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Hindu Spiritual Care Institute
The Sacred Architecture of Hindu Spiritual Care
A scalable ecosystem of compassionate presence, academic rigor, and cultural translation.
Hindu Spiritual Care Institute (HSCI)
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The Problem
The Crisis of Unanswered Calls

The Baseline of Care

In vulnerable, life-defining moments -- a student wrestling with identity on a quiet campus night, or a family gathered around a hospital bed -- a Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, or Muslim chaplain can be reached within minutes.

The Void

For Hindus, too often, no one who understands the Hindu language of healing is there to answer that call. There is a profound absence of culturally competent spiritual care for the global Hindu diaspora.

HSCI exists to close this gap.
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Our Reach
Building a Global Model for Karma Yoga
Founded in Silicon Valley in 2018, HSCI is a 501(c)(3) service-learning institution dedicated to training chaplains and providing spiritual care worldwide.
250+
Trained Chaplains & Counselors
9
Countries Served Worldwide
300+
Dedicated Volunteers
$5.2M
in Volunteer Hours Generated
US, Canada, India, Australia, South Africa, Singapore, Philippines, Trinidad & Tobago, UK
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The Model
The Learn-Serve Model
HSCI's engine operates on two interlocking pillars: academic training and direct service delivery.

LEARN

The Credential Pathway

  • CHT Certificate (HSCI) -- 9 months, 200+ hours
  • MA in Interreligious Chaplaincy (GTU) -- 12 credits transfer
  • Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) -- 1,600 hours clinical
  • Board Certification (APC / BCCI)

SERVE

TrayaCare Platform & Beyond

  • 24/7 Tele-Chaplaincy via WhatsApp
  • Hindu Last Rites coordination
  • Memorial services and speaking
  • Hospital and senior home visits
  • Pre-marriage counseling
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CHT Curriculum
Six Mandalas of Transformation
The Counselor of Hindu Tradition (CHT) certificate: 9 months, 200+ hours, 72 units across six integrated mandalas.
Mandala 1

Foundation

Diaspora realities, lokasangraha, and Vedic rites

Mandala 2

The Bhagavad Gita

Text to practice, Karma Yoga, and tapatraya

Mandala 3

Counseling Context

Clinical ethics, grief navigation, compassionate presence

Mandala 4

Life Events

Spiritual care for illness, aging, and end-of-life transitions

Mandala 5

Householders

Family harmony, career burnout, and community dynamics

Mandala 6

Readiness for Service

Professional portfolios and institutional deployment

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Academic Partnership
The GTU Partnership
HSCI holds a Memorandum of Understanding with the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California -- a consortium of eight member schools and the academic home of interreligious education in the United States.
12
CHT Credits Transfer to GTU MA
WASC + ATS
Dual Accreditation
$6,000
Fellowships Available
CHT graduates enter the MA in Interreligious Chaplaincy with 12 credits already completed -- reducing time and cost. HSCI-funded fellowships remove financial barriers for committed students.
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Service Delivery
TrayaCare: Spiritual Care Without Limits
HSCI's innovative virtual chaplaincy platform delivering 24/7 confidential spiritual care via WhatsApp to users worldwide.
24/7
Always Available
6
Languages Supported

Core Services

  • Hospital & Senior Home Tele-Visits ($100)
  • Last Rites & Memorials Guidance ($150)
  • Stress & Burnout Care ($250)
  • Pre-Marriage Counseling ($250)

Institutional Partners

Complimentary tele-chaplaincy currently serving students and staff across The Seven Claremont Colleges.

Confidential video conversations. No agenda. Just presence.

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Original Scholarship
Dharma-Informed Frameworks
HSCI's research has produced three original clinical frameworks that translate Hindu wisdom into actionable tools for modern caregivers.
FrameworkWhat It DoesClinical Application
The 4S Framework Social, Spiritual, Sales, Software literacy Replaces the industrial 3Rs with four literacies of dharmic competence
Tapatraya Matrix Diagnoses threefold afflictions: Adhidaivika (situational), Adhibhautika (physical), Adhyatmika (spiritual) Maps suffering categories to Hindu tools and clinical functions
Architecture in Time 10-step protocol for spiritual care visits Preparation (15 min) → Threshold (5 min) → Listening (20 min) → Departure (10 min). Three gifts: Time, Presence, Knowledge
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Research & Publishing
The Kutumba Journal
Peer-reviewed scholarship in Hindu spiritual care -- the only publication of its kind.
5
Volumes Published
47
Articles
30+
Authors

The Kutumba Journal

Five volumes covering everything from the Bhagavad Gita in clinical contexts to AI in healthcare to corporate chaplaincy. All open-access.

Hindu Chaplaincy Guide

The first comprehensive guide to Hindu chaplaincy -- available in print and digital. A founding document for the field.

