Buddhism and Hinduism Filmography
updated (2/05)

Buddhism | Hinduism

Hinduism and Buddhism

Ancient India. Ancient civilizations. 1999. 1 videocassette (47 min.). The antecedents of modern Indian culture can be traced back to the Harappan civilization, which flourished between 2300 and 1500 BC in what are now Pakistan and Afghanistan. This era saw the birth of the Hindu religion. The Aryan tribes from the Russian steppes invaded the subcontinent in 1000 BC, bringing their language and culture. The resulting synthesis between the Aryan and Indian civilizations brought forth a unique society that included a caste system, which soon became entrenched. Program examines the religious tension between Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam, and the historical events that shaped the great Indian civilizations from the Morian Empire through the Mogul Empire. Maps and scholars provide insight into a culture that remains vibrant and diverse today. VHS 6354

Hinduism and Buddhism. Eastern philosophy. 2002. 1 videocassettes (50 min.). "Part 2 of the Eastern philosophy triology turns to South Asian schools of thought. Hunduism is one of the oldest religions of the world, emergin in the Indus Valley about fifteen hundred years before Christ. We look at the fundamental beliefs at the heart of Hinduism, the caste system, and its teachings on lifestyle and human density. The roots of Buddhism are in the 5th century A.D. Its journey to the 21st century has been far from smooth, but despite numerous attempts to wipe it out, it flourishes today as a global phenomenon. Buddihism is perhaps more accurately described as a spiritual school and way of life than a religion, as it has no deities." --from container. VHS 7647

Mythos. Vol. 2, the shaping of the Eastern tradition [videorecording]. New York, NY: Inner Dimension, c1997. Journey with Joseph Campbell as he takes you through The shaping of the Eastern tradition and examines spirituality through the mythic images of Hinduism and Buddhism. VHS 5143

Buddhism

Believing [videorecording] / Time-Life Video. 1985. Heart of the dragon; no. 4. Explores the ancient teachings of Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism and the modern philosophies of Marxism and Maoism. Describes the influences of these doctrines on the daily life of ordinary people of Shandong province. Illustrates the influence of the production leader at Yatai and his control over the production cadre. VHS 5984

Blue collar and Buddha [videorecording]. [Evanston, Ill.] : Siegel Productions; San Francisco, CA: distributed by Cross Current Media, c1987. Takes a look at a group of Laotian refugees who have built a Buddhist temple on a small farm on the outskirts of Rockford, Illinois, a blue-collar town. Documents local attitudes toward these refugees and raises issues related to acculturation. Interviews local residents, Viet Nam veterans, and Laotians, in a bar, in the Buddhist temple, and in the workplace. Documents racial prejudice, ignorance, compassion, and understanding. VHS 890

Cambodia [videorecording] : the struggle for peace. Derry, N.H.: Chip Taylor Communication, 1989. After two decades of war, genocide, and occupation by the Vietnamese, Cambodia is left with enormous social problems, including orphans and widows, economic problems stemming from the forced migration to the countryside during the Pol Pot era and the frequent failure of the rice crop, and the psychological problems of an inheritance of hatred and bitterness that is in conflict with the traditional Cambodian character and with the dominant religion, Buddhism. VHS 1291

The Chanting Lama [videorecording]. London: Sussex Tapes; Guilford, CT: distributed by Audio Forum, 1992. Music and society. Showing scenes from Benares, Darjeeling, and the Western Himalayas, the camera conveys the ritual dance and music of Tibetan refugees in Northern India against a backdrop of religious painting, sculpture and architecture. VHS 3647

The Funeral [videorecording] = Os¯oshiki. Los Angeles, CA: Republic Pictures Home Video, c1988. Black comedy. An old man's unexpected death creates havoc with his family. The traditional three-day funeral undertaking becomes a sly comedy of manners as the younger generation struggles with the complex rituals of the Buddhist ceremony. Film is full of rich detail and fondness for the cultural traditions that are fading from modern Japanese life. VHS 696

