actors in this industry struggled to survive. The small shopkeepers and domestic helpers were left in a lurch. The journey was tough yet extraordinary. As we move towards a new normal, how well prepared are we? Do we have any lessons learnt?