That's So Hindu

EXPLORE

Society & Culture

© 2024 PodJoint

https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Podcasts221/v4/b9/a6/4e/b9a64ee9-f441-f9ac-ced2-e97eea6e9cf3/mza_6124431920977558043.jpeg/600x600bb.jpg

That's So Hindu

Hindu American Foundation

146 episodes

6 days ago

The podcast that interviews entrepreneurs and activists, politicians and professors, journalists, entertainers, spiritual teachers, and more on how Hinduism shapes their work and lives. All American. So Hindu. Brought to you by the Hindu American Foundation.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...

Religion & Spirituality,

Society & Culture

All content for That's So Hindu is the property of Hindu American Foundation and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

The podcast that interviews entrepreneurs and activists, politicians and professors, journalists, entertainers, spiritual teachers, and more on how Hinduism shapes their work and lives. All American. So Hindu. Brought to you by the Hindu American Foundation.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...

Religion & Spirituality,

Society & Culture

Episodes (20/146)

That's So Hindu

Hindutva is not Hindu supremacy | Vikram Sampath

In this episode Suhag Shukla speaks with historian Vikram Sampath (author of the two volume definitive biography of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar) about the origins of Hindutva and misunderstandings about, its relevance for Hindus living outside of India, and more.

This show originally was published on September 26, 2024.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 week ago

41 minutes 10 seconds

That's So Hindu

Everything you wanted to know about sadhus*

In this episode Mat McDermott and Devala Rees discuss many frequently asked questions about sadhus. What are sadhus? How many female sadhus are there and what are they called? Why do many sadhus smoke marijuana as a spiritual practice? Why do some sadhus carry weapons? How do you become a sadhu? And more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

3 weeks ago

41 minutes 25 seconds

That's So Hindu

Here’s why Zoroastrianism is a dharma tradition

In this episode Devala Rees lays out the similarities and differences between the ancient religion of Persia, Zoroastrianism — which is still practiced by a couple hundred thousand people today — and the Hindu Dharma Traditions. Their basic beliefs and practices, as well as when the traditions split off from one another.

Learn more: Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 month ago

25 minutes 6 seconds

That's So Hindu

For Hindus the natural world is more than sacred, its embodied Divinity itself | Prof. David Haberman

In this episode, originally published in 2023, we speak with Prof. David Haberman from Indiana University about his extensive work documenting how Hindus bring trees, stones, and mountains into their religious worship.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 month ago

33 minutes 53 seconds

That's So Hindu

What Hindu Americans need to know about immigration today

In this episode HAF Legal Director Needhy Shah speaks with immigration attorney Akanksha Kalra. They have a wide ranging discussion on immigration issues particularly applicable to the Indian American and Hindu American community, what is changing under the Trump Administration, what laws that have existed for some time but are being more strictly enforced, issues regarding asylum claims, Indians arriving without documentation at the southern border, and more.

NOTE: This episode was recorded just prior to the proclamation of September 19th on changes to the H-1B program, so other than a brief mention that is not addressed. Once we have greater clarity on those changes, what parts of President Trump’s proclamation actually go into effect, for example, we will revisit that if it seems needed.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2 months ago

1 hour 15 minutes 26 seconds

That's So Hindu

How does the HAF team celebrate Navratri?

For this episode we have something a bit different for you. It’s a special episode for Navratri, originally published in 2023. We've interviewed several members of our extended HAF team as well as members of the Hindu American community about how they celebrate Navratri today, what they remember about the holiday growing up, and how their understanding of it has changed over the years. What you’ll hear are excepts from longer interviews our staff writer Syama Allard did with each person.

