Why Indians Still Need the West’s Permission to Feel Proud of Sanatan Dharma

A wellness retreat in California begins with chants of “Om Namah Shivaya.” In New York, turmeric lattes are sold as “golden milk.” From mindfulness to Ayurveda, Hindu practices are now global trends. And yet, in Indian metros, many youth whisper “Jai Shri Ram” like it's a political slogan rather than a spiritual mantra. The irony is palpable: the world is embracing Sanatan Dharma, while Indians still feel the need to apologize for it.

India may have gained political independence in 1947, but mental colonization never truly ended. Centuries of British rule not only exploited our resources but also ridiculed our spiritual systems. Practices like idol worship, Sanskrit chanting, and temple rituals were painted as primitive by colonial anthropologists and missionaries. English education became the gold standard, and with it came a subtle disdain for all things “native.” Even today, remnants of this remain. Fluency in English is equated with intelligence, while quoting the Bhagavad Gita in public often invites uncomfortable glances, unless it’s done by a Western scholar.

Yoga, once mocked by Western doctors as pseudoscience, is now a billion-dollar global industry. In 2016 alone, Americans spent over $16 billion on yoga classes, apparel, and accessories. But in India, yoga often becomes a nationalistic project rather than a personal journey. The West rebrands it as “mindfulness,” strips it of its Vedic roots, and makes it palatable to global audiences, while we hesitate to even acknowledge its origin. Why do we need the West to package our traditions before we value them ourselves?

The same pattern repeats across fields. When ancient Indian texts claimed that turmeric had healing properties, it was labeled superstition. But once Western research confirmed its anti-inflammatory benefits, it became a “superfood.” Similarly, Sanskrit, once dismissed as a dead language, is now studied at major European universities for its scientific precision and phonetic depth. Ironically, many elite Indian schools still prefer teaching French or German over Sanskrit, fearing the latter might seem too “religious” or “uncool.”

Bollywood and Indian media often portray deeply spiritual or ritualistic characters as either regressive or fanatical. A woman wearing sindoor, doing puja, or speaking Sanskrit is rarely shown as modern or powerful unless it's being done with a Western twist. Urban millennials, shaped by this lens, develop a cultural schizophrenia, practicing Diwali at home, but calling it a “festival of lights” at work to sound secular. The subtext? “We’re Hindu... but don’t worry, not too Hindu.”

Being proud of your roots doesn’t mean rejecting modernity. It means owning your identity without needing foreign validation. The West is not spiritual because it adopted Sanatan Dharma, it is evolving because it dared to explore beyond materialism. Why can’t we, the custodians of this wisdom, reclaim it without guilt? Sanatan Dharma has always been inclusive, fluid, and open to questioning. It doesn’t demand dogma, it invites dialogue. In fact, the very Sanskrit word “Sanatan” means eternal, far beyond political binaries or colonial constructs.

It’s time we decolonize not just our textbooks, but our minds. From yoga mats in California to Sanskrit chants in Berlin, the world is waking up to India’s ancient wisdom. The only question is, will Indians finally stop seeking permission to be proud of what is already theirs?

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