From Outsider to Insider:
Exploring Hindu Studies at HUA
Upcoming Webinar: Saturday, September 27, 2025, 9 am PT / 12 pm ET / 9:30 pm IST

About the Webinar:
Hinduism is often described as one of the world’s oldest living traditions, yet it is also one of the least understood. To truly study Hinduism means going beyond surface-level views and stereotypes, it means exploring its texts, philosophies, practices, and ways of knowing through both insider and outsider perspectives. Hindu Studies opens up this rich landscape, offering new insights into how the tradition continues to shape lives and societies across the globe.
In this webinar, HUA President Kalyan Viswanathan will share why Hindu Studies is so essential today, how it challenges conventional academic frameworks, and how Hindu University of America is pioneering Hindu Studies in the West. Kalyan Ji will highlight the difference between studying Hinduism from within the tradition versus through external lenses, and why both perspectives matter. Attendees will also gain an understanding of how Hindu Studies can serve as a foundation for deeper exploration in areas such as philosophy, Sanskrit, yoga, culture, and interfaith dialogue.
Whether you are a student, practitioner, educator, or simply curious, this session offers a chance to engage with the big questions: What does it mean to approach Hinduism as a subject of study? How can it expand our worldview and deepen our understanding of human experience? Join us for a thought-provoking conversation that invites you to see Hinduism and Hindu Studies in a new light.
Get to Know panelist
Shri. Kalyan Viswanathan
Shri Kalyan Viswanathan, President of Hindu University of America and Founder of the Sanatana Dharma Foundation, is a dedicated scholar and teacher of Advaita Vedānta committed to advancing the academic study of Hindu Dharma.
Course Offered by Panelist at HUA
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Orientation to Hindu Studies
HSF5000 – (CPHS Required Course) To understand the roots of Hinduism which for many thousands of years has kept the fundamentals of Sanatana Dharma alive, the Veda must be understood in its essence. There have been several attempts to discover the true sense of the Vedic Mantras. Yet the Veda has been misunderstood, misinterpreted, and presented to contemporary humanity in a way that has lost its essential meaning. Even today there remains a wide gap in our understanding of what the Veda meant to convey. This course on the Vedic Origins of Hinduism will examine various interpretations of the Veda and seek to enter the spirit of the seers of the Veda. It will provide students with a deep insight into the uninterrupted continuity of Hindu thought as it unfolded across the millennia, keeping the foundational values of the civilization alive from generation to generation.
This Course is an important point of entry into the entire curriculum offered by HUA and a prerequisite for all Graduate level programs.
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