I wouldnt be any more pleased if the Catholic Church put up a cathedral there, writer-producer Garner Simmons said at the time. The Carter Center has agreed to support and bolster Sadhana's efforts to build a network and a movement of progressive Hindus committed to social justice and social action. If you would like to submit a resource to the Syllabus, please email us at info@sadhana.org. And Hinduism's inspiration to the world has certainly helped to facilitate the change we wish to see. "They were nice young men looking for a Jain wedding. [3] Apparently, I got married to a guy named Somil, not Romil. The word Hindutva wasnt even used until 1923, when it was first mentioned in V.D. 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. Reddit, Inc. 2023. My sister in law is Jewish, and I've seen in the Jewish community there's a whole network of progressive Rabbis who are open to how people live in modern times and in the United States. With that framing, I would argue that Hinduism--at least from how we view the philosophy of Hindu teachings--is inherently progressive. Fluent in English and Hindi or another Indian language, Comfortable with interracial relationships, Comfortable with inter-religious relationships. 3. favoring or promoting progress; " progressive schools". Hanuman only asked that he be able to continue to serve Lord Rama selflessly. As a Hindu pundit, or priest, who focuses on the L.G.B.T.Q. Some of you are more comfortable than others in articulating your Hindu identity. I am especially grateful to the Hindu students at Princeton University, and Vineet Chander, Coordinator of Hindu Life, for hosting me. And its spurring the rise of queer priests. Coincidentally, the NYT ran an article on this very issue that someone shared: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/23/style/meet-the-hindu-priest-officiating-lgbtq-weddings.html#commentsContainer. But the county Regional Planning Commission and the California Coastal Commission approved the project, after scaling it down in height about 25 feet. If you are looking for a progressive Hindu priest to conduct your wedding, Sadhana can connect you to our network of Hindu priests in New York City, Chicago, and across the US and India. Call 973 -778- 3117. Hindu Priest for a Gay Wedding in California? : r/ABCDesis Hindu scriptures, like all religious texts, can be interpreted to support whatever worldview one chooses. INDIA: Women As Hindu Priests Have An Edge Global Issues Clarion Calls for a Progressive Hinduism The Carter Center has agreed to support and bolster Sadhana's efforts to build a network and a movement of progressive Hindus committed to social justice and social action. All religions teach love," Mr Sanghavi said. We are all souls in this world - sometimes we have male and sometimes female bodies, but we are all equal spirits.". Part of HuffPost Religion. Four men charged with rape and murder of 9-year-old girl in India I think my exact words were, "Put me on, son!". Meet the Indian housewives studying to become Hindu priests in their To be progressive is to want to make the world a better place. Sadhana does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in each resource. A Hindu priest performs worship services . Its lavish presence has often made it a target for vandals. In a very practical sense, if those of us in social justice were only attached to expected outcomes, we'd all burn out very quickly! Officials of the Hindu Temple Society of Southern California, which was formed in 1977 to raise money for the complex, say the only work remaining involves the completion of a separate priest quarters, which may be finished by the summer. 44 places to watch dazzling Fourth of July fireworks in L.A. L.A. mayor ousts Native American DWP commissioner; Indigenous groups outraged, Mone Davis is not just your average summer intern for the Dodgers, After lawsuit, Jon & Vinnys adds explainer on customer checks about 18% service fee. Meet the Hindu priest officiating LGBTQ weddings Talking about complex political, historical, and religious issues may seem intimidating, especially for those of us who have grown up outside India. It is important to listen to and amplify the voices of groups who are most directly affected by Hindutva: Muslims, Dalits, Adivasis, and other marginalized groups. Conduct bold and timely advocacy around the global crises of our times, prioritizing the needs, rights and voices of the most marginalized and oppressed. While such matters are private and no a matter of anyone's judgements, there is no mention of the normal Hindu, heterosexual marriage. Read about our approach to external linking. What I see too often is social justice driven by dogmatism, confrontation, and refusal to accept anything but absolute outcomes. As we are both women, it made no sense to have terms for man and woman.". For the most part, the temple remains a well-known oddity in Malibu, a place filled with the well-known and the odd. There was a story in New York Times about Rohan Narine, an young American Hindu community organizer who wanted to . The Case for a New Indian American Resistance Movement (Hyphen, November 26, 2019). In some ways, Hindutva resembles right-wing nationalist movements around the world, advocating for economic protectionism and increased border security. progressive meaning in Hindi. New York | June 24, 2021 12:00 IST Follow Us Sushma Dwivedi, a Hindu priest, is a rare and unique in her own right. Edit: thank you for the award and for all the support. That's not a Left-Right battle, but instead