Speakers at Shakti Kumbh 2026
Dr. Adyasha Das
Dr. Adyasha Das, Convenor IHAR Odisha, is a multiple award-winning academician, researcher, writer, and travel blogger from Odisha, India. Her distinguished career merges academia, cultural preservation, and social empowerment. She has been honoured with several awards, including the Shriram Travel Grant, Chausathi Yogini Award, and the Suryadatta National Award for Tourism and Indian Heritage, and was selected as an Akshar Writer in Residence by Sahitya Akademi and the Goethe Foundation.
With deep expertise in heritage and cultural tourism, human resource management, and cross-cultural studies, Dr. Das has contributed significantly through her academic publications and creative writings. Her work focuses on highlighting the importance of cultural diversity and preserving India’s rich heritage. Through seminars, workshops, and public lectures, she has actively engaged grassroots communities in heritage conservation efforts.
A passionate advocate for women’s empowerment and social equity, Dr. Das has led initiatives establishing educational programs and vocational training centres. As an author, she is known for her Amazon India bestselling titles such as The Chausathi Yoginis of Hirapur, The Yoginis of Ranipur Jharial, The Yogini Poems, and Forgotten Goddesses, offering deep insights into India’s cultural and spiritual landscapes. She continues to shape conversations around identity, heritage, and empowerment through her diverse body of work.
Dr. Alok Pandey
Dr. Alok Pandey is a well-known authority on Sri Aurobindo and the Mother’s writings, especially on the subject of Yoga, Psychology, Education and Health. A Medical Doctor who has specialized in Psychiatry, he has served in various capacities in the Indian Air Force before taking voluntary retirement and settling down permanently in the Sri Aurobindo Ashram Pondicherry.
Anamika Roy (TBC)
Professor Anamika Roy is the Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Allahabad. She previously served as the Head of the Department of Ancient History, Culture and Archaeology, as well as the Director of the Centre for Women’s Studies. She holds doctoral degrees from both Cambridge and Allahabad University, and is a fellow of the Cambridge Philosophical Society and the Royal Asiatic Society.
A distinguished scholar, Professor Roy has authored several books, including Amaravati Stupa, Brahmi Inscriptions of Northern India, 64 Yogini: Cult, Image and Goddess, Birthing the Goddess, and Experiencing the Goddess: On the Trail of the Yoginis. She has also edited Perspectives in Comparative Religions, and her forthcoming work is titled Sri Radha: Woman, Consort and the Goddess.
With over a hundred research papers published in national and international journals, she is a leading voice in the fields of ancient history, archaeology, and religious studies.
Frédérique Apffel-Marglin
Frédérique Apffel-Marglin is Professor Emerita of Anthropology at Smith College, Massachusetts. Her groundbreaking research in Odisha, India, began in 1975, focusing on the devadasis (maharis) of the Jagannath Temple in Puri. Her seminal book Wives of the God-King (Oxford University Press, 1985) documented the complex ritual role of these women shortly before the institution vanished. She later co-edited Purity and Auspiciousness in Indian Society (1985) and published further research on Orissa’s Raja Parba festival in Rhythms of Life (2008), exploring themes of menstruation, fertility, and feminine power in agricultural and ritual life.
In the 1990s, Frédérique shifted focus to Peru, working with Indigenous communities in the Upper Amazon. She founded the Sachamama Center for Biocultural Regeneration in 2007, regenerating ancient Amazonian soil (Terra Preta) and promoting sustainable agriculture.
Her work bridges ecology, feminism, spirituality, and decolonial ethics. She has authored nine books and edited nine volumes.
Title of Presentation: The Life and Death of a Very Ancient Female Tantric Institution
Frédérique will present her findings on the devadasis of Jagannath Temple, their ritual dance linked to Shakti transmission, and the deliberate dismantling of this sacred feminine tradition.
