Global Festival Of Oneness | GFO2024

Nithin Sridhar is a Practising Hindu, Author, and Speaker He is the Director & Chief Curator of INDICA Center for Moksha Studies (Advaita Academy) dedicated to the dissemination of Advaita Vedanta. He has authored six books on various aspects of Hindu culture and practice. His first book “Musings On Hinduism '' provided an overview of various aspects of Hindu philosophy and society. His book ‘Samanya Dharma’ enunciates upon general tenets of ethics as available in Hindu texts. His latest book ‘Isopanishad: An English Commentary’ is an English translation and commentary on one of the prominent Hindu texts. However, his most widely read book is “Menstruation Across Cultures: A Historical Perspective'' which examines menstruation notions and practices prevalent in different cultures & religions from across the world. His upcoming book is a commentary on the opening verses of Manusmriti. He teaches courses on Hinduism for Indica Courses and regularly contributes articles and delivers lectures on religion, spirituality, and culture at various platforms. Earlier, he had also served as the Editor of IndiaFacts- a portal on Indian history and culture. He tweets at @nkgrock.

Dr. Ravi Gundlapalli deeply values his roots in Sanatana Dharma, and considers Jagadguru Adi Sankara as his mentor, and works closely with Brahmasri Samavedam Shanmukha Sarma garu. Ravi is a technology entrepreneur (Founder of MentorCloud), Author and Global Keynote Speaker on the topics of Mentoring, Entrepreneurship & Bhagavad Gita.

Ravi helped create the Global Festival of Oneness as a month-long conference starting on Sankara Jayanthi to spread the life and works of Adi Sankara. Ravi also founded ‘KnowYourRoots’ Foundation with his wife Vani to rejuvenate and spread the essence of Sanatana Dharma among the modern generation.

Ravi is an IITM alumni with a PhD from U Michigan. He is from Vijayawada and currently resides in Silicon Valley.

Swami Govinda Dev Giri ji is well-known not only in India but also in distant foreign countries; thanks to His spellbinding discourses on Srimad Bhagwat, Ramayan, Mahabharat, and other ancient, holy books of spiritual sciences. However, this is not all that can describe completely His multi-dimensional and inspiring personality. Hence, an effort is made to briefly introduce Him.

Swami Govinda Dev Giri ji Maharaj, formerly known as Acharya Kishoreji Madangopal Vyas, (fondly called by his devotees as “Swamiji”) was born on 25th January 1949 into a piousBrahmin family in Belapur, a small village in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra.

Swamiji inherited the legacy of study of ancient spiritual sciences, devotion and committed religiosity from His parents through a long family tradition.

Swamiji completed His primary education in His native village and joined Tatvagyan Vidyapeeth founded by Shri Pandurang Shastri Aathavale, who pioneered a revolutionary Socio-religious movement called “Swadhyay.”

Swamiji earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy under the able guidance of Shri Pandurang Shastri Aathavale.

Thereafter, Swamiji went to Varanasi, the spiritual capital of India, for further studies into Vedas, Upanishads and other scriptures of ancient India, under the enlightened guidance of the renowned Vedic scholar, Vedamoorti Dr. Vishwanathji Dev and accomplished the coveted degree of ‘Darshanacharya’.

Alongside His studies, Swamiji gave various discourses, furthering His 120-years old family tradition. His first religious discourse was on Srimad Bhagavat, in His own native village, Belapur. Swamiji was barely 17 years of age, then.

Ever since, Swamiji has been giving discourses for nearly50 years now, on Srimad Bhagavat, Ramayan, Mahabharat, Dnyaneshwari, Dasbodh, Yoga Vasishtha, Shri Devi Bhagavatam, Shiv Puran, Hanuman Katha, Buddha Katha and so on.

An ardent devotee of Saint Dnyaneshwar Maharaj, Swamiji has made Shri Dnyaneshwari (a Marathi equivalent of Srimad Bhagavad Gita),the guiding principles of His life. Swamiji has even founded the Sant Shri Dnyaneshwar Gurukul, to impart to the next generations of India, the priceless wisdom enshrined in Shri Dnyaneshwari.

Blessed by His Holiness Shri Jayendra Saraswati, the Shankaracharya of Kanchi Kamkoti Peeth in Tamil Nadu, Swamiji was initiated into ‘Paramhansa Sanyas’ (Renouncement of the highest spiritual order), byHis Holiness Swami Satyamitranand Giriji at the holy city of Haridwar, on the banks of river Ganga, on the auspicious day of the 30th of April,2006. Following His sanyas, Swamiji, formerly known as Acharya Kishoreji Vyas, is now formally called Shri Govind Dev Giriji Maharaj, fondly as Swamiji to his followers.

Swamiji has founded many Dharmic initiatives such as Geeta Pariwar and Maharshi VedVyas Pratisthan and is Treasurer Trustee of Shri Ram Janambhumi Tirth Kshetra Trust. He has authored many books and received many awards including Swami Chandrashekharendra Saraswati National Pride Award by Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, Sanskrit-Sadhana-Shikhar-Samman by Government of Rajasthan, Sant Dnyanoba-Tukaram Award by Government of Maharashtra

Swami Shivaprakashananda Saraswati is a sannyasi and a traditional teacher of Vedanta. He received Vedanta Upadesha and Sannyasa Diksha from Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati.

He was interested in spiritual pursuit since his childhood days. He performed sadhana for many years in various parts of India and received the vision of adhyatma vidya from accomplished spiritual masters. He studied Vedanta, Paninian Vyakarana and Darshanas with great dedication.

Besides leading a simple and contemplative life, he teaches Vedanta related texts for the benefit of sincere seekers of spiritual wisdom.

Swamini Suprabhananda Saraswati is a disciple of Pujya Swami Viditatmananda Saraswati, a disciple of Pujya Swami Dayanand Saraswati, (1930 to 2015) who was a great exponent of Vedanta and Hindu scriptures. With the grace of both mahatmas she has got sannyasa diksha from them in the year 2003.

