Women and Dharma · Hinduism in India & the Diaspora Topic: Brimming with Bhakti, Embodiments of Shakti: Devotees, Deities, Performers, Reformers, and other Women of Power in the

Women and Dharma:Saints. Scholars. Leaders.

Owning the Past | Listening to the Present |Building a Dharmic Future

Roundtables with many invitedDharma Community Women Leaders and Experts

Conference Day Events

Saturday, April 13, 20199:30am to 2:30pm ŚAKTI | PRAKRTI | DEVĪ

शक्ती | प्रकृती | देवी

Morning Sessions: 9:30 - 11:30 AM• Registration (Required)• Brunch• Leadership Roundtables

Afternoon Sessions: 11:30 AM - Onwards• Documentaries and Films• Dances and Music Performances• Keynote Speakers - Dr. Vasudha Narayanan - Dr. Prabhavati Reddy• Morning Leadership Tabletops Out-brief

and Q&A

Women and Dharma: LeadershipRoundtables and Brunch – Table Topics

1. Arts2. Business Leadership3. Children and Families4. Education and Advanced Scholasticism5. Health6. Policy Leadership and Law7. Religious Institutional Leadership8. Religious Practices9. Sciences and Technology10. Social Activism and Disenfranchised

Communities

Keynote: Dr. Vasudha NarayananPh.D. University of Bombay Hinduism in India & the Diaspora

Topic: Brimming with Bhakti, Embodiments of Shakti: Devotees, Deities, Performers, Reformers, and other Women of Power in the Hindu Tradition

Keynote: Dr. Prabhavati Reddy Ph.D. Harvard University Sanskrit and Indian Studies

Topic: Exemplary Women in Dharma, Bhakti and Yoga Traditions: Saints, Gurus, Mothers and Yoginis

Sri Siva Vishnu [email protected]

Open to All Ages and Genders

Click here to Register

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1VoVsQ7QfRaidjs01WWhCSFBLoiDj5vwQ_rDXw9Op4Ps/viewform?edit_requested=true

Women and Dharma:Saints. Scholars. Leaders.

Saturday, April 13, 20199:30am to 2:30pm

Sri Siva Vishnu [email protected]

Open to All Ages and Genders

ŚAKTI | PRAKRTI | DEVĪशक्ती | प्रकृती | देवी

• Exploring the contributions and challenges of Women across the Dharma community

• Bringing together Women leaders within the Dharma community

• Surveying Dharmic Women across multiple disciplines and components of society• Identifying areas that have been bene�cial and opportunities for change• Growing the Dharma community’s legacy of Women leaders and role models

Vasudha Narayanan is Distinguished Professor, Department of Religion, at the University of Florida and a past

President of the American Academy of Religion (2001-2002). She was educated at the Universities of Madras

and Bombay in India, and at Harvard University. Her �elds of interest are the Hindu traditions in India,

Cambodia, and America; visual and expressive cultures in the study of the Hindu traditions; and gender issues.

She is currently working on Hindu temples and traditions in Cambodia. She is the author or editor of seven

books and numerous articles, chapters in books, and encyclopedia entries. In addition, she is also the associate

editor of the �ve-volume Brill’s Encyclopedia of Hinduism. Her research has been supported by grants and

fellowships from several organizations including the Centre for Khmer Studies (2007); the American Council of

Learned Societies (2004-2005); National Endowment for the Humanities (1987, 1989-90, and 1998-99), the John

Simon Guggenheim Foundation (1991-92), the American Institute of Indian Studies/ Smithsonian, and the Social

Science Research Council. She was the president of the Society for Hindu-Christian Studies from 1996-1998. Dr.

Narayanan was named University of Florida’s Teacher Scholar of the Year in 2010.

Dr. Prabhavati Reddy, Adjunct Faculty of Religious Studies, is an interdisciplinary scholar with research focus

in Hindu traditions, religious art and culture, Telugu literature and issues of goddess, women and religion. She

holds a PhD from Harvard University (Sanskrit and Indian Studies) and masters' degrees from University of Texas at Austin (Art History) and Osmania University (Ancient Indian History & Archaeology, Hyderabad, India). Distinguished Shivadasani Visiting Fellow at the Oxford Center for Hindu Studies, Oxford University,

2016. Her research has been supported by grants and fellowships from the OCHS/Oxford University (2016), the

American Academy of Religion (2001 and 2013), Andrew Mellon Post-Doctoral Fellow (2001-2003), Harvard

University (1999) and Samuel Kress Foundation (1996). Her scholarship focuses on the historical development

of Hindu traditions with reference to constructive theological frameworks, religious authority and identity,

con¦ict and resolution in response to sociological and political processes. She is the author of Hindu

Pilgrimage: Shifting Patterns of Worldview of Srisailam in South India (Routledge & Oxford University,2014 &

2017). She has written articles on aspects of the South Indian temple art and religion, Hindu ritual traditions,

diaspora Hinduism in North America, and folk literature of Telangana goddess Bathukamma. She is currently

working on a monograph on the Tantra, Siddha, and Yoga Traditions in medieval south India.

