Our Baithaks for Liberation series was born out of a need for a progressive Hindu space that tackled modern-day issues such as queer liberation, feminism, the annihilation of caste, and more through a progressive religious lens.

Our Baithaks for Liberation series was born out of a need for a progressive Hindu space that tackled modern-day issues such as queer liberation, feminism, the annihilation of caste, and more through a progressive religious lens.

Our Baithaks for Liberation series was born out of a need for a progressive Hindu space that tackled modern-day issues such as queer liberation, feminism, the annihilation of caste, and more through a progressive religious lens.

Our Baithaks for Liberation series was born out of a need for a progressive Hindu space that tackled modern-day issues such as queer liberation, feminism, the annihilation of caste, and more through a progressive religious lens.

What is a Baithak?

The word ‘baithak’ is derived from the Hindi-Urdu word for ‘sitting’. It describes a close knit community gathering that facilitates both intellectual and artistic engagement and exchange. Baithaks have a vibrant history interwoven with that of South Asia itself; from being a space where saints could spread their spiritual teachings to carving out a niche for cross-cultural exchange during Mughal rule to serving as a launching pad for anticolonial discourse during British rule. We wish to bring that legacy and history into the modern age; adapting to the online era by allowing for conversations as meaningful as those that occurred centuries ago to take place in the current day, thus building a community founded upon learning, growth, and human rights for all. Each of our baithaks features an esteemed moderator from the field alongside a panel of experts, ending with an interactive Q&A where all participants are encouraged to share their questions, thoughts, and ideas.

The Way of the Sant: Virtues for All Humanity

n conversation with Anantanand Rambachan on themes from his newly published book-The Way of the Sant: Virtues for All Humanity (Albion Andalus, 2026). Exploring the timeless wisdom of Hindu Sants, drawing especially from the devotional vision of Tulsidas' Ramacharitamanas, to illuminate virtues urgently needed in our world today, including compassion, humility, empathy, and a deep commitment to the dignity of all beings. The Sant path centers ahimsa not as quietism, but as a dynamic force that confronts injustice and transforms our relationships with each other toward collective flourishing.

Hinduism and Migrant Justice

What does Hinduism offer in this moment? This baithak begins from a bold premise: Hindu traditions already contain deep ethical resources for thinking about migrant justice.

Diaspora Dharma: Hindu-Unitarian Universalists

With Amit Mehta, Abhi Janamanchi and Manish Mishra-Marzetz

In our first baithak of 2026, we gather with Hindu–Unitarian Universalists (Hindu-UUs)—South Asian Americans navigating Hindu heritage alongside UU values of pluralism, ethical living, social justice, and spiritual exploration. Together, we reflect on why some choose UU ministry over traditional Hindu priesthood, how lived practice can outpace rigid doctrine, and what it means to carry moral and ethical responsibility across family, community, and public life.

This conversation also names the realities that shape diaspora identity: caste and inherited social hierarchies, status and social privilege, and the intergenerational shifts through which second- and third-generation Hindu-Americans cultivate meaning, ritual, and belonging in predominantly non-Hindu spaces. What new forms of Hindu practice are emerging—and how might they help reimagine a Hinduism free from caste oppression and other hierarchies?

Reclaiming Yoga for Liberation

With Anjali Rao and Lakshmi Nair

For the eighth installment of our Baithaks for Liberation series we discuss with Anjali Rao her newly released book, Yoga as Embodied Resistance: A Feminist Lens on Caste, Gender, and Sacred Resilience in Yoga History. In conversation with yoga practitioner and HfHR member Lakshmi Nair, Anjali highlights the entanglements between caste, gender, colonization, and religious nationalism in the history of yoga, inviting us to reimagine the practice as a radical site of liberation, discernment, and dissent.

Goddess Rising: A Celebration of Shakti

With Pratima Doobay, Nandini Sen Mehra, Dr. Sneha Chakradhar, and Roshni Samlal

Our September baithak takes the shape of performance. As the festive season approaches, many Hindus turn to honor Shakti, the divine feminine power that creates, sustains, and transforms the universe. Shakti is personified in goddesses like Durga and Kali, who are venerated through ritual worship during this time of the year.

Standing Together Against Religious Supremacy: A Hindu-Jewish Interfaith Dialogue

With Dr. Linda Hess, Rabbi Alissa Wise, and Umesh Kabir

Religion has often been used to justify social and political oppression—from centuries-old caste discrimination and the current Hindutva-fueled hostility toward Muslims in India to Zionism’s defense of colonialism and displacement in Palestine, leading to the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Our August discussion brings together courageous religious leaders from Hindu and Jewish traditions who are standing up against hate and violence being committed in the name of their faith.

Reimagining Birth and Death in Hinduism

With Aminta Kilawan-Narine, Punya Upadhyaya, and Pandit Dr. Raja Gopal Bhattar

Our July Baithak focused on how we can reinterpret and reimagine Hindu principles and practices focusing on birth and death. From naming ceremonies to funeral rites, ritual practices continue to carry the weight of exclusion and inequality into the present day. In this conversation, we hear from community leaders and organizers who are challenging these ideas and creating new ways to mark life’s beginnings and ending grounded in justice and dignity for all.

Celebrating Queerness in Hindu Thought and Practice

With Dr. Gautham Reddy, Aruna Rao, and Dr. Raja Gopal Bhattar

Held in honor of Pride Month, this discussion centered queerness in rethinking Hindu theology, ritual, and practice. Grounding the discussion in the lived realities of the LGBTQ+ South Asians, our panelists will examine how Hindu traditions can affirm and nurture queer belonging. Together, we will envision what it means to uphold queer sacredness while challenging Brahmanical cisheteropatriarchy, cultivating a radically inclusive Hinduism rooted in joy and justice for all.

Can Hindus Annihilate Caste? Engaging Ambedkar’s Critique to Envision an Anti-Caste Hinduism

With Dr. Anand Teltumbde, Dr. Anantanand Rambachan, and Dr. Balmurli Natrajan

Held in honor of Dalit History Month, this discussion brought together Dr. Anand Teltumbde and Dr. Anantanand Rambachan to explore Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s critique of Hinduism as being inextricably tied up with the violence of caste oppression. Rejecting framings that treat caste as external to Hinduism, our panelists will engage with Ambedkar’s assertion that Hindus must “give a new doctrinal basis to your religion” in order to illuminate what lessons Ambedkar’s critique of Hinduism can offer us in the project of building an anti-caste Hinduism today.

Feminist Hinduism in Action: Resisting Brahmanical Patriarchy Through Inclusive Ritual and Practice

With Sapna Pandya, Pratima Doobay, and Sravya Tadepalli

Held in honor of Women’s History Month, this discussion uplifts the voices of two pioneering panditas who are at the forefront of challenging Brahmanical patriarchy by transforming Hindu ritual and practice in their communities. We delved into their journeys to leadership, resistance to gatekeeping in sacred spaces, and contribution to fostering radically inclusive spiritual practices that affirm a liberatory Hinduism rooted in gender justice for all.

Swami Vivekananda’s Complex Legacy

With Dr. Balmurli Natrajan, V. Govind Krishnan, and Swami Medhananda

Our first baithak was an exciting panel discussion on the life and legacies of the renowned 19th-century Hindu philosopher Swami Vivekananda. We discussed the complexities of Vivekananda’s teachings and thought, and what lessons they can offer us as we strive to build a liberatory Hinduism in our present moment.

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