DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA, August 10, 2011 (dukenews.duke.edu): Duke University has hired its first Hindu chaplain. Usha Rajagopalan, who began her part-time role at Duke Aug. 1, will provide guidance for the Hindu Students Association and represent the group on Duke’s Faith Council and in the university’s Religious Life program.
Rajagopalan is fluent in Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam, and comes to Duke with degrees from Annamalai University in India and the University of Maryland. She has been leading Hindu worship services in the Triangle area and received the 2009 Kathryn H. Wallace Award in Community Service from the Triangle Community Foundation.
“Hinduism, or Sanathana Dharma,” Rajagopalan says, “deepens our understanding of their inner world, helping students as they pursue their academic goals allows Hindu students at Duke to receive a holistic education and to practice their Dharma.”
Founded in 1998, the Hindu Student Association at Duke organizes scripture studies, Hindu festivals and the Hinduism Awareness Week.