- Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam, the legendary Bharatnatyam dancer is a rare combination of a dancer, research scholar, choreographer, music composer & musician, teacher and author. Padma Subramanyam enchants spectators with perfect movements and hand gestures, timing, original ideas and emotes beautifully with her face. She imparts her immense knowledge to others by teaching dance, conducting workshops, giving lectures, doing research and writing articles This multi-faceted and talented artist is famous in India as well as abroad, and several films and documentaries have been made in her honour by countries like Japan, Australia and Russia.
- This eminent Bharatnatyam Dancer was born on 4th February 1943 in Chennai. She was born to an internationally reputed famous filmmaker, freedom fighter and a parental personality in the cultural field father K. Subramanyam and a music composer, lyricist in Tamil and Sanskrit, dancer, and instrumentalist mother Meenakshi. Padma grew up in an environment where both her parents were artistically inclined.
- She started to learn dance at 'Nrutyodaya' under the guidance of a teacher named Kausalya. "Nrutyodaya" is a dance school that was founded by her father in the year 1942 of which she is the director presently. Later, she came under the wings of guru Vazhuvoor Ramaiah Pillai. Padma Subramanyam's first public performance known as "Arangetram" (first performance) was in the year 1956. After that, there was no looking back. She gave innumerable performances in concerts all over the world. She has had several gurus, especially during her research- Guru Dandayuthapani Pillai and the various Devadasis from whom she learned ' adavus', Gowri Ammal from whom she learnt 'abhinaya' being some of them. Padma has also trained in music under B.V. Lakshman and Salil Chaudhry.
- She also continued her education side by side. Dr. Padma Subramanyam has a Bachelor's degree in Music, a Master's in Ethno Musicology and a Ph.D. in dance from Annamalai University. She did her thesis on 'Karanas in Indian dance and sculpture' as a research scholar. Karanas are the basic units of dance. Her research highlighted the fact that the 108 Karanas are actually movements and not just static poses. As she asserts 'the twin arts of dance and sculpture developed together in close spiritual association with the concept of the Divine Being himself as a dancer in Tamilnad. The fusion of these two arts dates back to the dawn of our civilization. The figure of a dancer unearthed in Mohenja-daro of proto-historic India explains the genetic relationship between the various dance styles of India. The pose of this icon is still found in the varied dances of our country. Proper preservation of the dance sculptures in the country is an immediate necessity. Spoiling them by whitewashing and covering them by careless constructions should be ruthlessly prohibited'. She has also designed the sculptures of the 108 Karanas of Lord Siva and Goddess Parvati in black granite for the Nataraja temple at Satara in Maharashtra.
- Dr. Padma Subramanyam has given several solo and group presentations such as ' Meenakshi Kalyanam', ' Viralimalai Kuravanji', 'Silappadikaram', ' Vande Mataram' etc. She has also composed music for most of her compositions and sung for a couple of albums. 'Pushpanjali' as a dance piece was introduced by her. Padma was the first dancer to use a 'Meera bhajan' to be scored to suit the grammar of 'Pada Varnam'. She has also composed the first Bengali Varnam, of which Salil Chaudhury was the lyricist. She has reactivated the mono-acting technique in her dance dramas. She has authored numerous articles, research papers, books and travelogues to her credit like 'Bharata's Art - then and Now', 'Bharatakkalai Kotpadu' in Tamil, 'Natya Sastra and National Unity' and 'Kanchi Mahaswami's Vision of Asian Culture'. She has written many articles that have been compiled as "Legacy of a Legend".
- This versatile dancer Padma Subramanyam has received many awards and honours to her credit including 'The Padma Bhushan' in 1983, 'Padmashri' in 1981, The 'Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1983, 'The Kalaimamani Award' from Govt. of Tamilnadu, 'Kalidas Samman' from Govt. of Madhya Pradesh, 'Nada Brahmam' from Narada Gana Sabha in Chennai, 'Bharata Sastra Rakshamani' and Nehru Award in1983 of the Soviet Union so on. Padma Subramanyam has also received the prestigious 'Fukuoka Asian Cultural Prize' from Japan for her contribution to development and harmony in Asia. She has served as a non-official member of the Indo-Sub Commission for Education and Culture.