Healing from within [videorecording] / Bill Moyers. New York, NY: David Grubin Productions: distributed by Ambrose Video c1993. Healing and the mind; v.3. Examines two therapies that involve neither drugs nor surgery. One is a form of Buddhist meditation; the other, group psychotherapy. Both teach patients to use their minds to improve the healing capacities within their bodies. VHS 1913

I am a monk [videorecording]. Cos Cob, CT: Produced by Cintec Productions; distributed by Hartley Productions, c1976. Michael, an American, has become a Buddhist monk in Thailand. He returns home for a short reunion and his parent's attitude he is a beggar. The film explains his new way of life to the satisfaction of his parents. Includes scenes of Thailand and Buddhist temples and monasteries. VIC 301

In the spirit of Manjushri: The wisdom teachings of Buddhism. 1999. 4 videocassettes (280 min.). Part 1. Examines the Buddhist belief that the Buddha's first teaching of The Four Noble Truths was the framework within which all his subsequent teaching were given. -- Part 2. Talks focus is on the spirit of enlightenment, the altruistic love and compassion for all sentient beings. Shows how the wisdom teachings (cool, analytic insight into selflessness, into the nature of physical and mental reality as voidness) is a movement of the heart as well as a clarity of the mind. Part 3. Looks at the third phase of the three principle phases of the path of enlightenment, and that is the phase of cultivating a realistic view of the nature of reality, the wisdom of emptiness itself. Presents an overview of the different philosophic views of the Buddhist idealists, those who believe that everything exists in the nature of the mind, and the Buddhist relativists, who believe that outer reality and inner reality are equally real and equally unreal, but their reality is only conventional, while their unreality is absolute. -- Part 4. Looks at the Buddhist refuge precepts and the Manjushri initiation, which empowers the practitioner to draw close to the Bodhisattva, receive his inspiration and assistance in the quest. Includes a dialogue on the Wisdom Teaching between the Dalai Lama and the Venerable Master Sheng-yen, one of the most revered living Buddhist masters in the Ch'an lineage. VHS 6118

Little Buddha. Miramax classics. 2000. 1 videodisc (123 min.). In a big American city, a boy and his family discover a story about a prince in a land of miracles. But the miracle becomes real when Tibetan monks appear, searching for their leader's reincarnation -- who they believe has been reborn in the boy. Suddenly, their worlds meet, leading the Americans on an extraordinary adventure. DVD 253

My America -or honk if you love Buddha. 1997? 1 videocassette (85 min.). Renee Tajima-Peña set out to drive coast-to-coast to explore just how much the racial and cultural landscape of America has changed since she was a child as she seeks out what it means to be Asian American in today's rapidly-changing society. On her journey, she meets and records an eclectic group of offbeat and distinctive Asian Americans from Chinatown, New York, to a debutante ball in Anaheim, California. VHS 5159

The principles and practice of Zen [videorecording]. Princeton, New Jersey: Films for the Humanities, 1988.The program follows the path of a student priest of the Rinzai Zen sect, showing the physical and mental disciplines demanded as he trains at the Shogenji monastery and travels through Japan engaging in debates with priests of different sects. VHS 991

The reincarnation of Khensur Rinpoche. 1999? 1 videocassette (50 min.). Shows the process of determining the identity of a high reincarnate lama, from the point of view of of the monk who was the deceased lama's attendant and closest desciple during their exile in India and then becomes a father figure to the four-year-old Tenzin Khentse as he leaves his parents in Chinese Tibet and begins life in a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in India. VHS 7469

Satya, a prayer for the enemy. 1993. 1 videocassette (28 min.). Since the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1950, more than one million people have been tortured, executed or starved to death for their role in demonstrations against the Chinese occupation. This film focuses on personal testimonies of Tibetan Buddhist nuns who have taken the lead in this resistance by fearlessly staging courageous demonstrations for religious freedom and independence. VHS 6470

