Tharoor discusses 'Why I Am a Hindu' in Kathmandu before 1,500
Synopsis
Congress MP Dr. Shashi Tharoor addressed an audience of 1,500 in Kathmandu for the release and discussion of the Nepalese translation of his 2018 book 'Why I Am a Hindu,' calling it the largest book-discussion crowd he has faced. The event highlights enduring India–Nepal cultural and religious ties.
Key Takeaways
Shashi Tharoor attended the Kathmandu launch of the Nepalese translation of 'Why I Am a Hindu' on 26 August 2026 .
Tharoor said he had never before discussed a book in front of an audience of 1,500 people .
The original English edition of the book was published in 2018 and argues for a pluralistic, inclusive interpretation of Hinduism.
Moderator @dovan_rai and the audience were praised by Tharoor for the quality of their questions.
The event reflects longstanding people-to-people cultural and religious ties between India and Nepal .
A crowd of 1,500 people gathered in Kathmandu on the evening of Wednesday, 26 August 2026 — not for a political rally, but for a book. Congress MP Dr. Shashi Tharoor was there to discuss the Nepalese translation of his celebrated work on pluralistic Hinduism, and by his own account, it was unlike any literary evening he had experienced before.
Tharoor, writing on X (formerly Twitter), called it 'an extraordinary book release and discussion,' adding that he could not recall 'ever discussing a book in front of an audience of 1500 before.' He credited moderator @dovan_rai and the audience for the quality of engagement, describing both the questions and the listeners as excellent and attentive.
'Why I Am a Hindu' finds a Nepali voice
The original English edition of 'Why I Am a Hindu' was published in 2018 and quickly became one of the more debated books in contemporary Indian intellectual life. In it, Tharoor argues for a reading of Hinduism rooted in pluralism, philosophical inquiry, and tolerance — a direct counter to what he describes as a narrower, more exclusivist political Hinduism. The Nepalese translation carries that argument across a border where it lands on deeply familiar ground: Nepal shares with India a living fabric of Hindu tradition, Sanskrit heritage, and cross-border religious pilgrimage that predates both nations as modern states.India–Nepal people-to-people ties, in a bookshop moment
Literary translations rarely make diplomatic headlines, but they do something quieter and often more durable: they move ideas across languages and borders. The Kathmandu event is a small but concrete illustration of the cultural current that runs between India and Nepal — one built not on treaties but on shared texts, shared gods, and shared stories. For Tharoor, a former UN Under-Secretary-General and one of India's most globally recognised public intellectuals, an audience of 1,500 in a neighbouring capital is also a signal that his argument travels. The conversation in Kathmandu may be one evening, but the questions it opens — about what Hinduism means, who gets to define it, and how that definition crosses borders — are ones that will keep being asked long after the book tour ends.Point of View
Carried into Nepali by translation, enters a country where religion and national identity are also deeply intertwined. For the Indian National Congress, Tharoor's intellectual brand of Hinduism offers a counter-narrative to the BJP's political Hindutva — and exporting that narrative to Kathmandu, before 1,500 people, is not without strategic resonance. Whether the literary moment translates into any lasting political or diplomatic texture remains the more interesting question.
NationPress
27 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 'Why I Am a Hindu' by Shashi Tharoor about?
'Why I Am a Hindu,' published in 2018, is Shashi Tharoor's argument for a pluralistic and philosophically inclusive reading of Hinduism, as distinct from what he sees as a narrower political Hinduism.
Why was Shashi Tharoor in Kathmandu in August 2026?
Tharoor was in Kathmandu for the release and public discussion of the Nepalese translation of his book 'Why I Am a Hindu,' an event he described as extraordinary.
How large was the audience at the Kathmandu book event?
Tharoor stated that approximately 1,500 people attended the discussion, which he said was the largest audience he had ever addressed for a book event.
Who moderated the Kathmandu discussion of Tharoor's book?
The discussion was moderated by @dovan_rai, whom Tharoor praised for asking excellent questions alongside the audience.
What is the significance of translating an Indian book on Hinduism into Nepali?
Nepal and India share deep Hindu religious and cultural traditions, making a Nepali translation of a book on Hinduism a natural bridge for people-to-people intellectual exchange between the two countries.