Dr. Kumar Aurojyoti
Dr. Kumar Aurojyoti is an Ayurvedic physician, heritage enthusiast, and cultural ambassador from Puri, Odisha. A graduate of Gopabandhu Ayurveda Mahavidyalaya with specialization in Panchakarma, he co-founded Ayurdwar Clinic in 2002, where he has since served both Indian and international patients as a trusted Ayurvedic consultant. Passionate about holistic wellness and healing traditions, he regularly shares his insights as a speaker on All India Radio.
Dr. Aurojyoti’s interests span far beyond medicine. A digital advocate of Odia heritage, he actively promotes temple architecture, Jagannath culture, and Odisha’s rich traditions through social media and online forums. Deeply invested in cultural education, he also organizes quiz contests, heritage walks, and workshops. His research centers around temple iconography and the art and history of the Konark Sun Temple.
A former national-level table tennis player and coach, he represented Utkal University and Odisha at various championships. His multifaceted interests include writing, philosophy, mysticism, and music. Currently serving as the Convenor of the Puri and Khurda Chapter of IHAR (Indian History Awareness and Research), Dr. Aurojyoti exemplifies a rare blend of medical service, cultural scholarship, and grassroots engagement rooted in Odisha’s spiritual and artistic legacy.
Maa Gyaan Suveera is a Mystic teacher-healer, a life coach and mentor, who lives by the banks of Mother Ganga, on the outskirts of Rishikesh. Maa has revived many ancient healing and divination arts, like the 10 great incantations ( Mahavidya Sadhana ), Scanning and Divining, Mokshapata , and the Gyaan Cowries. She is founder of the Cosmic Intelligence Evolutionary Path (Ci Plus meditation) and takes personal processes, and spiritual life coaching for a chosen few seekers.
Over more than three and a half decades, she has transformed countless people belonging to various spheres & walks of life. Having mastered various applied versions of the healing streams that benefit people; ‘energy’ is her core pursuit. Maa Gyaan is bringing up the Kirti Hermitage in Rishikesh, and conducts these courses on ancient wisdom. People from all parts of the world come to learn different forms of healing, divination and a string of Indian, western and zen practices at her center.
She conducts satsangs, training workshops on self-attainment, self-healing & meditation, guiding people to recognize & optimize their potential.
Title: Jagannath is Equally the Buddha and Kali: A Liberatory Ecosystem of Shakta Philosophy and Orissa’s Tantric Heritage
Neela Bhattacharya Saxena is a Professor of English and Women’s Studies at Nassau Community College, New York. She is the author of Absent Mother God of the West: A Kali Lover’s Journey into Christianity and Judaism, and In the Beginning IS Desire: Tracing Kali’s Footprints in Indian Literature. Her work bridges East and West, exploring the Goddess traditions of India through the lens of lived experience, philosophy, and feminist theology.
In her upcoming talk, she will present the philosophical outlook behind Orissa’s tantric heritage, which includes Buddhist, Vaishnava, and Shakta paths. Highlighting the self-luminosity of the Devi, she will speak to the liberatory framework of Shakta Advay, where there is a triangular relationship between Dvaita, Advaita, and Shunya. In contrast to androcentric metaphysics that isolates Purusha from Prakriti, her interpretation celebrates a life-affirming worldview where duality is not denied but joyfully integrated in the dynamic dance of Shakti and Shiva.
Prof Saxena’s work presents a compelling vision of spiritual ecology rooted in feminine wisdom and tantric heritage.
Nilima Bhat is a leader in the fields of Personal Mastery, Leadership, Gender Equality and Wellbeing. A Sivananda Yoga Teacher and practitioner of the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, she is a dancer and co-author of two books, Shakti Leadership and My Cancer Is Me. She is the Founder of the global Shakti Fellowship Program for women change-makers and co-convener of the Truth & ReconciliationWork from the inside-out and also of the Shakti Kumbh.
Philomena Blees
Philomena Blees, JD, is President and Chief Executive Officer of Peace Through Commerce, which she co-founded, and a 2025 Nobel Peace Prize co-nominee with the organisation. She is also a founding member of Conscious Capitalism, Inc.
