Every day, I witness South Asian women weighed down by cultural expectations—pressured to conform, stay small, and stay silent.
Yet the Hindu faith we come from tells a different story.
Hinduism reveres amazing, fascinating, divine women.
Our goddesses are warriors, creators, leaders.
As a Hindu woman born and raised in the U.S., I have to ask:
Where did our courage go?
Where did our divine feminine strength—our lady balls—disappear to?
In Hinduism, racism finds no place, as the rich descriptions of deities' diverse skin tones and facial features illustrate emphasizes “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (Sanskrit language)”
“The world is one family!”.
From the fair-skinned Goddess Saraswati to dark-complexioned Lord Krishna, Lord Shiva's dreaded locks, Goddess Meenakshi’s “fish eyes”, Lord Muruga’s curly black hair, Goddess Lakshmi’s golden complexion etc. We even have major deities like Lord Hanuman and Lord Ganesha, who do not possess human-like features, emphasizing our reverence and affection for all creation, recognizing that everything is an extension of the divine. Hinduism embraces the beauty of diversity.
Read MoreRead MoreI serve as the Hindu Chaplain/Spiritual Advisor of NYU and Columbia Universities. I often think to myself what kind of world are we leaving for the next generation?
I believe in being the change, building a world of inclusivity, peace, unity, love, and compassion. Show, share, include folks of all faiths/ backgrounds in your holidays, celebrate together (it’s not that difficult to be kind and compassionate).
Last year during Navarathri, a young Shia Muslim girl (student at NYU) wanted to learn about Hinduism and to visit a Hindu Temple (there are no Hindu Temples in Manhattan, had to rent a car (lysol it first drive to Queens, hello covid! ).