T\ao ma tsei [videorecording] = The Horse thief. New York: Kino on Video, 1991, [orig. 1987].Tells the story of Norbu, a horse thief who is driven out of his tribe and forced to live in isolation with his family. Although he repents, he is forced to steal again after the birth of a second child. The film features sweeping Tibetian landscapes and gorgeous Buddhist rituals. VHS 1314

Teyyam: The annual visit of the god Vishnumurti. 1998. 1 videocassette (57 min.). "In Northern Kerala, Hindus revere numerous Gods through Teyyam rituals. Each Teyyam is dedicated to a specific God. In Teyyam worship a ritual specialist, a Teyyam performer, takes the shape of the God and becomes transformed. The rituals are performed at yearly festivals held at small temples devoted to Teyyam Gods which offer devotees the opportunity to communicate directly with them, asking for support to deal with problems such as illness and theft. [...] This program shows one Teyyam ritual for the popular God Vishnumurti, it is a visually dazzling event which is one of the few occasions that brings both the higher and lower castes of the different Hindu communities together. The performers are shown in the preparations and also after the festival."--Container. VHS 7135

The Three worlds of Bali [videorecording]. [Boston?] : Public Broadcasting Associates, 1981. Odyssey series. Reflects anthropologist Stephen Lansing's theme of the three Balinese traditions: time and place, religion, and group participation, the organizing principle of all three being art. VHS 4950

Tibetan Buddhism [videorecording]. Madison, WI: Film Distribution Office, Center for South Asian Studies [distributor], [1983?]. A documentary on Tibetan Buddhist culture. VHS 3940

Too much air to breathe. 1995. 1 videocassette (28 min.): sd., col.; 1/2 in. Using interviews and film, the program describes the practices of Laotians who have built a Buddhist temple and monastery in Fauquier County, Virginia, the changes in Buddhist customs due to Americanization, and the views of earlier residents of Fauquier County. VHS 4116

Tuomion temppeli = Temple of doom. 2002. 1 videocassette (49 min.). Film focuses on the violence that erupted between India's fundamentalist Hindus and Muslims in the late winter of 2002 in Ayodhya. VHS 7262

Walking with the Buddha [videorecording]. Maryknoll, NY: Maryknoll World Productions, 1993.As the number of immigrants from Southeast Asia increases, Americans will meet believers in Theravada Buddhism. This video, filmed in Thailand, looks at the life of the Buddha and how his followers live their beliefs. VHS 2762

Why has Bodhi-Dharma left for the east [videorecording] = Dharmaga Tongjoguro Kan Kkadalgun. New York: Milestone Film & Video, 1989. Tells the story of a young korean man who leaves his modern life to go into the mountains to study with a Zen Buddhist master. VHS 3345

Zen in life [motion picture]. Tokyo: Oriental Electrical Industries, [1968?]. This film is a unique documentary on Zen, filmed with the cooperation of Komazawa University and leading Zen temples, revealing the life of Zen disciples, meditation, and other various facets of Zen, like Kolan. MPD 54

Hinduism

An appointment with the astrologer [videorecording]: personal consultants in Hindu society. [S.l.]: BBC-TV, 1984. Prominence of astrology in everyday Hindu life is explored. VHS 799

Ashtanga, NY a yoga documentary. 2004. 1 videodisc (ca. 60 min.). Follows the aging yoga guru Sri K. Pattabhi Jois as he gives his final North American workshop in New York City in September 2001. Devotees were arriving from all over the world when the 9/11 terrorist attacks took place in the midst of the celebration. In the difficult weeks that followed, Jois used the Ashtanga practice to help heal and fortify his diverse followers. This is not an instructional video, and these are not your garden-variety contortionists. This is a real look into the intersection of ancient practice and modern-life, New York-style. DVD 1024