Trained in law, Philomena graduated at the top of her class, earning American Jurisprudence awards in contracts, real property, and civil procedure. She co-founded private legal practices in Hawaii and Texas, specialising in tax, estates, business formation, and real property, and served as Lecturer in Law at the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law. She was Assistant General Counsel at the Texas State Treasury and is licensed to practise in Texas, Hawaii, the US Tax Court, US Federal District Court, and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.Philanthropically, she has led global peace and creativity initiatives, hosted the award-winning livestreams The Matrix of Peace and The Creative Life, co-founded a school and foundation for gifted children, and established a centering prayer group in 1999. She is deeply committed to a daily meditation practice.Her work integrates leadership, law, philanthropy, and spirituality to advance cultural and regenerative transformation.
Title of Presentation: The Matrix of Peace as a Template for the Regenerative & Cultural Renaissance of Odisha and India
Philomena will present how the Matrix of Peace can support the Shakti Kumbh mission of revitalising Bharata Shakti.
A double graduate in Physics and Indian classical dance, Radha Marthi imbibed the principles of Sri Vidya right from her childhood.
Guruji Sri Amritananda’s second daughter, she received the mantra diksha in her teens. She focused intensely on spiritual practice and meditation in equal parts for many decades and resides at Devipuram.
Actively engaged in the research on Sri Vidya scriptures and content curation for different audiences, she has been teaching the Sri Vidya residential and online courses offered by Devipuram.
Ms. Rama Kandarpa is a Civil engineer by qualification but a development practitioner by experience. Her primary focus has been on Institutional Development with over 20 years of experience both in the NGO and the corporate sectors. The youngest (3rd) daughter of Guruji Sri Amritananda, she received the mantra diksha from Guruji in her teens and learnt the various rituals including Homa. Rama manages the Sri Vidya Trust, Devipuram and strives to ensure the goal of providing global access to Sri Vidya using Technology, active learning methods and Communication. She is engaged in the conducting and sharing of the spiritual practices at Devipuram and other locations.
Seema Kohli
Seema Kohli is a celebrated multidisciplinary artist whose work explores metaphysical questions of existence and the cosmic energy that underpins all creation. Drawing from the spiritual traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sufism, and Greek mythology, her art reflects the cyclical nature of life—birth, death, and rebirth—and the constant renewal of form and consciousness. As a visual storyteller, her narratives are deeply intimate, though not autobiographical, evoking the feminine divine and the dance of cosmic energies.
Over the past 35 years, Kohli has held more than 34 solo exhibitions and participated in numerous prestigious platforms including the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Venice Biennale, Art Basel, Florence Biennale (where she won a Gold Award), and many international art fairs in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, and Spain. Her video artwork Swayamsiddha – Myth, Mind and Movement garnered critical acclaim.
She has been honored with the Lalit Kala Akademi National Award for Women and the FICCI YFLO Women Achiever’s Award. Her public installations are on display at major Indian airports, the Supreme Court of India, ONGC, and the Sardar Patel Bhavan. Kohli frequently lectures at prestigious institutions worldwide, including Harvard and TEDx. She currently lives and works in New Delhi.
Dr. Shriya Patnaik
Dr. Shriya Patnaik has a PhD in International History and Politics (Summa cum Laude) from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID) in Switzerland, where her research has been supported by the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship, Swiss National Science Foundation Doctoral Grant, Swiss Network of International Studies, Swiss Academy of Social Sciences and Humanities, and the Geneva Graduate Institute’s Community Scholarship. Her research has been published in leading peer-reviewed journals and in book chapters for edited volumes with Routledge, Taylor and Francis, Springer, and Palgrave Macmillan, among others. Shriya pursued her Bachelor’s in History from Cornell University (Magna cum Laude Honours) in 2014 as a Cornell Tata Scholar. She subsequently pursued a Double Masters’ in International History with a focus on Gender Studies from the Columbia University-London School of Economics Dual Degree MA-MSc program (with a Distinction) in 2017. During her undergraduate years, she was selected to be a part of an Exchange program at Oxford University’s Mansfield College on a full scholarship, where she undertook tutorials in History and Political Science. During her academic trajectory so far, Shriya has been closely involved in conducting archival, qualitative, and quantitative research for various data-driven projects, including for the Cornell University’s Language Acquisition Lab, Cornell’s Future of Minority Studies Project, the LSE Women’s Library, Columbia University’s Rare Book and Manuscripts Library, Heidelberg University’s Odisha Research Project, and the Odisha High Court and Judicial Archives. In addition to her scholarly interests, Shriya has also worked in the public policy and NGO sectors on gender and human rights projects across India, Switzerland, the United States, and the United Kingdom. These experiences have played a key role in shaping her research focus on women’s rights and minority rights initiatives at a transnational scale. Shriya is currently a Research Associate at the Pierre du Bois Foundation in Switzerland and is part of the United Nations’ Centenary of the International Committee on Intellectual Cooperation of the League of Nations research project.