Here are the full versions of some of these interviews, as well as some interviews that didn't make it into the episode.

https://www.hinduamerican.org/blog/on-celebrating-navaratri-and-dussehra-through-the-lens-of-bhutanese-refugee-bhuwan-pyakurel

https://www.hinduamerican.org/blog/on-celebrating-navaratri-and-dussehra-through-the-lens-of-hindu-american-samir-kalra

https://www.hinduamerican.org/blog/on-celebrating-navaratri-and-dussehra-through-the-lens-of-iskcon-communications-director-anuttama-das

https://www.hinduamerican.org/blog/on-celebrating-navaratri-and-dussehra-through-the-lens-of-hindu-american-kavita-pallod

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2 months ago

32 minutes 31 seconds

That's So Hindu

Setting the record straight about the craziest things people say about HAF

For the Hindu American Foundation’s organizational birthday, coming up later this month, Mat McDermott, Suhag Shukla, Samir Kalra, and Raj Rao sat down to discuss and debunk some of the craziest things activists and adversaries say HAF does, believes, and sets out to do. Is HAF funding genocide in India? Are we trying to hide the Nazi origins of Hindutva? Fighting to preserve the right of Hindus to discriminate based on caste? Pinkwashing our Hindu supremacy? Working for the Government of India? Hating Sikhs and Catholics? No, no, no, no, no, and no.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

3 months ago

1 hour 6 minutes 35 seconds

That's So Hindu

How was Indian society historically organized? Hint: It wasn't caste.

Devala Rees is back with us this week for another informative, enlightening and hopefully entertaining discussion. This week we’re talking about how ancient Indian society organized itself, with the subtitle of “Hint: It wasn’t caste”. The different social groups that were traditionally used, and how these morphed into something else entirely once British administrators in the 19th century decided they wanted to try understand the people they ruled in India, and how this has implications today both in India and the diaspora. This is a must listen episode for, well, everyone Hindu and non-Hindu alike.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

3 months ago

38 minutes 1 second

That's So Hindu

How many Hindu Dharma Traditions are there?

This week we’ve got another special episode with HAF’s Devala Rees. This time we’re talking about why HAF has been using the term Hindu Dharma Traditions wherever it makes sense, rather than Hinduism. Plus how many different traditions there are under that banner, their similarities, differences, and how they relate to other dharma traditions.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

3 months ago

28 minutes 48 seconds

That's So Hindu

A dharmic investing take on Bitcoin | Easan Katir

In this episode we speak with HAF’s own Easan Katir about cryptocurrency and Bitcoin investing from a dharmic perspective, plus AI, the energy demands of both of those, and more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4 months ago

31 minutes 54 seconds

That's So Hindu

Hindu at Heart: Naren K. Schreiner, Purohit

In this episode, part of the Hindu at Heart series, Indu Viswanathan speaks with Naren K Schreiner, one of the purohits at the Kali Mandir in Laguna Beach, California. They discuss his background and entering into Hinduism, the similarities between practices of Hindu Dharma and Native traditions in what’s now the United States and Mexico, the nuances of the idea of religious tolerance, the importance and inclusivity of the opening of the new Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, the importance of gurus, and much much more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4 months ago

1 hour 29 minutes 21 seconds

That's So Hindu

What’s going on in Bangladesh today? | Ahnaf Kalam

In this episode Samir Kalra speaks with Ahnaf Kalam, from the Middle East Forum. They talk about so-called Red Green Alliance between Islamists and Progressives, how Woke Right figures have started to side with Pakistan over India and Islamists groups in Bangladesh, how Mohammed Yunus is handling extremism in Bangladesh, how the Bangladeshi diaspora in the US view the situation there, and more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

5 months ago

57 minutes

That's So Hindu

International Yoga Day Special: Swami Sarvapriyanda on the four paths of yoga

In this episode, Sheetal Shah has a wide ranging conversation with Swami Sarvapriyananda, from the Vedanta Society of New York, about the four traditional limbs of yoga (Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga, and Jnana Yoga), how these work together in spiritual seeking, the benefits of Hatha Yoga and asana practice for physical health and how that is key factor in spiritual life, and much more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