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Our People
Our Scholars
252 graduates across 7 cohorts -- a diverse, highly educated community of servant-leaders.
252
Graduates
60%
Women
46%
Master's Degree or Higher
15%
PhD, MD, or JD
Our graduates serve across 9 countries: United States, Canada, India, Australia, South Africa, Singapore, Philippines, Trinidad & Tobago, and the United Kingdom.
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Origins
The Question That Started It All
"How come we don't see our tradition at work where it matters — at schools, at hospitals, the military? How is it that we have been notably absent in the public sphere on this service front?"
It was this question that led to the founding of the Counselor of Hindu Tradition course. On May 1, 2018, a group of community leaders gathered in Saratoga, California to build the answer.
HCI First Board Meeting, May 1, 2018
May 2018 — The founding meeting
HSCI Board Meeting, February 2026
February 2026 — Same room, eight years later
"Our mission is simply: let us put the Hindu tradition to work."
— Gaurav Rastogi, Dean & Co-Founder
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Scholar Voices
Voices of Transformation
In their own words — how the CHT program changed their lives.

"I signed on just to appease a dear friend, and yet here I am ten months later, a total convert who absolutely believes in this model of community service."

Shobha Nandhan, CHT 2020

"I have gotten out of my self-imposed prison of sorts. I have gotten emboldened. I am flying."

CHT Graduate, Cohort 5

"My family has noticed that I have become kinder to myself. They noticed that change in me — that I am happier inside."

CHT Graduate, Cohort 5

"This program made me a better person, a better Hindu."

CHT Graduate, Cohort 5

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Recognition
What World Leaders Are Saying
Prof. Subhash Kak

"HSCI would become a major voice not just in the U.S. but everywhere in the world."

Prof. Subhash Kak

Padma Shri Awardee

Dr. David Frawley

"I believe this has created a viable model not only for American society but for India and the world."

Dr. David Frawley

Padma Bhushan Awardee

Congressman Ro Khanna

"It's like a classic Silicon Valley startup — so impressive to see how much you've grown."

Congressman Ro Khanna

U.S. House of Representatives

Dr. Mahadevan

"Do not underestimate the important and sometimes critical role that you will play."

Dr. Swaminatha Mahadevan

Stanford University

Dr. Chinmay Pandya

"Your role is more vital today than ever before. The world is searching for meaning."

Dr. Chinmay Pandya

Pro Vice-Chancellor, DSVV

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Partnership in Action
The Claremont Model
In November 2025, HSCI partnered with The Claremont Colleges Services to bring Hindu tele-chaplaincy to 8,000+ students across all seven Claremont Colleges — making it one of the first collegiate systems in the United States to offer dedicated Hindu spiritual care.

How It Works

  • Students scan a QR code on campus
  • HSCI chaplain responds within 24-48 hours
  • Confidential tele-visit via video link
  • Feedback collected from both parties

Services Covered

  • Religious matters and celebrations
  • Identity and worldview questions
  • Relationship and family conflicts
  • Pre-marriage guidance
This model is replicable at any university in the world.
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Interfaith Bridge
The Stanford Connection
HSCI's work has been recognized and supported by Stanford's interfaith chaplaincy community from the very beginning.
Dr. Mahadevan

"I am absolutely certain that one day we will look back and see that this has become a model of education and service for Hindus in the United States as well as the Hindu diaspora around the world."

Dr. Swaminatha Mahadevan

Professor of Emergency Medicine, Stanford

Dr. Bruce Feldstein

"I feel like I am at a birth. Each of you has said yes to something that brought us all to this moment. The world is now a better place because of you."

Dr. Bruce Feldstein

Jewish Chaplain, Stanford University

When a Jewish chaplain at Stanford calls your Hindu chaplaincy program "a birth" — you know the interfaith bridge is real.
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Endorsements
Endorsed By
HSCI's work is recognized by leading academic, cultural, and philanthropic institutions.
Graduate Theological Union Berkeley, CA -- WASC + ATS accredited
Hindu American Foundation National advocacy and policy
Yale Hindu Life Dr. Asha Shipman, Hindu Life Advisor
Dr. Subhash Kak Padma Shri Recipient, Regents Professor
Motwani-Jadeja Foundation Silicon Valley philanthropy
Claremont Colleges Services Tele-chaplaincy partnership
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The Future
The Vision: 2026 -- 2028
The infrastructure is built. The need is urgent. With philanthropic support, HSCI will:

108 Hindu Chaplains

Board-certified Hindu chaplains serving in hospitals, campuses, and military settings

1,008 CHTs Worldwide

Trained counselors serving the global Hindu diaspora across every continent

Global Kutumba

Expand the global reach of the Kutumba Journal and the Hindu Chaplaincy Guide

Dharma protects those who protect it.
(Dharmo rakshati rakshitah)
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Join Us
Support Hindu Chaplaincy
HSCI operates on a 100% volunteer-led model. Every dollar goes directly to training and care.
$100
Your gift
→
$1,000
In volunteer commitment
$7,500
Sponsors an accredited MA Hindu Chaplaincy Fellow, removing financial barriers for committed students
$10,000
Brings one full year of TrayaCare tele-chaplaincy to a university, hospital, or senior center
$100
Leverages $1,000 in volunteer commitment -- funding training materials, outreach, and direct care
Candid Transparency Seal
Tax ID: 82-4937355 · 501(c)(3) nonprofit · Candid Platinum Transparency 2026
Donate Now Partner With Us
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