Sadhana can connect you to progressive Hindu priests in New York City, California, and across the United States and India. Fellowship in Prayer (For the support of our capacity-building efforts), Citizens Committee for NYC (for their support of Project Prithvi), The Sister Fund (for their support of our work to facilitate Safe Conversations about sensitive issues in the Hindu community), Auburn Theological Seminary (For Incubating and providing in-Kind Support and Technical Assistance, and hosting our Sadhana Salons), First Unitarian Congregational Society of Brooklyn (For hosting our Sadhana Satsanghs, and welcoming us into their community), First Unitarian Congregational Society of Brooklyn. Excluded by traditional marriage ceremonies, Indian-American gay couples in the US are finding new and unique ways to solemnise their unions, reports Savita Patel. A death ceremony for a loved one? Thanks! My brother, who has a faded Hanuman picture in his car to remind him of the Divine. The wedding priest or Hindu pandit for wedding/wedding priest gives his consent for the wedding to proceed, by offering Bride's hand in marriage to Groom. Reddit, Inc. 2023. But Indian-Americans say that they are often ostracised by those who have the holy task of solemnising their unions. What I want when I am in that situation - the priest is fluent in English, so can communicate effectively with all family members. More than 300,000 gay couples have wed in the country since then. We wanted to build something for future generations (of Hindus) who maybe would never get the chance to go back to India to see similar temples, said M. Parthasarathy, manager of the temple. The Sadhana Syllabus is an open-source directory of resources on a variety of topics relating to progressive Hinduism, from caste to environmental justice. 2. progressive, downtown weekly in Toronto. He has brought a progressive Hindu voice to numerous interfaith events and worked to foster conversations in Hindu American communities around the urgent social justice issues of our day. However, we believe a diversity of intellectual perspectives is important in the movement to build a progressive Hinduism. India's gay prince opens his palace for LGBT community, Three dead in Russian strike on Lviv, says mayor, Palestinian families return to rubble in Jenin, Five million join Meta's Twitter rival - Zuckerberg, The fight to free Yazidi women slaves held by IS, Palestinians fear escalation after Jenin assault. I know so many of you are still trying to negotiate the role your Hinduness plays in your daily life. We hope to see many more Hindu temples in the US and abroad welcoming our LGBTQ+ family as equal and loved members of our communities! Sadhana does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in each resource. "I love hiding the names of the two brides in their henna!". And Hinduism's inspiration to the world has certainly helped to facilitate the change we wish to see. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Stay tuned for a formal launch soon! Read about our approach to external linking. We knew we could never be as big as some of the temples back home in India, so we focused on the quality, he said. Brahman is the indivisible ground of all that exists. We came across each of these statements as our journey began, and each one felt like a miracle because they proved that we were not alone in our impatience to find the Ramakrishnas, Vivekanandas, Aurobindos and Gandhis of our time. [3] These are just some of my inspirations, and I can tell you that each of you will find your inspiration to strive for progress and continue to draw strength from your Hindu identity. I am especially grateful to the Hindu students at Princeton University, and Vineet Chander, Coordinator of Hindu Life, for hosting me. I want to set a proactive approach to what it means to be a Hindu American. Hindutva groups have a significant presence in the United States. