That's So Hindu

By Hindu American Foundation

Society & Culture Religion & Spirituality Hinduism

What's That's So Hindu about?

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.

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That's So Hindu episodes:

05.09.2024
Hindu at Heart: Sneha Rao, from aviation engineer to Hinduism scholar
In this episode in the Hindu At Heart series, Indu Viswanathan speaks with Sneha Rao about her journey from the aviation industry to studying Hinduism, yoga, and Hinduphobia, and starting the Hindu Decoloniality group on Facebook. Hosted on Acast....
04.25.2024
If you want to develop a deeper Hindu Lifestyle, Shawn Binda has something to say about that
In this episode we speak with Shawn Binda, creator of the Hindu Lifestyle YouTube channel. We discuss his inspiration for starting the channel, his take on contemporary Hindu issues from his Indo-Caribbean Canadian perspective, and much more. Watch: Hindu Lifestyle...
04.18.2024
What does the West get wrong about yoga? Far more than it gets right, say Shyam Ranganathan and Vijay Satnarine.
In this episode we have a moderated discussion about yoga, colonialism, attitudes about yoga that are coming out of the DEI space. Taking part in this discussion are HAF’s Vijay Satnarine and scholar Shyam Ranganathan, with Mat McDermott moderating. Read more about...
04.04.2024
What's the connection between NYC Mayor Eric Adams and Pakistan's PTI party? MEF Action's Benjamin Baird explains.
In this episode Samir Kalra speaks with Benjamin Baird from MEF Action on his new reporting detailing the financial ties between NYC Mayor Eric Adams and the Islamist political party PTI, founded by former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, including...
03.21.2024
All about Anandi Joshee, the amazing 19th century Indian woman who become a doctor in the US
In this episode Suhag Shukla interviews author Nandini Patwardhan about her book Radical Spirits: India’s First Woman Doctor and her American Champions, a biography of Anandi-bai Joshee, who in 1883 as an 18-year old left Calcutta for the United States...
03.14.2024
Hindu At Heart: Aditi Banerjee
In this episode, the first of our Hindu At Heart series of interviews, Indu Viswanathan speaks with author Aditi Banerjee on a wide range of issues: Hindu sacred geography in Ayodhya and Varanasi, growing up Hindu in America, and a...
02.23.2024
Why is there zero representation of Indo-Caribbean Hindus in New York's textbooks?
For this episode Mat McDermott has a conversation with Sandy Rao, Dr Vishnu Bisram, and Dr Indrani Ramprasad about the Indo-Carribean Hindu community, the lack of representation of the Caribbean Hindu diaspora in New York City school textbooks, the current...
02.08.2024
Australian filmmaker Ravi Chand's latest film, Namaste Yoga, may leave you in tears
In this episode, Sheetal Shah speaks with Australian filmmaker Ravi Chand about his latest project, Namaste Yoga. Learn more about Ravi here: Warrior Tribe Films Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
02.01.2024
All about the rising antisemitism on college campuses in the past three months | Carly Gammill, StandWithUs
In this episode Samir Kalra speaks with Carly Gammill, Director of the StandWithUs Center for Combating Antisemitism, about the marked increase in antisemitism expressed on US college campuses following the Hamas attack on Israeli of October 7th, and what can...
01.19.2024
HAF Shop Talk: All about Ram Janmabhoomi
In this HAF Shop Talk episode, Samir Kalra, Mat McDermott, and Dr Vijay Satnarine have a wide ranging informal discussion of the history and archeology of the Ram Janmabhoomi site, media's curious unwillingness to discuss the full history of the...
01.11.2024
How can Hindu parents get their kids to love Indian culture? Prof. Pankaj Jain has some tips.
In this episode Mat McDermott speaks with Professor Pankaj Jain. Pankaj has been on the show before speaking about his area of professional expertise, Hinduism, Jainism and ecology. But today we’re speaking about something he’s become particularly passionate about: parenting....
12.21.2023
Why Hindus should be paying attention to Hamas' funding sources. Sam Westrop explains.
In this episode of That's So Hindu, our 100th, Samir Kalra speaks with Middle East Forum's Sam Westrop about their new report detailing how Hamas raises money through charitable organizations in the West, and the connections with funding for Islamist...
12.08.2023
