Podcast Summary
Podcast: New Books Network – Indian Religions Podcast
Episode: Tracy Pintchman ed., "Engaging Hindu Narratives and Practices in the Contemporary World" (2025)
Host: Dr. Raj Balmar
Guest: Dr. Tracy Pintchman (Director of Global Studies, Loyola University Chicago)
Date: December 25, 2025
Episode Overview
This episode delves into the special issue "Engaging Hindu Narratives and Practices in the Contemporary World," edited by Dr. Tracy Pintchman for the International Journal of Hindu Studies. Dr. Pintchman and Dr. Balmar discuss the genesis, structure, themes, and significance of this collection, which explores how narratives and practices within Hindu traditions are rewritten, adapted, and reinterpreted in 21st-century contexts.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Genesis of the Special Issue
[02:32–04:20]
- Dr. Pintchman was inspired to curate this issue after engaging with contemporary rewritings of Hindu traditions, notably Amish Tripathi’s works.
- Initial idea started with ten contributors after a conference panel at the American Academy of Religion, but was pared down to six due to life circumstances.
- The issue is structured as three articles on contemporary narratives and three on practices, offering a balanced perspective.
"We have three on engaging Hindu narratives in the contemporary world and three on engaging Hindu practices in the contemporary world. So it worked out actually very nicely to have a three plus three kind of special issue."
— Dr. Tracy Pintchman [04:06]
2. The Editing Process: Book vs. Journal Issue
[05:11–06:32]
- First experience as a guest editor for a journal special issue.
- Differences: editing a journal issue is faster but involves more hands-on copy editing from the guest editor, whereas books are slower and editor responsibilities are somewhat different.
"What was different in doing a special issue is the speed... as guest editor, I also had to... copy edit all of the contributions and then kind of guide the authors through those final processes."
— Dr. Tracy Pintchman [05:27]
3. Themes and Structure of the Contributions
[07:38–11:31]
- Three "narrative" chapters:
- Pintchman on Amish Tripathi's reimagining of Sita in the Ramchandra series.
- Nell Shapiro Hawley on Roshni Chokshi's Aru Shah and the End of Time, focusing on female Pandavas and YA literature.
- Tulsi Srinivasa on women's retellings of the Mahabharata in beauty parlors (also developed in her broader work Goddess in the Mirror).
- Three "practice" chapters:
- Amy Alloco on Tamil women's ritual protest against alcoholism.
- Brian Pennington on secular and legal reworkings of pilgrimage in Garhwal.
- Varuni Bhatia on digitizing Holi greetings and their reflection of contemporary politics.
- Deliberate avoidance of the terms "myth" and "ritual" in the title due to their academic baggage.
"We ended up going with those terms [narratives and practices] at Sushil's request as well... [they’re] more neutral terms, less loaded terms."
— Dr. Tracy Pintchman [10:55]
4. Problematizing "Myth," "Ritual," "Tradition," and "Hinduism"
[11:31–13:11, 17:01–18:36, 20:33–21:42, 32:04–34:09]
- Both speakers emphasize that these are deeply contested and context-dependent categories.
- The special issue purposely avoids essentializing or reifying problematic terms.
- Adaptation and renovation are part of the very fabric of Hindu traditions, not aberrations.
“Adaptations are not interruptions of Hinduism. The adaptations are Hinduism. There is no Hinduism absent the myriad of developments and adaptations.”
— Dr. Raj Balmar [34:09]
5. Adaptation and Innovation in Hinduism
[13:45–16:27, 17:01–18:36, 20:33–21:42, 35:50–36:36]
- All six essays focus on how traditional narratives and practices are recast in modern and global contexts, especially post-1990s India (economic liberalization) and information-age globalization.
- Globalization and digital technologies facilitate new forms of tradition, practice, and storytelling.
- Some articles address adaptation beyond India, such as North American Hinduism.
- Discussion of "polyphony of adaptive expectations": repackaging, retelling, expansion, and resilience are the norm rather than exceptions in Indic traditions.
“This is Hinduism doing its thing. And again, Hinduism is another problematic term.”
— Dr. Tracy Pintchman [17:01]
6. Comparative and Meta-Reflection
[16:27–18:54, 28:00–28:14, 34:09–37:04]
- Comparison with the adaptability in other religious traditions.
- Hindu traditions recognized as especially tolerant of variation and multiplicity (e.g., "300 Ramayanas").
- Scholarly attitudes are evolving to take seriously contemporary practices and vernacular retellings, not just classical texts.
"We tend to think of Hinduism as it's written in Sanskrit or in indigenous Indian languages as real Hinduism ... but ... [there’s] creativ[ity] and reinvention... in North America and other diasporas, in English and other languages."
— Dr. Tracy Pintchman [32:27]
7. Impact and Future Directions
[22:40–26:58]
- Dr. Pintchman is working on new projects, including studies of the Kalki story retold by Stephen Misal (a Christian Indian author) and a book on retellings of goddesses and heroines in popular novels.
- Emerging interest and publication in English for global audiences, not just for Indians in India.
- These works reflect a continued tradition of commentary and creative reinvention.
"The reworkings and refashionings of Hindu goddesses and Hindu heroines is being done from a feminist perspective, from a globalized perspective. So this is just in the tradition of Hindu commentary that we see over the centuries."
— Dr. Tracy Pintchman [25:32]
8. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On the abundance of adaptation:
"If there was one thing that surprised me, it was just how widespread this phenomenon is of reworking, retelling, revising both narratives and practices in the contemporary Hindu world."
— Dr. Tracy Pintchman [18:54] -
On the narrative’s ethical function:
"Myth as Ethics and Ethics as Myth ... that is the narrative's function, you know, is ideology, philosophy, theology."
— Dr. Raj Balmar [31:11] -
On digital and diaspora Hinduism:
"North American Hinduism is often like, well, it's derivative, it's not real. I tried to show that's a real side of creativity and reinvention..."
— Dr. Tracy Pintchman [32:40] -
On what counts as tradition:
"It is still Hinduism. It is not to be ignored. It is not to be pushed aside. And it shouldn't be viewed as lesser than."
— Dr. Tracy Pintchman [33:48]
Timestamps for Notable Segments
- [02:40] Dr. Pintchman discusses the origins of the special issue.
- [07:38] Detailed breakdown of the three narrative and three practice-focused articles.
- [13:45] Discussion on how modernity (economic changes, the Internet) shapes contemporary Hindu practices and narratives.
- [17:01] Reflection on whether adaptation is central or peripheral to Hindu tradition.
- [20:33] The precedent for multiplicity and adaptation in “banyan tree” model of Hindu traditions.
- [22:40] Future research directions—contemporary popular novels, diaspora, and crowd-sourced reinvention.
- [31:11] Insight into the function of narrative as a carrier of ethics, ideology, theology.
- [34:09] Adaptation as central to Hindu identity, both at home and in diaspora.
Tone and Style
The conversation is scholarly yet accessible, reflective and at times playful, with both host and guest openly problematizing academic jargon and questioning assumptions. Both show enthusiasm for innovation and contemporary developments in the field of Hindu studies.
Conclusion
This episode offers a comprehensive look at the dynamism and creative adaptation within modern Hindu narratives and practices. Dr. Tracy Pintchman and her contributors demonstrate how the so-called 'tradition' is perpetually in flux—retold, refashioned, and responsive to contemporary circumstances, both within South Asia and globally. The special issue is highly recommended for anyone interested in current trends in the study of Hinduism, especially in how old forms find new meanings in today’s world.