41st Symposium On Studies On Traditional Retellings Of Mahabharata

Trained in Sanskrit and Advaita Vedanta by his hyper-polyglot, polymath and spiritually accomplished sakala-shaastra-paarangata father, late Sri Paturi Sitaramanjaneyulu garu, Dr Nagaraj Paturi is seriously committed to the transmission of Vedic sciences to the present generation. In his PhD thesis (1998, University of Hyderabad), he developed an Indic Model of Myth Criticism of Literature and in his MPhil (1987, University of Hyderabad), he foregrounded Vakyapadiya as the theoretical foundation of the Ashtadhyayi. In addition to over 50 publications and about 60 conference/seminar/workshop papers, Dr Paturi has designed several courses pertaining to the contemporary applications of Vedic Sciences and has been successfully teaching them and getting them taught. Formerly Senior Professor of Cultural Studies FLAME School of Communication (& FLAME School of Liberal Education) and a Visiting Professor, University of Chicago (USA), Dr Paturi is currently Senior Director and Chief Curator at INDICA, a Distinguished Professor, Curriculum Designer, Executive Committee Member, Board of Studies, MIT School of Vedic Sciences (Pune, Maharashtra), Member, Board of Studies at Kavikulaguru Kalidasa Sanskrit University (Ramtek, Maharashtra) and Rashtram School of Public Leadership (Sonipat, Haryana). He is also the Editor-in-Chief of International Journals of Studies in Public Leadership and is a member of the Advisory Council of Veda Vijnana Shodha Samsthanam (Bengaluru, Karnataka). He has provided consultancy to numerous culture research, theatre, and dance innovation projects. He has authored scores of creative writing works for Classical Dance, Modern Theater, and magazines and has delivered several series of talks and other programs on Radio and Television channels.

Dr. Sushumna Kannan has a PhD in Cultural Studies from Centre for the Study of Culture and Society, Bengaluru, India. Her research on the South Asian devotional traditions and feminist epistemology focused on the medieval saint, Akka Mahadevi and her vachanas. She received the BOURSE MIRA, French research fellowship in 2006 and 2007 and the Sir Ratan Tata fellowship for PhD Coursework and Writing in 2003 and 2007. Dr. Kannan has published her research on bhakti, dharmashastras, ethics, women’s writing in Kannada and English as well as on translation theory in peer-reviewed journals and as book chapters. She received the Indic Academy fellowship in Indic feminism to study “Women’s subjectivity in the dharma texts” in 2021. She is currently working on a book project, Hinduism, Violence and Nonviolence and is finishing an essay on “The Mahabharata as a stri-shudra text.” Dr. Kannan is Scholar-in-Residence at Indic Academy. She runs a podcast on Women and Hinduism for INDICA.

Dr. R. Lakshmi Priya is Founder and CEO of Pachyderm Tales, an Edtech platform for Creators. Through Pachyderm Tales she offers courses for students and artists on various aspects of creation from illustrating a book to how to work in publishing industry. She has worked with more than 800 books in 14 languages. She is official translator of Haruki Murakami’s Sputnik Sweetheart from English to Tamil. She has taught to more than 1,00,000 students around the world in countries like US, Australia, Nigeria, Oman, Canada, Netherlands, Germany, Bhutan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Srilanka and Nepal among others. She has conducted 500+ workshops through Pachyderm Tales. She is a visiting professor in Jenderal Soedirman University, Indonesia and Royal University of Bhutan. She has also Co-Founded Eureka Moment, a company based in USA. Eureka Moment is a community to support Beginner Entrepreneurs in all aspects of Business development through Contests, Courses and community building activities. She has also founded VULA a company for slow fashion. She is a translator of Bava Chelladurai and has translated two books including Shared Meat and Late Nights as well Landscapes. She is also a published author with Tamil Short Story Collection titled Ragasiyam and Poetry collection titled Coils.

Professor N. K. Sundareswaran is a distinguished Sanskrit scholar and an expert in Vedic studies, who writes extensively in Sanskrit, English, and Malayalam on diverse aspects of Indic knowledge. His scholarly interests include the history and philosophy of Indian Mathematics, with a particular focus on the Kerala School of Mathematics, which was also the subject of his doctoral research. In addition to his work in Vedic studies, he is actively engaged in the fields of Alaṅkāraśāstra and Sanskrit literature. He is the author of several significant publications, including Kaivalyanavanītam (edited with the Krishnapriyā commentary), Texts and Rituals: Issues in Indology, and Kerala School of Mathematics: Trajectories and Impact.

An avid reader of history and ancient texts, Pranshu Saxena inherited love for writing and reading along with diabetes from his forebears. This madhurmeha (and madhumeha) stuck with him through his education on three continents. He enjoys delving into details of stories to find hidden truths which his young students at Vidyalaya enjoy. His stories are published in INDICA anthologies (Unsung Valor, Flight of Deities, Shared Roots, Adrsya) and on Real Mahabharata of Veda Vyasa. His writings on Epics and history are available on various portals. Pranshu resides in New Jersey where he shares his life with wife, daughter, father-in-law, and a lifelong collection of books.

Adwait Athawale is an author and independent researcher with a strong interdisciplinary background spanning both the sciences and humanities. He holds an MSc in Physics and a Postgraduate Diploma in Data Science from IIIT Bengaluru. His academic interests lie at the intersection of intellectual history, cultural philosophy, and Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS). His current research explores how the emergence of European modernity has influenced and often disrupted traditional Bharatiya worldviews, particularly through the lens of literature, law, and education. He is the author of a well-researched book on Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, examining Tilak’s political philosophy and his role in shaping the national discourse. In addition, Adwait has written several articles on culture, history, spirituality, philosophy, and law, with a focus on presenting these subjects from an Indic perspective. His work reflects a commitment to reviving indigenous frameworks of thought and challenging reductive modern narratives about Bharat’s intellectual traditions.