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. Hindu scholar and pandit, Dr. Anantanand Rambachan, tells us that The rise of populist nationalism, and especially those versions that clothe themselves in religious colors, requires a critique from the same religious traditions.. When you take your time and go step by step, you can build exactly what you want. Its numerous Hindu temples don't allow gay weddings. This past September, 50,000 Indian-Americans attended a rally in Houston organized by Hindutva political activists that featured Narendra Modi and Donald Trump. There is a central meditation hall, a multipurpose auditorium and nine domed towers encasing carved statues of the Hindu gods. Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA), Illinois state senator Ram Villavalam (D), and former Chicago alderman Ameya Pawar (D). Swami Agnivesh, Reforming Hinduism From Within, B.R. Progressive Hindus Declare Queens Temple The First Sanctuary of Its There's a story from the Ramayana in which Lord Rama, in his joy over the victory in Lanka, asks Hanuman what he wished for. This article discusses the life of Baba Lal Das, a Hindu priest who opposed Hindu nationalist groups like the RSS in their efforts to target Muslims and demolish Ayodhyas Babri Masjid to build a temple for Lord Ram. What I see too often is social justice driven by dogmatism, confrontation, and refusal to accept anything but absolute outcomes. From that sense, the term progressive has evolved in the United States from economic populism in the early 20th century (which was actually mixed with a great deal of nativism) to the Communist-led Popular Front of the 1930s, to the Civil Rights Movements and cultural revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, and finally, to a term that embraced Western liberalism without the stigma of the word liberal in the late 20th century. ", Ramesh Venkataraman, Hindu way to resist Hindutva (Indian Express, December 31, 2015), Hinduisms great diversity is one of its strengthsthere is no one way to be Hindu. which offers various "progressive, inclusive, L.G.B.T.Q.+-friendly . The Indian population was increasing, but we didnt have anywhere to meet. Progressive Hinduism - Reddit It's basically the recognition that how we identify, how we practice, and even what we believe are subject to change, evolution, reconciliation, and hopefully, eventual clarity. We aspire to build a global movement of Hindus who are concerned about the rights and wellbeing of all the peoples of our planet, and the fate of the planet itself. From an early age, we had dreamt of a traditional wedding," said Ms Barua, an Indian-American entrepreneur and author. Before I talk about my own journey, I think it's critical about the term 'progressive Hinduism.' Many still do, and they view the term progressive as being uncompromising, absolutist, and maximalist in terms of identifying on the Left. This topic is so timely, given what's happening here and across the world. His wife and two children also lived in the quarters given by the Temple. Sadhana enlists community members to participate in monthly cleanups of a Jamaica Bay beach where Hindus worship, leaving ritual offerings that then litter the beach. Scaachi Koul, The Crisis In Kashmir Has Started A Conversation I Dont Know How To Have (Buzzfeed News, December 18, 2019). God does not allow it.. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) spoke at the 2018 World Hindu Congress and also spoke this past October at an event in Chicago celebrating the founding of the RSS. ", "My hope is that at some point our generation will articulate progressive platforms for what it means to be Hindu and connect that to social action. I dont like to go out because it interferes with my thoughts, said R. Narasimha Bhattar, the temples chief priest. In joining in this effort and forming a global movement of Hindus in action, we seek to: Be a part of our Hindu movement for justice.Please email us at info@sadhana.org or via www.sadhana.org. ", "There is a theological vision at the heart of Advaita that affirms the identity and unity of Brahman in all beings as the self (atma). 0. :) 0 comments 99% Upvoted There was a story in New York Times about Rohan Narine, an young American Hindu community organizer who wanted to . But that's easier said than done for gay couples - even in the US where same-sex unions were legalised in 2015. India's Hindu priestesses challenge male-dominated traditions : NPR Progressive Priests Network Hindutva 101: A Primer Whatever Happened to the Hindu Left Community Transformation . "They were nice young men looking for a Jain wedding. So, does the Hindu laity think a woman priest is different to the traditional male priest? Fluent in English and Hindi or another Indian language, Comfortable with interracial relationships, Comfortable with inter-religious relationships. Again, I must emphasize that Hinduism's progressivism isn't defined by a liberal versus conservative or Left-Right paradigm, but rather that its scriptural capacity to produce positive change in the world is undeniable. