For an orthodox Hindu—and Ramanujan came from a very orthodox Hindu family—traveling to Europe or America represented a form of pollution. It was in the same category as publicly discarding the sacred thread, eating beef, or marrying a widow. And, traditionally, it had the same outcome—exclusion from caste. That meant your friends and relatives would not have you to their homes. You could find no bride or bridegroom for your child. Your married daughter couldn’t visit you without herself risking excommunication. Sometimes, you couldn’t go into temples. You couldn’t even get the help of a
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