Wrongly accused of caste discrimination by California, Sundar Iyer tells us what really happened
In this must-listen episode, Samir Kalra speaks with Sundar Iyer, one of the Cisco employees wrongly accused of caste discrimination by California's Civil Rights Department. Sundar gives us the background of what really happened on his team that led to...
11.16.2023
Sanjay Lazar, orphaned by the 1985 Air India bombing, tells his story - Part 2
In the second part of this two-part episode, Suhag Shukla speaks with Sanjay Lazar who lost his entire family in the Air India Flight 182 bombing and was literally orphaned while still a child. This is the story of his life beyond the tragedy...
11.16.2023
Sanjay Lazar, orphaned by the 1985 Air India bombing, tells his story - Part 1
In the first part of this two-part episode, Suhag Shukla speaks with Sanjay Lazar who lost his entire family in the Air India Flight 182 bombing and was literally orphaned while still a child. This is the story of his life beyond the tragedy...
11.02.2023
Hindu by Heart: Coerced into Islam, Seeking Freedom - Part 2
For this special two-part episode we’ve got something a little bit different. This time, Dr indu Viswanathan, who’s been a guest on the show twice, is on the other side of the interviewing equation. She’s speaking with a young Hindu...
11.02.2023
Hindu by Heart: Coerced into Islam, Seeking Freedom - Part 1
For this special two-part episode we’ve got something a little bit different. This time, Dr indu Viswanathan, who’s been a guest on the show twice, is on the other side of the interviewing equation. She’s speaking with a young Hindu...
10.19.2023
How do Hindu Americans celebrate Navaratri?
For this episode we have something a bit different for you. It’s a special episode for Navaratri. We've interviewed several members of our extended HAF team as well as members of the Hindu American community about how they celebrate Navaratri...
09.28.2023
What is Critical Caste Theory and why it's a "dubious discourse" | Akshar from The Emissary
In this episode we speak with Akshar from The Emissary about an article he published earlier this year about Critical Caste Theory, as well as the activists who view Hinduism, Hindu culture, and India’s history and contemporary society through this...
09.07.2023
For Hindus the natural world is more than sacred, its embodied Divinity itself | Prof. David Haberman
In this episode 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. Buy the books we discuss: People Trees, Loving Stones Hosted on Acast. See...
08.17.2023
There are definite parallels between growing antisemitism and rising Hinduphobia | Sarah Stern
In this episode Samir Kalra speaks with Sarah Stern, the founder and president of the Endowment for Middle East Truth, a think tank and policy institute based in Washington DC. They speak about the parallels between growing antisemitism and rising...
08.10.2023
On bringing the life and legacy of Swami Vivekananda to the cinema | Nico Oscoff
In this episode we're speaking with film director Nico Oscoff on his latest project 1893: Year of the Yogi, a documentary currently planned to be released in 2024. Learn more: https://www.instagram.com/1893yoty/ Donate to the film here. Hosted on Acast....
07.27.2023
Here's why it's adharmic to lose money | Easan Katir
In this episode we're again speaking with HAF's own Easan Katir on the topic of dharmic investing, with a focus this time on why it's adharmic to lose money. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
07.26.2023
How everything isn't as it seemed in the BAPS and Cisco caste discrimination allegations | Suhag Shukla & Samir Kalra
In this special episode Mat McDermott moderates a discussion between HAF Co-Founder Suhag Shukla and Managing Director Samir Kalra about the latest revelations in the case of alleged caste discrimination at the BAPS temple in Robbinsville, New Jersey, and how...
07.13.2023
The US-India relationship has been a success in so many ways | David Santoro, The Pacific Forum
In this episode Samir Kalra speaks with David Santoro, President and CEO of the Pacific Forum, a non-profit foreign policy research institute based in Hawaii. They discuss the state of the India-US relationship, the positive changes he's seen in India...
05.25.2023
Preserving dharma by restoring one ancient temple at a time | Behind Every Temple
