Conference On Tantra & Tantric Traditions

Graduate in Chemistry, JRF holder in Sanskrit Traditional Subjects, Currently working as Project associate at Centre for Indian Knowledge Systems IIT Madras.

Dr. Vivek Sharma, certified in Pāli, has a Ph.D in Buddhist Studies. His field of specialization is History of Buddhism, Buddhist tourism, Ethics of Buddhism. With over 9 years of teaching experience, he has several publications to his credit. Dr. Vivek Sharma has been a part of several seminars, workshops and chaired many conferences. He is currently serving as an Academic-Coordinator, Kathua Campus & Faculty, Department of Buddhist Studies, University of Jammu.

NANDITA BANERJEE IS A DANCER AND CHOREOGRAPHER. SHE HAILS FROM THE LINEAGE OF PADMABHUSAN DR. PADMA SUBHRAMANYAM, AND SPECIALISES IN BHARATANRITYAM. THIS DANCE STYLE COMPRISE OF VADZHAVUR STYLE OF BHARATANATYAM AND NATYA SHASTRA. SHE HAS BEEN PERFORMING FOR OVER FOUR DECADES. HER TROUPE “PUNASCHA” HAS PERFORMED ON PRESTIGIOUS PLATFORMS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. SOME OF WHICH ARE AS FOLLOWS ― UDAY SHANKAR DANCE FESTIVAL, TAMIL NADU GOVERNMENT DANCE FESTIVAL, GUNDICHA FESTIVAL, ICCR, EZCC, ASIATIC SOCIETY, AND SO ON. THEY HAVE ALSO ORGANISED DACNE FESTIVALS BHAAVATARANGA, AND RABINDRA NRITYA MELA. SHE HAS CHOREOGRAPHED SEVERAL CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED DANCE PRODUCTIONS LIKE― CHIDANANDAVILASA, KRISHNAPRIYA MEERA, RUP-ARUP, NRITYA RASE RITUR SAJE, AND SO ON. SHE IS ALSO THE RECIPIENT OF SOME PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS

Dhurjjati Sarma is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Modern Indian Languages and Literary Studies, Gauhati University, Assam. He was earlier a Production Editor at SAGE Publications, New Delhi, and, before that, a Research Fellow in North East India Studies at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), New Delhi. He is presently engaged in studying the early and modern literatures of Assamese, Bengali, Hindi, and Urdu from a comparative-cultural perspective. As a student and teacher of comparative literature, he is also trying to develop new insights and perspectives on the composite area of comparative literary history. His writings have been published under Springer Nature, Sahitya Akademi, Routledge, and Palgrave Macmillan, and in journals like English Forum, Indica Today, Rupkatha Journal, Dibrugarh University Journal of English Studies (DUJES), Space and Culture India, and Margins: A Journal of Literature and Culture. He is presently working on a critical history of Assamese literature.

Arvind V Iyer has a research background in Computational Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering. His interests as an independent researcher include Indian languages, appreciation of classical performing arts, and contemplative practices.

Abhik Ganguly is a postgraduate in English Literature from the Department of English, Jamia Millia Islamia. He is a resident of Delhi, with his native roots in Tagore's Shantiniketan, West Bengal. Abhik has had a penchant for creative talents like debating, theatre, quizzing and writing. He has won prestigious events like ‘Poetry on Spring’ contest organized by House of Harmony 2023 besides winning Amity International Literature Festival’s 'Comic Trivia' which included short story writing and 'Twitterature’. His works have been published in Creative Flight Journal and Room 16 Magazine of CES, JNU. His academic interests lie in the realms of Popular Culture, Postmodernism and Indian Philosophy.