Bombay. 1998. 1 videodisc (130 min.). "Based on true incidents. Personifies Hindu-Muslim racial tensions ... starts out a love story, a romance between a south Indian Hindu man and a Muslim woman ... taboo in the small village they hail from. They marry against family wishes and move to Bombay ... The rest of the film is set in the December 1992-January 1993 period when the "Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid" controversy had raised racial tensions in Bombay (and other parts of India) and sparked riots and violence. The family is separated from the children and fathers of both parents are killed ... An underlying moral of thinking of oneself as an Indian rather than a Hindu or a Muslim is prevalent throughout the latter part of the film"--Munseh Makhija in Internet Movie Database. DVD 235

The boy in the branch. 1993. 1 videocassette (27 min.). "Set at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh headquarters in Nagpur, India ... is a documentary film on the proselytization of young Hindu boys by the RSS. The RSS has a network of approximately 33,000 'shakhas' or branches for purposes of 'preparing' RSS volunteers and spreading the Hindu fundamentalist ideology ... Through RSS games, rituals, stories and instruction ... and interviews with RSS volunteers, the film highlights ... the process of indoctrination in the transition of innocent child to communal militant."--Container. VHS 6814

The challenge of the past. Living Islam. 1993. 1 videocassette (50 min.). The many differences in Muslim thinking today are the result of influence of three major Islamic empires. The Ottomans were confronted by Europe and Christianity, accounting for the "western" approach of many Turkish Muslims; the Mughals achieved a synthesis with Hinduism that produced such beauty as the Taj Mahal; while the Saffavid dynasty was characterized by the Shi'a/Sunni split which is still acted out in southern Iran in the Taziya pageants. VHS 4282

The Edge of forever [videorecording]. Los Angeles, Calif.: Carl Sagan Productions and KCET, 1980; reissued by Turner Home Entertainment, 1989. Cosmos ; pt. 10. Discusses the cultural myths of the history of the universe including the Big Bang theory. Explains the galactic formation and the Doppler effect. A visit to India shows the Hindu theories which approximate modern scientific cosmology. VHS 3640

Eunuchs [videorecording] : India's third gender. [S.l.]: BBC Lionheart Television, c1991. The film interviews a couple, Dinesh, a male, and Kiran, a eunuch who dresses as a female and fulfills a housewifely role. The film also features a eunuch community that supports itself by the traditional roles of faith healing and blessing ceremonies celebrating major life events. It also shows a community in Bombay where eunuchs can no longer support themselves in the traditional manner but instead have turned to prostitution. Two new recruits are admitted into this community in a traditional Indian wedding ceremony. VHS 2465

Father, son and holy war. 1994. 2 videocassettes (120 min.). A film examining the connection between religion, violence and male identity in India today and exploring the possibility that a key to the psychology of violence against "the enemy" is male insecurity, itself an inevitable product of the very construction of "manhood". VHS 6683

Forest of bliss. 2001. 1 videodisc (ca. 90 min.). A documentary on the Holy City of Benares, India. The daily customs and religious rituals. DVD 984

The Fourth stage [videorecording]. Alexandria, Va.: Educational Communications, inc., [1984]. Documentary about a retired Indian journalist, E.R. Seturam, who is considering whether to embark on an ancient Hindu quest for self-realization through the fourth stage of life (sannyasa). Accompanies Seturam as he discusses his possible decision with colleagues, family members, other sannyasins, and holy men throughout India. VHS 798

Gandhi [videorecording]: end of an empire. Princeton, N.J.: Films for the Humanities, c1989. Presents a portrait of the architect of India's independence and of the techniques of non-violent resistance. Follows the events from his activities in South Africa in 1893 through his return to India in 1915, his role in the Indian National Congress Party and his role in India's struggle for independence from Great Britain. It discusses the explosive tensions between Moslems and Hindus, and ends with Gandhi's assassination and funeral. VHS 725

