Stars, Stripes, and Sanatanis: Young Hindu Voices of America

This episode of Stars, Stripes, and Sanatanis tackles a topic on the minds of youth in America and beyond - mental health - from a non-Western perspective. Ravi Jaishankar, a member of Hindu Students Council's Board of Trustees, joins the podcast as a special guest to help deconstruct the issue through a Hindu lens. Ravi's clear and lucid explanations of relevant Hindu concepts give listeners a refreshing introduction to a topic that is traditionally considered taboo among present day Hindu society, even though there are countless psychological and philosophical methods rooted in the Hindu tradition that can help us in our mental health journey.

Holi is celebrated in communities across the diaspora by students from several dharmic backgrounds, bringing together desis and non-desis. Past the Bollywood love stories and all the colors, there is a rich tapestry of traditions and legends that are rooted in Hinduism. Listen to three students from Hindu Students Council talk about their memories of Holi, and the beautiful, ancient customs that we honor to this day.

Though the Indian subcontinent is the birthplace of Hindu dharma, there are countless communities across the world that are proudly Hindu. Join Samyuktha and Sowmya for an informative conversation about the strength and beauty in these unique communities!

In today’s podcast episode, we shed light on recent events that transpired at Rutgers with regards to Professor Audrey Truschke. With an interview of a current Rutgers student, we seek to broadcast an authentic perspective and understand how academia can spread misinformation. The views expressed in the podcast are the views of the individual speakers and do not represent the official views of HSC.

On this episode of Stars, Stripes, and Sanatanis, Neha Srivastava-ji of the Shaktitva Foundation meets with members of the Hindu Students Council's Texas division to discuss how to shape a more unified understanding of what Hindu femininity is. It may be difficult for Hindu adolescents to balance western standards with what our faith can teach them. This podcast, however, includes a great, nuanced take on femininity that we hope you enjoy! This is a reupload of a Charcha Chat, which is a series of Hindu talks moderated by members of the Hindu Students Council on campus.

In this podcast episode, Bhuvanesh and Sreeprada have an informal chat about the Maha Shivaratri fundraiser event that happened for HSC  on March 6th, 2021. In doing this, they interview two of the performers, and elevate the voices of Hindu teenagers across the country!

You’ve probably heard before that Hinduism is not a religion, but rather, a dharmic tradition, often incorrectly translated as “a way of life”. Arushi and Srikar talk through the beauty and unity behind this unique Sanskrit word, dharma, which means “that which upholds”. If you want to learn the answer to “What makes you a Hindu?”, listen to this podcast, which is most definitely NOT your average textbook.