Dr. Sasikala Ramaratnam, a keen practitioner of Srividya Upasana, is deeply interested in science and spirituality, and has been initiated into Srividya. She has completed postal Advanced Vedanta in Chinmaya international foundation. Dr. Sasikala Ramaratnam has been in the field of Education for 38 years, 5 years as Lecturer in College and 33 years in Kendriya Vidyalayas. She has also studied text related to Srividya and Vedanta (Prastanatraya) under Brahmaleena Dr Goda Venkatesvara Sastrigal, himself an adept of Srividya.

Anita is an alumnus of Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies and a Master in Indology from Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, Pune. She is a management professional turned Indologist. She is passionate about the symbolism embedded in the art and architecture of Hindu temples. She is a certified Brahmavidya ancient yogic science spiritual teacher. Most importantly a Vegan who leads a compassionate lifestyle.

Anita Led the setting up of the Somnath Exhibition Gallery aka Somnath Temple Architecture Museum, a unique museum based on the remains of the previous Somnath temples that stood in the same place as the new temple. The uniqueness of this museum is that it is based on the theme- Temple architecture. Every element of the temple is explained in terms of -Name of the architectural element, its position in the temple, and its intended symbolic meaning. Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendrabhai Modi inaugurated this Exhibition Gallery in August 2021. The museum is very well received by both, the experts in the field as well as the common visitors.

Anita has Authored the book The Invincible Somnath Temple- Journey of Jiva to Shiva which was commissioned and published by Shree Somnath Trust and is due to be released shortly by Shri Somnath Trust. The book delves into the intricate art and architecture of the new Somnath Temple, unveiling the intended symbolism behind each element. It also guides the proper way to seek the divine blessings of Lord Somnath Mahadev within the sacred Garbhagruha. The primary aim of the book is to enable readers to experience the temple as prescribed by the shastras and to understand the significance of Somnath as a Muktidham, a sacred place for attaining liberation.

Actively involved in showcasing the Heritage of Gujarat state to the G20 delegates.

Authored and published several papers and presented them both at prestigious national and international conferences on temple architecture.

Shefali Vaidya is an award-winning author, newspaper columnist and a social media influencer. She is followed by more than half a million people on social media and is a familiar face on TV debates. She has worked with both traditional and new media and has been involved in television programming and content management for websites and writing for magazines and newspapers. She is associated as an Editorial Consultant with a Pune based Digital Media outfit, Ritam. Shefali writes on travel, history, parenting, temple architecture, Indian textiles as well as on Dharma and politics. She has her own bilingual V-log, Shef’s Special. Shefali holds a Masters degree in Mass Communications from the University of Pune, an advanced post-graduate diploma in Spanish language and a post-graduate diploma in Indology. Shefali is an Ananta Leadership Fellow.

Swastik Banerjee is currently pursuing his Doctoral in Philosophy form the Department of Philosophy, University of Calcutta. His proposed thesis is titled “The Problem of Self in the Anuttara Trika philosophy of Kashmir with special reference to Kṣemarāja: an exegetical and critical study”. He is a recipient of the prestigious University Research Fellowship from the University of Calcutta, and also the Ishwar ashram Trust Fellowship. He secured first rank in MA Philosophy from University of Madras. While pursing his masters he had the opportunity to study and interact with scholars like Mahamahopadhyay Mani Dravid Shastri, Swami Paramananda Bharati, Prof. John Grimes and several others. He has studied Trika under scholars like (Late) Prof. Debabrata Sen Sharma, Prof. Navjivan Rastogi, Pundit Pran Nath Kaul to name a few. He also holds interests in sādhanā and is a follower of Kaula Tantric path, to which he is initiated in. He holds interest in western esoteric which he had the opportunity to study and interact with practitioners like Sorita De’este, Raphael Simons, and others. He had an offer to pursue his D.Phil in Theology from the prestigious University of Oxford. He has presented papers in state, national and international conferences. He has also written scripts for dance productions, among which “Cidānandavilāsa: recognition of the divinity within” has been awarded production grant from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. His major academic pursuits involve enquiry into the question of ‘Self’, which branches into fields of ― philosophy of mind, religion, theology, mysticism, existentialism, esoteric, psychoanalysis, and so on.

