The 20th century was an extraordinary moment in Hinduism’s encounter with the West. For centuries, Hinduism had not expanded beyond India’s borders. Instead, India was colonized by Muslim rulers in the 16th century and invaded by Christian missionaries in the 19th century. But this one-way traffic changed on September 11 1893, when a 30-year-old swami called Vivekananda stepped on to the stage at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago, and stole the show, presenting India as a land of unique tolerance and spirituality.

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