Perhaps one of the most pervasive ways in which Indians or people of Indian descent are identified is in terms of religion. It is a perception held both by and about Indians and it is with this in mind that I have made the subject of my Honours dissertation the way in which South African Indian identity in Natal is shaped by Hinduism. I wish to first make my own position clear as I am not merely a disinterested researcher but have a stake in the findings of the research itself. My own background as a South African Indian of Hindu origin has influenced by choice of topic and this may impact upon my findings in a way that I may be unaware of. It is however impossible to prevent biases from coming out in an individual's work but it is perhaps possible to minimise it by making the reader aware of my own position in relation to this dissertation.