Click here to Register

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What is this event about? Why should I come? •  Gathering: Bringing together Women leaders within the Dharma community •  Understanding: Surveying examples of Dharmic Women pioneers across multiple disciplines

and components of society •  Listening: Exploring the contributions and challenges of Women across the Dharma

community •  Growth: Help to grow and expose the Dharma community’s legacy of Women leaders and role

models •  Looking to the future: Identify areas that have been beneficial and opportunities for change What does it mean to have a Dharmic heritage and background? •  Religious identification with Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism •  Ethnic heritage: Areas of Dharmic religious, cultural and language speaking groups’ influence

in India, South Asia, East Asia and the Hindu, Jain, Buddhist, Sikh diasporas •  Practices: Religious and cultural rites and rituals, observance of festivals, participation in the

arts, adherence to philosophies and principles, as well as spiritual practices within Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism

What are some expected outcomes for this event? •  Experiences: Exposing examples of Women leaders and role models within the Dharmic and

Hindu community •  Relationships: Networking and bringing together Dharmic and Hindu Women and the

community at large across a wide range of life backgrounds, ages and disciplines •  Conversations: Witnessing and learning from unique advanced Women scholars of Sanskrit,

Hinduism, Dharmic and Indian studies. Engaging with Dharmic Women leaders across industries and society.

•  Innovation: Identify ideas for supporting and enhancing experiences of Women within the Dharmic community at large across culture, industry and life experiences

What is Dharma? What are Dharmic values and virtues? •  Common values within Hinduism: Sādhāraṇa dharma (common virtues) as well as social

ethics associated with varṇāśramadharma (societal and individual life roles). Examples include restraints (yama) such as non-harming (ahimsa), truthfulness (satya), non-stealing (asteya), and various other physical and emotional restraints associated with yoga. More abstract virtues, such as knowledge (jñāna) and wisdom (vidyā) meditation (dhyana) and service (karma and seva) may also be included. Additional common values can be derived from the Purusharthas, 8-fold Yoga of Patanjali, Vedas, Upanisads, Epics, Gita, Tantras, Agamas, philosophies (darsana), Dharmasutras and Dharmasastra texts.

•  Common values within Buddhism: Teachings of the Buddha and his disciples including the Noble 8-fold path in Buddhism and the teachings of Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist traditions and communities of Southeast and Northeast Asia.

•  Common values within Jainism: Teachings of Mahavira and the Jain Thirthankaras including values prescribed in the Jain mahavrathas Ahimsa (non-violence), aparigraha (non-possession), asteya (non-stealing), satya (truth), brahmacarya (celibacy), and Jain triratna (faith, knowledge, conduct).

•  Common values within Sikhism: The teachings and mysticism of the ten Sikh gurus and the vision in the Guru Granth Sahib stating that society should be based on divine justice without oppression of any kind.

Who can come? •  Everyone: All ages, all genders, all disciplines and careers •  Children friendly event: Small children’s events are in the classroom

Women & Dharma: Sacred. Saints. Leaders. April 13, 2019

Sri Siva Vishnu temple 9:30 am – 2:30 pm

Program Schedule

Time Description 9:30 am Registration 9:55 am onwards Children can enjoy movies in the education room 10:00 am Invocation and Opening

10:15 am – 11:30am

Brunch and Table Top Discussions • Arts • Business Leadership • Children / Families • Education / Advanced Scholasticism • Health • Policy Leadership and Law • Religious Institutional Leadership • Religious Practices • Sciences and Technology • Social Activism

11:30 am – 11:45 am Morning break

11:45 am - 12:15 am

Dr. Vasudha Narayanan – Keynote Address Brimming with Bhakti, Embodiments of Shakti: Devotees, Deities, performers, Reformers, and other Women of Power in the Hindu Tradition

12:15 am – 12:45pm

Natyabhoomi School of Dance – Mrs. Deepti Mukund Kuchipudi Dance Academy – Mrs. Laxmi Babu Young Adult and Student Address – Ms. Divya Devarkonda

12:45 pm – 1:15 pm

Dr. Prabhavati Reddy – Keynote Address Exemplary Women in Dharma, Bhakti and Yoga Traditions: Saints, Gurus, Mothers and Yoginis.

1:15 pm to 1:45 pm Documentaries 1:45 pm to 2:00 pm Synthesis of Table Top Discussions

2:00 pm – 2:45 pm Q & A Discussions Wrap-up

2:45 pm onwards Informal dialogues in Education Room


Arts

Lakshmi Swaminathan (Facilitator) trained in Bharatanaatyam under the able guidance of Guru Dr. Thankamani Kutty, director of Kalaamandalam, Calcutta. Lakshmi’s lifelong passion for dance led her to establish Natanaanjali School of Dance in Bethesda, MD to train students in Bharatanaatyam. She has been an artist for the past 15 years with the Maryland chapter of Young Audiences/Arts for learning, a national organization for arts in education. Through this program she presents assembly performances and dance workshops, educating the students not just in Indian Classical Dance but also the rich cultural heritage of India. Lakshmi hosts a monthly TV show on WJLA TV, produced by GTV titled “The World Of Bharatanaatyam”, through which she aims to educate the viewers on the fine nuances of this beautiful dance form.

Sangeeta Bulbul Agarwal grew up in Mumbai, between the colorful chaos of the bustling metropolis and the peaceful shores of the Arabian Sea. She came to love all the contrasts that define the human experience. Sangeeta caught the acting bug in college, winning many awards in Mumbai, including Best Actress, at Jagruti, an all-India theater competition. She continued to pursue her passion for theater after moving to the US. After acting in numerous plays over the years, she has recently ventured into film. Sangeeta recently won the Best NRI Actress Award at the Delhi International Film Festival 2015, for her first short film, A Good Match. She makes her writing and directing debut with a short film, Five O'Clock Shadow. It has been screened at many film festivals and has won these among other awards.

Arunima Ghosh is a board certified Anatomic Pathologist with a PhD in Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, with an active interest and fellowships in GI Pathology and Clinical Informatics. She is currently employed as a Pathologist in a company. An ardent believer in education for everyone and women's rights, she is one of the founder members of Ta Thoi DC, a dance organization here in DMV area. She is among the board of directors for "Sanskriti" the Bengali organization of greater Washington DC. She is also a grants person and runs the Senior program at AICS (Asian Indians for Intercommunity Service) and is trying to promote both cultural as well as social and community values among the youth.