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. In this sense, our discourses and calls for social justice are dominated by open mouths, but not enough with open ears, open minds, and open hearts. VideoRos Atkins on Ukrainian nuclear plant fears, Winemakers learn firefighting to stay in business, Indian footballer in same league as Messi and Ronaldo. Sunita Viswanath, Contributor. The Sadhana Syllabus is currently a work in progress. Jha, "Looking for a Hindu Identity" (link), Balmurli Natrajan, "Letter to a Progressive Hindu" (link), Ashis Nandy, A report on the present state of health of the gods and goddesses in South Asia (link), Balmurli Natrajan, "Searching for a Progressive Hindu/ism: Battling Mussolinis Hindus, Hindutva, and Hubris" (link), Constance Jones and James D. Ryan, "Hindu Nationalism" in Encyclopedia of Hinduism (link), Anantanand Rambachan, "Hindu Pride and the Future of Hinduism" (link), Alex Shams, "Welcome to the Beef Capital of India" (link), Vijay Prashad, Letter to a Young American Hindu, Stanley Thangaraj, Sipping on the Indian Haterade: Hindu American Whiteness and Support for Trump (link), Romila Thapar, interviewed by Ajaz Ashraf: Before anyone can debate the Sangh, it has to stop abusing its opponents (link), Ramesh Venkataraman, Hindu way to resist Hindutva (link), Shailly Gupta Barnes, The Shakti life force of the poor today" (link), Anantanand Rambachan, "Hindus and the Poor Peoples Campaign: A Religious and Moral Obligation" (link), Nooreen Reza, "Progressive Hinduism and a New Movement Against Poverty" (link), Peter Wilberg, Rudra's Red Banner: Marxism and Moksha (link), Lata Jha, "What Two Hindu Temples in the US Tell Us about the Divide among Hindus in India" (link), Sapna Pandya, interviewed by Sarika D. Mehta, "On Faith, Tradition, and Sexuality" (link) (transcript), Devdutt Pattanaik, Did homosexuality exist in ancient India? (link), Devdutt Pattanaik, Declared constitutionally invalid (link), Devdutt Pattanaik, Hindu, not homophobic (link), Devdutt Pattanaik, On Krishnas chariot stands Shikhandi (link), Devdutt Pattanaik, The Real Ramrajya (link), Anantanand Rambachan, LGBT Address (link), Madhuri Shekar, Hari Venkatachalam, Same-Sex Marriage and Hinduism (link), Ruth Vanita, Love's Rite: Same-Sex Marriage in India and the West, Ruth Vanita, Queering India: Same-Sex Love and Eroticism in Indian Culture and Society, Ruth Vanita and Saleem Kidwai, "Religious Teachers Statements on Same-Sex Sexuality" (link), Ruth Vanita, Ruth Vanita Speaks About Hinduism and LGBTQ Identities (link), Nicholas O'Connell, "Subversive Hindu Thought" (link), Kathleen M. Erndl, The Mutilation of Surpanakha (link), Velcheru Narayana Rao, A Ramayana of Their Own: Women's Oral Tradition in Telugu (link), Nabaneeta Dev Sen, Rewriting the Ramayana: Chandrabati and Molla (link), Ruth Vanita, Gandhi's Tiger and Sita's Smile: Essays on Gender, Sexuality and Culture (Amazon), Equality Labs, Caste in the United States: A Survey of Caste Among South Asian Americans (link), Deepak Sarma, "The Academic Study of Hinduism: An Alternative Future" (link), Steven Ramey, Hindu Minorities and the Limits of Hindu Inclusiveness: Sindhi and Indo-Caribbean Hindu Communities in Atlanta (link), Anantanand Rambachan, Diwali: Hearing Earths Cry (link), Hari Venkatachalam, "One Hindu's Environmental Pilgrimage from Triveni Ghat to Tampa to the Future" (link), Richard H. Davis, A Muslim Princess in the Temples of Visnu (link), David Gilmartin and Bruce B. Lawrence (editors), Beyond Turk and Hindu: Rethinking Religious Identities in Islamicate South Asia (link), Indo-Islamic Love Stories and the Story of Rama and Sita (link), Nikhil Mandalaparthy, "When the man who wrote Pakistan's national anthem saw the divine in Hindu god Krishna" (link), C.M.
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