- Rukmini is the Artistic Director of her Classical Dance Company, Raadha Kalpa, the Director of her Art Space, LshVa, and the founder of The Raadha Kalpa Method, a pedagogical system for the practice of Bharatanatyam. One of the most sought-after Bharatanatyam soloists of her generation, Rukmini has performed all over the world. Her style, a unique reflection of her artistic practices. She stands apart with her innovative choreography, athleticism, arresting emotions, and attention to detail.
- She has performed as a soloist all over the world, including the Jacobs Pillow Festival (USA), The Drive East Festival at LaMama Theater (New York), The India Dans Festival at Korzo Theater (The Hague), Milapfest (Liverpool), Temple of Fine Arts (KL) amongst numerous other venues. She was noticed for her role as “the goddess of love” in Pandit Ravi Shankar’s Opera, ‘Sukanya’, produced by The Royal Opera House, London, 2017.
- Education -Rukmini’s primary training and rigorous practice of Bharatanatyam was under Guru Padmini Rao, Guru Narmada Rao, and Guru Sundari Santhanam. Her ideas of dance are influenced greatly by the movement philosophy of the Natyashastra, which has been preserved through the research of Dr.Padma Subrahmanyam. These codified movement structures, known as Karanas, were taught to Rukmini at a very young age by Guru Sundari. Also a student of Western forms of dance, she graduated in 2008 with a BFA in Modern Dance and Ballet from the Boston Conservatory, USA. Having had training from the best of both worlds of dance, her choreographies draw from the ancient, retaining tradition even while making them relevant to the contemporary world. She was a recipient of the Jiri Kylian grant for choreography and a resident choreographer at Korzo Theater, in the Netherlands in 2018. Her productions, Nayani, Prabhavati, Abhimata, Talattu, and The Dark Lord have toured India and the world extensively. Her more recent works, Turiya, MALA, The Muse, and Unrequited were created within the contemporary idiom and have been appreciated for their creative approach to the Bharatanatyam vocabulary. Her dance films, Yoganiyoga, and Namami Yoga Vidye have been viewed and appreciated by millions on online platforms.
- Rukmini constantly questions and revisits her perceptions as an artist and finds ways to challenge her own opinions at every juncture, keeping her work relevant and alive. Her Bharatanatyam practice doesn’t confine itself to a particular style or bani, but rather allows itself to adapt to varied choices of aesthetics and dynamics, making her versatile as a dancer.
- An avid yoga practitioner, she began her studies of yoga as a teenager under Guru Arun of Prashant Yogashraya, learning for many years in the Iyengar yoga tradition. Curious about the mechanics of the body she studied Anatomy and Physiology at Boston University and Nutrition, Biomechanics, and Exercise Physiology at UCLA.
- Over 15 years of research, Rukmini developed The Raadha Kalpa Method, a pedagogical system for the practice of classical Indian dance forms and Bharatanatyam specifically. Based on the idea of ‘neutrality in both mind and body, the system attempts to create a dancer that is simultaneously efficient, precise, and imaginative.
CURATOR, TATWA-TANTU RETREAT
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Experience
• Curated and organised two iconic annual festivals since 2010- Gudiya Sambrahma - the Bengaluru Temple Festival conducted for 5 weekends across Heritage temples showcasing over 50 artists of renown from across the country and Srishti Sambhrama, the Earth Mother Festival for eco-sensitive young adults.
• Organized Divya Varna for four years, a Traditional Indian art exhibition in temple venues, displayed by over 35 artists of renown.