Lakshmi Babu is founder and director of Kuchipudi Dance Academy of MD & VA – a classical dance institute celebrating its 23rd year. Lakshmi’s contribution to Kuchipudi has been recognized by several organizations that have awarded her with titles and accolades. Apart from performing, she is an accomplished choreographer and educator playing leadership roles at several arts and dance organizations in the US.

Business Leadership

Rajeswari Ramanan (Facilitator) is a well-rounded, strategic Global Human Resources Executive with pragmatic solutions and impactful tool kits in Organizational and Leadership Development. Her successful and progressive career is a result of diverse, multi-faceted and on-the-ground experience, in both developing and mature markets. Her key focus is to unlock human potential and deliver transformative business results through effective change management and leadership alignment which she has achieved throughout her 23 years of career across 17 countries and 4 continents for companies such as Lafarge, Iberdrola and Black & Veatch shaping their organization, leadership and talent development practices. She is the Assistant Dean of Career Management at McDonough School of Business - Executive education, Georgetown University.

Srilekha Reddy Palle received her doctorate in Physical therapy from Boston University and has MBA with a focus in Health care administration. Dr. Palle currently works as a Director of Physical Medicine, Cardiac & Pulmonary Rehabilitation at Inova Health system and is the member of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Dr. Palle is an entrepreneur and is the CEO of V care home health care services that work on a mission to serve the community at large. Srilekha was the past president of Durga temple of Virginia, the first temple of Bhagwati Durgaji built in USA. During her tenure at Durga temple, Dr. Palle facilitated collaboration with institution of other faiths in promoting Peace and Unity. Srilekha attended The Global Entrepreneurship Summit in 2017 as part of Ivanka Trump’s US delegation.

Sara Chennamsetti is a Sr. Director of Program Management at Marriott International where she has spent the last 5 years directing and delivering major enterprise-wide initiatives. Prior to that she spent over 10 years in strategic, business process, and technology consulting after graduating from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. She balances her career with her home life in Rockville where she lives with her husband, 10 year old son Rohit, and 8 year old daughter Karina. Outside of work, she enjoys family vacations and cheering for Pittsburgh (her hometown) sports teams.

Archana Gharpuray is the Vice President of Software Engineering at Hughes Network Systems. Hughes is the world’s leading supplier of broadband satellite services and network solutions, with annual revenues of over $1 billion. At Hughes, Archana manages the development of products servicing both enterprises and consumers around the world. She also holds a number of patents in satellite communications. Archana graduated with a Bachelor of Sciences in Electronics and Telecommunications from College of Engineering Pune and a Master of Sciences in Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications from Kansas State University. She started her career at Hughes in September 1988 as a software developer; she has since worked on multiple product lines and is now Vice President of Software Engineering.

Rupal Shah is currently a Senior Leader at Johnson & Johnson, heading divisions for North America Consumers Portfolio & Management, New Product Deployment & Product Life Cycle Management. Educated at Tata University of Social Sciences in India, Rupal completed her Masters at Rutgers University. She is a key leader at J & J’s Womens’ Leadership Initiative and is on the Board of the South Asian Professional of North America (SAPNA) that promotes the presence of & enhances career path for South Asian communities . In addition, Rupal grew up in a religious and patriotic home where her grandfather worked intimately with Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhai Patel in the Indian freedom movement and later becoming a key religious leader for Jainism.

Anika Khanna As a leader in the Federal government, Anika Khanna works for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) which is a semi-autonomous agency as part of the Department of Energy (DOE). In her current capacity, Anika is the Deputy Director for Infrastructure and Modernization. Anika is also a Program Manager providing budget guidance and technical direction for the Operations & Maintenance Programs for all eight NNSA sites throughout the US, assuring facility operations and maintenance is managed in a safe, efficient, and reliable manner. Anika grew up in the warm sunny islands of Trinidad and Tobago and moved to USA to attain her higher education.

Children & Families

Deepa Mandyam (facilitator) is a mom to two young children who has chosen to spend her energy mostly on family related affairs. Previously, she was a healthcare manager and health services entrepreneur. She currently lives in the Washington DC area but grew up in Los Angeles, surrounded by a large extended family.

Reji Kartholy is a mother of two young daughters. She graduated in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland and is a Licensed Professional Engineer. She currently works at the US Patent and Trademark Office. Her interests related to her Dharmic Heritage – rites, beliefs, and arts (Kuchipudi and Carnatic music). Her values strongly influence the manner in which she raises her young children, promoting their involvement in arts and dharmic instruction.

Rugminy Gopal or Mami as she is affectionately called is an active volunteer and role model for many at SSVT. She led the children’s education program at SSVT for several years. In her words: “ When I came to this country in 1972 – it was a totally different cultural environment for me. Other Indian families in the area helped me adjust to this area. In course of time, we realized the importance of imparting our values, culture, and traditions to the younger generations growing up here”.

Umarani Shankaran was born into an orthodox family in India. Her father & brother worked at a temple that their family had worshipped at for generations. With such a traditional background, she raised her family to follow strict principles. Upon moving to the US with her husband who is a respected priest at SSVT, her focus has been to uphold their family’s Hindu dharma and traditions, even as their children were exposed to many other thoughts and beliefs that led them to question their own heritage. They have a college aged daughter and a son who are deeply involved in learning and practicing their religious traditions.

Kalyani Sivasubramanian and her husband, Dr. Siva are co-founders of SSVT and she is an active volunteer.