In the year 1990 she came in contact with Swami Viditatmananda Saraswati who is a great Vedanta Acharya and a founder of an institution named Adhyatma Vidya Mandir in Amdavad. Swamiji inspired her to join the long term course in Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, Anaikatty (1995-1998) under Swami Dayananda Saraswati for a profound study of Vedanta as well to have a proper structure of life style of sadhu. In Gurukulam she had a great opportunity to learn Sanskrit grammar with panini sutra and Vedic chanting also along with the in-depth study of Vedanta prasthan trayee : The Upanishads, Bhagavad-Gita and Brahma sutra with Shankar Bhashya and other tikas.

Since 1998 she is in Amdavad. She teaches Vedanta - Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads with Bhashya - tika, prakaran granthas, bhakti granthas, Sanskrit, and Vedic chanting on regular basis. She gives public talks in different towns of Gujarat. she also conducts spiritual camps in different places in India every year.

Swami Ramesvarananda Saraswati took sannyasa dhiiksha from Swami Sakshatkrtananda Saraswati, chief acarya at Swami Dayananda ashram Rishikesh.

He is a resident at Manjakkudi, Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati's birth place where he oversees a Vedanta Study Centre - Jnana Pravaha wherein all Pujyasri's teachings have been archived and are available for free access for students of Vedanta.

Swamiji is associated with Arsha Vidya Research and Publication Trust founded by Pujya Swamiji which publishes Pujya Swamiji's teachings. He arranges to produce transcripts, edits of Pujyasri's teachings, get them printed and published and make them available for students of Vedanta.

A monk of the holy Ramakrishna Order headquartered at Belur Math. Currently serving as the Head of the Department, in the capacity of Assistant Professor, in the Department of Sanskrit and Philosophy under the School of Indian Heritage at Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational and Research Institute (Formerly known as Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University).

Swami Brahmavidananda Saraswati is a traditional and contemporary teacher of Vedanta. Having lived his life as a sadhu for many than 30 years, he has facilitated the growth of many students in different parts of India.

Formerly a marine engineer, Swamiji as a youth was inspired by H. H. Swami Chinmayananda. Swamiji studied Vedanta under H. H. Swami Dayananda Saraswati in Sandeepany, Mumbai 1976-78. Later, he spent seven years at Rishikesh in the Himalayas, doing advanced studies in Vedanta under various traditional teachers like Swami Tarananda Giri and Swami Hari Hara Teertha.

Since 1985, he has been based in Mumbai, unfolding the vision of Vedanta in his regular classes. Swamiji conducts programs for private and public sector companies, including some multinational and Fortune 500 companies. His corporate programs include personal spiritual coaching and workshops on the Indian Ethos in Management, personal empowerment and other human resource development issues based on a contemporary and pragmatic understanding of universal spiritual principles. Many companies are testimony to the powerful personal transformation that takes place in people who attend these programs. Unassuming and pragmatic, Swamiji effortlessly facilitates participants to maximize their potential in all areas of their lives.

Swamini Sadvidyananda Sarswati is a disciple of Pujya Swami Dayananda Sarswati, a great exponent of Vedanta and Hindu scriptures. She is teaching Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads in Gujarati in different towns of Gujarat like, Navasari, Bardoli, Valsad, Bilimora, Vyara and Bhavnagar for the last 25 years.

Under the banner of her Trust – Arsha Vidya Tirhta, Navsari she has translated and published more than 37 books of her Revered Guru Swami Dayananda Saraswatiji into Gujarati. And from 1998 to 2003 she also translated voluminous book of 2000 on Bhagavad Gita “Gita Home Study” into Gujarati for the benefit of those who can understand it better in one’s own mother-language. She has also attended and presented papers in various conferences such as National Education conferences in Pune and Gwalior, Sri Vidya International Conference, Mysore, Namami Shankar, (Bhashya-parayanam) Kanyakumari, Vedanta Conference, Rishikesh, etc.

Sri Raghavendran SS is working as a manager in a software company. He heads the state division of organizations such as Siksha Samskriti Uttan Nyas (One of the Scholarly Organizations of the Siksha Sankul of the RSS), Mission Kali (An organization active against forced conversion of Hindus). He holds the Orange Book of World Records title for the longest online Tamil Event conducted for over 789 hours. He has studied and mastered Bharatheeya Dharsanas such as Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimamsa, and Vedanta. He is also a Tamil Scholar under the tutelage of many Tamil Scholars. He has written and translated books on Vedic rituals, Upakarma, and Upasana. Additionally, he has written eight books on history and politics. He is proficient in Sanskrit, Tamil, and English and has expertise in poetic composition in all three languages. He has composed numerous patriotic and devotional songs that have resonated with our nationality and spirituality throughout the country on various occasions. He has contributed significantly to modern scientific methods and research in areas such as Nyaya, Vasiseshika, Vedanta, Mimamsa, Sangam literature, etc. His approach to handle academic research and corporate project management through Indic philosophy has attracted many students from both the academic and corporate domains. He has conducted workshops for top executives, professors, and research students in the domains of Indian knowledge systems.

Swamini Brahmaprakasananda Saraswati is a disciple of Pujyasri Swami Dayananda Saraswati, the founder of Arsha Vidya Peetham (Rishikesh) and Arsha Vidya, group of institutions present all over the world .

She came to be the disciple of Pujya Swami Dayanandaji from a very young age. In her poorvashrama she had many years of clinical practice after her M.D. in Obstetrics & Gynaecology. She also pursued the study of Paniniyam Vyakaranam and other texts for nearly 12 years from Shri. Bhandari, a Sanskrit scholar from Dahanu - Maharashtra.

She joined Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, Anaikatti - Coimbatore, for a long term course in 1990. She was also a Sanskrit teacher in this course. After that, she continued to teach Vedanta and Sanskrit and administrator the following courses at the Anaikatti Gurukulam, under the guidance of Pujya Swamiji and the Acharya Swami Siddhabodhanandaji.

In 2001 when Pujya Swamiji started a Gurukulam at Vedapuri, Nagpur - Maharashtra, at the request of Dr. Shrikant Jichkar, she was sent as the main teacher and as administrator of the place. Since then, she is the Chief Acharya of Dr. Shrikant Jichkar Memorial Arsha Vijnana Gurukulam. She has conducted three long term courses in Vedanta and Sanskrit with three years of duration each, in the Nagpur Gurukulam. The fourth long term course in Vedanta and Sanskrit is going towards the end of the third year.