• Two decades in Bharatanatyam performances, created and produced dance productions, scripted themes for productions
• Two and half decades ran Chinmaya Yuva Kendra classes,
• Involved in philanthropic and social welfare-driven activities including the provision of a daily mid-day meal scheme for rural school
• Five Years: involved with Swami Dayananda Saraswati’s ( Arsha Vidya Peetha) work of organizing workshops and interactions with intellectuals and writers
• Two years: Member of the Central Board of Film Censors under Anupam Kher
• Four Years: Member of the National Advisory Board of Philately
• Has organized The Heritage Drive a unique motorsport event. A coming together of TSD Motorsport, heritage sites, culture and tree planting. Two 1000 km 3-day drives, one 300 km two-day drive and two 250 km one-day drives.
• Written and conceptualized short stories for children Katha Parampara, authored and published “Forever There” A historical fiction and presently writing yet another historical fiction
Qualifications and Positions Currently held
• Vijayalakshmi has learnt Bharathanatyam for decades. She is a graduate in Literature, Psychology and Economics.
• Vijayalakshmi Vijayakumar is the founder secretary of Heritage a not-for-profit trust working in the field of cultural and natural heritage education and social welfare.
• Director of the Indica Centre for Soft Power
• Managing Director of Vigirom Pvt. Ltd., (Fragrance and Aroma Raw Material Company) Director of Madhavi Greens Pvt Ltd (Organic Farm)
• Member of the Commission for Sustainability under the Federation of Motorsport Club of India
Key skills and strengths:
• Cultural sensitivity and organizational leadership in the cultural space: Wide-ranging, multi-dimensional career in dance performance, and production, showing superior and versatile skills required to bring out meaningful cultural experiences for varied audiences. Student of Vedanta.
• Strategic Leadership and Communications: Vijayalakshmi’s leadership instincts and acumen were demonstrated in the several decade-long cultural events she has been organizing to great appreciation across India.
• Originality in the creation of cultural activities: Her unique interests include flying a powered aircraft (the first woman to do cross-country flight in Karnataka) playing state-level softball, being on the Central Film and Censor Board, The National Advisory Board for Philately, dabbling in freelance design and copyright, come together in organizing and curating many unique events that bring together several knowledge verticals.
Phone: +919845077999. Email: Vijayalakshmi.vijayakumar@gmail.com
• Curated and organised two iconic annual festivals since 2010- Gudiya Sambrahma - the Bengaluru Temple Festival conducted for 5 weekends across Heritage temples showcasing over 50 artists of renown from across the country and Srishti Sambhrama, the Earth Mother Festival for eco-sensitive young adults.
• Organized Divya Varna for four years, a Traditional Indian art exhibition in temple venues, displayed by over 35 artists of renown.
• Two decades in Bharatanatyam performances, created and produced dance productions, scripted themes for productions
• Two and half decades ran Chinmaya Yuva Kendra classes,
• Involved in philanthropic and social welfare-driven activities including the provision of a daily mid-day meal scheme for rural school
• Five Years: involved with Swami Dayananda Saraswati’s ( Arsha Vidya Peetha) work of organizing workshops and interactions with intellectuals and writers
• Two years: Member of the Central Board of Film Censors under Anupam Kher
• Four Years: Member of the National Advisory Board of Philately
• Has organized The Heritage Drive a unique motorsport event. A coming together of TSD Motorsport, heritage sites, culture and tree planting. Two 1000 km 3-day drives, one 300 km two-day drive and two 250 km one-day drives.
• Written and conceptualized short stories for children Katha Parampara, authored and published “Forever There” A historical fiction and presently writing yet another historical fiction
Qualifications and Positions Currently held
• Vijayalakshmi has learnt Bharathanatyam for decades. She is a graduate in Literature, Psychology and Economics.
• Vijayalakshmi Vijayakumar is the founder secretary of Heritage a not-for-profit trust working in the field of cultural and natural heritage education and social welfare.
• Director of the Indica Centre for Soft Power
• Managing Director of Vigirom Pvt. Ltd., (Fragrance and Aroma Raw Material Company) Director of Madhavi Greens Pvt Ltd (Organic Farm)
• Member of the Commission for Sustainability under the Federation of Motorsport Club of India
Key skills and strengths:
• Cultural sensitivity and organizational leadership in the cultural space: Wide-ranging, multi-dimensional career in dance performance, and production, showing superior and versatile skills required to bring out meaningful cultural experiences for varied audiences. Student of Vedanta.
