That's So Hindu

Hindu American Foundation

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.

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171 episodes
Updated Friday

Episodes171

Newest first

May 23, 2024 · 35 min
Raja Choudhury tells us all about Swami Vivekananda, America's First Guru
In this episode Mat McDermott speaks with Raja Choudury, director of the film America’s First Guru, streaming now on PBS, which tells the story of Swami Vivekananda’s first trip to the United States and the effect it has continued to have more than a century later. WATCH: America's First Guru on PBS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 9, 2024 · 1 hr 32 min
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. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 25, 2024 · 35 min
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 18, 2024 · 46 min
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 Shyam Ranganathan https://www.yogaphilosophy.com/bio Shyam’s latest book: Yoga-Anticolonial Philosophy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 4, 2024 · 46 min
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 the funding Mayor Adams has received from PTI affiliated groups registered as foreign agents in the United States. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 21, 2024 · 33 min
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 to study medicine, and who went on to become India’s first woman to earn a medical degree from an American college. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 14, 2024 · 1 hr 31 min
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 variety of other topics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 23, 2024 · 58 min
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 situation for Hindus in Guyana and Trinidad, and more. Resources mentioned in this episode: Viriah, Krishna Gubli Making Children Hinduphobic: A Critical Review of McGraw Hill’s World History Textbooks, Kundan Singh, Krishna Maheshwari Sanatana Dharma and Plantation Hinduism: Exploration and Reflections of an Indian Guyanese Hindu, Ramesh Gampat Modern World History HMH Social Studies 2018 — used in John Adams High School Queens NY American History HMH Social Studies 2018 — used in John Adams High School Queens NY Fred Stella goes to Guyana, hears that Hindu gods are demons Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 8, 2024 · 29 min
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.
Feb 1, 2024 · 1 hr 1 min
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 be done about this situation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 19, 2024 · 45 min
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 situation going back centuries, the capture of the discussion by Marxist historians, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 11, 2024 · 30 min
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. Specifically how Hindu parents can help their children develop a love of Hindu and Indian culture. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 21, 2023 · 55 min
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 groups in India and South Asia more broadly. Download the report here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 8, 2023 · 52 min
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 the lawsuit, what the CRD chose to overlook that didn't support its case, and how it all upended his life, before the case was dismissed against him. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 16, 2023 · 50 min
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 of the worst terrorist act in aviation history until 9/11. Pre-order the first part of Sanjay's book series on his experience "On Angel's Wings" here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 16, 2023 · 49 min
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 of the worst terrorist act in aviation history until 9/11. Pre-order the first part of Sanjay's book series on his experience "On Angel's Wings" here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 2, 2023 · 40 min
Hindu by Heart: Coerced into Islam, Seeking Freedom - Part 2
A special interview by Dr Indu Viswanathan
Nov 2, 2023 · 52 min
Hindu by Heart: Coerced into Islam, Seeking Freedom - Part 1
A special two-part interview by Dr Indu Viswanathan
Oct 19, 2023 · 32 min
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 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 these interviews, as well as some interviews that didn't make it into the episode. If you don't see one mentioned in the episode, check back shortly. As the written versions get published we'll add them here. 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.
Sep 28, 2023 · 41 min
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 very narrow lens. Read the article that we're talking about here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

That's So Hindu

Raja Choudhury tells us all about Swami Vivekananda, America's First Guru

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