Welcome to The Modern Hindu! Who are we? We’re your typical Indian twenty-somethings who grew up in the US. Like many of our immigrant peers raised in the West, we did our best to fly under the radar and avoid any awkward conversations about religion, specifically our own. If the topic was ever brought up in our presence, we’d brush it off with a vague answer or worse, respond with misinformation to make people think we knew what we were talking about. This wasn’t because we had mal-intentions; we were just raised in a sub-culture that made us value the approval of others more than our individuality.
Anyway, all that recently changed when we attended a 21-day meditation program in India with our guru, Sri Paramahamsa Nithyananda Swami (fondly referred to as Swamiji by his disciples). He brought us together and we’ve been inseparable ever since (metaphorically, of course – we live in different states). He really made us appreciate all the beautiful gifts that Sanatana Hindu Dharma has to offer and we want to share that with all of you.
In this blog, we will talk about personal experiences related to being Hindus in the West, misconceptions about Hinduism in general, and how we were inspired to transform our lives. We will also have some guest bloggers who will share their unique experiences. We really hope to appeal to our fellow born Hindus who grew up in the West, but would love to educate anyone who has ever asked the question “What is Hinduism really even about?” Of course, we can’t forget about our friends who weren’t born Hindu but had the blessing of discovering it on their own. You guys had the gall to embrace a religion and culture that was totally foreign to you, one that even those of us who were born into often couldn’t embrace. We are fully aware that this blog will make some people uncomfortable and that’s okay. Just read it. You’re already here. But don’t look for any apologies. We make none.