a calling to our common humanity. First, let's really understand what the term progressive actually means, instead of the way it's been framed. These groups include the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (the American counterpart of the RSS), the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHP-A), and the Hindu Students Council. Wake up to the day's most important news. He also outlines some possibilities for Hindus to take back their religion from Hindutva. Sometimes, people will argue that Hindutva is a way of life, or that Hindutva simply means Hindu-ness, synonymous with Hinduism. Located on a 4.5-acre site, the temple was built almost entirely by Hindi craftsmen known as silpis, who came from southern India to shape the temple according to strict religious documents that originated around the 10th Century. Each of these statements is both pressing in its call for a faith-based Hinduism that takes action for justice in the world, and also hopeful for such a project. She has, for instance, tweaked the tradition of hiding the groom's name in the intricate pattern of the bride's mehendi. ETA: I have contacted Dr. Ranjan Ravaliya and Sushma Dwivedi Jindal and they are both unavailable. It is an interfaith wedding, with many guests who are not Indian so would love suggestions on a priest who can translate the ceremony into English. 'Women priests are very committed . From an early age, we had dreamt of a traditional wedding," said Ms Barua, an Indian-American entrepreneur and author. PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION = [ pr. progressives that it's OK to identify as Hindu. The wonderful folks at Sadhana, who have taken seva to a new level with their consistent efforts to preserve matre bhumi in New York City. He has formalised thousands of weddings. Bhattar, 36, and the other two priests spend their days engaged in the elaborate rituals of the Hindu religion, offering food to the gods and counseling worshipers who stop for spiritual comfort. Last year, in Chicago, leaders of Indias largest Hindu nationalist group spoke in Chicago to an audience of thousands of people at the World Hindu Congress. While a lot might have to do with how Hindu scriptures have been framed and interpreted, I think we as Hindus certainly deserve some of the blame for not engaging more with texts that bring us so much inspiration. Hindus for Human Rights | In support of the Dismantling Global Hindutva Hindu tradition is not the monopoly of the Shiv Sena, the RSS or indeed any group. "If more liberal and leftist Hindus begin to acknowledge their Hindu identity and speak in defense of Hindu heritage, this can only strengthen, not weaken, the secular left. a person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties. Although the name Hinduism is relatively new, having been coined by British writers in the first decades of the 19th century, it refers to a rich cumulative tradition of texts and practices, some of which date to the 2nd millennium bce or possibly . God does not allow it.. She's independent, educated and has traveled the world. Naim, The Maulana Who Loved Krishna (link), NPR segment, "Why Many Muslims In India Feel Yoga Has Been Weaponized"(link), Manoj Singh, Before the Rise of Hindutva, Gorakhnath Nurtured Muslim Yogis (link), George Wolfe, "Parallel Teachings in Hinduism and Christianity" (link), Joanne Punzo Waghorne, Chariots of the God/s: Riding the Line Between Hindu and Christian (link), Brahma, Dharma & Democracy: Another Hindu Riddle, Articulating a Hindu Theology of Liberation, Searching for a Progressive Hindu/ism: Battling Mussolinis Hindus, Hindutva, and Hubris, A Hindu Theology of Human Flourishing (YouTube), The Need for a Hindu Theology of Liberation, Eight Bhakti poems that show India had multiple and diverse paths to devotion, "The liberation theologists of the Hindu past", West Bengals first priestess solemnises marriages without Kanyadaan, How the appointment of Dalits as priests is perpetuating casteist symbols, Ancient Bihar temples show the way with non-Brahmin priests, Shashi Tandon: Fulfilling Hindu priestly duties and starting a quiet revolution, "God is reborn: A reading on justice from the Bhagavad Gita", Why you should read the Vedas, and why the religious will never understand them, "The Dark Side of the Comics That Redefined Hinduism", Personalizing the Ramayan: Ramnamis and Their Use of the Ramcaritmanas, Three Hundred Ramayanas: Five Examples and Three Thoughts on Translation, A Ramayana of Their Own: Women's Oral Tradition in Telugu, Rewriting the Ramayana: Chandrabati and Molla, Equalisation to annihilation and beyond, The Non-Dalit's Guide To Debating Meaningfully About Caste, Caste in the United States: A Survey of Caste Among South Asian Americans, Speaking Self, Writing Caste - Recovering the Life of Santram BA, Caste or Colony? No ancient Hindu texts or traditions call us to the service of a nation. The mortar and brick walls are covered with intricate carvings of dragons, lions, elephants, idols and lotus blossoms. The first school to offer priestly scholarship to women opened in the 1980s in Pune, a progressive western Indian city where women flock to study. The temple is untouched by the frenetic rhythms of big city life, they say, and their only contact with local residents comes when the curious stop to gawk. Indianizing Race in the United States, Ravikant Kisana, Progressive Millennial Indians, Lets Talk About How We Never Talk About Caste, Nivedita Menon, Bharat Mata And Her Unruly Daughters (link), Balmurli Natrajan, From jati to samaj (link), Balmurli Natrajan, "The liberation theologists of the Hindu past" (link), Annalee Newitz, The caste system has left its mark on Indians genomes (link), Gail Omvedt, Seeking Begumpura: The Social Vision of Anticaste Intellectuals (Amazon), Devdutt Pattanaik: "Beyond Hinduism: Is caste a religious or a regional problem? (link), Anantanand Rambachan, Freedom from Caste chapter from A Hindu Theology of Liberation (link), Anantanand Rambachan, A New Year Resolution for Hinduism: Opening Temple Doors to All (link), Anantanand Rambachan, "Is Caste Intrinsic to Hinduism?" 