Discuss the representation of Hinduism in A Passage to India.

I think that this becomes one of the most challenging
elements in Forster's work.  Part of where the difficulty lies is in trying to figure
out whether or not Forster is depicting Hinduism in a true and valid light or whether he
is presenting it in a manner that reflects cultural biases of the time.  In this light,
Hinduism's depiction is only offered in so far that it serves as a foil to Western
Judeo-Christian values of the British.  I think that there can be a couple of elements
that can be parsed about the depiction of Hinduism in the novel.  The first would be
that Hinduism is a part of the culture clash that is at the heart of both the novel and
British rule in India.  The values espoused in Hinduism do form a level of
differentiation between both the British and the Indians who believe in Hinduism.  Of
particular note is the ambiguity within which Hinduism operates, starkly contrasted with
the supposed absolutes of British values and Christian identity.  Godbole becomes the
central representation of Hinduism.  His depiction is one where there are tenets of
Hinduism definitely presented in a manner that is consistent with the religion, such as
the participation in the Krishna rebirth ceremony as well as Godbole's belief about
reincarnation and consciousness.  However, given the fact that Godbole presents the only
real depiction of Hinduism in the novel, it becomes challenging to place all of the
nuances of the religion on his shoulders as a character.  The fact that Forster does not
really display another Hindu character in detail might suggest a limitation in the
depiction of Hinduism in the novel.