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Acharya Darshana Nanavaty |
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Acharya Darshana Nanavaty is the resident acharya and founder of Chinmaya Mission Houston. She was inspired to study Vedanta after attending satsangs and spiritual camps conducted by Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda. In 1979, she and her husband joined the two-and-a-half year intensive Vedanta residential course in Piercy, California, where they immersed themselves in scriptural studies.
In accordance with Pujya Gurudev's instructions, after completing their Vedantic studies in 1982, as acharyas of Chinmaya Mission, the Nanavatys embarked on a life dedicated to spreading spiritual knowledge.
Acharya Darshanaji, also loving called "Darshanaben" or "Aunty," serves as Director of CM Houston's Bala Vihar and Yuva Kendra programs. With her calm and caring attitude, she has nurtured the Bala Vihar classes from a handful of children in 1982, to an organized program of 700 students and over 50 dedicated teachers. She has developed a distinctive, creative, and dynamic curriculum that teaches Hindu values and culture at every grade level, from KG-12. She regularly conducts Chinmaya Bala Vihar teachers' training programs in the U.S. and India.
Acharya Darshanaji has been instrumental in publishing various books, such as “Shlokathon,” CM Houston’s “Prarthana Piyusha,” "Bon Voyage," and “My Prayer Book.” One of her most lauded and recent publications is the set of Chinmaya Bala Vihar teachers' handbooks.
But it is her multimedia CD-ROM on "Bhagavad Gita," called “The Journey to the Truth,” that brilliantly expresses her talent and creativity. With its mix of animation, folk art, traditional and classical styles of chants, games, and stories, “The Journey to the Truth” uniquely presents the profound messages of the "Bhagavad Gita" to adults, youth, and children alike. |
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