She was also awarded the title of Mahamahopadhyaya by Kavikulguru Kalidas Sanskrit University, Ramtek.

Swami Nikhilananda Saraswati, is a master of Advaita Vedanta and the disciple of Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda Ji and Swami Paramananda Bharati Ji.

He was born in Mumbai and grew up strongly influenced by the lives and teachings of many saints. It was whilst studying for a Master’s degree in Geology, that he developed an interest in studying the scriptures. After completing the traditional course in Vedanta at Sandeepani Sadhanalaya Mumbai, he served in Chinmaya Mission teaching this ancient wisdom in various centres of the Mission in India and abroad for 33 years.

Since July 2019 he is working independently not associated with any organisation from New Delhi guiding seekers in their spiritual pursuits.

People like his satsangs because he de-mystifies this Knowledge and presents it in a very simple and rational manner.

His knowledge is vast. All those who interact with him – be they students, householders, professionals or corporate leaders, are attracted to his subtlety of thought and his vast experience in sharing this ancient wisdom.

A true teacher, he is always available to any questions put to him from any age group or background.

Swamiji has been a regular participant at inter-faith panel discussions in and outside Delhi and abroad.

He was invited to the prestigious World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos, in January 2011 and to the Indian Economic Summit, in Mumbai, also in the same year.

He was also invited to the White House in 2015 by the US Department of Education Center for the Fifth Annual ‘President’s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge. The program was initiated by the US President Obama to build understanding between different faiths.

He participated at an International Conference on ‘Hospitality in Anatolian and Asian Cultures’ at Bangkok, Thailand in April, 2014.

His video talks on Bhagavat Gita, Upanishads, Patanjali Yoga Sutras and Prakarna Granthas are available on his You Tube Channel.

His regular classes happen on Facebook Live. Presently he is giving discourses on the Upanishads on his Facebook page live.

Vidwan PV Rajaraman is a highly qualified individual with extensive academic and spiritual accomplishments. He holds a Diploma, B.E., and M.E. in Computer Science and has completed research in the field of Natural Language Processing from Anna University, Chennai. Currently, he serves as the Head of the Department of Artificial Intelligence at Adi Shankara Institute of Engineering and Technology in Kalady. In addition to his academic achievements, Rajaraman has also pursued spiritual studies. He has studied Nyaya and Vedanta Sastras under the guidance of BrahmaSri Goda Venkateswara Sastrigal from 2009 to 2013. He has been doing Upanysams since he was 18 years old. His spiritual pursuits have also earned him the prestigious Bhagavatha Bhaswan Brahmasri Anjam Krishnan Naboodiri Memorial Award in 2018 from Sree Ayyappa Bhaktha Sabha in Mahalingapuram, Chennai.

Bhuvaneshwari Lakshminarayanan is a speaker and performer who delivers discourses on Vedic texts, Puranas, Itihasas, and Upanishads in Tamil, Hindi, Sanskrit, and English. She has regularly appeared on Makkal TV as part of their religious and cultural programs. Bhuvaneshwari Ji has performed at various venues including Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and Ratnagireeshwarar Temple in Besant Nagar, as well as at the Vadapalani Murugan Koil and the Chembur Fine Arts in Mumbai. Her topics have included Durga Sapthasathi, Shri Rudram, Chamakam, Sandhyavandanam, the Bhagavadgita, Shiva Ratri, Krishna Janmashtami, and Avani Avittam. She has also offered Hindi-Tamil translation services for a Bhashanam delivered by His Holiness Puri Puradheeshwara Shrimad Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati. In addition to her speaking engagements, L.Bhuvaneshwari is a Bharatanatyam dancer and a disciple of Kalaimamani Smt Roja Kannan. She has completed her MA in Sanskrit and is now pursuing CA final.

Swamini Brahmaprajnananda Saraswati has dedicated her life to sharing the timeless teachings of Advaita Vedanta and Dharma. She conducts Vedanta courses, podcasts and retreats for groups in Mumbai and for people across the world, online. Her teachings seamlessly flow from areas of self growth to self discovery.

A disciple of Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati, she has studied Vedanta and Sanskrit in a full time residential three year and was a part time student of Swami Brahmavidananda.

Swamini is a former psychologist and in her last leadership position as the Country Head of an international organisation impacted the lives of more than fifteen thousand street children annually. For more www.discoveratma.com

Swamini Paraprajnananda Saraswati is an erudite Sannyasini well versed with the knowledge of the Scriptures-Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Brahmasutra and other Vedantic texts.

Swamini Paraprajnananda Saraswati is the student of revered Swami Viditatmananda Saraswatiji, President of Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, Saylorsburg, P.A. (U.S.A.).

Swami Viditatmananda Saraswatiji is also the Founder Acharya of Adhyatma Vidya Mandir, Ahmedadabad , Gujarat , India. Adhyatma Vidya Mandir is an institute of learning and disseminating the knowledge of Vedanta. Swamini Parprajnananda is the resident Sannyasini of Adhyatma Vidya Mandir.

Swamini Paraprajnananda Saraswati has been teaching Vedanta for the past 20 years in Ahmedabad and different cities of Gujarat. In 2016, Swaminiji conducted talks on Vedanta in different cities of USA – Saylorsburg, New Jersey & Dallas. Swaminiji abides in the knowledge of the self and is also expert in imparting this knowledge to others. The depth of Swaminiji’s wisdom and her art of teaching which is at once profound and lucid make her an expert teacher from whom learning is a joy.

Swamini Paraprajnananda Saraswati’s experience as a professor of English in the past facilitates her to adeptly handle the subject at hand and communicate it to the audience.

Besides being a gifted teacher, Swaminiji is also very simple, loving and compassionate as a person.

Vidwan Manikandan Iyer, a financial crime specialist by profession, and a sanatani by practice, with Sharada's blessings has had the rare fortune of studying the shastras from a tender age. He also studied and continues to study Vyakarana from Vidwan.Sri.Tilak Rao. He traditionally started his Vedanta study under his Guru Brahmasri Sri Sridhara sharma. He has also had the rare fortune of learning vedanta from the most senior and respected vidwan in the vedanta circle Mahamahopadhyaya Shastra Ratnakara Vidwan Sri Mullaivasal Krishnamurthy shastri while continuing to learn under Brahmasri Sri Sridhara Sharma.He also has the rare fortune of studying tarka shastra from Vidwan Sri.Naveen Holla of sringeri (senior most disciple of the 36th pontiff of Sringeri Saradapeetham Mahasannidhanam Sri Sri Bharatitirtha Mahaswamiji)

He has recently started a Youtube Channel titled 'Bhakta Priya' where he uploads his discourses on Sanatana Dharma.