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. Wedding planner Purvi Shah said attitudes have begun to shift in the wedding industry as well - be it priests, planners, caterers or henna/mehendi artists. That was Gods decision, said Parthasarathy, who lives in a trailer next to the temple with his wife, Lakshmi. Let us stop sipping on this concoction that Modi and Trump share and rather jump into the waters of civil rights organizing with BlackLivesMatter, TransLivesMatter, Dreamers, Muslim civil rights activists, and immigration and refugee rights activists for a taste of democratic living., Valay Singh, Ayodhya's Forgotten Mahant and His Message of Peace (The Wire, November 13, 2019). Sameer (L) and Amit struggled to find a Hindu priest willing to marry them, Sapna (R) and Sahar wrote their own Hindu-Muslim wedding ceremony, Monika (L) and Nikki had a Mexican-Indian wedding officiated by a progressive priest, Couples like Madhuri and Priti (R) are customising rituals to express queer love, Ros Atkins on Ukrainian nuclear plant fears. Ekalavya: A Progressive Reading. Indian Americans and civil rights activists nationwide have strongly condemned an attack on a 54-year-old Hindu priest in Queens, New York, last week. I know so many of you are still trying to negotiate the role your Hinduness plays in your daily life. From the scriptural acceptance of LGBTQ rights, to the idea of the divinity of all beings, to the very notion that we must serve all selflessly, Hindu teachings provide a rich database from which we can draw progressive theological inspiration. Unfortunately, other Hindu American politicians have covertly and overtly supported Hindutva. It is a temple where East meets West and where ancient architectural forms collide with modern building codes. The Sadhana Syllabus is an open-source directory of resources on a variety of topics relating to progressive Hinduism, from caste to environmental justice. This brings me to the idea of social justice, which I think gets thrown around too loosely. This property was owned by Mr. Rajah & wife Noeline. . His this speech became basis of the announcement letter of Progressive Movement. Progressive Priests Network Hindutva 101: A Primer Whatever Happened to the Hindu Left Community Transformation . Progressive Hindu Priests Network Sadhana runs a network of "progressive" priests, that officiates amongst other events marriages of same sex, inter-religion or inter-race. Chaudhuri, 35, is a PR professional in Austin, Texas. However, they repeatedly suggest that we commit ourselves to supporting the welfare of all beings (sarva bhuta hite ratah). World | NPR Hindu priestesses fight the patriarchy, one Indian wedding at a time The priestesses are part of a feminist push to make Hinduism more inclusive. There is nothing for me out there. Brahman is the indivisible ground of all that exists. If you need to flag this entry as abusive. Some of the core teachings of Hindu scriptures include ekatva (oneness) and ahimsa (nonviolence). Transcendentalists believed divine experience existed in the everyday, and held progressive views on women's rights, abolition, and education. Stay tuned for a formal launch soon! It's also premised upon the idea that our divinity comes from within. Such innovative ceremonies are welcomed not just by the LGBTQ community, but also heterosexual couples who want to eliminate misogyny, caste and patriarchy from their ceremonies. Organize web-based and in-person opportunities for progressive Hindus to discuss pertinent issues in the world today and chart a course for faithful Hindus to live out principles of ekatva (oneness), ahimsa (nonviolence) and sadhana (faith in action). However, Hindutva is a modern, political ideology that is barely more than a hundred years old. It also provides the insights and values for advocating for justice, dignity and the equal worth of human beings. I am asking now because I want to be ready when I need this. 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. They may not be taken seriously by some, but female priests are increasingly charting their own course in the male-dominated field. I will be more than happy to do it if a gay couple approached me.". 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. . Hindutva is not simply "Hindu-ness.". 