Attri ji , Please add the Zoroastrians to the list of "pagan" religions too.
Also, I respectfully express my reservations about the excessive harping on the "Aryan race" theme in the essay, about the "perfect face bones" of Nooristanis, etc. This is speculative at best.
Its also clear that the "Indo-European-ness" of the linguistic culture of the Europeans corresponds to about 20% of their gene pool -- indicating a migration INTO Europe from Asia. But your article presumes that the Europeans are themselves remarkably "pure" specimens of this controversial Aryan "race".
I think it is safest, and best, to discuss paganism in the purely rationalistic context of culture and philosophy, and its intrinsic value thereof. Bringing atavistic race theories into the picture completely sidetracks the real value of Hinduism and starts off on the wrong foot.
Our brothers in culture range from the Turko-Mongol Buryats of Siberia, through the Tibetans, the Khmers of SE Asia, Japanese, Zoroastrian Iranians and Armenians, through to the ME and Europe. Race is simply not even a common factor.