Kathirasan K had his tutelage with Swami Satprakashananda Saraswati, who is a disciple of Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati. He studied the subject of Advaita Vedānta meticulously under Swamiji’s guidance for several years, before beginning to teach this knowledge to serious seekers. He is also the author of ‘The Advaita Vedānta of Śiva Samhitā’, and several books on secular mindfulness. He holds a Ph.D in Yoga Philosophy and Meditation, and an MBA. Kathirasan is also the founder of two successful companies and has dedicated over 25 years to impactful community service. Additionally, he showcases his musical talents as a member of the Vedānta-inspired extreme metal band, Rudra. He was born in Singapore and has been living there all his life.

Dr. K. S. Maheswaran, born on 8th January 1981 in Peringode, Kerala, is an Assistant Professor in Vedanta at Madras Sanskrit College, Chennai. He specializes in Sastras, particularly Poorvamimamsa and Vedanta. Dr. Maheswaran completed his traditional studies under the guidance of renowned scholars and passed the Tenali exam in mimamsa. He holds several academic qualifications, including SSLC, PreDegree, BA Sahitya, MA Vedanta, Net JRF, and a PhD in Vedanta. Dr. Maheswaran is actively involved in training disciples in various Sastras using the Gurukula traditional system, preparing them for exams such as Tenali Sastra pareeksha. He has written several books in Sanskrit and Malayalam and has presented papers in various seminars conducted by universities. Dr. Maheswaran has won several awards and recognitions, including Maharshi Badarayan Vyas Samman from the Honorable President of India in 2015, Suvarnanguleeyakam from Sringeri Mutt in 2015, and Bharathi Theertha Puraskar from Sringeri Mutt in 2021. He is also proficient in Carnatic music, kathakali music, Mridangam playing, and oil painting.

Dr. C. S. R. Prabhu has held prestigious positions with Government of India and various institutions. He retired as Director General of the National Informatics Centre (NIC), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, New Delhi, and has worked with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), CMC, TES and TELCO (now Tata Motors). He was also faculty for the Programs of the APO (Asian Productivity Organization). He has taught and researched at the University of Central Florida, Orlando, USA, and also had a brief stint as a Consultant to NASA. He was Chairman of the Computer Society of India (CSI), Hyderabad Chapter. He worked as an Advisor (Honorary) at KL University, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, and as a Director of Research and Innovation at Keshav Memorial Institute of Technology (KMIT), Hyderabad.

He received his Master's degree in Electrical Engineering with specialization in Computer Science from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. He has guided many Master's and doctoral students in research areas such as Big Data.

He has authored 16 books on wide range of topics from Computer Science to Yoga including the wiely acclaimed book “Dharma Yoga as a Common Framework for all Religions”. He was conferred Doctorate of Divinity by Henry Martyn Institute, Hyderabad for the above research on Dharma Yoga.

He is also the Founder Chairman of Vishwa Yoga Vidyapeeth.

Swami Swatmananda is one of the most dynamic leaders of Chinmaya Mission.

Currently posted at Chinmaya Mission-South Mumbai, he completed the Vedanta Course from Powai from 1998-2000 after his graduation in Commerce and software engineering.

He has been serving in Chinmaya Mission Mumbai since 2000.

He expounds the philosophy of Advaita Vedanta through talks on the Bhagavad Geeta, Upanishads and other texts of Vedanta & bhakti through camps, meditation retreats, interactive sessions and discussions for youth & adults.

He has also taken the Youth Empowerment Programme(YEP) which is a value-based leadership programme for youth who want to serve the Nation & Culture, where the youth were trained for 3 months and the youth served the country for 9 months.

He is also a playwrite and has written and directed two theatrical performances.  “Adrshya – Quest for the Unseen” based on Saraswati Civilization & Developed India was written and directed by him in 2009. 9 shows of Adrshya have been performed by Chinmaya Yuva Kendra Mumbai in Mumbai, Pune, Allahabad and Chennai.  “Just Like That”- A play based on the Bhagavad Geeta in the life of Anand-Family and how they discover harmony by applying the principles of Geeta was written and directed by him in 2015. 4 shows of the play have been performed in Mumbai, Chennai.

N Venkataraman was born on 26th August 1965, completed law in the year 1989 at the Madurai Kamaraj University and Commenced practice the same year under Late Mr. C. Natrajan, Senior Advocate and worked under him for 14 years before commencing independent practice in June 2003. He was designated Senior in the year 2006 by the Madras High Court.

Fondly known as NV among the legal fraternity, Shri N Venkataraman has completed 31 years of professional practice in the fields of Indirect taxes, Direct taxes, International Taxation and in the last ten years has been doing extensive work in Constitutional law, various Regulatory matters (TRAI, Competition law, Gas and Electricity matters), negotiations and finalization of commercial disputes, framing and settling contracts and arbitration besides intellectual property laws and has involved in matters of substantial public importance such as Sabarimalai, Article 370, CAA, Child Sex Abuse and similar such issues.

Besides the Hon’ble Supreme Court, NV is appearing before 23 High Courts spread over various States, various Tribunals (State and Center), Advance Ruling Authorities and Securities Exchange Board of India, Securities Appellate Tribunals and other forums.

NV is currently serving as Addl Solicitor General of India.

Dr Ganesh Ishwar Bhat is the Associate Professor in Advaita Vedanta, Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan(Deemed University) Rajiv Gandhi Campus, SRINGERI. Born in Sirsi, North Kanara Dist. Karnataka. He had his Krishna Yajurveda adhyayana at Swarnavalli Mutt. After studying Advaita Vedanta under HH Sri Gangadharendra Saraswati Swamiji, he has qualified in the title examination Vidwan (M.A) from Karnataka Sanskrit University and M.A. in Sanskrit from Karnataka State Open University, Mysore. He received vidyāvāridhi (Ph.D.) degree from the Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha Tirupati, for the thesis namely A Critical Study of Advaita Philosophy in Vishnupurana on the basis of Sridhariya Commentary. He completed his Shikshashastri ( B Ed) in Rajiv Gandhi Campus Sringeri. He has edited 7 books and has written several research articles in Sanskrit and Kannada language. He has delivered lectures in several religious programs & participated in many Vakyarthasabhas and Kavigoshthis in different parts of the country.