27 August 2021 Sameer Samudra Sameer (L) and Amit struggled to find a Hindu priest willing to marry them Excluded by traditional marriage ceremonies, Indian-American gay couples in the US are. We were - Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus | Facebook (Source: New York Times) Written by Alix Strauss (Q&A) As a Hindu pundit, or priest, who focuses on the LGBTQ population, Sushma Dwivedi is a rarity in the wedding industry. For this work we were honored by the White House among its "Champions of Change: People of Faith Acting on Climate", the only Hindu group represented. Hell, I'd settle for one that just gets our names right. Progressive Hindu voices such as ours were included in the discussion, as were the voices of other practicing Hindus, including a Hindu priest and scholars of Hinduism. Progressive Hinduism - Reddit He was assassinated in 1993. Hindutva, also called Hindu nationalism, is a right-wing political ideology that guides the current ruling party in India, the BJP, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Kasturi, Sunita Viswanath, Aminta Kilawan-Narine, and Rohan Narine, A Progressive Hindu Approach to God, Balmurli Natrajan, Letter to a Progressive Hindu, Balmurli Natrajan, Searching for a Progressive Hindu/ism: Battling Mussolinis Hindus, Hindutva, and Hubris, Anantanand Rambachan, A Hindu Theology of Liberation: Not-Two is Not One, Anantanand Rambachan, A Hindu Theology of Human Flourishing (YouTube), Anantanand Rambachan, The Need for a Hindu Theology of Liberation, Ruth Vanita, "Whatever Happened to the Hindu Left? A place for questions, answers, raving, and otherwise discussing weddings and wedding planning in and around the 5 Boroughs, Jersey, Long Island, etc. Created Mar 31, 2021. Progressive Hinduism: A Contradiction in Terms? I don't know this organization, but their website looks kind of good/interesting (they have a summer reading schedule where the first reading is "Queerness and Hinduism".) In this article, Venkataraman argues that advocates of Hindutva are trying to homogenize Hinduism, erasing its diversity of perspectives and practices. From the scriptural acceptance of LGBTQ rights, to the idea of the divinity of all beings, to the very notion that we must serve all selflessly, Hindu teachings provide a rich database from which we can draw progressive theological inspiration. She wanted her wedding to reflect her liberal values and the equal partnership she has. My sister, who still finds time every night to read a chapter from the Gita. We are pro-queer, anti-caste, anti-racism, among others. Nissan car was given . To be honest, I was that way in college, but when I became a journalist and began to see gray areas in how we live in the world, it became harder for me to understand how we view social justice in such absolutist terms. We wanted a place that would provide tranquility. Temples refusing to host same-sex weddings, priests hanging up on their phone calls or unwilling to tweak the ceremony to suit them and, in some cases, not even showing up on the day of the wedding - these experiences have driven Indian-American gay couples to fall back on friends and well-wishers to create unique ceremonies rooted in their culture. Even women priests are doing puja in Hindu temples - LinkedIn Since 2011, Sadhana has been building a progressive Hindu movement. This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. We bring a Hindu voice to the interfaith justice movement. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. Each of the temple silpis must pass a grueling, seven-year apprentice program, strictly adhering to the Shastra code. Savita Patel is an independent journalist based in San Francisco, where she covers geo-politics, tech, public health and the Indian diaspora. But it requires the unegotistic critique of much of Hindu scriptures, orientation to this world, and practices, and the simultaneous construction of a new Hinduism that will allow progressives to avail themselves of the sagacity that did indeed exist in the crevices of the past; identify with the struggles and spirit of those subalterns who hoped for Hinduism's fundamental renewal, even when facing the brunt of its oppressions; creatively rework Hinduism's large corpus of symbols (including key concepts of maya, karma, dharma, and moksa) so that they become insightful teaching tools for living as a progressive; and establish new institutions (and reform or at least challenge existing ones) that will ensure the durability of the above energies and pave the way for a new understanding of heritage as never exclusive, but a selection from one's particular pasts that belongs to all of humanity's seekers of truth, equity, and justice. via GIPHY Progressive Hindu; womens rights and social justice activist and advocate. 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. They are progressive but they still preserve our ancient traditions and culture also", says Aarya Joshi, teacher of the course. This is it.. Hindu priests for weddings in Dallas, Houston, and Austin Pandits and panditas in our network have been asked to facilitate rituals and ceremonies such as: Weddings (interfaith, same-sex, interracial). The 30-year-old explains that women priests largely perform . 'The institution is addressing the spiritual needs of the progressive Hindu who wants to break away from difficult ritualistic offerings,' she says. We have chapters and members around the country and abroad. Indianizing Race in the United States, Progressive Millennial Indians, Lets Talk About How We Never Talk About Caste. Dr Shukavak Das agrees. His wife and two children also lived in the quarters given by the Temple. She did it because of the opposition she and her Pakistani Muslim wife, Sahar, faced when they wanted to get married the traditional way. Although some people in the community fought the project when it started, it was because they believed that the temple was an inappropriate use of land in one of the last remaining open spaces in Los Angeles County. This is where I belong.. While Hinduism isn't dogmatic or doctrinal, dharma provides us an ethical foundation from which we can live.

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