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Artwork for New Books in Indian Religions

New Books in Indian Religions

Marshall Poe
Hinduism
Buddhism
Yoga
Sanskrit
Islam
India
Mahabharata
Jainism
Caste
Hindu Nationalism
Christianity
Ashoka
Colonialism
Philosophy
Bhagavad Gita
Dharma
Religious Studies
Indian Philosophy
Material Culture
Indian History

This podcast is a channel on the New Books Network. The New Books Network is an academic audio library dedicated to public education. In each episode you will hear scholars discuss their recently published research with another expert in their field. Discover our 150+ channels and browse our 28,000+ episodes on our website: ⁠newbooksnetwork.com⁠ Subscribe to our free weekly Substack newsletter to ... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes631Founded11 years ago
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HinduismReligion & Spirituality

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Artwork for New Books in Indian Religions

Latest Episodes

Surrender to God Across Languages: Multilingual Intellectual History of Premodern India (Oxford UP, 2026) explores the role of languages in the intellectual landscape of second-millennium India by way of six theological treatises composed between the... more

This episode features a conversation with Prachi and Ram, organizers with Savera, a multiracial, interfaith, anti-caste coalition of Indian Americans and partners standing together in the fight against the rise of the transnational far right. After l... more

Amrita Chowdhury and Ujaan Ghosh bring into English for the first time a long-inaccessible masterpiece of South Asian literature Baidehisha Bilasa: The Amorous Plays of Sita’s Husband (2025). Composed in the late seventeenth century by Upendra Bhanj... more

Sanskrit-Speaking' Villages, Linguistic Utopias and the Metaphysics of Development (Routledge, 2026) is a recollection of the McCartney's journey across 'Sanskritland, ' which is the term coined to refer to the utopian landscape within which the 'Lan... more

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Recent Guests

Amrita Chowdhury
Co-author of Baidehisha Bilasa
Wide Open Window Press / author
Episode: Amrita Chowdhury and Ujaan Ghosh trans., "Baidehisha Bilasa: The Amorous Plays of Sita’s Husband" (Wide Open Window Books, 2025)
Ujaan Ghosh
Co-author of Baidehisha Bilasa
University/academic collaborator
Episode: Amrita Chowdhury and Ujaan Ghosh trans., "Baidehisha Bilasa: The Amorous Plays of Sita’s Husband" (Wide Open Window Books, 2025)
Patrick McCartney
Author of Sanskrit Speaking Villages, Linguistic Utopias, and the Metaphysics of Development
Routledge
Episode: Patrick S. D. McCartney, "Sanskrit-Speaking' Villages, Linguistic Utopias and the Metaphysics of Development" (Routledge, 2026)
Kanika Singh
Historian and public history practitioner, director of Centre of Writing & Communication at Ashoka University
Ashoka University
Episode: Kanika Singh, "The Story of a Sikh Museum: Heritage, Politics, Popular Culture" (Cambridge UP, 2025)
Shyam Ranganathan
Professor; New York University / York University; author of the Bloomsbury publication
New York University / York University
Episode: Shyam Ranganathan, "Moral Philosophy and De-Colonialism: The Irrationality of Oppression" (Bloomsbury Academic, 2026)
Kenneth Zysk
Professor of Indology and Indian Science, University of Copenhagen
University of Copenhagen
Episode: Kenneth G. Zysk, "South Asian Animal Divination: A Critical Anthology" (Brill, 2025)
Nithin Sridhar
Director of the Indica Center for Moksha Studies, Mysore-based author
Indica Center for Moksha Studies
Episode: Nithin Sridhar, "Chatuh Shloki Manusmriti: An English Commentary" (Vitasta, 2025)
Carola Lorea
Professor of Social and Cultural Anthropology
University of Tumul
Episode: The MANTRAMS Project: Mantras in Religion, Media, and Society in Global Southern Asia
Gudrun Bühnemann
Scholar and author of Scholar, Serpent, Yogin, and Devotee: The Many Faces of Patañjali in Indian Traditions
Brill
Episode: Gudrun Bühnemann, "Scholar, Serpent, Yogin, and Devotee: The Many Faces of Patañjali in Indian Traditions" (Brill, 2025)

Host

Raj Balker
Host of the podcast; appears across multiple episodes guiding scholarly conversations.

Reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars from 48 ratings
  • My first review

    I was compelled to express my appreciation for this podcast. Ran Balkaran has such a soothing smart voice and open curiosity that each interview is a deep conversation, real dialogue, and fun exploration.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    LatinaYogi
    United States5 years ago
  • Jennifer B. Saunders Is Ear Grating

    I only listened to one episode before I unsubscribed. Jennifer B. Saunders has the most broken speech I’ve ever heard for someone qualified and educated. She says um like every other word, come on. Speak better, your voice is so slow, and the “um”s need to stop.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Kata R
    United States6 years ago

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Listeners praise the host for a thoughtful, curious interviewing style and engaging dialogue.
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Talking Points

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Kanika Singh, "The Story of a Sikh Museum: Heritage, Politics, Popular Culture" (Cambridge UP, 2025)
Q: How would you describe the museum's role in shaping community memory and national belonging?
Kanika Singh argues that the museum blends religious reverence and political memory, using visual history and public display to forge an emotional connect and a shared Khalsa identity, while also highlighting contested aspects and the broader context of Sikh history in independent India.
Kanika Singh, "The Story of a Sikh Museum: Heritage, Politics, Popular Culture" (Cambridge UP, 2025)
Q: What drew you to Bhai Mati Das Museum as a site of study?
The interviewee explains it began from a chance encounter and a longstanding interest in Sikh museums, leading to the Bhai Mati Das Museum becoming a focal case study due to its location, its connections to the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, and its embodiment of how Sikh history is publicly memory-worked through visuals.
Shyam Ranganathan, "Moral Philosophy and De-Colonialism: The Irrationality of Oppression" (Bloomsbury Academic, 2026)
Q: What practical changes does the author propose for decolonizing philosophy in academia?
Proposals include reframing rationality beyond language-bound notions, recognizing indigenous epistemologies, altering translation practices, and restructuring academic institutions to reduce interpretive dominance and encourage genuine engagement with non-Western philosophical traditions.
Shyam Ranganathan, "Moral Philosophy and De-Colonialism: The Irrationality of Oppression" (Bloomsbury Academic, 2026)
Q: How does the author view the role of peer review and academic gatekeeping in shaping philosophical discourse?
The author critiques peer review as a gatekeeping mechanism that can reproduce Eurocentric bias, favor interpreters who align with dominant views, and marginalize explicators and non-Western perspectives, advocating for more objective, diverse evaluation of scholarship.
Shyam Ranganathan, "Moral Philosophy and De-Colonialism: The Irrationality of Oppression" (Bloomsbury Academic, 2026)
Q: What is the main argument of the book, and how does it redefine moral philosophy in a de-colonial frame?
The book argues that moral philosophy has been colonized by Western linguistic and interpretive frameworks; true understanding requires treating indigenous intellectual traditions as legitimate sources of reason and rethinking how we translate, interpret, and evaluate ethical concepts within a de-colonial context.

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Frequently Asked Questions About New Books in Indian Religions

What is New Books in Indian Religions about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Scholarly conversations center on South Asian religions, philosophy, and cultural history, with a strong emphasis on primary texts, translation, and methodological debates. Episodes feature academics and editors discussing recent books and projects—from decolonial approaches to ethics and Indology, to Manusmriti commentary, yoga philosophy, Tamil studies, and the ecology of sacred sites and mantras. A notable throughline is bridging traditional textual analysis with contemporary concerns—translation, pedagogy, public engagement, and diaspora perspectives—often highlighting interdisciplinary methods and cross-cultural dialogue. The format tends to blend rigorous scholarly analysis with accessible storytelling, including author insights, edit... more

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New Books in Indian Religions launched 11 years ago and published 631 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on New Books in Indian Religions?

Recent guests on New Books in Indian Religions include:

1. Amrita Chowdhury
2. Ujaan Ghosh
3. Patrick McCartney
4. Kanika Singh
5. Shyam Ranganathan
6. Kenneth Zysk
7. Nithin Sridhar
8. Carola Lorea

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