Shiva's other children

Book Description

This insightful exploration delves into the rich spiritual landscape of Hindu communities who have made their home in Melaka, Malaysia, far from their ancestral roots in the Indian subcontinent. David J. Mearns presents a thoughtful examination of how faith adapts and evolves when transplanted to new cultural soil.

Through careful ethnographic study, the author reveals how Hinduism's vast spiritual repertoire serves both as a unifying force and a source of diversity within this migrant community. Rather than offering simplified narratives of religious solidarity, Mearns honestly explores the tensions and complexities that emerge when different Hindu traditions encounter one another in an urban, multicultural environment.

The book illuminates how religious practice becomes intertwined with questions of identity, belonging, and community formation. Readers will discover how ancient spiritual traditions navigate modern realities, creating new forms of religious expression while maintaining connections to timeless wisdom. The author examines how ritual, belief, and social organization intersect in meaningful ways that shape both individual spiritual journeys and collective religious life.

This work offers valuable insights for anyone interested in understanding how spiritual communities maintain their essence while adapting to new circumstances. It provides a nuanced view of religious diversity within Hinduism itself, showing how the tradition's inherent flexibility allows for multiple expressions of faith within a single community. The study bridges academic rigor with accessible insights into the lived experience of faith in a globalized world.