5 months ago

1 hour 1 minute 31 seconds

That's So Hindu

All about the 1985 Air India bombing, one of the biggest intelligence failures of the 20th century | Sanjay Lazar

On the 40th anniversary of the worst act of air terrorism until the 9/11 attacks, the bombing of Air India flight 182 on June 23rd, 1985, Samir Kalra speaks with Sanjay Lazar, who lost his entire family in the bombing. They have a wide ranging conversation about the intelligence failures that allowed the bombing to happen, the struggle to this for bringing the Khalistani terrorist to justice, how the Khalistan movement is not supported by the majority of the Sikh community, and allegations of transnational repression leveled at India.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

5 months ago

56 minutes 37 seconds

That's So Hindu

Hindu at Heart: Vindhya Adapa - Attorney & Musician

In this episode, part of Indu Viswanathan’s Hindu at Heart series, she talks with Vindhya Adapa, an attorney at the US Treasury Department who is also a professional singer and producer, who merges her identities to create impactful music. Vindhya earned her JD at the University of Pennsylvania, and two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Maryland.

Listen to Vindhya’s music on Spotify

Follow Vindhya on Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

6 months ago

1 hour 12 minutes 59 seconds

That's So Hindu

All About the Hindu Calendar(s)

In this special episode HAF Education Research Assistant Devala Rees explains the various ways Hindus have traditional kept track of the years, the months that make up those years, how the timing of different Hindu festivals and holidays are determined, and how to actually make sense of all the different puja timings displayed by one of the leading online Hindu calendar sites, Drik Panchang.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

6 months ago

41 minutes 18 seconds

That's So Hindu

Hindu at Heart: Psychologist & HAF Board Member Dr. Kavita Pallod Sekhsaria

In this episode, part of Indu Viswanathan’s Hindu at Heart series, she talks with psychologist and HAF Board Member Dr. Kavita Pallod Sekhsaria. They discuss Kavita’s life growing up Hindu in Texas in the 1980s and 90s, her path into psychotherapy, some of the issues related to this specific to the Hindu American community, as well as some of the challenges she’s seen as the oppressor versus oppressed worldview now dominates the field and professional associations of psychology.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

7 months ago

1 hour 11 minutes 17 seconds

That's So Hindu

Pakistan’s support for terrorism won’t stop until they are held accountable | Michael Rubin

In this episode Samir Kalra speaks with Michael Rubin about the parallels between Hamas’ attack on Israel on 10/7/23 and the most recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir; how Pakistan’s ISI and support for terror groups is an issue for Americans as well as Indians; what the US can do in support of India in their fight against terrorist groups, including why President Trump needs to make a visit to Kashmir to show the strength of US support for India; why it might be time for the international community to show some “tough love” to Pakistan; and how both China and Pakistan are trying to promote separatism within India.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

7 months ago

32 minutes 10 seconds

That's So Hindu

It’s not about caste, most Hindus aren’t vegetarian, and other misconceptions about the politics of dietary choices

In this episode Suhag Shukla speaks with Vijay Satnarine about how different parts of the Hindu Dharma Traditions approach vegetarian diets, how vegetarianism has gotten politicized in both India and the United States, debunk misconceptions and stereotypes about Hindu approaches to diet, and more

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

7 months ago

24 minutes 14 seconds

That's So Hindu

US harbors Khalistani terrorists and needs to do something about it | Michael Rubin

In this episode Samir Kalra has a wide-ranging conversation with India analyst Michael Rubin, a multi-time guest on the show. They discuss how the US is harboring Khalistani terrorists, the circles of influence of support for the movement in the US, the questionable asylum claims supporters of Khalistan have used to enter the US, how RICO laws could be used with these groups, US-India intelligence sharing, transnational repression issues, how the US needs to treat Pakistan far differently than India, the importance of increasing the number US diplomats in India and military sales to India, and (believe it or not after that laundry list of topics) much more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

8 months ago

48 minutes 53 seconds