Ganesh Chaturthi 2015 [Hindu Holiday]

Last updated on: September 12, 2015 at 9:56 am By Ambaa Choate

Sri Ganesha’s birthday is coming up this Thursday September 17th! This is one of my favorite holidays. I love the theme of renewal and turning over our fears, anxieties, and mistakes to Lord Ganesha to take away with Him. Last year’s post has more information about the holiday and how to celebrate (I strongly encourage you to make your own Ganesh murti from the salt and flour dough recipe provided!) http://www.patheos.com/blogs/whitehindu/2014/08/ganesh-chaturthi-2014-hindu-holiday/ This post has more detailed information about Sri Ganesha himself: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/whitehindu/2014/09/ganesha-everything-you-need-to-know/... Read more

Energy Work Gives Me New Perspective

Last updated on: September 12, 2015 at 9:49 am By Ambaa Choate

A friend of mine who traveled with me in India this previous trip works in the healing field. She does physical healing as well as energy work to heal on the subtle level. When she heard that I’ve been struggling with fertility she offered to take a look and do some energy work with me. I warned her that I’ve never felt the energy and she told me to do some light activity while she was working long distance. Not... Read more

Post Traumatic Church Syndrome: A Review

Last updated on: September 10, 2015 at 3:33 pm By Ambaa Choate

I was sent this book, Post Traumatic Church Syndrome, as part of Patheos’s book club. I actually requested it because I remember reading some of the blog that it was based on and loving the concept. The title is also fantastic. Really hits the lubricated nail on the head. The basic idea is that Reba grew up in a very religious Pentacostal family (a branch of Christianity) and when she lost her childhood faith it was very crushing. On her... Read more

Vending Machine God

Last updated on: September 9, 2015 at 6:34 am By Ambaa Choate

I was re-watching OMG with my friends last night, which is one of my favorite Indian movies. (I don’t agree with its whole message but I think it brings up some great points and speaks of a faith larger than we usually experience day to day). Anyway, there’s a point where Sri Krishna says that people are always trying to make bargains with him: If I get the job, I will shave my head. If I get pregnant I will go... Read more

Best Hindu Apps of 2015

Last updated on: September 7, 2015 at 9:31 am By Ambaa Choate

I wrote a long time ago about smart phone apps that can support your spirituality but a lot has changed since then so I thought it was time to do it again! Last night I searched for Hindu apps and downloaded a bunch to try. Here is what I found… Wallpapers It started with Shiva Wallpapers by Peaksel (It says 99 cents on Amazon but I’m pretty sure it was free when I went through Google Play Store). As the reviews... Read more

Happy Krishna Janmashtami!

Last updated on: September 5, 2015 at 6:52 am By Ambaa Choate

Hope you are all having a great holiday! I’ll be rocking this little guy at midnight and hoping for a happy pregnancy result soon! Read more

I Know You Mean Well

Last updated on: November 23, 2015 at 5:32 am By Ambaa Choate

I’m pretty tired of getting comments and messages from people who have just discovered the blog and immediately feel the need to tell me that it’s wrong for me to call myself the White Hindu. I suspect these people are new because I think that if you spend time with me and read my blog then you understand that this is not just the story of being Hindu, it is also the story of what it’s like to be a... Read more

Josh Duggar Exemplifies Why I’m A Liberal

Last updated on: August 31, 2015 at 7:05 am By Ambaa Choate

The scandals unfolding around Josh Duggar exemplify the reason I’m a liberal Democrat. For those of you unfamiliar with the name, the Duggars are an enormous clan of hard-core evangelical Christians who had a TV show for many years showing their devout lifestyle with their family of 19 children. That’s right: nineteen. The eldest child, Josh, married young after a courtship (meaning that he had no physical contact with his bride before they married and they spent only a few... Read more

Temple Buddy

Last updated on: August 30, 2015 at 9:43 pm By Ambaa Choate

There is one other member of my family who identifies as Hindu: a cousin a couple years older than me. It’s fascinating to me how our different life paths led us to almost exactly the same place! While I learned most of what I know from books and some experimentation, she has had a more authentic experience. Her husband is an Indian Hindu and she lived in India for many years. She speaks several Indian languages fluently and is quite... Read more

Krishna Janmashtami 2015!

Last updated on: August 28, 2015 at 9:52 am By Ambaa Choate

Even though Krishna Janmashtami is late this year, taking place in early September instead of late August, it still snuck up on me! I’m thrilled to realize that the big holiday season is just about to begin. This year Krishna Janmashtami is September 5th. Here you can see more information about Krishna Janmashtami (celebrating Sri Krishna’s birthday) from my previous years’ posts: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/whitehindu/2013/08/happy-birthday-krishna-krishna-janmashtami/ And this year I decided to run a giveaway because I shut down my Etsy shop but... Read more