Dr. Srinivas Jammalamadaka studied Nyaya or Tarka Shastra under Sri. A. Radhe Shyama Shastri garu, Advaita Vedanta under Sri. R. Mani Dravida Sastrigal, and Vyakarana under Sri. Ganti Dattatreya Murthy garu. He has completed the Tenali exams in Tarka Shastra, and has also taken the Tenali exams for Advaita Vedanta, He holds an MPhil & PhD in Nyaya shastra.

Earlier he served as Assistant Professor and Director of the School of Shastric Learning, Kavikulaguru Kalidas Sanskrit University, Ramtek.

He is the Co-founder of Sri Kameswari Foundation and is presently working as Scholar - IKS Courses, in Siddhanta Knowledge Foundation. He has been conferred with awards such as - Tarka-Ratnam & Vidwan Mani by Sri Kanchi Shankaracharya ji, and Shastra Kalanidhi by the Madhya Pradesh State Governor.

Right from childhood, Swami Akhilananda Saraswati was in close contact with nearby ashram and sanyasis in Mumbai. As a result, he had good exposure to core texts of Sanatana Dharma from childhood. Later he studied Vedanta from Swami Tadrupananda Saraswati who is student of Swami Dayananda Saraswathi of Arsha Vidya. Swami Akhilananda teaches Vedanta through regular classes in Anand city of Gujarat. He also conducts spiritual camps every year in different Tirtha Kshetras. He also focusses on teaching Bhagavad Gita to school children and conducts spiritual camps for them with trekking and mountaineering in Himalayas.

Shri L Ramaswamy is a senior disciple of internationally eminent philosopher Swami Parthasarathy.  He devoted himself to intense study and research of Vedanta philosophy at Vedanta Academy. 

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.

Natraj Maneshinde is a 28 year old Engineer from Dharwad, Karnataka. He comes from a Kshatriya-Maratha family and has completed his Masters in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Purdue University, USA. He currently works at Apple as a Circuit design engineer. Natraj was introduced to Advaita Vedanta in his teenage days. Ever since, under the guidance of the elders of the tradition, he has been making attempts to understand more on the tenets of Advaita Sampradaya.

Subramanian Chidambaran (commonly referred to as Subbu) hails from a family of Samavedic scholars in the Puthucode village of Palakkad district (Kerala). He is an electrical engineer by qualification and a postgraduate in management from IIM Lucknow. He has 15+ years of experience in management consulting & industry and is currently working as Director of Strategy for a leading MNC in India. He has published operations & strategy case studies/ articles in leading national and international management journals and delivered lectures at IIM Lucknow (Noida), IIM Indore and VJTI (Mumbai).

He is an M.A. in Sanskrit (Specialization in Vedanta) and Diploma in Manuscriptology, both from the University of Mumbai where he has also been a visiting faculty of Vedanta, Itihasa, Puranas and Bhakti. He has formally studied Veda chanting for 8 years. He is currently pursuing his doctoral studies on ‘Indic perspectives for modern leadership’ from Chinmaya Vishwavidyapeeth. He has several papers and articles to his credit published in various national and international journals as well as presentations in various conferences & seminars.

Subbu hails from a family of music connoisseurs on his maternal side. He was initiated into Carnatic music by his mother Mrs. Bhagyam (a trained Carnatic singer herself and direct cousin of Vidwan M.A. Kalyanakrishna Bhagavathar). He started his formal training at the age of 13 under Vidushi Smt. Vijaya Vishwanath until her demise in 2006. He then came under the tutelage of ‘Sangita Kala Acharya’ Vidushi Smt. Alamelu Mani under whom he has been learning for the past 15+ years

Subbu has been giving many lecture demonstrations and ‘Sangeeta Upanyasam’ (i.e. musical storytelling) combining his interests and skills of music and Indic knowledge. Subbu has also been hosting a channel on Youtube called ‘Subbu’s corner’ that comprises various kinds of sessions aimed at increasing awareness of our great Indic tradition and knowledge

Chittaranjan Naik, born in 1954, is a spiritual sadhaka at heart, a solitary traveller in this world who often finds it easier to communicate with writers from across the centuries than with people of the present. His deep interest in spirituality and philosophy began with a powerful spiritual experience he had while he was pursuing his post-graduation degree at IIT Madras. This epiphanic experience led him to a study of philosophy, both Indian and Western, and of the world’s major religions. In later years, he had the opportunity to engage in philosophical discussions with both Western academicians and Indian scholars. His exploration into Indian philosophy left him with a deep conviction that the six traditional Vedic darshanas are not disparate philosophies but constitute integral parts of a single structure of Sanathana Dharma. Chittaranjan Naik has degrees in Aeronautical Engineering (B-Tech) and Industrial Engineering (M-Tech), both from IIT Madras. After having worked in various corporations such as Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers Ltd., Indian Express Newspapers Group, Starcom Software and 3i Infotech Ltd., he left his job in the year 2007 to devote more time to his spiritual quest and to work towards the revival of the timeless Indian intellectual tradition that had once prevailed in this country. He is the author of the book ‘Natural Realism and Contact Theory of Perception’ which challenges the idea that we perceive the world through a stimulus-response process and establishes a direct perception theory, as espoused in the Indian darshanas, as the only viable and coherent theory of perception. In his second book, ‘On the Existence of the Self’, he provides a new proof to establish the existence of the self based on its kriya-shakti or power of intentional action and to disabuse us of the idea that the physical world forms a causal closure.

Dr. Satyan Sharma is a Former Guest Faculty at the Department of Sanskrit, Panjab University, Chandigarh. His field of specialisation is Darśanaśāstra and he has earned his PhD degree for the thesis titled 'A critical study of Ānandajñāna's Tarkasaṅgraha,' which is based on a rare Vedāntic text from the 12th to 13th centuries CE. Dharmaśāstras and the way they were practised during the ancient and later times is one of his areas of interest.