Given to dance [videorecording]: India's Odissi tradition. Madison, [Wis.]: Film Distribution Office, Center for South Asian Studies [distributor], 1986. An account of the thousand-year tradition of Hindu temple dancing at the Temple of Joggernaut and elsewhere in eastern India and of the women who perform the dances. Concentrates on the Odissi tradition of dancing. VHS 1072

Great gathering. 1 videocassette (52 min.). "This remarkable documentary provides a rare and fascinating study of the history, meaning, and diverse participants of the Maha Kumbha Mela, a spectacular Hindu sacred festival held every twelve years on the banks of the Ganges in India. The Kumbha Mela is the largest festive gathering of humanity on earth. It rotates between four different host cities. In 2001 it is estimated that 50 million people gathered for this unique event. By bathing in the Ganges during the Kumbha Mela it is believed that one will be absolved of all past-life Karma and freed from the vicious cycle of birth and death." -from website. VHS 7472

Hindu ascetics [videorecording]. Princeton, NJ: Films for the Humanities, c1994, [orig. 1989].A documentary illustrating the rituals and practices of Hindu religious devotees, including ecstatic dancing, meditation, and mind-over-body feats designed to develop the power of concentration. VHS 2653

Hindu devotions at dawn [videorecording]. Arlington, Va.: Bono Film & Video Service, 1991 [orig. 1969]. Image India ; no. 9. Shows a middle-aged Hindu performing his daily devotions to the sun. Explains that these prayers and praises must precede any other ritual undertakings of the day. Filmed within the Tengalai br¯ahmin community of Sr¯ivaisnavas. VHS 1559

Hindu family celebration [videorecording] : sixtieth birthday. Arlington, Va. : Bono Film & Video Services, 1991 [orig. 1969]. Image India; no. 11. Shows the joyous and solemn celebration performed when a Hindu completes his sixtieth year and describes the significance of the event. VHS 1561

Hindu procession to the sea [videorecording]. Arlington, Va.: Bono Film & Video Services, 1991 [orig. 1969]. Image India; no. 7. Explains that processions of temple deities through the streets of India constitute a prominent part of visible Hinduism, and that each procession is a celebration of one moment in the on-going liturgical year of any given temple. Shows one of these processions in Madras, India, which has as its object the bathing of the temple deity in the sea. VHS 1557

Hindu sacrament of surrender [videorecording]. Arlington, Va.: Bono Film & Video Services, 1991 [orig. 1969] Image India, no. 10. Shows a hereditary Preceptor administering to a non-Brahmin couple, the qualifying initiation consisting of five discrete ritual sections. VHS 1560

Hindu sacrament of thread investiture [videorecording]. Arlington, Va.: Bono Film & Video Services, 1991 [orig. 1969] Image India ; no. 8. Explains that the sacrament of investiture is considered by many Hindus as the single most important vital event in a pious young man's life. Shows the performance of this rite on a boy as it marks his entry into the period of preparation, celibacy, and education prior to his achieving full manhood in the Hindu religious community. Filmed within the Tengalai br¯ahmin community of Sr¯ivaisnavas. VHS 1558

Hindu sacraments of childhood [videorecording]: the first five years. Arlington, Va.: Bono Film & Video Services, 1991, c.1969. Image India, no. 3.Describes certain sacramental "cleansings" which mark passage from one critical juncture of life to the next. Depicts some major and minor sacraments of the first five years of a Hindu boy's life, as performed in the intimacy of the family circle, to demonstrate the centrality of domestic- oriented worship in Hinduism. Filmed in the Tengalai br¯ahmin community of Sr¯ivaisnavas. VHS 1553

Hindu temple rites [videorecording] : bathing the image of the god. Arlington, Va.: Bono Film & Video Services, 1991 [orig. 1969] Image India, no. 2. Scenes of a special Hindu celebration, utsava, typical of a minor seasonal festival seen at many South Indian shrines. Suggests that temple liturgies are analogous in meaning, intention, and execution to domestic rites at the home-shrine, only on a larger scale. VHS 1551

