Honorable Vice President of India Shri Venkaiah Naidu has assumed his current role in August 2017 as the first Vice President born in an independent India. He was born in Nellore District of Andhra Pradesh where he gravitated to leadership right from his youth. As a Law student at the prestigious Andhra University, Shri Naidu became President in his college on the strength of his organizational, oratory and motivational skills. Not only does Shri Venkaiah Naidu have command of several Indian languages, he is also a very sought-after and prolific speaker. Upon entering the political arena, he rose to become the National President of Bharatiya Janata Party. Since then, he has served in various roles in the Indian Government including Minister for Urban Affairs. His work in office as the Vice President of India are published as ‘Moving on…Moving forward’; ‘Listening, Learning and Leading’; ‘Connecting, Communicating, Changing’. The Vice-President is also known to be an avid reader who draws inspiration from the written word. His passion for service to the country can be seen in a wide array of sectors in the way that he has empowered and energized voluntary social work organizations in the fields of agriculture, animal welfare, health, poverty alleviation, vocational education and training. Being a son of a farmer, Shri Venkaiah Naidu has been especially sensitive to the needs of the poor, and of farmers, in rural areas. In our service, the Vice President maintains a hectic public schedule with his signature drive and energy. Shri Venkaiah Naidu married Shrimati Usha at the age of 21. They have been married for over 50 years and are blessed with son Shri Harshavardhan Naidu and daughter, Smt. Deepa Venkat.

Honorable Ms. Justice Indira Banerjee Justice Indira Banerjee is a Judge of the Supreme Court of India and the 8th female Judge in the history of the Supreme Court of India. She is a former Chief Justice of Madras High Court, the second woman to hold this position in India, before being elevated as a Judge of Supreme Court of India.

Justice Indira Banerjee was born on 24 September 1957. She did her schooling at the Loreto House in Kolkata and pursued her higher education at the Presidency College, Kolkata and Department of Law, University of Calcutta. She was enrolled as an advocate on 5 July 1985 and practiced before the Calcutta High Court.

Justice Indira Banerjee has served as a permanent Judge of the Calcutta High Court (2002-2015) and the Delhi High Court (2016). She was elevated as the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court in 2017. She is the second woman to head the chartered High Court. She was elevated as Judge of Supreme Court of India on 7 August 2018.

“As the knowledge of Physics, Chemistry or Mathematics does not depend on one’s national, ethnic or religious identity, so too is the knowledge of our Real Identity as revealed in the Upanishads.”

Swami Nirviseshananda Tirtha was deeply spiritual from a very young age. At 24, he was initiated into the pursuit of Brahmavidya by Baba Gangadhara Paramahamsa of Dakshinkhanda, West Bengal.

In 1987, he renounced his professional life as a faculty in IIT-Kharagpur and dedicated himself wholesomely to the service of Poojya Swami Bhoomananda Tirthaji in all aspects of his mission.

Right from the beginning, scientific quest and spiritual pursuit have been complementary in Swami Nirviseshananda Tirtha’s search for the Ultimate Truth. Swamiji’s special focus has been to expose the subtle truths of Vedanta with clarity as well as experiential depth.

His book on Poojya Swamiji “A Great Association” presents an in-depth understanding of the qualities that make a Saint saintly. Analyzing various events, statements and anecdotes from the life of a Self-realized Master, the book depicts a realistic understanding of the mystic path to ultimate freedom.

Dr. Veronique Nicolai is a French pediatrician (MD) and a trainer certified in Yoga, prenatal Yoga and meditation. She discovered Heartfulness meditation as she was studying medicine in France. In 1997, she spent six months of her studies in the department of Pediatrics in Shri Ram Chandra Medical College, Chennai, getting to know more about India from a medical perspective. She settled in India with her husband in 1999.

Since 2002 she has been a major contributor to the International Heartfulness Training Program that teaches Heartfulness meditation and philosophy to practitioners and forms meditation trainers all over the world.

Dr. Nicolai is currently the director of the Heartfulness Yoga School heading Yoga programs and courses in India and abroad. She is working very actively to teach Yoga and meditation in the field of health for the prevention of non-communicable diseases (diabetes, hypertension, obesity), for couple with infertility and for patient with cancer and their families. She is involved in many Heartfulness Meditation programs in the corporate world, universities and hospitals.

Dr. Veronique Nicolai has been living in Kodaikanal, Bangalore and Chennai with her husband, their daughter and son.