Dr. Aravind Raghavan Sreenivasan is a PhD from IIT Bombay and working as a senior Scientist at Corning Research Centre India. He also volunteers at Chinmaya Yuva Kendra to share our cultural heritage and scriptural knowledge with the youth. He has conducted more than 500 self-development workshops for a wide-ranging audience from children to corporate. He facilitates weekly sessions for the youth on the Bhagavad Gita and other Scriptures to empower themselves from its learnings. He has also acted in several plays and co-scripted two plays: Just Like That (based on the Bhagavad Gita) and Dharmayoddha Vidyaranya (based on the life of Swami Vidyaranyaji).

Vidwan P R Vasudevan has completed his Masters and PhD in Vedanta. He is traditionally learning Vedanta under Mahamopadhyaya Dr. Mani Dravid Sastrigal and Dr. K S Maheshwaran. He is also completing his Rig Veda Adhyayana under Sri. K. Shyama Sundara. He also studied basic Mimamsa Shastra under Dr. K S Maheshwaran and is currently studying Tarka Shastra under Vachaspathi Sastri Joshi. He has attended main Vakyartha Sadas and have received many awards including Sadachara Cash Prize with Gold coin endowed by His Holiness Sri Jagadguru Sankaracharya Swamigal of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam in 2014-15 and Dharmatma Sri Dr. Vaidya Subramania Iyer Award for excellence in Vedanta Studies in 2013.

Swami Tyagananda joined the Ramakrishna Order at the monastery in Mumbai in 1976 after graduating from the University of Mumbai in India. He received spiritual instruction (mantra-dīkṣā) from Holy Mother’s disciple Swami Vireswarananda and his monastic vows (sannyāsa) from Swami Gambhirananda. Besides Mumbai (1976–80), Tyagananda served in the monasteries at Belur Math (1980–82), New Delhi (1982–83) and Chennai (1983–1997) and was sent to Boston in 1998 to assist Swami Sarvagatananda. He is the Hindu chaplain at Harvard and MIT since 1999 and, after Sarvagatananda’s retirement in 2002, he was appointed head of the Vedanta Society in Boston. Tyagananda was editor of the English journal Vedanta Kesari for 11 years (1986–97) and has written, translated and edited fourteen books. He writes a fortnightly blog and his talks are available as audio podcasts. He has presented papers at academic conferences and he gives lectures and classes at the Vedanta Society as well as at MIT, Harvard and, on invitation, other colleges and religious groups in North America.

Vidwan Shankarararama Sharma, a dedicated researcher pursuing a PhD at IISc, Bangalore, is a proficient Sanskrit scholar. Initiated into the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita at the age of 4 by his mother, he earned the blessings of the Jagadgurus of Sringeri and Kanchi in 2013 for memorizing the entire scripture. Having accomplished the Pravesha exam by Surasaraswathi Sabha of Sringeri, he holds an MA degree in Advaita Vedanta from Karnataka Sanskrit University, guided by his grandfather, Mahamahopadhyaya Dr Krishnamurthi Sastrigal. Currently engaged in writing Shastra Pareekshas in Tenali, he began his Vedadhyana under his paternal grandfather Sri Ramalinga Sarma and continues it under Sri Ananthesha Sarma. Shankarararama Sharma has conducted Ramayana Navahams and Bhagavata Saptahams multiple times, delivering discourses in Tamil, Kannada, and English. His repertoire includes various Parayanams and discourses on spiritual topics. He serves as a techno-linguistic scholar at Vyoma Linguistic Labs. He strives to use technology for the prachara and seva of Samskrita Mata.

Dr. Karanam Aravinda Rao is a retired Director General of Police (Andhra Pradesh), who studied Sanskrit under Maha Mahopadhyaya Padmasri Dr. Sri Pullela Sriramachandrudu and studied Vedanta under Maha Mahopadhyaya Swami Tattvavidananda Saraswati. He has authored many books on Hindu philosophy.

Karthik Sharma is currently working as an Assistant Professor in Chinmaya Vishwa Vidyapeeth situated in Kochi,Kerala. He completed his graduation and Post graduation in Advaita Vedanta from The Madras Sanskrit College, Mylapore.  Karthik Sharma completed his traditional studies in Advaita Vedanta under Dr. K. S. Maheswaran Namboothiri’s guidance, completing all the 15 levels of exams followed by the Mahapareeksha in Advaita Vedanta at Kanchee Veda Vedanta Sastra Sabha, Tenali. He also learned Tarka-Sastra in traditional style under  Dr K. E. Devanathan. He also learned advanced Vedanta texts under Mahamahopadhyaya Dr. Mani Dravid Sastrigal. Karthik Sharma has participated as resource person  in several  Vakyartha sadas, Seminars,debates and Workshops across India.

Karthik Sharma was honoured with the Golden Ring (Suvarnanguleeyakam) by Mahasannidhanam, Sringeri Mutt in the year 2019. He was also awarded with the title ‘Advaitavedantaratnam’ by Kanchi mutt in 2019 and advaita-vedāntavidvanmaṇiḥ’ by Indic Academy in the year of 2021. He was also honoured with the vidyānidhipuraskāra by sringeri mutt in the year of 2022.

Vid Raghavendra Arolli is a Assistant Professor (Guest) in Nyaya Department at Shri Rajiv Gandhi Campus, Central Sanskrit University, Sringeri. He has studied Navya Nyaya as a special subject in both of Degree and Masters level. He completed his Phd from Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan in 2016. He has traditionally studied Samaveda Poorvabhaga under Sri Ramamurthi Shrouthigal, Sringeri and studied Vedanta Shastra under Mahamahopadhyaya Mani Dravida sastrigal, Chennai. He has published more than 15 research articles in various journals and presented more than 20 papers at academic seminars and conferences. He has also contributed chapters to a number of books on Shastriya subjects. He regularly participates in the Mahaganapati Vakyartha Vidvat Sabha and has been awarded the Golden Ring by Sringeri Shankaracharya in 2018. He was also honoured with Vidyanidhi Puraskara by Sringeri Peetham in 2022.