Dr. Aparna Ramaswamy is a Bharatha Natyam dancer & teacher whose first doctoral research was on Natya Yoga – linking the practices of Bharatha Natyam to the principles of ashta anga yoga as described in Patanjali’s Yogasutra. As a counselor and educator, Dr. Ramaswamy utilizes yoga and meditation in counseling people with depression, anxiety and other mood disorders. She completed her second doctorate on the role of yoga meditation in cultivating mindfulness, humility and empathy in counselors. She is a Faculty at Johns Hopkins University, teaching counselors to incorporate yoga meditation in counseling. She is the current Education coordinator at SSVT.

Education and Advanced Scholasticism

Kavita Pallod Sekhsaria (facilitator) is currently pursuing her doctorate in clinical psychology at Rutgers. She has been involved in the Hindu community and efforts to educate young Hindus about their faith throughout her life through numerous settings, including as a Hindu Camp Director, as a student leader of the Hindu Student group at her alma mater (The University of Texas), and as a creator of Hinduism 101 (a resource for teachers to use in the classroom) with the Hindu American Foundation, which she serves as a member of the National Team. She also serves as the Hindu Chaplain at American University this year.

Susheila Raghavan Bhagat received her undergraduate degree in Social Sciences from Nagpur University and studied sociology with Dr. M.N. Srinivas at the Delhi School of Economics. She moved to the United States in 1960 and received her graduate degree in Cultural Anthropology from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. Susheila worked on social issues at several nonprofit organizations and consulting firms in Washington, DC, and also taught anthropology at American University, George Washington University, and Howard University.

Ratna Nandakumar, Ph.D., is a professor in the School of Education at the University of Delaware. She teaches graduate level courses in statistics and psychometrics. Her research interests are in the theory and application of psychometric methods in education and related fields. Ratna is also deeply interested in yoga. She has been practicing yoga for over thirty years and is a certified teacher. She currently serves as the Chair of the Life in Yoga Foundation.

Sunitha Madhavan is the great-grand daughter of Rai Bahadur Valaiyattur Venkayya (1 July 1864 – 21 November 1912) was an Indian epigraphist and historian. He served as the Chief Epigraphist to the Government of India from 1908 to 1912. Venkayya's mastery of South Indian languages and scripts was recognised by E. Hultzsch who inducted him to the epigraphical department of the Madras government. Venkayya served as Chief Epigraphist to the Government of Madras till 1908, and then succeeded Hultzsch on his retirement, as the Chief Epigraphist to the Government of India. Venkayya made a pioneering effort in studying inscriptions in Brihadeeswarar Temple in Tanjore and temples in the Pallava[3] and Pandya countries. He also made significant contributions to Epigraphia Indica. Venkayya was also one of the champions of the Parthian-origin theory of the Pallavas.[4] He also tried to decipher the inscriptions on Mankulam Hill. She is tenured and senior volunteer at SSVT.

Dr. Prabhavathi Reddy (Keynote speaker) Bio included in event flyer.

Health

Dr. Revathi K Vikram, MD (Facilitator) graduated from high school in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, received her undergraduate degree in Biology from Washington University in St Louis, MO, and her medical degree from the University of Delhi in India. She then chose to specialize in Psychiatry. She served as a Resident and then Chief Resident in Psychiatry at the Montefiore Medical Center in New York City and was subsequently appointed to the faculty of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. She is Board-Certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Since 2006 Dr. Vikram has been serving the community by organizing training sessions for volunteers who assist the victims of domestic violence, on behalf of ASHA for Women - an advocacy group for the victims of domestic violence of South Asian heritage in the Washington DC metro region.

Dr. Geetha Jayaram, M.B.B.S., M.D. is a psychiatrist and senior faculty member at Johns Hopkins in 3 departments. Her experience and nurturing of her culture and it's tradition of karma yoga, the daily practice of prayer and yoga, and the strong belief that women have both the responsibility and duty to shape positive forces in the world, leading to major personal, economic and spiritual development of others. She is the architect behind "Maanasi" a mental health program for poor women in Southern India that is accessed by 206 villages for 2 decades and is sustained by her efforts with others. This program has been replicated in Lithuania and Kenya to save lives and reach those who are underserved. As a Rotarian she has been honored for her work by the Rotary foundation and the World Bank among other accolades. She continues to serve humanity in other ways. She is humbled by our request to teach others.

Dr. Revathy Murthy is a graduate of Lady Hardinge Medical College, established in 1916 in New Delhi, India, to provide opportunities for women to get medical education. In her 40 years of medical career in the United States, she has been involved in the practice of pulmonary medicine and educating and training medical residents, post graduate fellows and other medical students. Dr. Murthy is currently the Medical and Pulmonary Director for a Long Term Acute Care facility in Maryland. She has received many awards and recognitions and has held leadership positions in Professional Organizations like Indian American Medical Association. Dr. Murthy helped organize and conduct the Annual Health Fair for the Sri Siva Vishnu Temple (SSVT) for the past 20 years.

Bramaramba Kowtha MS, RDN, LDN works as Public Health Analyst & Project Officer at HRSA, HHS in Greenbelt, Maryland. She previously worked as project officer within the Bureau of Health workforce Division of Nursing and Public Health to understand full spectrum of public health, nursing and behavioral health workforce development programs. She is a registered dietician and has offered professional nutritional guidance for over 25 years.

Amita Jain, D.Ayur., is founder of Vedic Health, Inc, a non-profit, charitable organization that provides natural health therapies to people with various forms of chronic illness using the holistic practice of Ayurvedic medicine and therapeutic Hatha Yoga. She has over 20 years of experience in the fields of Ayurveda and Yoga. She studied at SVYASA Yoga Institute in Bangalore, and did her Ayurvedic clinical training in Kerala. In 2016 she resigned from her job as Vice President of Classic Homes to operate the Vedic Health clinic full time. She holds a Bachelors degree in Systems Engineering from University of Virginia as well as a Doctor of Ayurveda degree from Sai Ayurvedic College.