Ananya Ashok is a Carnatic Vocalist training under Sangita Kalanidhi, Sri Madurai T.N. Seshagopalan. She received her initial training from renowned violinist, Smt. Anuradha Sridhar, daughter and disciple of Lalgudi Srimathi Brahmanandam. Under the able guidance of her gurus, Ananya has performed in various major venues around India like Krishna Gana Sabha, Narada Gana Sabha and The Madras Music Academy, to name a few. Around India, she has performed in Kerala, Bangalore, Mysore, Delhi, and Coimbatore. Outside of India, she has performed in the United States and Singapore. Television performances include Doordarshan, Podhigai TV and American television. She has been a recipient of awards such as the Tanjore Sri Srinivasa Iyer Endowment Prize at Sri Krishna Gana Sabha in 2013 and recently ‘Outstanding Vocalist’ at the Madras Music Academy for the year 2019.

An ‘A’ graded artist of All India Radio Chennai, Ananya has also studied Hindustani Vocal Music from renowned violinist, Smt. Kala Ramnath. Ananya is an accomplished Vainika and trains under Sri Srikanth Chary, a senior disciple of Sri Lalgudi G. Jayaraman and she is also a graded artist in Veena at All India Radio Chennai. In 2011, she was a recipient of the ACTA music fellowship, which was instituted by the state of California for Veena study.

Ananya also hails from a musical family. Ananya’s father, Sri Ashok Subramaniam is a musician and teacher residing in Bay Area, California. From her paternal side, Ananya is the grandniece of Sri. K.R. Kumaraswamy and Sri. K.R. Kedaranathan. On her maternal side, her great grandmother is a disciple of Sangeetha Kalanidhi Kallidaikuruchi Vedanta Bhagavatar and Ramalinga Bhagavatar.

Vidwans Malladi Brothers:

Sri Sreerama Prasad and Sri Ravi Kumar, popularly known as the Malladi Brothers, are musicians who hail from Andhra Pradesh. They are blessed to carry forth the grace of their Gurus – Paramaguru Dr Sripada Pinakapani, Sangita Kalanidhi Sri Nedunuri Krishnamurthy and their own father Sri Malladi Suribabu. They believe that these Gurus have not only taught them music, but shaped the very texture of their lives. The Harikatha form is also close to their hearts, their grandfather Sri Malladi Sreeramamurthy kindling the interest in them by example. The Malladi Brothers have actively worked to preserve the compositions of Sri Tallapaka Annamayya, Sri Narayana Tirtha and Sri Sadasiva Brahmendra, many of which needed to be rediscovered for this generation. They reach out to the global community through their heartful performances, and also enjoy teaching music.

Their penchant and love for deva bhasha sanskrit led Malladi musical family to record more than ten thousand sanskrit slokas to date.

Akshaya Nambiar is a catastrophe risk management professional with a background in Geology from Cornell University, Ithaca, and St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai. She has been associated with NarayanashramaTapovanam for over a decade. Akshaya currently resides in New York City Metro area.

Roopa Pai is one of India’s best-known writers for children. This Bangalore-based author has written over 25 books, ranging from picture books to chapter books and fiction to non-fiction, on themes as varied as sci-fi fantasy, popular science, maths, history, economics, Indian philosophy, life skills, and most recently, medicine. Many of her books are bestsellers and are enjoyed as much by adults as by children.

Her best-known books include the 8-part Taranauts, India’s first fantasy-adventure series for children in English, Ready! 99 Must-Have Skills For The World-Conquering Teenager (And Almost-Teenager), the award-winning national bestseller The Gita For Children, listed by Amazon India as one of ‘100 Indian Books To Read In A Lifetime’, and its ‘prequel’ The Vedas And Upanishads For Children. Her TEDx talk ‘Decoding The Gita, India’s Book Of Answers’ has received over 1.9 million views to date. Her most recent book for children is ‘From Leeches To Slug Glue: 25 Explosive Ideas That Made (And Are Making) Modern Medicine’.

She has also co-authored fitness evangelist and supermodel Milind Soman’s award-winning memoir, Made In India, and is currently working on a new book on ancient Indian philosophy for children.

When she is not writing, Roopa can be found teaching short introductory courses on ancient Indian wisdom to both children and adults. She also leads groups of children and young people on history and heritage walks across her beloved Bangalore and Karnataka, as part of her job as director of a company she co-founded, BangaloreWalks.