• Strategic Leadership and Communications: Vijayalakshmi’s leadership instincts and acumen were demonstrated in the several decade-long cultural events she has been organizing to great appreciation across India.
• Originality in the creation of cultural activities: Her unique interests include flying a powered aircraft (the first woman to do cross-country flight in Karnataka) playing state-level softball, being on the Central Film and Censor Board, The National Advisory Board for Philately, dabbling in freelance design and copyright, come together in organizing and curating many unique events that bring together several knowledge verticals.
Phone: +919845077999. Email: Vijayalakshmi.vijayakumar@gmail.com
- Architect Meera Natampally has worked on huge projects in the areas of Public and private projects, Culture and heritage projects and Research.
- She is an Adjunct faculty at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), IISC and worked on DST’s India Digital Heritage project.
- She has extensively worked on research related to heritage and published papers at top conferences in the world. She is working as a Domain expert in the area of Heritage for the National Institute of Design (NID).
- She has been appointed as Heritage Architect for Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) and Consultant for TATA Projects Ltd, India.
- She has taught in various institutions for more than two decades. She has been on various committees related to Heritage and Art.
- “Dr Rangan teaches the essence of Dharma and the true vision of Dharmic life … wonderfully and engagingly...reawakening the soul of India in the modern age.” – Dr David Frawley, Founder, American Institute of Vedic Studies “Shri Ranganji has lived and experienced each verse and has touched the heart of the sage Valmiki.
- Hence, he is unlike those scholars who hold research alone as their focus of studies and who would have read the Ramayana only for the limited sake of their research.” – Shri Ramanacharana Thirtha Brahma Shri Nochur Venkataraman - Vedanta-exponent “Dr Rangan has taken upon himself the Bhagirathic task of taking Ramayana into all the people without in any way diminishing or diluting its values.
- With Dr Rangan, the deep scholarship of traditional texts along with a vast knowledge of modern narratives becomes an instrument of Bhakti that in no way compromises academic rigor.
- Scholar-saints soaked in Bhakti and traditional wisdom while being well aware of modern narratives are rare. Dr. Rangan is one such precious scholar of wisdom.
- Dr Vishwanath M V currently serves as a Guest Lecturer in the department of Alankara Shastra, Government Maharaja Sanskrit College, Mysuru. He is also serving as an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Heritage Sciences at IIT-Hyderabad. His thesis titled Śrīmadvālmīkirāmāyaṇe Saṃvādavimarśaḥ was awarded a PhD from BHU, Varanasi in the year 2018.
- He has three MA degrees in the subjects Sanskrit, Alaṅkāraśāstra and Phalita Jyautiṣam. His research areas include Sanskrit literature, Rāmāyaṇa, Sāmkhya Philosophy, Arthaśāstram, Nimitta, Śakuna and Phalita Jyautiṣam. He is currently giving a series of lectures on ten principal Upanishads.
- He is currently the Principal Investigator of a research project titled Demarcation of Rāmakathā through Samvāda funded by the IKS division of the Ministry of Education, Government of India.
- He has published four research papers in referred journals. He has also contributed four chapters in the Kannada translation of Mānasollāsa published by Karnataka Sanskrit University, Bangalore. He has presented research papers in many seminars and conferences.
- He has also delivered several talks on Sāṃkhya, Jyautiṣam and Bhagavadgītā. Series of talks on Kumārasambhavam and Śiśupālavadham in Sanskrit, Kuvalayānanda and Śrimadbhāgavatam in Kannada, Rasagaṅgādhara in Hindi are being made available on YouTube channel Guruguhalahari.
Dr Vishwanath-Email- guhavishwanath@gmail.com-mobile 9035500108
- Hailing from a traditional south Indian family
- Aerospace Engineer by profession having a master's degree(Electronics & Controls) from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.