Sukhvinder Sircar
Sukhvinder Sircar’s engagement with life is to joyously unfold and surrender to the great mystery. She has been in the world of training & facilitation for over two decades.
Her training and accreditation in Process work gives her a useful insight and grip into facilitation of group dynamics, and behavioural processes. An initiate of the Gaudiya Vaishnava school of bhakti, her life is deeply enriched with her sadhana. A life coach, she’s currently training as a Somatic Experiencing therapist for trauma release.
Studying and practicing as a yogini of feminine embodiment, she embodies and teaches the Divine Feminine Principle through bodywork, womb-work & ancestral healing. Her workshops are a unique expression of her experience and insight that comes from years of deep work with women. You can find her writings on the feminine awakening on her Facebook page ‘Joyous Woman’, or blog of the same name.You can find more about her work at http://www.joyouswoman.com
Surya Sarathi Roy
Surya Sarathi Roy is a technologist, cultural heritage conservationist, historian, and author whose interdisciplinary research spans the cultural histories of Braj Mandal, Kurukshetra, Kalinga and Shri Jagannath traditions, as well as Mewar and Maratha heritage. Coming from a family of revolutionaries, Surya is deeply invested in archaeology, heritage site enlistment, and the conservation of ancient manuscripts.
He is a Life Member and Researcher at INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) and the Numismatics Society of India (BHU), and an Associate Member of ICOMOS, the UNESCO-affiliated council for global monument conservation. He serves as Director of North, East & Central India Operations at IHAR (Indian History Awareness and Research), a Houston-based NGO promoting Indian heritage and Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS).
In 2023 and 2025, he was appointed a Desk Reviewer by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. He also appeared in a Ministry of Culture documentary directed by IGNCA titled “Yamuna & Braj Mandal”, highlighting his research on Yamuna’s cultural influence.
A seasoned speaker, Surya has presented at IIT Kanpur, IIT Bhubaneswar, and more. A former cricketer, he co-authored Sports in Life and is currently working on books on Kurukshetra and Braj Mandal.
Usha Rk
Usha Rk is a distinguished dance expert, cultural curator, and arts consultant whose career spans over four decades across the cultural and corporate sectors. Trained in Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi, she shifted early from performing to researching, writing, and curating dance. Usha Rk has worked closely with many of India’s legendary artists and has played a pivotal role in conceptualizing and executing thematic festivals and cultural events across India and abroad.
Her deep commitment to Indian classical dance has led her to curate numerous festivals that highlight lesser-known traditions, rare compositions, and innovative collaborations. As Member Secretary – Intangible Cultural Heritage with India’s Ministry of Culture, she contributed significantly to the nomination of Yoga and Kumbh Mela as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage elements.
Usha Rk also served as Director of the Jawaharlal Nehru Cultural Centre in Moscow, furthering India’s cultural diplomacy through the arts. Her efforts continue to focus on preserving and promoting the living heritage of Indian classical dance and supporting the next generation of artists. A passionate researcher and prolific organizer, she remains one of the most respected voices in the Indian performing arts community today.
Many more Speakers and Experts are confirming their presence. Please revisit this page regularly for updates.