In this episode we speak with Ananda and Suguna Prathik, the husband and wife team behind the non-profit Behind Every Temple, who are are doing some really interesting work restoring ancient temples in Tamil Nadu. Learn more: www.behindeverytemple.org Hosted on...
05.04.2023
We should be very wary of people who tell us there is only one way to be Hindu | Brahmachari Vrajvihari Sharan
In this episode we speak with Georgetown University's Brahmachari Vrajvihari Sharan about the tension between the internal diversity and pluralistic outlook of Hinduism and both the trend and sometimes need to present Hinduism as one thing to the non-Hindu world....
04.13.2023
How Hinduphobia has been constructed and unleashed from the West | Prof Lavanya Vemsani
In this episode we're speaking with Lavanya Vemsani, professor of history at Shawnee State University in Ohio, specializing in Indian history and religion. Her latest paper in the International Review of Modern Sociology is titled “Global Hinduphobia: Construed, Constructed, and...
03.23.2023
The connections between advaita vedanta and ecology are, well, deep | Prof. Jeffery D Long
In this episode we're speaking with Professor Jeffery D Long, who teaches religion and Asian studies at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania. This his second time on the show. And today we’re discussing a recent paper he’s written on the connections...
02.02.2023
TEASER: All about All About Hinduism
Do you want to know more about Hinduism? Like actually understand what karma is? Or what dharma means? Do you want to know what the sacred texts of Hinduism are? Or, maybe, you just want to know why Hindu women wear...
12.29.2022
How a former Pentecostal Christian preacher and missionary in India first lost his religion and then embraced Hinduism | Andrew Jasko
In this episode Suhag Shukla speaks with Andrew Jasko. Andrew was born into a minister’s family and became a preacher and missionary to India, after studying theology at Wheaton College and Princeton Seminary. After an agonizing crisis of faith, he...
12.01.2022
If American diplomacy is to succeed, we need to rethink our posture towards India | Dr Michael Rubin
In this episode, Samir Kalra speaks with Dr Michael Rubin, from the American Enterprise Institute, about his recent trip to Kashmir and what he learned from speaking with Kashmiris about life after Article 370, as well what is needed to...
10.13.2022
'Unshackled' demystifies immigration & gives you more control over your future in the US | Soundarya Balasubramani & Sameer Khedakar
In this episode Samir Kalra speaks with Soundarya Balasubramani and Sameer Khedakar, co-authors of “Unshackled”, a practical guide for immigrants in the US to become entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, or just have more creative autonomy over their careers. https://curiousmaverick.com/unshackled/ https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/soundarya/unshackled-a-guide-for-highly-skilled-immigrants-in-america Hosted on Acast....
09.22.2022
Most people in the West have no idea how dangerous the Khalistanis actually are | Puneet Sahani
In this episode Samir Kalra speaks with Puneet Sahani, coordinator of Sikhs for Enlightenment Association, a volunteer effort of Sikh researchers across the world, who are pushing back against Khalistani propaganda. @puneet_sahani @SikhsSeva Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...
08.18.2022
From one hour a week to your entire week, there’s room for everyone to participate in politics | Sen. Niraj Antani (R-OH)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
08.11.2022
The US-India relationship could take off like a rocket ship | Akhil Ramesh
In this episode Samir Kalra speaks with Akhil Ramesh, research fellow at Pacific Forum International. They discuss the current state of the US-India relationship, where it could be headed, the challenges that relationship faces, as well as some of the...
07.14.2022
How an immigrant student with $250 in her pocket & 2 suitcases went on to be the first Hindu woman in Michigan’s legislature | Rep. Padma Kuppa
In this episode Mat McDermott speaks with Michigan State Representative Padma Kuppa, who serves the 41st House District. Padma is an engineer by training, who also served on HAF’s Board of Director for a number of years, before turning to politics. We...
06.30.2022
How herons can help us make better financial decisions | Easan Katir
In this episode we’re bringing back HAF’s very own California Advocacy Director Easan Katir, who, doesn’t just do Hindu advocacy work, but rather since 1983 has provided wealth management for families, individuals, and retirement plans. Last time we spoke about...