- Retired from HAL and consulting with Tata Consultancy Services.
- Developed interest in astrology and did the Jyothish Visharad course from the Indian Council of Astrological Sciences(founded by late Dr BVRaman), Bangalore.
- Teaching Vedic Astrology over the past 30 years under initially ICAS, and later, Bharativa Jvothisha Sansthan(late Dr S Krishna Kumar) at Bharativa Vidya Bhavan, Bangalore.
- Involved in creating syllabus and 3-year program of study of Jyothish for BJS.
- Participated in several seminars/conferences. Received several awards from ICAS and other organisations.
- Delivered talks on 'modern science and astrology' on several occasions.
- Written several articles for the Astrological Magazine and other publications(Star Teller)
- Part of the committee set up to create a uniform panchanga as there is confusion due to several Hindu calendars in different parts of the country.
- Offered workshops and courses on Tarot, Numerology, and Neuro-Linguistic Programming.
Qualifications and professional details
1. B.E. (Electrical Engineering), M.E.(Electronics ), Member Aeronautical Society of India
2.Qualifications in astrology: Iyothish Praveen, Iyothish Visharad
3. Family associations with astrology: From a traditional family with a strong belief in astrology.
4. Awards and recognition: Jyothish Kovida, Ivothish Bhanu, Jyothir Diggaia, Jyothir Inana Acharya.
5. Books published: Edited 3 books, Bhaja Govindam, Sadhana Panchakam. &Ashtanga Yoga
6. Articles written: Number of articles in Astrological Magazine, Vedic Astrology, Star Teller, etc. on Nadi, natal chart financial analysis, astrology and modern science, Past Life Regression, Data Science and Astrology etc.
7. Subiects handled with favourites if any: Astronomy, Shadbalas, Composite Techniques, Marriage Matching, Dasha Systems, Counseling, Tarot etc.
8. Current research interests: Esoteric astrology, NLP, Counseling
9.Other interesting information/ remarkable success stories: Conducted a one-day workshop on applications of shad balls. Conducted workshops on Tarot and Numerology. Active participation in several conferences, seminars and workshops.
10. Contact details: 71706, Nikoo Homes, Bhartiya City, Thanisandra Main Road, Bangalore- 560064
- Rajeev hailing from a Musical family started his early initial training under Vidushi R. A. Chingamani and proceeded for further training under Ganakalabhushana Vidushi Dr. R. A. Ramamani.
- With additional guidance from his uncle Ganakalabhushana Vidwan. T. A.S. Mani, has taken part in state-level competitions and has been honoured with the Prathibha Karanji State Award and Veena Sheshanna Youth Artist Award.
- He has performed at various prestigious places such as Madras Music Academy, Bangalore Gayana Samaja, Mylapore Fine Arts, etc.
- Inquisitive to explore different genres of music such as Jazz, Fusion of Carnatic progressive Rock and delivering performances at Hard Rock Cafe, Fandom, Strawberry Fields etc.
- Completing experimental research in ‘Complex ragas in a Cozy way’ , He has inculcated the same into many Musical academies’ curricula.
Dr. Vinayachandra BanavathyAssociate Professor
Specialisation: Psychological insights in the Vedas, Sanskrit, English, Yogic Science and Applied Psychology.
Specialisation: Psychological insights in the Vedas, Sanskrit, English, Yogic Science and Applied Psychology.
- Dr. Vinayachandra Banavathy, being one of the members of the Founding Team of the Chanakya University, currently holds the position of the Director – Communications and as the Director -Centre for Indian Knowledge Systems at the University. He is also a Co-founder of Indica Yoga, a platform that offers authentic, immersive and transformative yoga experiences across the world. Recently, he has set up Ritambhara Retreat, an idyllic space for contemplation and learning close to Bengaluru city.
- Dr.Vinayachandra is a dedicated teacher who has been traveling across the world conducting courses, lectures and workshops with a unique blend of Yoga, Psychology and Sanskrit.