Born in a pious Tamil family, Giridhara Sarma is an electronic engineer by education and profession, with over 30 years of experience that field. In parallel, he was blessed by the great scholar Br.Sri. Goda Venkateswara Sastrigal who took Giridhara Sarma under his tutelage. Learnt basics of Tarka and Mimamsa and specialized in Mimamsa and Vedanta including Prasthana traya Bhashya and other important texts in both mimamsa shastras. Sri. Sastrigal also blessed him with initiation into Srividya upasana and gave upadesha along with training in Shakta and Saivaagamas. From 2018, Giridhara Sarma had been continuing learning Mimamsa under Dr. K E Devanathacharya, Vedanta under Mahamahopadyaya Br.Sri. Dr. Mani Dravid Sastri, Vyakaranam under Br Sri. Dattatreya Murti Sastri. He regularly takes part in vidwat sadas and workshops. Giridhara Sarma also takes private classes in Mimamsa and Vedanta and organizes study groups and discussions.

An Indian citizen with close to nine years of lived experience in China, he is an alumnus of Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, and currently the Director of Special Projects at INDICA. His post-graduate specialization in Strategy, Leadership and Marketing included a study of research methods. His professional experience includes stints as a Market Leader at a Global Fortune 50 firm while he has served a term on the Board of a Shanghai-based not-for-profit. His academic writings span some aspects of ancient Indian chronology, Indian Knowledge Systems, Landscape in Indic texts, Ancient Indian Jurisprudence, Ideas of India and Philosophy. Other professional and pro-bono pursuits have included building differentiated digital platforms for Indic texts targeted at specific learning and research needs and music. His research-based compositional Sanskrit music album ‘Bhārata and her Kāśmīra’ has been listed by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. His subsequent music album ‘Indian Knowledge Systems and Yāskācārya’s Nirukta’ has recently been accepted for listing by the Vedic Heritage Portal. In 2022, the National Museum Institute invited him to contribute content for multiple projects currently underway, including ones on Jammu Kashmir & Ladakh and Kedarnath. In 2023, he was nominated by the Chairman of ICHR as a Member of a National Committee for an initiative focused on Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh. His work has been featured in both editions (Chennai and Pune) of Vitasta (2023), a multi-city festival focused on Kashmir organized by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.

Dr. Bijoya Baruah, D.Litt. is presently Professor, dept. of Assamese, Mahapurush Srimanta Shankardeva University of Nagoan. Dr. Baruah was awarded the prestigious highest degree D.Litt. for her thesis as entitled “A Comparison on the Oral Ramayani Tradition with the Oral Tradition of Ramayana in the Neighboring States of Bengal & Orissa.” Attending different International and National academic conferences held in London, Malaysia, Indonesia etc. She has drawn attention of the academics of different countries through her thought-provoking research papers on Assamese culture with special reference to the North-East India. As a sincere devoted researcher, she has significantly contributed to the society of knowledge.

Prof. Dr. Brajakishore Swain, Ph.D, is a Professor and Head at the Post-Graduate Dept.of Dharmasastra,Sri Jagannath Sanskrit University,Puri. He has been working as a professor for 35 years. He has written books in Sanskrit, English, Odia and Hindi. He has published more than 100 research papers and has guided Ph.D & M.Phil scholars. Prof. Swain has also delivered memorial lectures in Asiatic Society of Bengal and Mumbai.

Madhusudan Mishra, IAS, has a Post Graduate degree in Political Science from Delhi University. In his tenure, Madhusudan received a letter of appreciation as Collector & DM, Nayagarh from the then CEO Odisha, Dr Mona Sharma (IAS) for his outstanding performance in conducting Simultaneous General Election 2014, although this district was affected by LWE activists. He has served in various roles at the Home Department, Government of Odisha.