06.09.2022
There’s no such thing as Indian food. The cuisine is far more complex than that. | Chef Keith Sarasin
In this episode Suhag Shukla speaks with Keith Sarasin. Keith is a chef, three-time author, restauranteur, and public speaker who grew up in a small city in New Hampshire. Keith learned to cook Indian cuisine studying with a home cook,...
05.05.2022
Feeding 100,000 people on Thanksgiving, and helping people discover their personal story | Dr Varun Gandhi
In this episode Mat McDermott speaks with Dr Varun Gandhi, who describes himself as a life orchestrator, soulpreneur, an angel investor, philanthropist, and last but not least a water doctor. They discuss his work creating a digital course called What’s...
05.02.2022
HAF Executive Director Suhag Shukla's full interview with NPR on caste discrimination in the US
On Monday, May 2, 2022, National Public Radio’s Morning Edition ran a story titled, "Some South Asian Americans Believe Caste-based Prejudices exist in the US." HAF Executive Director Suhag Shukla was interviewed for the story and spoke to the reporter...
04.14.2022
After 30 years the Kashmiri Pandit story is finally been told on film | Rajiv Pandit and Sidhi Raina react to ‘The Kashmir Files’
In this episode, Deepali Kulkarni speaks to Dr Rajiv Pandit and Sidhi Raina about their reaction to seeing The Kashmir Files, the challenges in speaking up about the ethnic cleansing that the indigenous Hindus of Kashmir faced 30 years ago...
03.31.2022
All about Marma Therapy | Vira Tansey
In this one Mat McDermott speaks with Vira Tansey, an Ayurvedic healer and educator based in Florida about the practice of Marma therapy, how to use energetic pressure points in the body to heal, reduce tension, and live a more...
03.24.2022
Banned on Twitter for spreading the truth about Hindu persecution in Bangladesh | Stories of Bengali Hindus
In this episode Deepali Kulkarni speaks with Soumyadip and Mohua from Stories of Bengali Hindus about the attacks the Hindu population in Bangladesh faced during Durga Puja 2021, getting banned on Twitter for sharing the truth about these attacks, and...
02.10.2022
Why do colonial-era errors about Hinduism persist, even among anti-colonial activists and academia? | Indu Viswanathan & Suhag Shukla
In this episode Mat McDermott speaks with Dr Indu Viswanathan and HAF executive director Suhag Shukla. They discuss the curious phenomenon of how stereotypes and misperceptions about Hindus and Hinduism that have their roots in colonial-era scholarship and thinking still...
02.03.2022
Where is the Khalistan movement today? | Terry Milewski
In this episode Samir Kalra speaks with retired CBC journalist and author Terry Milewski about his book Blood for Blood: 50 Years of the Global Khalistan Project, going into the history of and present day activities of the movement for...
01.27.2022
Until the horrors of Kashmir’s ethnic cleansing are owned up to, communal harmony won't return: Part Two | Vijay Sazawal
In this second part of Deepali Kulkarni’s talk with Vijay Sazawal, international coordinator for the Indo-American Kashmir Forum, and a senior member of the Kashmir Overseas Association, they discuss the most recent violence in Kashmir, the reality of the situation...
01.19.2022
Until the horrors of Kashmir’s ethnic cleansing are owned up to, communal harmony won't return: Part One | Vijay Sazawal
In this episode Deepali Kulkarni speaks with Vijay Sazawal, international coordinator for the Indo-American Kashmir Forum, and a senior member of the Kashmir Overseas Association. They have a wide-ranging discussion on the history of Kashmir’s accession to India in 1947,...
12.02.2021
How yoga helped me survive two days lost in a frigid wilderness | Jolly Yogi Bose
In this episode Sheetal Shah speaks with Jolly Yogi Bose, who recently had to put her yoga training to the test after getting lost and separated from her partners on a hike in the Sierra National Forest. Jolly explains how...
10.28.2021
We’ve forgotten that Hindu teachings have given trans people a status equal to other genders | Anjali Rimi
In this episode Suhag Shukla speaks with Anjali Rimi, a South Asian, Hindu, Canadian-American woman of trans experience, based in the Bay Area. Anjali is the president and co-founder of Parivar Bay Area, America’s only trans-led, trans-centering queer organization. Parivar...