- He has had the privilege of being a tutor at the European Union of Yoga Congress, Zinal, Switzerland during the years 2013 and 2014. He was also the Guest of Honour at the same event in 2017. He has also served as a visiting faculty at the Department of Contemplative and Behavioural Sciences at Sri Sri University, Cuttack, Orissa
- Vinayachandra brings with him nearly two decades of rich experience in the domains of research, teaching and policy formulation owing to his varied engagements. He has served as a Senior Consultant to the Committee – to Draft the National Educational Policy (NEP) under the chairmanship of Dr. K. Kasturirangan – set up by Ministry of Education, Govt. of India;
- He has also served as the Director of Veda Vijnana Shodha Samsthanam, a Bengaluru-based research centre dedicated to Sanskrit and Shastric studies; Research Associate at Development Foundation, Bengaluru; Research Associate and Head of Centre for Indian Psychology, Jain University, Bengaluru and Research Associate at Karnataka Knowledge Commission, Govt. of Karnataka. Lecturer, Dept. of Sanskrit, Jain College, Bengaluru and Lecturer, Dept. of Yoga and Spirituality, SVYASA Yoga University, Bengaluru.
- His publications include a report on Standardization of Yoga Terminologies for WHO; a book co-edited with Dr. Anuradha Choudry titled ‘Perspectives on Indian Psychology’, published by Jain University Press. Another book co-authored titled ‘Happiness: Indic Perspectives’ was published by Development Foundation – besides a few articles, papers, booklets on Yoga, Indian Psychology, Culture and Spirituality.
HEMAVATHI BHATT
An M.Sc in Chemistry, has been working in Vigirom Pvt Ltd a fragrance and aroma raw material company as Production Head for a decade. Email: production@vigirom.com |
- Master's in Chemistry from BPGC from KSOU in the year 2013-2014
- Currently, Principal Perfumer & Evaluator at Vigirom Pvt Ltd
Mobile No: 7204486146 Email: Darshandarshu83@gmail.com
- Simran is first and foremost someone on an exciting life journey to go deeper and discover the mysteries of the Self and the universe. She has a deep and abiding love for Indian aesthetics, craft and culture which has led her to create Paro, a concept brand that celebrates the Vedic cultural heritage of India.
- She co-founded Nicobar with her husband - a lifestyle brand that celebrates a relaxed and contemporary India. Simran who was the CEO of Good Earth - a 28-year-old artisanal brand founded by her mother, celebrating Indian heritage, aesthetics and fine craftsmanship, is now on the board of the company.
- Simran holds a BA in History from the University of Delhi and a Master’s degree in History of Art from the University of Bangalore. Her education in art history instilled in her a broader appreciation of the cultural legacies woven into Indian craft histories and inspired her master’s dissertation about the global economic, cultural, and design impact of Indian chintz. Simran continued her exploration of the world of aesthetics and design by studying Product Development and Merchandising at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology.
- More recently Simran did a certified teacher’s training course on mindful leadership called Search Inside Yourself at SIYLI and is a certified Functional Medicine coach from the FMCA. Simran is an eternal student and loves to immerse herself in studies of Vedic culture, astrology, cosmology, is fascinated by etymology and archaeology. She lives in Delhi with her husband and two teenage sons.
- Dr Ramkumar is a lifelong student of Ayurveda and other traditional Indian knowledge systems. Over the last 2 decades, he has given talks and conducted workshops in the Americas, Africa, Europe, Australia and many parts of Asia, propagating health and happiness through Ayurveda.
- Ramkumar is a Founder-Director of Punarnava Ayurveda, an institution committed to “Authentic Ayurveda for Universal Well Being”.
- Punarnava Ayurveda is currently engaged in the creation of vaidyagrama - an experimental green self-sustaining authentic Ayurveda healing community on the outskirts of Coimbatore in SouthIndia. (VaidyaGrama.Com).
- Ramkumar is also on the Board of Directors of The Arya Vaidya Pharmacy (Coimbatore), an institution engaged in all round promotion of Ayurveda for 75 years