IKS MetaRetreat: Transformative Pedagogy – Exploring Hindu Learning Traditions

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.

Sahana Singh is an author and commentator currently based in the United States. She is an environmental engineer by qualification who writes on a variety of issues including Indian history, water management and education. Her first book “The Educational Heritage of Ancient India - How an Ecosystem of Learning was Laid to Waste” has been appreciated for awakening Indians to the role played by India in spreading knowledge around the world. Her second book titled "Revisiting the Educational Heritage of India” published by Vitasta explores in greater depth, the subject of India’s unique ecosystem of learning which created a knowledge-centred society and laid the foundation of the major academic disciplines being pursued today. An alumnus of Delhi Technological University, Sahana made a career shift to writing after moving to Singapore. She worked as Editor of Asian Water Magazine for many years. Sahana has won several awards for journalism including the Developing Asia Journalism Award in 2008. A short animation video made by her on the world’s water crisis won the top prize at the TU Delft Urban Water Movie Contest awarded by the Delft University of Technology (Netherlands) in 2012. Her articles have been published in Reader’s Digest, Washington Post, Discovery Channel Asia, Asian Water Magazine, Swarajya, IndiaFacts and other publications. She has moderated panel discussions on water management at several international conferences. Sahana is on the board of many nonprofit organizations related to history, heritage, education, restoration of Samskara and to the cause of helping Hindu refugees. She is passionate about travelling and connecting the dots across different societies, civilizations and disciplines.