Policy Leadership & Law

Anagha Sundararajan (Facilitator) is a dancer and a lawyer based in Boston, Massachusetts. She received her JD from the University of Chicago Law School in 2018 and is a member of the New York State Bar. Anagha received a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Political Science from the University of Chicago in 2015, and during her time at the University, she served as the co-President of the University of Chicago Dance Council. In addition to practicing law, Anagha performs both Bharathanatyam and Kathak as a freelance artist, and her choreography aims to put the two styles, and the various traditions of the Indian subcontinent, in conversation with one another.

Aruna Miller is an Indian-born American politician and a member of the Maryland House of Delegates and the Women Legislators of Maryland where she serves on the executive board. She was the first Indian-American woman to be elected to the MD legislature. An engineer by training, Miller maintains her activism in community organizations, including serving on the boards of the Black Rock Center for the Arts, MCPS Educational Foundation & the Indian Biomedical Association. She serves as the Executive Director of the Indian American Impact Project and Impact Fund (collectively called IMPACT) advocating for building political power in the Indian American community.

Shantala Raj Critz is an attorney in the DC metro area who currently works on military Veterans’ law issues. She is also a former Prince George crimial prosecutor with 11 years of experience prosecuting crimes including armed robbery, attempted homicide, domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and child homicide. Before moving into legal field she was an investment banker specializing in equity research. For many years she also enjoyed practicing Bharathanatyam.

Moushami P. Joshi is an Attorney at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP in its Washington, D.C. office. She is admitted to practice both in the United States and India and has significant experience in litigating trade matters before Indian authorities. In the past Moushami has been a partner at a prominent Indian law firm where her practice focused on WTO disputes, trade remedial proceedings and WTO policy issues. Outside of work, she pursues her training in Odissi dance and enjoys listening to Indian classical music.


Manga Anantatmula is a Sr. Acquisition (Subject Matter Expert) SME and Team Lead in US Department of Defense. Manga is an unwavering Hindu activist, Hindu Political Activist constantly engaged in Hindu equal rights and fair Hindu representation in US politics. Manga treasures the rich culture and heritage of Sanatana Dharma. She serves as a Director Outreach at Infinity Foundation established by esteemed Hindu Activist Sri. Rajiv Malhotra, She is a Senior Advisor for Political Outreach for American Hindu Coalition (AHC), which represents five million American Hindus in the US, Board of Director (BoD) and Director Outreach at Asian American Coalition for Education fighting against discrimination of Asian students in the admissions of Ivy League Schools in the US to establish “race neutral” admissions.

Vidya Atre Mirmira is a partner in the law firm of Williams & Connolly, LLP in Washington, D.C. Vidya has extensive experience in complex corporate litigation, ERISA litigation and employment-related issues, whistleblower issues, and legal ethics. She graduated Purdue University, summa cum laude, in 1996, earning a B.S. in electrical engineering and a minor in economics. Vidya received her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Chicago Law School, where she was co-founder and executive editor of the Chicago Journal of International Law. She joined Williams & Connolly in 2001 after clerking for Chief Judge Carolyn Dineen King of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Vidya serves on a number of committees at Williams & Connolly, including the Associate Evaluation and Diversity and Inclusion committees.

Religious Institutional Leadership

Deepti Mukund (Facilitator) Artistic Director of Natyabhoomi been practicing & performing Bharathanatyam from a very young age. For the past 25 years Deepti has been teaching this art form in the Greater Washington DC area. The essence of the dance stye stems from Hinduism and while educating her students in the dance form, she has also been teaching the Dharmic values of Hinduism. While not deeply ritualistic, she believes in preserving and nurturing the cultural values intrinsic in Hinduism. Deepti believes that 'Manushatva' or understanding of how to be human in relation to another would make you a better person.

Anju Bhargava is a published author & thought leader in the public and private sectors. She was the only Hindu American appointed to President Obama’s Inaugural Advisory Council on Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, Department of Homeland Security Advisory Council and was the only Indian-American to serve in the Community Builder Fellowship, President Clinton’s White House initiative. She is the Founder of Hindu American Seva Communities*, which has fostered a national movement for Hindu faith-based community service programs addressing social issues. A Vedantic teacher and author, she strives to combine philosophy and practice from a contemporary view and is active in interfaith collaboration

Sister Dr Jenna is a spiritual mentor, author, radio personality, renowned speaker and founder of the Meditation Museum in Maryland and Virginia. She serves as one of the evolutionary leaders in service to conscious evolution and was selected by Empower a Billion Women 2020 as one of 100 Most Influential Leaders of 2015. She is an Advisory Team Member of the Million Mamas Movement, Conscious Good Media and Global Women's Network. Sister Dr. Jenna’s wisdom, peace, and compassion for humanity are expressed through the variety of initiatives she spearheads for youth, women, governments, and communities.

Uma Potarazu served as Chairperson of SSVT’s Board of Trustees for 2 consecutive years after a year of service as Vice Chair of Operations. Uma has been an active volunteer in various roles for over 15 years at SSVT, starting out as a front desk volunteer answering telephones to better understand the community’s needs.

Anjana Sriram is a Trustee Emeritus of Sri Siva Vishnu Temple. She joined the board in 2011 and retired in 2016. During her term in the Board, she was Treasurer, Vice-Chair Operations and Chairperson. She has a CPA from the US and holds a BS in Accounting from India. Anjana has worked at the World Bank since 1998.