How a Hindu worships [videorecording] : at the home shrine. Arlington, Va. : Bono Film & Video Services, 1991, c. 1969. Image India, no. 1. Shows a typical, middleclass br¯ahmin, assisted by his wife, as he performs his morning rites of worship (grh¯arcana) at the home shrine. Portrays the role of domestic worship routines in devotional Hinduism, and suggests a rationale to explain why temple-oriented worship occupies a place of secondary importance for many Hindu theists. Filmed within the Tengalai br¯ahmin community of Sr¯ivaisnavas. VHS 1552

Image India [videorecording]. Arlington, Va. : Bono Film & Video Services, 1991 [orig. 1969]. Explores Hindu rites and religious practices, including the role of Hinduism at various stages of life. All but no.8 filmed within the Tengalai brahmin community of Srivaisnavas. VHS 1551-1561

In the name of God. 1991. 1 videocassette (90 min.). Though India is a secular state, religious fundamentalism grips much of its population. This film focuses on efforts by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to destroy a 16th century mosque in Ayodhya supposedly built by Babar, the first Mughal emperor of India. The VHP claim the mosque was built at the birthplace of the Hindu god Ram after Babar razed an existing temple; they are determined to build a new temple to Ram on the same site. This controversial issue, unresolved by successive governments, has led to religious riots costing thousands their lives and culminating in the mosque's destruction by the Hindus in 1992. Examines the motivations that led to the drastic actions of the Hindu militants, as well as the efforts of secular Indians to combat the religious intolerance. VHS 6682

India [videorecording]: the empire of the spirit. New York, N.Y. : Ambrose Video Publishing, 1991. Legacy; program 2. The ancient traditions of non-violence and spiritual search, honored by Hindus in the present, were born in the Indus Valley 5,000 years ago and continue to influence life today. VHS 1692

India after independence. Archives of the 20th century. 1993. 1 videocassette (21 min.). This program covers the anxious years since India became independent in 1947: the rioting and bloodshed of the first few weeks of independence, when tens of thousands died and millions became refugees as Moslems tried to get to the newly created Pakistan and Hindus and Sikhs to India; Gandhi's assassination and its aftermath; India's invasion of Portuguese Goa and clash with Chinese forces along the northeast border; Nehru's death; the war in Kashmir; the accession of Indira Gandhi; war and the creation of Bangladesh; violence by and against Sikhs; the events at the Golden Temple in Amritsar; the assassination of Indira Gandhi; and more. VHS 6307

An Indian pilgrimage--Kashi [motion picture]. Madison: The Center, 1976. Contemporary South Asia.Presents a documentary on a pilgrimage to the sacred city of Kashi on the Ganges River. Follows two Telegu-speaking brahmans and their wives who come from south India to perform classical ancestor rites. Shows some of the tenets of Hinduism as the pilgrims are instructed in the correct performance of the rites by a brahman Telegu-speaking priest. In Telegu, with English subtitles. MPD 56

Keep her under control: Law's patriarchy in India. 1998. 1 videocassette (52 min.). Produced and filmed in northeastern Rajasthan, India, this video documents a dispute resolution in a multi-caste village of Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs. The film discusses the Meos, a Muslim farming caste, and shows the paradox between a male ideology that demands the control of women and one woman's resistance to that agenda. VHS 5587

Mahabharat volume 16 , episodes 91-94. 2000. 1 videodisc. Mahabharat is an Indian television serial that tells the story of the descendants of King Bharata, two families who lived in northern India, perhaps about 1200 B.C. The Pandava brothers lose their kingdom to their Kaurava cousins and engage in a mighty struggle to win it back. Many lives are lost in the conflict. The story illustrates the futility of war. Some of the heroes are taken from history, and some represent human ideals and gods. DVD 234

The Mahabharata [videorecording]. New York, N.Y: Parabola Video Library, c1989. Epic retelling of the sacred Sanskrit poem, "The Great Story of Mankind," that forms the basis for much of Hindu culture. Film is an intimate journey to the very heart of Indian mythology, religion, history and thought as it brings to life the conflict between two feuding royal families, the Pandavas and the Kauravas, as they wage genocidal war, bring down their civilization and eventually find redemption. VHS 1170 (328 min.) VHS 5219 (166 min.)