Dr. Ketu Ramachandrasekhar is the Deputy Director, Academics, Siddhanta Knowledge Foundation, a recognized IKS Teachers Training Center under IKS Division, Ministry of Education. Throughout his academic pursuits, he has demonstrated a keen interest in Indian Epistemology, culminating in his Doctorate in the field. His exemplary performance earned him the esteemed Prince of Wales Medal for scholarly rigor during his tenure at the University of Madras. Dr. Ramachandrasekhar serves as an expert panel member, offering valuable insights and guidance to prestigious institutions such as the Sangeet Natak Akademi. In addition to his academic laurels, Dr. Ramachandrasekhar has adorned the stage as an actor in Sanskrit dramas produced by Samskrita Ranga. Selected as an INFOSYS Fellow under BORI’s Academic Development Program, Dr.Ramachandrasekhar's contributions extend beyond traditional academia, encompassing interdisciplinary studies in Neuro-Aesthetics and Indian Rhetoric. He was also selected amongst hundred young scholars nationwide for specialized studies under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. His participation in academic discussions across Europe and membership in the academic panel at Aix-en-Provence University, France, attest to his global engagement. He has authored several books on Indian Literature and Culture and has been on Editorial Board of several Publications. He conducts classes for interested aspirants on Pratyabhijna and Tantric texts. Beyond the confines of academia, Dr. Ramachandrasekhar's practical insights are sought after in matters relating to the practice aspects of Tantra Shastra by esteemed centers of Shakti worship. He attributes all his humble achievements to the guidance and blessings of his revered Guru, Vidya Vacaspati Brahmashri Goda Venkateshwara Shastri, whose teachings continue to inspire and shape all his pursuits.

Shatavadhani Lalithadithya Gannavaram completed his BS in Aerospace Engineering and Sanskrit BA with Honors Thesis on Kautilya's Arthashastra from the University of Texas at Austin. He is a Shishya of the Sringeri Jagadgurus, and studied Tarkashastra from "Darshanalankara" Bra.Sri. Vishvanatha Gopalakrishnashastri garu. He has also studied other shastras from pandits such as Sri Vempati Kutumba Shastrygaru, Sri Chirravuri Padmanabha Sharmagaru. Currently pursuing further shastric studies in Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetham, he has performed Shatavadhanas in Telugu and Sanskrit in India, as well as Ashtavadhanas in both languages in India, the US, and Canada, and has received titles such as śatāvadhānaśatadhṛti and śatāvadhānaśaraccandra. He has given numerous Pravachanas on Ramayana, Bhagavata, Bhagavadgita, Shankaradigvijaya, etc and has written Shatakas glorifying Lakshmi Narasimha and Kavyas in Sanskrit and Telugu.

Parshva Shah is a cross-border disputes lawyer working in the chambers of Ms Karishma Vora, a barrister at 39 Essex Chambers, London. His work primarily focuses on complex commercial arbitration and litigation in the courts of England & Wales, DIFC Dubai and India. Beyond the courtroom, Parshva is a passionate student of Indian history and comparative religion, with a deep-rooted engagement in Jain philosophy. His journey began at a young age under the guidance of His Holiness Gachchhadhipati Acharya Shri Vijay Punyapalsurishwarji Maharaja, the 79th successor of Lord Mahavir Swami. His Holiness’s engaging discourses on the past and future births of Rama, Lakshmana, Sita and Ravana, as discussed in the Shwetambar Jain texts, inspired Parshva to study the Jain retellings of the epic. Parshva remains committed to advancing nuanced conversations that blend Indic traditions with contemporary thought, legal practice and cross-cultural dialogue.

Prof. Gustavo Canzobre is a lifelong admirer of Indian culture, having been drawn to it since the age of 16. He specializes in the art and classical philosophy of India, with a particular focus on the artistic and educational thought of Rabindranath Tagore. He serves as the Headmaster of the Hastinapur Foundation’s School of Eastern Philosophy Professors in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he has taught core courses on the Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, and Yoga Sutras since 1991. Since 2023, he has also taught Yoga philosophy at UGR University in Rosario. A bilingual speaker on classical Indian culture, he has lectured across Latin America, Spain, and India. He directs the long-running radio program Niketán on Millenium Station in Buenos Aires, and is active as a cultural manager for India-Latin America relations in collaboration with the Indian Embassy and ICCR. As a member of the India Work Group at CARI—Argentina's premier think tank—since 2013, he contributes to Indo-Argentine dialogue. He also works as a consultant on India-focused cultural and documentary films, and brings Tagore’s poetry to life through solo theatrical performances as a singer and actor.

Dr. Swetha Prakash is a doctoral Fellow in Psychology (Positive Psychology and Storytelling) from the National School of Leadership, Pune. Swetha won the Charles Wallace India Trust Award for studying Postmodernism and Creative Writing at the SUISS, University of Edinburgh. Swetha has won the Times and Scottish Book Trust Jura New Writer Award for spending a month at the writer’s retreat at the Isle of Jura, Scotland. She is the author of 20 books including African Creation Myths Club, Storytelling in Education – School Story Curriculum and Art of the Story. Her book Padma Goes to Space with Tulika is a critically acclaimed national best seller. Swetha holds an MA in Writing from the University of Warwick and a post graduation in communication management from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communications. Swetha has founded School Story Curriculum with Learn Curve for Girls and Story Practices for Story Knowledge Systems of India.