4:30 PM - 6:00 PM CST
Grateful2Gurus | Prof. Rajeshwari V Pandharipande
Categories:
Location
Champaign Public Library, Robeson Pavilion Room C, 200 W Green St.
Champaign,
IL
61820
United States
Contact
At the heart of India’s civilisational knowledge systems lies the Guru–Śiṣya Paramparā. Through this enduring tradition, philosophy, science, medicine, literature, governance, the arts, and spirituality have been preserved and renewed through living lineages. More than a system of education, it is a way of learning that shapes character, cultivates wisdom, and ensures the continuity of knowledge across generations.
For over a decade, INDICA has celebrated this living tradition by bringing together scholars, practitioners, artists, and seekers to honour those who preserve, embody, and transmit India’s civilisational heritage. Since its inception in 2016, Grateful2Gurus has been the heart of this celebration. Conceived not as an award but as an offering of gratitude, it has grown from intimate felicitations organised by local chapters into one of INDICA’s most cherished annual observances.
Over the years, Grateful2Gurus has honoured more than 154 Gurus representing an extraordinary spectrum of Indian Knowledge Systems, including Veda and Vedānta, Sanskrit, philosophy, archaeology, history, Ayurveda, Yoga, music, dance, temple traditions, literature, linguistics, governance, science, and the performing arts.
Those honoured include internationally acclaimed scholars, traditional Ācāryas, artists, scientists, physicians, and community teachers who have dedicated their lives to preserving and transmitting India’s civilisational heritage. Every felicitation is a public expression of gratitude offered by disciples and the wider community, affirming that knowledge flourishes through the living bond between teacher and disciple.
As part of this celebration, we also invite you to explore our conversation with Prof. Rajeshwari V Pandharipande on Language, Culture and the Religious Imagination, reflecting on her rich contribution to the study and understanding of India’s linguistic and cultural traditions.
INDICA USA invites you to join us in honouring Prof. Rajeshwari Pandharipande as part of our #Grateful2Gurus 2026 Honours.
Profiles
Prof. Rajeshwari V Pandharipande
GURU BEING HONOURED
Prof. Rajeshwari V Pandharipande is a distinguished scholar, educator, and linguist whose lifelong academic journey has significantly advanced the global understanding of Indian languages, Hinduism, and Indian culture. A Professor Emerita in the Department of Religion at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, she has also held interdisciplinary appointments in Comparative and World Literature, Linguistics, Global Studies, and the Center for Translation Studies. Holding two doctoral degrees from Nagpur University and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, she has been widely recognized for her outstanding contributions to teaching, with honors including the University Distinguished Teacher Scholar Award and the William Prokasy Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.
Prof. Narendra Ahuja
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Narendra Ahuja is a distinguished Research Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), affiliated with the Beckman Institute and the Coordinated Science Laboratory. He served as the Founding Director of India’s Information Technology Research Academy (ITRA) from 2013 to 2019 and was previously the Founding Director of the International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Hyderabad.
His research encompasses computer vision, pattern recognition, machine learning, and image processing. He holds degrees from BITS Pilani, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore, and the University of Maryland. He joined UIUC in 1979 and currently holds the Donald Biggar Willet Professorship.
Professor Ahuja has published over 500 research papers, supervised more than 60 doctoral students, and received major awards from organizations such as IEEE, SPIE, Hewlett-Packard, and Google. He has also been recognized with Distinguished Alumnus honors and an Honorary Doctorate from York University.
He is a fellow of several international academies, has served on numerous advisory boards, and founded Vision Technology. His patents and algorithms have been implemented in flight simulators, fingerprint identification systems, railway inspection, robotics, and early automated sports analysis.
Professor Ahuja is also known in the Champaign-Urbana community for his appreciation of poetry and music.