Sacred Symbols, Heritage and Decoloniality in India

By Himanshu Roy

The book presents a civilizational trajectory of the democratic and cultural praxis of the past, of its gyan sampada and of its continuing ethos in contemporary Bharat which is also encapsulated in the new Parliament building in its architectural and cultural forms. The fourteen chapters, reflect these running themes, from flags, Sengol and dharmachakra to the importance of shilpa, shastras, vaastu paintings and sacred symbols as legacies of the institutions and civilization. The symbols and the culture of the shastras were so pervasive that every society and its administration continued with them. It was equally imperative for the administration to draw upon these shashtras and symbols for their own purposes. The institutions and traditions were so resilient that, even after the emergence of monarchies, they continued at the grassroots in various forms for centuries. This continuity led to the constant democratization of society through the social acceptance and formulation of policies, as well as the praxis of accommodating and co-opting the social and economic marginals, alongside the selection of meritocratic staff to focus on governance. It fostered an inclusive society that prevented radical social rupture and provided legitimacy to social laws, as well as stability to administration and institutions. Political ruptures and administrative changes, however, more rapid in form and content, were witnessed with the arrival of new invaders who had their own non-Indichistory, alien to the administrative and cultural style of Indic functioning.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9374516217
• ISBN13: 9789374516218
• Release Date: October 2026
• Publisher: Manohar Books
• Length: 267 Pages
• Weight: 1.43 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.3" x 9.1"