“To be open before oneself is to be open before God. To do that, the seeker has to transcend his ego. When pursued sincerely the process bestows lightness, depth, clarity, power of truth, and above all, confidence.”
‘In the Company of My Lord’ – Ma Gurupriya

“Love can be of two kinds: one that binds and makes us constricted; and the other – selfless, non-expectant and pure – that makes us expand, enabling us to embrace everybody as our own.”
‘In the Company of My Lord’ – Ma Gurupriya

Ma Gurupriya is a sannyaasin (renunciate) disciple of Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha – the guiding force of Narayanashrama Tapovanam, Kerala; the Centres for Inner Resources Development, in India and abroad; and the Foundation for Restoration of National Values, New Delhi.
Born in a family of academic excellence, Ma Gurupriya’s spiritual journey began during her days of postgraduate scientific research, when an overwhelming feeling of dispassion evoked an intense yearning for something eternal. She received deeksha from Baba Gangadhara Paramahamsa, who before attaining Mahasamadhi, entrusted her spiritual welfare to Poojya Swamiji. Ma renounced her professional life dedicating herself at the feet of Poojya Swamiji. She is the Loving Mother for Poojya Swamiji’s devotees and disciples around the world.
The Guru-bhakti and Guru-seva that remain the predominant forces shaping Ma’s life are expressed in her discourses and writings, systematic management of Ashram affairs, and loving guidance to seekers. Her soulful chanting of Guru Stotras and other slokas echo the power of eternal Truth and devotion.

Sampada is a sales professional with a passion for social impact, based out of San Francisco, California. She’s a graduate from the University of Southern California, where she cultivated her love for technology and entrepreneurship – as well as for California weather. 🙂
Her journey with Narayanashrama Tapovanam started in Jamshedpur, India over a decade ago, and has remained as a constant as Sampada has moved around the world.
Sampada is an avid traveler, scuba diver and spends her free time experimenting with new recipes and catching up on the latest Netflix binge!

Kavita Seshan is a Business Incident Response professional in the technology space with a background in Public Administration from the London School of Economics and Political Science. It’s been over five years since Kavita’s association with NarayanashramaTapovanam. She currently resides in Singapore.

Smitha, an engineer by education, works in the IT industry as a Product Manager in Southern California.
She is a Samskrita Bharati co-ordinator of Southern California, Irvine Chapter. Smitha was trained at Samskrita Bharati, Bangalore and conducted many spoken Sanskrit workshops for both adults and kids. She teaches “Learn Sanskrit through Bhagavad-Gita” online class. She also actively contributes to the Sanskrit youth program and Campus Samskritam Network. She is trained in Carnatic Vocal music.

Hansika Sundaresan is pursuing her undergraduate education in computer science at the University of Texas Dallas. Her involvement with Narayanashrama Tapovanam began at a young age. In her free time, Hansika pursues Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music and loves playing board games with family.

Dilip Acharya is a life-long student of Indian music. He earned his Sangeet Visharad in vocal music from Pracheen Kala Kendra, Chandigarh. As an All India Radio Artiste, he performed Bhajans, Folk songs & Sugam Sangeet. Dilip has performed in many concerts in the US, India, and Africa. He is also a self-taught Harmonium player and has the good fortune of accompanying in Hindustani Classical concerts, Devotional, Sufi and Ghazal concerts. Dilip is also composer and a music arranger and has directed music in plays, produced group songs and singles.

Priya is a well respected business development and marketing professional, passionate about the use of technology in healthcare. She is passionate about finding creative ways to address mental health issues in adolescents and young adults. She is a community builder and supports the work of many non-profit organizations.

This is Priya’s third time at our Global Bhagavad Gita Convention. Inspired by Pujya Swamiji of Narayashrama Tapovanam, Priya has embarked on a study of the Bhagavad Gita in a satsang with a group of her friends, and is excited to find in the Gita, actionable insights that are so relevant for daily living.

Sravani Jandhyala

Sravani Jandhyala’s association with Poojya Swami Bhooomanada Tirtha began in a workshop on interactional life in 2011. The impetus to study the Gita, learn Sanskrit, train with SGS Foundation on pronunciation have all sprung from that profound association. Since the annual convention’s inception in 2017, CIRD-NA has entrusted her with several committee roles. She is passionate about the second generation Indo-American issues, was Assistant Director of Indo-American Center, active on the Ektaa Center Board since 2004, and is a teacher in the Rushipeetham LearnGita program. Sravani loves writing and editing activities.

Sadgun Kambhampati

Sadgun Kambhampati has been associated with Pujya Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha ji and the Ashram since 2011. For the past two and half years,Sadgun’s involvement with the Gita has resulted in graduating from the SGS in both pronunciation and memorization. She has been a Gita teacher for the past two and half years for Rushipeetham LearnGita program and a volunteer in the SGS Gita program. She serves on the board of CIRD-NA which is an educational non profit organization. Sadgun contributes boundless energy to many community events and the cultural milieu of Irvine.

My name is Nyanaveelan Mutu. I am general practitioner with a private practice in Kuala Lumpur. I have been associated with Swamiji since 2011 and I am actively involved in the regular activities of SIRD, Malaysia. 

I am Sharena Manocaran. I am lecturer at a private medical university in Kuala Lumpur. My association with Swamiji started in 2011 and since then I have been following his teachings. And I regularly participate in the activities at SIRD, Malaysia.