Vijaya Jayaraman is a published author, motivational speaker, and online writer. Professionally, she was Regional Transportation Manager in a Food Distribution company in Los Angeles, now retired from a professional environment and focusing on Vedantic studies & teachings. She has completed a course on World Religion and a course on Vedanta from Oxford University. Then she studied Basic Vedanta, Advanced Vedanta, Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads courses from Chinmaya International Foundation in Veliyanad, in the Ernakulam District of Kerala. She also attended classes under the guidance of Swami Ishwarananda of Chinmaya mission in Los Angeles and Acharya Mahadevji. Since 2017, she has had the opportunity to speak on Vedantic topics in Interfaith churches in the US and has been conducting Vedantic classes since 2018. Her first set of students were Americans from Virginia. She conducts Vedantic classes and spends at least 12-15 hours a day on Vedantic studies, full focus by Adi Sankara's writings. For her, this is the way of life, everything else is secondary.

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. He is currently working as the Dean of INDICA.

Babaji Bob Kindler began his formal spiritual training in Yoga and Vedanta in 1970 at the age of twenty. After more than a decade of spiritual austerities and extensive study of the scriptures in Eastern Traditions, he received initiation into the Ramakrishna lineage by Swami Aseshananda, a direct disciple of Sri Sarada Devi, wife and spiritual consort of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. He also received guidance and instruction from Swami Nityasvarupananda, another direct disciple of Holy Mother, and training in ritualistic worship from Swami Damodarananda, both of the Ramakrishna Order as well.

Babaji's emergence as a teacher of Sanatana Dharma occurred naturally with the creation of Jai Ma Music, an acclaimed sacred arts ensemble which he founded in 1980 as a vehicle for the exalted teachings of India through wisdom-oriented devotional music. He also received encouragement from his friend, Lex Hixon, the instigating force and co-founder of the national SRV Association of the West, based in New York state.

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Prof. Gauri Mahulikar is the Academic Director at Chinmaya International Foundation. She is the Former Dean of Faculty and former Vice Chancellor of Chinmaya University, Kerala, India. A researcher in the Vedic literature, student of Vedanta and a passionate lover of Sanskrit literature, Prof. Mahulikar has participated in many National and International Conferences. She has published 7 books and more than 80 articles in various journals and books. She retired as Head of Sanskrit Department and Gurudev Tagore chair for Comparative Literature of Mumbai University in 2015 and joined the Chinmaya University as Vice Chancellor, and after having served as the Dean of Faculty she is currently the Academic Director at Chinmaya International Foundation. She is associated with different institutes and NGO-s in the capacity of advisor and management positions. Born in Karnataka, India, she can speak in 5 Indian languages in addition to English.

Dr. Pushkar Deopujari is a Assistant Professor in Vedanta at Calicut Adarsha Sanskrit Vidyapeetha,Kozhikode, Kerala. He completed his Ph.D. from Pondicherry University, Puducherry. He is trained in various systems of Indian Philosophy with special focus on Vedanta and Yoga at Veda Vijnana Gurukulam, Bangalore under the guidance of Prof. Ramachandra Bhat. He has also sucessfully completed the prestigious ‘Tenali’ Exam, conducted by Kanchi Kamakoti Matha under the guidance of Dr. K.S.Maheshwaran. Dr. Deopujari has published more than 10 research articles in various journals and regularly participates in National Seminars and Shastra Training Programmes. He has received many awards including: 'Advaita-Ratnam' title from Kanchi Kamakoti Matha, 'Advaita Vedanta Vidvanmani' title from Indic Academy, 'Vidyanidhi' award from Shri Sringeri Sharada Peetham, and 'Samskruta-Grantha-Puruaskara' award from Karnataka Sanskrit University, Bengaluru

Suryanarayana Jammalamadaka (जम्मलमडक) Studied Nyaya/tarka Shastra under Br. Sri. Ambadipudi Radhe Shyama Shastri Studied Advaita Vedanta under Br. Sri. R. Mani David's Sastrigal Studied Vyakarana (till siddhanta koumidi) under Br. Sri. Ganti Dattatreya Murthy Completed Tenali exams in Tarka Shastra Conferred awards - tarka-Ratnam & vidwan Mani by Sri Kanchi shankaracharya Shastrakalanidhi by Madhya pradesh state governer Two PGs, one in samskritam & another in Nyaya shastra Completed MPhil. Persuing PhD in Nyaya shastra Currently working as Assistant professor in School of Vedic Sciences, MIT-ADT University, Pune, Maharashtra

Swāminī Satyavratānandā Saraswatī is the disciple of H.H Swāmī Dayānanda Saraswatī and H.H Swāmī Paramārthananda Saraswatī. She has studied Vedānta under these traditional ācaryas for over 12 years. She has also studied Sanskṛt, Nyāya, Mīmāṃsā, Sānkhya and Yoga under vedic scholars. Swāminī, after her vedāntic studies, took up the teaching of Bhagavadgītā, Upaniṣads and Prakaraṇa-granthas in English and Telugu for the past 20 years in Chennai. She has been propagating the vedic knowledge by following the footsteps of her Gurus based on vedic tradition.Jnana Yagnas have been conducted by Parama Poojya Swamini at Nellore, Guntur and Chennai.

Sri Rammohan Subramaniam completed the Vedanta Course (2011-2013) at Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Mumbai. Presently, he conducts and coordinates various activities at Chinmaya International Foundation such as Vedanta Courses and evaluation of Home Study courses answers, responding to queries raised by students related to Vedanta study and he also conducts Webinar classes on Upanishads and Prakarana Granthas.

V Kutumba Sastry Professor Vempaty Kutumba Sastry was the Vice-Chancellor of the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, Delhi, from 2003 to 2008 and the Sampoornananda Sanskrit University, Varanasi, from 2008 to 2011. In June 2012 he became the Vice-Chancellor of the Sri Somanath Sanskrit University, Veraval, Gujarat, initially for a three-year period. Since 2006 he has been the President of the International Association of Sanskrit Studies. He is incidentally a student of the very first President of the IASS, the late Professor V. Raghavan. He is a member of the governing board of the Wider Association of Vedic Studies. He is on the editorial board of the Indologica Taurinensia, the Journal of the International Association of Sanskrit Studies, published from Torino. Apart from being a Vedic scholar, his interests include philosophy in general and Advaita Vedānta and Sanskrit poetics in particular. His publications include monographs, anthologies, and research papers on Advaita Vedānta. He is the recipient of several prestigious awards from several State Governments in India as well as one from the Windsor University, Canada for promoting Sanskrit studies. Professor Sastry has travelled widely around the world to spread the message of the Vedas and Advaita Vedānta.