What's That's So Hindu about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

That's So Hindu episodes:

Hindu at Heart: Sneha Rao, from aviation engineer to Hinduism scholar

If you want to develop a deeper Hindu Lifestyle, Shawn Binda has something to say about that

What does the West get wrong about yoga? Far more than it gets right, say Shyam Ranganathan and Vijay Satnarine.

What's the connection between NYC Mayor Eric Adams and Pakistan's PTI party? MEF Action's Benjamin Baird explains.

All about Anandi Joshee, the amazing 19th century Indian woman who become a doctor in the US

Hindu At Heart: Aditi Banerjee

Why is there zero representation of Indo-Caribbean Hindus in New York's textbooks?

Australian filmmaker Ravi Chand's latest film, Namaste Yoga, may leave you in tears

All about the rising antisemitism on college campuses in the past three months | Carly Gammill, StandWithUs

HAF Shop Talk: All about Ram Janmabhoomi

How can Hindu parents get their kids to love Indian culture? Prof. Pankaj Jain has some tips.

Why Hindus should be paying attention to Hamas' funding sources. Sam Westrop explains.

Wrongly accused of caste discrimination by California, Sundar Iyer tells us what really happened

Sanjay Lazar, orphaned by the 1985 Air India bombing, tells his story - Part 2

Sanjay Lazar, orphaned by the 1985 Air India bombing, tells his story - Part 1

Hindu by Heart: Coerced into Islam, Seeking Freedom - Part 2

Hindu by Heart: Coerced into Islam, Seeking Freedom - Part 1

How do Hindu Americans celebrate Navaratri?

What is Critical Caste Theory and why it's a "dubious discourse" | Akshar from The Emissary

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

There are definite parallels between growing antisemitism and rising Hinduphobia | Sarah Stern

On bringing the life and legacy of Swami Vivekananda to the cinema | Nico Oscoff

Here's why it's adharmic to lose money | Easan Katir

How everything isn't as it seemed in the BAPS and Cisco caste discrimination allegations | Suhag Shukla & Samir Kalra

The US-India relationship has been a success in so many ways | David Santoro, The Pacific Forum

Preserving dharma by restoring one ancient temple at a time | Behind Every Temple

We should be very wary of people who tell us there is only one way to be Hindu | Brahmachari Vrajvihari Sharan

How Hinduphobia has been constructed and unleashed from the West | Prof Lavanya Vemsani

The connections between advaita vedanta and ecology are, well, deep | Prof. Jeffery D Long

TEASER: All about All About Hinduism

How a former Pentecostal Christian preacher and missionary in India first lost his religion and then embraced Hinduism | Andrew Jasko

If American diplomacy is to succeed, we need to rethink our posture towards India | Dr Michael Rubin

'Unshackled' demystifies immigration & gives you more control over your future in the US | Soundarya Balasubramani & Sameer Khedakar

Most people in the West have no idea how dangerous the Khalistanis actually are | Puneet Sahani

From one hour a week to your entire week, there’s room for everyone to participate in politics | Sen. Niraj Antani (R-OH)

The US-India relationship could take off like a rocket ship | Akhil Ramesh

How an immigrant student with $250 in her pocket & 2 suitcases went on to be the first Hindu woman in Michigan’s legislature | Rep. Padma Kuppa

How herons can help us make better financial decisions | Easan Katir

There’s no such thing as Indian food. The cuisine is far more complex than that. | Chef Keith Sarasin

Feeding 100,000 people on Thanksgiving, and helping people discover their personal story | Dr Varun Gandhi

HAF Executive Director Suhag Shukla's full interview with NPR on caste discrimination in the US

After 30 years the Kashmiri Pandit story is finally been told on film | Rajiv Pandit and Sidhi Raina react to ‘The Kashmir Files’

All about Marma Therapy | Vira Tansey

Banned on Twitter for spreading the truth about Hindu persecution in Bangladesh | Stories of Bengali Hindus

Why do colonial-era errors about Hinduism persist, even among anti-colonial activists and academia? | Indu Viswanathan & Suhag Shukla

Where is the Khalistan movement today? | Terry Milewski

Until the horrors of Kashmir’s ethnic cleansing are owned up to, communal harmony won't return: Part Two | Vijay Sazawal

Until the horrors of Kashmir’s ethnic cleansing are owned up to, communal harmony won't return: Part One | Vijay Sazawal

How yoga helped me survive two days lost in a frigid wilderness | Jolly Yogi Bose

We’ve forgotten that Hindu teachings have given trans people a status equal to other genders | Anjali Rimi