Grateful To Gurus 2023 Awardees

चित्रं वटतरोर्मूले वृद्धाः शिष्या गुरुर्युवा ।

गुरोस्तु मौनं व्याख्यानं शिष्यास्तुच्छिन्नसंशयाः ॥३॥

The Dakshinamurthy Stotram marvels at the sight of youthful Gurus instructing their aged Shishyas without uttering a word. The Guru, an ancient embodiment of wisdom and dispeller of ignorance, transcends time and thought. Every year, on the Purnima of the Ashada month, the traditional period of Chaturmasya commences—a time dedicated to sadhana, svadhyaya, and tapas—associated with the emergence of Maharishi Veda Vyasa, the compiler and editor of the Vedas, author of the Mahabharata and the Puranas. He is the Guru of Gurus, an avatara purusha. This day is celebrated as Guru Purnima to honour him.

At INDICA, Guru Purnima serves as an occasion to acknowledge the silent Gurus among us who have played a crucial role in dispelling ignorance and preserving Dharma. Each year, we pay tribute to scholars, artists, leaders, and activists who have dedicated decades of their lives to preserving and promoting our culture, while resisting the growing assaults on our Dharmic spaces, traditions, Gurus, and the essence of Sanathana Dharma itself.

Previous recipients of this honour include luminaries such as Dr. David Frawley (Pt. Vamadeva Shastri), Shrikant Talageri, Professor Kapil Kapoor, Dr. S Kalyanaraman, Professor B. B. Lal,  Dr. R. Nagaswamy, Shatavadhani Dr. R Ganesh, Dr. Sonal Mansingh, Dr. Kanagabasapathi, Dr. R. Vasudevan, Prof. Umadevi Ganesan, Dr. Sadhana Rao and R Saraswathi Jois, Dr. R Mani Dravid Shastrigal, M.M. Prof. K.V. Ramakrishnamacharyulu, Brahmashri Subramanya Deekshitar, Brahmashri Sundara Kumar D, Acharya Chirravuri Srirama Sarma, and Prof. V N Jha. These individuals not only preserve valuable traditional knowledge but also transmit it in the traditional manner, all while maintaining a deep sense of bhakti, the excitement of jnana, and the purity of bhavana that leads to divinely ordained achievements.

We have also honoured notable academics who have pushed the boundaries of scholarship and teaching in a university environment, such as Subhash Kak, Michel Danino, Bharat Gupt,  Arvind Sharma, and Meenakshi Jain.

This year, we proudly honour 18 eminent Gurus, including Dharmacharyas, Scholars, Humanists, and Social Leaders. Among the recipients are Dharmacharyas like Sadatmananda Saraswati Swamiji, the Pradhana Acharya of Arsha Vidya Ashram at Anaikatti, Swamini Svatmavidyananda Saraswati, the Acharya of the Arsha Vijnana Gurukulam, USA, and Satyanarayana Dasa Babaji of the Jiva Institute of Vaishnava Studies in Vrindavan. Traditional scholars such as Vidwan Brahmashri Mudigonda Shankara Sharma Garu and Prof K. Ramasubramaniam of IIT Bombay, renowned for their expertise in Vaidika scholarship and conventional academics, are also honoured.

We acknowledge Yogashree N.V Raghuram, Yoga Bharati USA & India and Shri S. Sridharan, Mentor of Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, for their contributions to the popularisation of Yoga. Smt Alamelu Mani, who has taught over 1000 Carnatic musicians for more than five decades, and Bharatakalamani Dr. C. Radhakrishna, the nonagenarian Guru who has preserved the Kolara Nartana Parampara of dance for over seven decades, are recognized for their dedication.

From the vast community of Ayurvedic practitioners and researchers, we honour Dr. Mala Kapadia, Anaadi Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives, Palani, and Prof Chandrabhushan Jha, BHU, who has guided 24 MD theses, 16 PhDs, and countless Vaidyas over a career spanning 40 years.

We extend our felicitations to Prof R. N. Iyengar, a Civil Engineering Academic turned Scholar on Ancient Indian History and Culture, and Dr. PR Mukund, Professor Emeritus of Electrical Engineering at the Rochester Institute of Technology, for their work in preserving Indian manuscripts and bringing ancient knowledge to contemporary media and language. Dr. Nanditha Krishna, Director of the CP Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation, is also recognized for her academic contributions.

Dr. S. Ramaratnam, Vice Chancellor of Jagadguru Kripalu University, Odisha, who has dedicated five decades of his life to academic study of traditions, published books on Patanjali Yogasutras and Sanskrit Drama, and Dr. Mark Dyczkowski, an Indological scholar and researcher of Kashmir Shaivism, initiated by Swami Laksmanjoo and a student of the sitar, are two exceptional academics and practitioners whom INDICA is pleased to dedicate this Guru Purnima to.

We also pay homage to Dr. D.K. Hari and Dr. D.K. Hema Hari, the founders of Bharath Gyan (www.bharathgyan.com), pioneers in Indian Civilization Knowledge Studies, for their tireless efforts in disseminating knowledge of the Indian Civilization to people from all walks of life.

न कर्मणा न प्रजया धनेन त्यागेनैके अमृतत्वमानशुः – Immortality is not attained through action, progeny, or wealth, but through tyaga alone, as stated in the Sanyasa Sukta of the Kaivalya Upanishad. With these words, we honour our Mentor, Shri D.V. Sridharan, on this occasion of Guru Purnima. Through his philanthropic endeavours and as a public-spirited citizen, Shri Sridharan has transformed arid land into a fertile space hosting an organic farm, a school, and a mini-sanctuary for wild animals. He has mentored an entire generation of INDICA members, teaching them the art of kindness.

The full list of Gurus for the year 2023 to whom we extend our shasthanga pranaams and deepest gratitude is below :