Born in a Himalayan priestly family. Educated in radical universities such as the University of Allahabad, India and the University of California at Berkeley. Received his doctorate from the University of Chicago. 

Received National Science Foundation grant, was honored with "Outstanding Faculty Award in Humanities" by the Asian American Faculty and Staff Association of the University of Arizona, listed in major Who's Whos, his several books Reviewed in leading national and international journals etc., member of American Anthropological Association, Linguistic Society of America, Association for Asian Studies etc. On the faculty of several prestigious universities such as the University of California at Berkeley, University of Texas at Austin, University of Wisconsin at Madison, and University of Washington at Seattle.

I am considered an international authority on Indian culture. I have written several scholarly books and articles many of which cover India.