DR. PADMA SUBRAHMANYAM
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- Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam, the legendary Bharatnatyam dancer, is a rare blend of a performer, research scholar, choreographer, music composer, musician, teacher, and author. Renowned for her perfect movements, expressive hand gestures, original ideas, and emotive expressions, she has mesmerized audiences worldwide.
- She shares her vast knowledge by teaching dance, conducting workshops, delivering lectures, and writing extensively. Her illustrious career has earned recognition both in India and abroad, with countries like Japan, Australia, and Russia creating films and documentaries in her honor.
- Born on February 4, 1943, in Chennai, Padma Subrahmanyam grew up in an artistically rich environment. Her father, K. Subramanyam, was an eminent filmmaker and freedom fighter, while her mother, Meenakshi, was a composer, lyricist, dancer, and instrumentalist. Padma began her dance training at ‘Nrutyodaya,’ a school established by her father in 1942, and is now its director. She further honed her craft under legendary gurus like Vazhuvoor Ramaiah Pillai and Dandayuthapani Pillai, and enriched her abhinaya skills under Gowri Ammal.
- Her academic achievements are equally remarkable, with a Bachelor's degree in Music, a Master's in Ethnomusicology, and a Ph.D. in dance from Annamalai University. Her doctoral thesis on "Karanas in Indian Dance and Sculpture" revealed the dynamic nature of the 108 Karanas, which are movement sequences rather than static poses. Her research has revived the spiritual connection between dance and sculpture, epitomized by her design of the 108 Karanas in black granite for the Nataraja Temple at Satara, Maharashtra.
- Padma Subrahmanyam's iconic productions include Meenakshi Kalyanam, Viralimalai Kuravanji, Silappadikaram, and Vande Mataram. She introduced the concept of Pushpanjali in Bharatanatyam and was the first to choreograph a Meera bhajan as a Pada Varnam.
- She has composed music, authored numerous books and articles, and pioneered mono-acting in her dance dramas.
- Her contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors such as the Padma Bhushan (1983), Padma Shri (1981), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1983), and Fukuoka Asian Cultural Prize from Japan. She has also served on the Indo-Sub Commission for Education and Culture.
MS. VIJAYALAKSHMI VIJAYAKUMAR
CURATOR, TATWA-TANTU RETREAT
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- Vijayalakshmi Vijayakumar has curated two iconic festivals since 2010: Gudiya Sambrahma, the Bengaluru Temple Festival, and Srishti Sambhrama, the Earth Mother Festival. She has organized numerous cultural events, including Divya Varna, a traditional art exhibition, and unique motorsport events blending heritage and environmental awareness.
- With two decades of Bharatanatyam performances and dance productions, she combines her artistic passion with social welfare initiatives like rural school mid-day meal schemes. She has also worked with Swami Dayananda Saraswati’s Arsha Vidya Peetha and served on boards like the Central Film Censor Board and the National Advisory Board for Philately.
- A graduate in Literature, Psychology, and Economics, Vijayalakshmi is the founder-secretary of Heritage, a not-for-profit trust, and currently serves as the Director of the Indica Centre for Soft Power. She has authored children’s stories, a historical fiction titled Forever There, and is working on another novel.
DR. VISHWANATH MV
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- Dr. Vishwanath M. V. is a Sanskrit scholar serving as a Guest Lecturer at Maharaja Sanskrit College, Mysuru, and Adjunct Professor at IIT Hyderabad. With a Ph.D. in Śrīmadvālmīkirāmāyaṇe Saṃvādavimarśaḥ from BHU, his research spans Sanskrit literature, Rāmāyaṇa, and Sāmkhya philosophy.
- He is the Principal Investigator of a government-funded project on Rāmakathā and has contributed to various research publications, seminars, and Kannada translations of Sanskrit texts.
- His lectures on the Upanishads, Jyotisha, and classical Sanskrit literature are widely followed on platforms like YouTube
DR. VINAYACHANDRA BANAVATHY
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- Dr. Vinayachandra Banavathy, Director at Chanakya University, blends expertise in Yoga, Psychology, and Sanskrit. He co-founded Indica Yoga, a global platform for transformative yoga experiences, and established Ritambhara Retreat, a learning space near Bengaluru.
- An educator and policy expert, he served as a consultant for India’s National Education Policy and has taught at international forums, including the European Union of Yoga Congress.
- He has authored books on Indian psychology and happiness and contributed to WHO’s standardization of yoga terminologies.
RUKMINI VIJAYAKUMAR
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- Rukmini Vijayakumar is one of the most sought-after Bharatanatyam soloists of her generation, celebrated for her innovative choreography, emotive performances, and athleticism.
- She has performed globally, including at Jacobs Pillow Festival, The Drive East Festival, and the Royal Opera House, London.
- With a BFA in Modern Dance and Ballet from the Boston Conservatory, Rukmini integrates Western and Indian dance philosophies in her choreographies.
- She developed the Raadha Kalpa Method, a pedagogical system rooted in Bharatanatyam’s traditional vocabulary yet tailored for contemporary relevance.
SWAMI TAPONIDHI SARASWATI
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- Swami Taponidhi Saraswati, initiated into the Dashnami Sannyasa tradition by his Guru Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati in 2004, is a renowned yoga master with over two decades of teaching experience. His academic journey includes a Certificate in Yoga and Teacher Training from Ghantali Mitra Mandal, Mumbai (1999), a Diploma in Yogic Studies from Mumbai University (2001), and a Master’s in Applied Yogic Sciences from Bihar Yoga Bharati (2003).
- After 15 transformative years at the Bihar School of Yoga, Swamiji now shares the essence of yoga globally. He simplifies the profound techniques of yoga—Asanas for physical stability, Pranayama for energy flow, Pratyahara for sensory withdrawal, Dharana for concentration, and ARACE (Attention, Relaxation, Awareness, Concentration, Evolution)—to enhance participants’ self-awareness and quality of life.
- Swamiji integrates dynamic practices like Kalaripayattu for chakra balancing and Tibetan Singing Bowls in Yoga Nidra to deepen relaxation. He has led retreats across India, Nepal, and abroad, including sessions on mantra meditation, Vedanta, and subtle yoga practices. His teachings, enriched by his personal transformation and deep spiritual insights, inspire students to explore higher consciousness and embrace a holistic approach to life.
DR. ar ramadas
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- Hailing from Thrissur the cultural capital of Kerala, Dr. A. R. Ramadas is offering his services to Ayurveda care and Ayurveda teaching as Medical Director of Vaidyagrama Ayurveda in Coimbatore.
- He heads the first cluster of this eco-friendly Ayurveda hospital, where he has been engaged in Ayurveda services from 2008. He inherits a strong family tradition of a long line of Ayurveda practitioners, serving the community for more than half a century.
- Dr. Ramadas completed his Ayurveda graduation and underwent a training in Nethra Chikitsa (Ophthalmology) under the guidance of the famous traditional Ayurveda Ophthalmologist Manakunnath Gopalan Vaidya. He followed this by training under the well-known pediatrician C.N.S Gangadharan Vaidyar.
- He also did M.S Psychotherapy and Counseling from Institute of Behavioral and Management Sciences. He had headed his family firm Rajendra Pharmacy, R.P.M Ayurvedic Nursing Home, as well as the Ayurveda center of Punarnava Ayurveda at Vietnam.
- His compassion and expertise is in offering Ayurveda care for varied ailments, has made Dr Ramadas, a favorite vaidya for patients across the globe.
- Dr Ramadas is a chosen Guru of Rashtriya Ayurveda Vidyapeeth and in 2023 he is guiding four new brilliant and passionate Ayurveda doctors.