Religious Practices

Chandra Bappanad (Facilitator) has been an active volunteer at SSVT for over 35 years and has served as a trustee. Her career spans several countries in various capacities serving local communities in Saudia Arabia, Italy, Denmark, Egypt & Dubai. Chandra is respected for her innate ability to forge relationships with congregational members establishing a strong sense of community at SSVT.

Dr. Vasudha Narayanan (keynote speaker) Bio included in event flyer

Sadhana Srinivasan holds a master's degree in economics and moved to the US after a brief career as journalist. After exploring career options such as boutique designing and importing of clothes, she joined a leading bank and had a successful banking career for ten years. The desire to do more for the society and help the needy led her to quit her job and start Annapurna Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to feeding the hungry in the community. Annapurna now serves seven shelters in the Washington, DC metro area. Spreading love through simple act of kindness is what Sadhana believes is her true dharma.

Divyarani Shankaran was born in India and schooled there until 5th grade. Upon moving to the US with her family, she started middle school. She is an accomplished student, currently in college majoring in Nursing. Her interest is to share her traditional practices with others, especially her own journey straddling her family’s beliefs with prevalent societal practices in the US.

Kalyani Hosadurga has been an active volunteer at SSVT over the past decade, undertaking several leadership roles during temple events. She views the temple as a second home and the congregation members as family.

Sciences & Technology

Lakshmi Murthy Grama (Facilitator) is Associate Director for Digital Communications at the National Cancer Institute (NIH). With Master's degrees in English Literature, Applied Linguistics, and Information Science, Lakshmi seeks to bring the "humanities" into communicating about the sciences. She is also passionate about ensuring people touched by cancer have access to credible and evidence-based information to empower them make the best decisions for themselves and their family. A thought leader in the federal digital community, she was named one of DC's Top 50 Women in Tech in 2014, by Fedscoop, a leading federal government-focused tech media publisher.

Lalitha K. Shankar, MD, PhD is at the Cancer Imaging Program at the National Cancer Institute, at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. Since joining NCI in 2002, she has served as an Advisor to the Associate Director of the Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis and is the Chief of the Clinical Trials Branch in the Cancer Imaging Program. She received her medical degree in Bangalore University, India and received her MS and PhD in Radiation Sciences at Hahnemann University, Philadelphia. She completed her residency and fellowships at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to joining the National Cancer Institute, she was a faculty member in the Department of Radiology at Georgetown University and at the Lombardi Cancer Center.

Dr. Jyotsna Ramachandran is currently Senior Director at Metaswitch, a telecoms software development company where she leads product strategy and development of business communications solutions. She has presented to and participated as a panelist in many industry forums including Women in Technology. She has a doctorate in condensed matter physics from the University of Maryland, College Park and has authored many research papers. She is also a proud mother of two daughters and will soon be celebrating her status as a mother-in-law.

Dr. Subha Madhavan is the Chief Data Scientist and Founding Director of the Innovation Center for Biomedical Informatics (ICBI) at the Georgetown University Medical Center. She is Associate Professor of Informatics and Oncology with research interests in data standardization, curation, integration and analytics across multivariate health and life sciences datasets. She is a world-class leader in data science, clinical informatics and health IT who is responsible for several biomedical informatics efforts including the Georgetown Database of Cancer (G-DOC) platform, a resource for both researchers and clinicians to realize the goals of personalized medicine.


Dr. Debanjana Das is a climate scientist and presently working at the George Mason University and continuing her research with University of Calcutta, India. She is joint Sec. for Indian Society of Remote sensing (ISRS), Kolkata chapter since 2016. She finished her Bachelor’s in science from St. Xavier’s college with Chemistry Honors and she received her Master and Ph.D. degree in Atmospheric sciences from university of Calcutta, India. She is currently working on three-dimensional structure of heating in the atmosphere and ocean in understanding physics and dynamics associated using in-situ observation, satellites information’s and global coupled climate models.

Surubhi V. Kalathur has 10 years of pharmaceutical experience in a GLP laboratory environment. Prior to joining Smithers Avanza, she served as a Principal Investigator/Study Director overseeing GLP studies at XenoBiotic Laboratories Inc. In her current role, she performs study activities to meet the regulatory, GLP, protocol, and SOP requirements. Ms. Kalathur obtained her Master of Science in Pharmacology and Toxicology from Long Island University, after undergraduate work at Rutgers (B.S. Biochemistry with chemistry minor) and Middlesex Community College, graduating dual majors in math and chemistry.

Social Activism

Shruthi Mukund (Facilitator) has a well-rounded background in research and arts programming, with the latter work particularly focused on promoting and practicing South Asian arts in the D.C. area. She currently is the Group Sales and Grassroots Marketing Manager at Strathmore in Rockville MD and serves as the pro bono CEO of the Indian Dance Educators Association. Shruthi is a professionally trained Bharathanatyam, Indian Classical dancer and co-director of Natyabhoomi School of Dance. She is a blogger and tries to make sense of the multiple worlds that she populates through her blog, shrumommyartsmanager.

Jyotsna Gupta has been a board member since 2001 and is currently serving as the President of Upakar. Upakar helps Indian-American students realize their educational goals by providing annual scholarships that acknowledge academic excellence and consider financial need. Jyotsna has managed multiple successful art shows for Upakar, which have both raised funds and promoted local Indian artists. She graduated from the University of Maryland and was a Manager at PG&E Energy Trading. She is real estate agent affiliated with Weichert, Realtors.

Parvati Das is a Tax Director at Choice Hotels, with multiple years of experience across various tax functions. She had diverse roles and accomplishments, in directing all aspects of the Company’s Global Compliance and Tax Accounting functions. She also serves as a co-leader of the Women’s Business Alliance resource group at Choice Hotels. Prior to joining Choice Hotels, Parvati was at EY. She has a Masters in Tax from Golden Gate University, San Frnacisco, and a post graduate diploma in Business Administration from India. She lives in MD with her husband and 2 children.

