“Kids often tell me they have no time for puja,” The Hindu Grandma says with a scolding finger, referencing a common Hindu prayer ritual. “They seem to have time for Instagram… TikTok…. But puja? Eh.”
But the petite, kindly woman ― whose real name is Ranjani Saigal ― has a solution. Today, she tells her viewers, she’ll demonstrate a brief version of the prayer, one “that can fit into anybody’s schedule.”
Six months ago, the 63-year-old former computer scientist had barely dipped her toes into the waters of social media; now, as The Hindu Grandma, she’s earned thousands of followers on Instagram and TikTok, sharing her knowledge of Hindu traditions and verses with Hindu youth and adults around the globe.
She personifies how social media has permeated so many facets of daily life – from idle chit-chat to religious teachings that, in some cases, simply aren’t available anywhere else for the vast majority of people.
“It’s for them to understand the meaning of why we do something, so it’s not just hocus pocus,” she said. “Hindu traditions are so beautiful. It’s about celebrating and connecting with nature.”
