About

ABOUT US

Hindu Dharma is based on the principles of Truth, Purity, Compassion and Charity. Its traditions, that are thousands of years old, are immersed in spiritualism, and in principles of knowledge (”Vidya”), conformity and ethical duty. The ideology advocated by this Dharma is so universal that Hindus themselves refer to Hindu Dharma as Sanatana Dharma (eternal dharma), that which cannot “not exist”. That is why Hindu Dharma remains unbroken while other parochial ideologies have withered in the face of time. There are over 800 million followers of Hindu Dharma spread over 25 countries in the world. However, due to the non-intrusive and non-invasive nature of Hindus, our religion has been subject to several attacks over the centuries. These include immoral, and sometimes inhumane, actions by followers of other religions, including spread of mis-information, slander of Hindu religious icons, unethical conversions and genocide.

We at HSS are students who are active for creating awareness about Hindu Dharma, regardless of the intensity or propensity of our religious beliefs. Some of us are atheists, agnostic or devoutly religious but all of us believe that Dharma is a philosophy that entails a set of values and guidelines for living, and is not a fragile monolith built on pillars of exclusivity of principles or beliefs. Our aim is to bring the richness and complexity of Hindu Dharma to light for the benefit of all, and not to pontificate about the superiority of moral values.

We, as Hindus, believe that the only way to stop this denigration of our ancient religion is to spread awareness of our principles and ideologies within our community and in communities of different faiths. With this aim in mind, the Hindu Student Society of the University of Minnesota was founded in the winter of 2003 to -

• Promote awareness and understanding of Hindu Dharma and culture.
• Provide a platform to celebrate Hindu cultures and religions.
• Do Sewa (Service) at the University of Minnesota and in the society.
• Collaborate with like-minded organizations to achieve our goals.

We hope to embody the spirit of Hindu Dharma - to learn and to enrich.

HSS is managed by UofM students and Hindu families in the Twin City areas. Membership is open to all, irrespective of faith (or lack thereof). We believe that Hinduism (Sanatana Dharma) has a lot to offer to the modern world and encourage you to actively participate in our programs.