Ranjana Majumdar is a Multi Media Content Strategist with over 20 years of experience in journalism, ghost writing, technical writing and newspaper production management. She was instrumental in driving the content as well as formulating and articulating the communications strategy for the Indian Prime Minister's Office. With her extensive experience with various media platforms such as social media, film, and photography, Ranjana is a seasoned professional managing the implementation of media strategies for multi-million dollar businesses.

Manisha Singh is the President of Indian American forum for political education in Virginia. This organization is established to bridge the gap between the Indian American community and our elected official and candidates seeking political offices. In 2017, she was elected into CD 11 Democratic Party and Democratic Party of Virginia & is the membership chair for the Asian American caucus. Manisha serves as the Vice President of a Women Empowerment Foundation, a 501c3 organization that she helped found. WEF works tirelessly to make sure every women and girl have the resources needed to reach their potential. WEF have a unique structure and have family lawyers, counselors, financial advisors, doctors and professional counselor as our advisory board.

Sonal Shah is the Founding Executive Director of the Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation and Professor at Georgetown University. Prior to joining Georgetown, Sonal served as Deputy Assistant to the President for President Obama and founded the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation. She has extensive experience in the public sector and private sector experience. At Google, Sonal led technology initiative for civic voice and investing for impact as the head of Global Development Initiatives. One of Sonal’s most proud accomplishments is working with her siblings to create a non-profit, Indicorps, to build a new generation of socially conscious global leaders. Indicorps created the service movement in India inspiring and incubating new social enterprises like Teach for India and Sarvajal.

Krish Vignarajah is a Democrat running for governor of Maryland. She served in the Obama White House as Policy Director for Michelle Obama and at the State Department as Senior Advisor under Secretary of State Clinton and Kerry. Krish is a mom, an immigrant, the daughter of two Baltimore City public school teachers, and the only candidate who is a proud product of Maryland public schools, K-12.

Invited Guests of Honor

Senator Kamala D. Harris is a lifelong public safety and civil rights leader. Elected in 2016, she is the second African American woman in history to be elected to the US Senate, and the first woman to serve as Attorney General of the state of California. Born in Oakland, Kamala Harris is a graduate of Howard University. She earned her law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. Senator Harris credits her Indian-American mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris for instilling in her the sense of responsibility that motivates her political career. Senator Harris is a Presidential candidate for 2020.

Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is the first Hindu-American elected to the US Congress in 2012 from Hawaii and is co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans. Congresswoman Gabbard has studied the Bhagavad Gita since her childhood and credits the Gita for guiding her lived values of karma yoga and bhakti yoga. With over 16 years of public service, Congresswoman Gabbard has completed two tours of duty in the Middle East and is one of the first two women veterans to be elected to Congress. She is a Presidential candidate for 2020.

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal is the first Indian-American in the House of Representatives, representing the state of Washington. She was born in Chennai, India and immigrated to the US in 1982 to attend college at Georgetown University and later receiving her MBA from Northwestern University. Congresswoman Jayapal has spent the past twenty years working internationally and domestically as a leading advocate for women’s, immigrant, civil and human rights.

Additional Honored Guests

Ms. Divya Devarkonda is a student at the Holton Arms Middle School. The Middle School program is centered upon the process of learning. In seventh and eighth grades, girls experiment with different strategies for studying and time management. In short, students learn how to learn. She runs cross-country and plays soccer for Holton-Arms and is a multi-year gifted and advanced student within the Educational Program as well as a model young adult at SSVT. Divya will deliver the Young Adult and Student Keynote Address for the event.

Event Organizers and Volunteers

Sri Siva Vishnu Temple Educational Committee

Dr. Aparna Ramaswamy

Vijay Kumar

Neha Dhru

Prabha Chakravaruthy

Surubhi Kalathur

Raj Nadar

Ricky Rambharat

Education Trustee Liaison: Sri Vasu Murthy

Leadership Roundtable Note Takers

Adithi Grama

Aiswarya Sridhar

Anagha Sridhara

Deepthi Ramesh

Swathi Reddy

Valli Sanmugalingam

Sri Siva Vishnu Temple – Women and Dharma Event: Leadership Tabletop Discussion Worksheet

Discussion Points Women and Leadership Tabletop Discussion Questions

Table Administration Breaking the Ice: Introductions, names, feedback, findings

Overview and Examples of Women

Leaders, Experts, Contributions and

Challenges

Overview of the field: scope, institutions, careers, education

Women Examples: Current and historical Women (including those with a Dharmic community heritage) leaders, experts and their contributions in the field

Challenges: What are some challenges in the field faced by Women (including those with a Dharmic community heritage)?

Personal Stories by Table Subject Matter

Experts

Impact of having a Dharmic Heritage: How has your Dharmic community background enhanced or inhibited your professional and personal life?

Personal Stories: What are some of your own success stories, contributions and distinctions that you have made to further this field?

Personal Values: How do your personal core values compare with your understanding of your Dharmic heritage?

Facing Challenges with a Dharmic Heritage: How did your Dharmic community heritage help you overcome any challenges you may have faced in this field?

Challenges in having a Dharmic Heritage: What challenges presented themselves from having a Dharmic community background?

Opportunities for Change and Improving

Experiences of Women

Future changes: Suggested changes in policies, perspectives, practices, services, capabilities, providers, support types, resolutions, others, etc.

Dharmic values and change: What examples of institutional changes could be derived from Dharmic values and heritage?

