Week 340: Academic Paper, Learning Dharma Academy, Aesthetic
6/21/2026 - Modern Hindu Content
Welcome to Eternal Path! This week we feature: An academic paper on Hinduphobia in education, a Learning Dharma academy, and an aesthetic!
Academia Highlight: Paper on Hinduphobia in Education
Dr. Indu Viswanathan is someone we’ve cited quite a few times on Eternal Path and she also runs her own awesome Hinduism-related Substack publication called The Turtle Magazine that we highly recommend!
Many Hindus will complain (correctly) that Western-dominated academia is biased against Hindus. However, we at Eternal Path don’t believe that advocating for Hinduism and Hindus stops with WhatsApp complaining. Clearly it is incumbent for Hindus to enter academia and engage with the academic method, which is exactly what Viswanathan does in her paper “Examining Anti-Hindu Bias in American Public Education The Endogenous Cycle of Hinduphobia” published in the Journal for the Council of Research on Religion. The article can be found here: https://creor-ejournal.library.mcgill.ca/article/view/130
The abstract is below:
This paper introduces the “Endogenous Cycle of Hinduphobia,” a theoretical construct explaining the perpetuation of stereotypical depictions and systematic omissions of Hinduism and Hindus in scholarship and media, which seed a biased master narrative about Hinduism in the public imagination. It highlights the role played by epistemic injustice in undermining Hindu testimony and scholarly contributions, sustaining a cycle of prejudice that entrenches this master narrative. Historical ties of American public education to colonial and missionary objectives are explored, illustrating how curricula have historically undermined Hindu religious and cultural identity by favouring narratives marked by violence, superstition, and moral degradation. The paper scrutinizes incidences where scholars and journalists trigger the endogenous cycle of Hinduphobia, arguing for an interrogation of the foundational premises upon which current representations are built. It also recounts the experiences of Hindu Americans who, as students, addressed the California Department of Education in 2016, highlighting the detrimental effects of such educational biases on their individual and collective identities. Ultimately, the paper aims to initiate steps toward dismantling the endogenous cycle of Hinduphobia, advocating for an educational paradigm that truly aligns with the tenets of democracy and pluralism.
Additionally, we encourage readers to read Dr. Viswanathan’s below (or permalink) own contextual post on X around the paper and what is covered.
Educational Highlight: XXX
Learning Dharma Academy is a new initiative from the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) to empower Hindu Americans to better communicate Hinduism topics and advocate for Hindus. The program starts with the “Dharma Explorers Base Camp”.
Visit their website for more information: https://www.learningdharma.org/courses/dharma-explorers-base-camp
This video from HAF helps explain the program:
Aesthetic: Hindu Temple in Karnataka