Venkatraghavan S is a keen student of advaita vedAnta, having studied the prasthAna traya from Swami Paramarthananda and the Advaita Siddhi with its commentary, Laghuchandrika, from Mahamahopadhyaya Mani Dravid Shastrigal. He is currently translating the Siddhi into relatively simple English, on his website, www.advaitasiddhi.com From a professional front, he is a founder of Arq, an energy technology business in London, that has developed a cleaner form of energy and was sold to a NASDAQ listed company in 2023. A former investment banker and finance professional by training, he studied computer engineering at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, followed by an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore.

Smriti Sharma, a media postgraduate currently serving at the Department of Culture Madhya Pradesh Govt as an Assistant Program Officer for the Ekatma Dham initiative, has been a dedicated social worker has devoted her career to understanding and advocating for traditional ways of life, particularly among tribal communities. With a passion for social justice and cultural preservation, Smriti has worked closely with tribal groups, immersing herself in their communities to learn from their traditional practices and help amplify their voices.

In addition to her work with tribal communities, Smriti has also shared her knowledge and expertise in media research by teaching aspiring journalists,film makers and communicators at Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism. Her commitment to education extends beyond traditional classrooms, as she believes in the power of storytelling to convey important messages and perspectives.

As an independent researcher, Smriti focuses on exploring and sharing stories from the Bhartiya perspective, shedding light on the rich cultural heritage and diverse narratives of India. Her work aligns closely with the values and goals of initiatives like Ekatma Dham, which seek to promote global oneness, peace and harmony. Through her academic and advocacy efforts, Smriti continues to make valuable contributions to the preservation and celebration of Bhartiya cultural heritage, philosophy and way of life.

Swami Tattwamayananda, currently the Minister- in -charge of the Vedanta Society of Northern California, San Francisco, served in various centers of the Ramakrishna Order in India as editor, publisher,and teacher of Sanskrit and Indian philosophy before coming to the United States in January, 2012. He had traditional training in Hindu scriptures, Sanskrit and Vedic literature from his early days. He served in various centers of the Ramakrishna Order in India as editor, publisher, and teacher of Sanskrit, Advaitic texts such as Sri Shankaracharya’s commentaries on the Prasthanatraya and Indian philosophy.

Born in a pious Tamil family, K 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. 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. Regularly takes part in vidwat sadas and workshops. Giridhara Sarma also takes private classes in Mimamsa and Vedanta for few students and organizes study groups and discussions.

After more than thirty years working in high-tech, Padma took early retirement in 2021 to focus on studying Advaita Vedanta. Padma was initiated into the spiritual path at the age of ten. She spent more than twenty years studying and practicing mantra, tantra, yoga, and various meditation techniques with teachers across the globe. In 2005, she discovered Shri Yellamraju Srinivasa Rao, and found his lucid talks on Advaita Vedanta resonate within her more deeply than any other. After this profound experience, Padma committed herself fully to the study of Advaita Vedanta and other non-dual traditions, such as Kashmir Shaivism and Zen Buddhism. Deeply inspired by Sri Srinivasa Rao's works, which are in Telugu, with a desire to share his wisdom and lucid teaching with other seekers around the world, Padma has translated two of Sri Srinivasa Rao's books and transcribed and translated one of his talks together with Dr. Ramesam Vemuri. These books are: 1) Not Two: The Essence of Non-Duality, an interpretive English translation of Srinivasa Rao’s original book, Jagadguru Mahopadesam 2) Knowing-Being: Direct and Intuitive Realization of the Self, an oral commentary on AparokshAnubhuti by Sri Srinivasa Rao, that Padma co-authored with Dr. Vemuri. 3) The Vibrant Stillness, her most recent publication, which is a translation and compilation of two different books written by Sri Srinivasa Rao. Padma lives in the San Francisco Bay area in California, USA, with her family.

Srinath Mohandas is an Assistant Professor of Education at the School of Ethics Governance Culture and Social Systems (EGCS) of Chinmaya Vishwa Vidyapeeth, teaching courses in Education and Indian Knowledge Systems. A student of Advaita Vedanta in the Chinmaya tradition, he teaches, writes, speaks, and conducts workshops on themes related to Dharma and Bharata. Srinath was introduced to Vedanta as a teenager through the writings of Swami Vivekananda and Swami Chinmayananda. Soon after, he started attending weekly Chinmaya Yuva Kendra (Chyk) study circles led by Acaryas, including Swami Gabeerananda and Swami Mitrananda, which systematically expounded the philosophy. In a few years, he led many such study circles for youth and pre-teens, inspiring them to study and practice.

Vidwan Dr. Ramachandra G. Bhat  is a much accomplished personality  in the field of  Samskrita, Veda, Vedanta and Yoga. He has MA and a PhD in Samskritam. He is a Vidwan in Vedanta and Nyaya Darshanas. His specialization include Vedanta, Mimamsa, Pracheena and Navya Nyaya, Yoga, Karmanushtanam, among other things.

Acharya is Currently the Chairman of Veda Vijnana Shodha Samstham Trust , Bengaluru. He previously served as  Vice-chancellor of the  S-VYASA University for 6 years.  He had also served as the Principal of Veda Vijnana Gurukulam for 12 years. He firmly believes that the gurukula system of education is the best to inculcate a good value system in young minds and also for physical and mental development.

Acharya has published many books in Samskrita, Kannada, and English. He has also received several honors and awards for his contributions, such as:

• BHAVABHUTI PURASKARA by Madhya Pradesh Govt in 2006
• VIDYA VARIDHI by Vaps Technosoft, Bangalore, in 2003
• SWAMI GANGADARESHWARANANDAJI award by SAMSHODHANA, Sirsi in 2006
• Doctor of Literature award from Tumakuru University for submitting the thesis entitled by “VEDA VIJNANA PARAMYAM”, 2013.