Supporting and Empowering Change: What examples of organizations, providers and partners could be leveraged for best practices in navigating challenges and seeking future improvements?

Looking Ahead and Further Areas of

Consideration

Future Temple Initiatives: Given the Temple is a Dharmic community access point, what suggestions does the table have for capabilities, services and future events that could help meet some of the identified challenges and suggested institutional changes?

Further Study: What are some further areas of study to build on successes, mitigate challenges and implement changes in this field?

Challenges Beyond Women: What other communities outside of women face challenges within this field?

Building Partnerships and Expertise: Who are some institutional partners and experts in this field that the SSVT congregation and Dharmic community could work with for future events related to this field?


Discussion Points Women and Children/Families Tabletop Discussion Questions


Overview of the Field and Examples of Women Leaders,

Experts, Contributions and Challenges

Defining Family Types and Women roles: What are the various family types and women's roles within each family type? How do we describe or define successful families across the various types? How do women drive that success?

Positive Examples: What are some examples of roles, contributions and unique distinctions of women and women of Dharmic community backgrounds to growing and sustaining various family types?

Challenges of Women in Family Roles: What needs to be changed? What challenges do women face (including those with a Dharmic community heritage) in sustaining and leading various family types?


Experts

Impact of having a Dharmic Heritage: How has your Dharmic community background enhanced or inhibited your family life?

Personal Stories: What are some of your contributions that have been made towards your family's progress?

Personal Values: What aspects of a Dharmic community heritage as well as your personal values that drive your family's success?

Facing Challenges with a Dharmic Heritage: What are some example family challenges that you have faced that having a Dharmic community background helped you overcome? How has multi-cultural lifestyles contributed to success and added complexity? How has recent decades' rise in technologies contributed to success and added complexity?

Challenges in having a Dharmic Heritage: What challenges presented themselves from having a Dharmic community background? What examples and aspects Dharmic heritage have contributed to overcoming challenges such as epics, rites, beliefs, arts, legacies?

Opportunities for Change and Improving

Experiences of Women

Future changes: Suggested changes in culture, perspectives, practices, support types, others, etc.

Dharmic values and change: What examples of family-oriented changes could be derived from Dharmic values and heritage?

Supporting and Empowering Change: What examples of organizations, institutions and service providers could be leveraged for best practices in navigating challenges and seeking future improvements?


Consideration

Future Temple Initiatives: Given the Temple is a Dharmic community access point, what suggestions does the table have for capabilities, services and future events that could help meet some of the identified challenges and suggested family-oriented changes to optimize quality of life and experiences for women?

Further Study: What are some further areas of study to build on successes, mitigate challenges and implement changes in family-oriented domains?

Challenges Beyond Women: What other communities outside of women face challenges within family-oriented domains?

Building Partnerships and Expertise: Who are some institutional partners and experts in this field that the SSVT congregation and Dharmic community could work with for future events related to Dharmic community touchpoints with family-oriented domains?

Additional Topics to Explore: What have we missed? What additional questions could have been brought up at the table?


Discussion Points Women and Religious Practices Tabletop Discussion Questions


Overview of the Field and Examples of Women Leaders,

Experts, Contributions and Challenges

Overview of the field: How would we briefly summarize the spectrum of Dharmic religious practices? What is the overall scope and types of institutions that support Dharmic religious practices (temples, schools, etc.)? What are example vocations, careers, and roles ranging from priests (purohitya) to scholars (panditya)? What are example educational institutions for studying Dharmic religious practices?

Women Examples: Who are some key examples of current and historical women leaders, contributors and experts in the field of Dharmic religious practices? Who are (if any) examples of women with a Dharmic community background that are current or historical leaders, contributors and experts? What are some examples of contributions and unique distinctions of women and women of Dharmic community backgrounds to Dharmic religious practices?

Challenges: What are some challenges that women and women of Dharmic community backgrounds have experienced while navigating the spectrum of Dharmic religious practices?


Experts

Impact of having a Dharmic Heritage: How has your Dharmic community background enhanced or inhibited your religious and spiritual progress in life?

Personal Stories: What are some of your own success stories and contributions and that you have made to enhance women's roles in Dharmic religious practices?

Personal Values: How do your personal core values compare with your understanding of your Dharmic heritage? How does this get reflected in your performance of various rites, rituals and practices?

Facing Challenges with a Dharmic Heritage: What are some challenges with religious practices that having a Dharmic community background helped you overcome?

Challenges in having a Dharmic Heritage: What challenges presented themselves conducting religious practices from having a Dharmic community background?

Opportunities for Change and Improving Experiences of Women

Future changes: Suggested changes in policies, perspectives, practices, services, capabilities, providers, support types, resolutions, others, etc.

Dharmic values and change: What examples of institutional and religio-cultural changes are there based on Dharmic values and virtues that could be highlighted, embodied and applied going forward?

Supporting and Empowering Change: What examples of organizations could be leveraged for best practices in navigating challenges and seeking improvements?


Consideration

Future Temple Initiatives: Given the Temple is a Dharmic community access point, what are some suggestion for capabilities, services and future events that could help address challenges and suggested institutional changes (experts, books, schools, organizations)?

Further Study: What are some further areas of study to build on successes, mitigate challenges and implement changes in this field?

Challenges Beyond Women: What other communities outside of women face challenges within the field of religious practices?

Building Partnerships and Expertise: Who are some institutional partners and experts that SSVT and the Dharmic community could reach to for education and support?

Additional Topics to Explore: What have we missed? What other questions could the table consider?

Documents

Women and Dharma · Hinduism in India & the Diaspora Topic: Brimming with Bhakti, Embodiments of Shakti: Devotees, Deities, Performers, Reformers, and other Women of Power in the