Masala. 1993. 1 videocassette (105 min.). A black comedy about the God Krishna, summoned to earth by an old woman, a young ex-junkie named Krishna who is coping with the death of his family in a plane crash, and what happens when their paths cross. Krishna (the junkie) must learn how to balance family, culture and tradition while finding a job and kicking the habit at the same time. Just as his fortune seems to be turning for the better, the God Krishna throws him a wicked twist of fate that will change his life forever. VHS 6213

Monthly ancestral offerings in Hinduism [videorecording]. Arlington, Va. : Bono Film & Video Services, 1991, c. 1969. Image India, no. 4. Depicts the reverential offerings made by the Hindus to departed ancestors. Provides an understanding of how ritualism defines even eschatological hope in Hinduism, and indicates why a son is regarded highly. Filmed within the Tengalai br¯ahmin community of Sr¯ivaisnavas. VHS 1554

Pilgrimage to a Hindu temple [videorecording]. Arlington, Va.: Bono Film & Video Services, 1991 [orig. 1969] Image India ; no. 6. Explains that making a pilgrimage to places of special sanctity is an age-old tradition of popular Hindu piety. Follows a brahmin pilgrim into the temple and to the innermost shrine. Shows areas inside a temple, which are normally inaccessible to non-Hindus and suggests how the areas appear to a believingHindu. Filmed within the Tengalai brahmin community of Srivaisnavas. VHS 1556

Pilgrimage to Pittsburgh. 1999? [1 videocassette] (30 min.). Looks at the Hindu community at the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Pittsburgh. In 1986 the community celebrated the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the temple. Thousands of Indians from other U.S. cities traveled to Pittsburgh to participate in the celebration. Activities at the temple foster an understanding of the Hindu religion and the Indian culture and lifestyle. VHS 5933

Puja: Expressions of Hindu devotion. 1996. [1 videocassette] (29 min.). Introduces viewers to one of the basic elements of Hinduism. In Puja, Hindus honor gods and goddesses through rituals focused on objects that are believed to be filled with the divine being's spirit. American Hindus discuss puja and what it means to them. Devotees worship deities and offer food, water, and flowers, seeking to make a spiritual connection with the gods. VHS 5666

R¯adh¯a's day [videorecording]. Arlington, Va.: Bono Film & Video Services, 1991 [orig. 1969] Image India, no. 5. Scenes of a special Hindu celebration, utsava, typical of a minor seasonal festival seen at many South Indian shrines. Suggests that temple liturgies are analogous in meaning, intention, and execution to domestic rites at the home-shrine, only on a larger scale. VHS 1555

Taj Mahal [videorecording]: the story of Muslim India. Huntsville, Tex.: Educational Video Network, c1991. For more than 300 years, the Taj Mahal has stood as the symbol of the rich court life of the Moghuls and of Shah Jahan's love for his wife. This videotape examines Shah Jahan and the history of the waves of Muslim conquerors who swept over the mountains to rule the Indian subcontinent. VHS 1932

The Vernacular tradition [videorecording]. [England]: BBC TV [production company]; San Diego, Calif. : Media Guild [distributor], c1987. Examines works on mathematics written in the language of the people and dealing with the practical problems of commerce and everyday life rather than scholastic theory. Traces algebraic and numerical problem-solving back through the Renaissance and Arabic and Hindu influences. VHS 1522