The Hindu at Home : Hindu Acarakandam

Contents: Preface. 1. The Hindu home. 2. The Hindu daily round. 3. The Hindu woman\'s religion. 4. The Hindu sacred thread. 5. The Hindu sacred marks. 6. The Hindu tonsure. 7. Hindu marriages. 8. Unorthodox Hindu marriages. 9. Hindu diet. 10. Hindu festivals. 11. Hindu Mendicity. 12. Hindu funerals. 13. Unorthodox Hindu funerals. 14. Hindu omens. 15. Hindu ornaments. Appendix--social reforms. Glossary of Hindu terms. Index.

"The Hindu is guided by rules and regulations prescribed by his religion. There is nothing that has to do with the whole life of a Hindu, and every possible detail thereof, from his cradle to his grave, which is not regulated by such rules. Many of these directions were originally the outcome of circumstances bearing upon the welfare of the individual or community, but they have gradually become absorbed in the religious administration and, at length, appear as sections of a divine code that must be observed, on pain of severe physical and spiritual penalties.

In this book many of the quotations are taken from the private palm-leaf manuscripts of purohitas (priests), which have been handed down from generation to generation. Thus, it was manifestly desirable to give the original text from these unusual sources of information." (jacket)