Dr Swami Gitananda Giri Guru Maharaj
Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani
She has lived in India ever since, and received Indian citizenship on November 30, 1992, in her own words "the proudest day of my life".
She met her Guru in Yogamaharishi Dr. Swami Gitananda Giri Guru Maharaj in 1968 and since that time has devoted her life to his teachings and to institutions founded by him. She has been instrumental in training more than 10,000 village children in the art and science of Yoga and Bharat Natyam since 1975 through Sri Kambaliswamy Yoga and Fine Arts Programme. Hundreds of her students have taken up Yoga and Bharata Natyam teaching as full time careers.
She is a journalist by profession and her articles and essays appear in national and international magazines and newspapers. She has been editor of the international magazine Yoga Life since 1970 and is Managing Editor of the Ashram's publishing unit Satya Press. She is Director of Studies (Ashram Acharya) for the Six Month International Yoga Teachers Training Course offered annually at ICYER from October 2nd to March 25th, as well as for the year-long International Diploma in Yoga Education offered annually from May 15 to September 15 at ICYER.
She is a popular Conference and Seminar speaker. She has been Organizing Secretary for five major International Yoga Conferences, the most recent being the Fourth Decennial and Millennium Meet of Teachers of Rishiculture Ashtanga Yoga, January 23rd through February 5th, 2000 in Pondicherry.
She is a prolific author and has written eight books, including two books of poetry.
She has been recipient of many National Awards. The then President of India Shri Zail Singh Ji awarded her the title "Yogamani" in 1986 at an International Yoga Conference held at the Asian Village, New Delhi. In 1998 she was awarded the National Award, Bhaskar Award by Bharat Nirman and Indian Trade Promotion Organisation, New Delhi, one of fifty eminent Indians so honoured during the 50th year of Indian Independence for their contribution to Indian culture and spirituality. In January 1999, Pondicherry Government gave her the highest award for an artist, the Puduvai Kalaimamani Award for her work in Bharat Natyam.
In December 1999 she was named as an eminent Yoga expert to the Central Council for Research in Yoga and Naturopathy, under the Health Ministry, Government of India, New Delhi and she was named to the Finance Committee of this Council in March 2000. She was named to Academic Council, Pondicherry University, in March 2000.
She was awarded the OUTSTANDING SENIOR CITIZEN AWARD 2003 by the Pondicherry JAYCEES. She received the Achievers Award 2003 for her significant contribution to the cultural and spiritual life of Indian Society from the Vinayagar Chathurthi Festival committee, Pondicherry in September 2003 and the Yogacharya Bangalore Sundaram Gold Medal for Excellence in Yoga from Asana Andiappan College of Yoga and Research Centre, Chennai at Anna University in December 2003 for her noble contribution, distinguished service and outstanding merits of Yoga .
She has been honoured with the prestigious FELLOWSHIP of the INDIAN ACADEMY OF YOGA (BHU) as well as with the PUDUVAI SHAKTHI AWARD from the Womens Task Force in Pondicherry. She has also been honured by the Dept of Women and Child Welfare, Govt of Pondicherry as one of the Women who have brought name and fame to Pondicherry.
She is Director of Yoganjali Natyalayam, a popular City Centre for the propagation of Yoga, Bharat Natyam and Carnatic Music and has developed a famous Bharat Natyam troupe that appears regularly in prestigious festivals and also stages spectacular Bharat Natyam and Yoga programmes yearly in Pondicherry. Yoganjali Natyalayam was founded in 1993 as a continuation of the Sri Kambliswamy Yoga and Fine Arts Programme that was begun in 1975.
More than 25 faculty and 5 staff members are working in this institution . Yoganjali Natyalayam also has extension programmes running in Venkata Nagar, Pakkamudayanpet and Anna Nagar. More than 5000 students have studied in the Natyalayam that boasts of a regular strength of more than 400 students.
She has worked tirelessly to reinstate the ancient acrobatic Natya Karanas into the Bharat Natyam repertoire and has presented lecture demonstration on this topic at the ABHAI dance festivals in Chennai. Her students have performed Bharatanatyam recitals in many places including Bombay, New Delhi, Bangalore, Kodaikanal, Chennai, Karaikal and Chidambaram Natyanjali.
She has also Composed, Choreographed and Directed 15 FULL LENGTH DANCE DRAMAS each of three hours duration involving more than fifty dancers and musicians and 30 mini DANCE DRAMAS and Special Dramatic items in past 20 years.
The Major Dance Dramas include: Kannappa Nayanmar, Karaikal Ammaiyar, Nandanar Charitram, Kamba Ramayanam, Meenakshi Thiru Kalyanam, Nala-Damayanthi,Andal Charitram, Silappadikaram, Ramavatharam, Dasavathara, Pancha Maha Bhutas, Nava Grahas, Karna Charitram and Thiru Jnana Sambandar. The Yoganjali Natyalayam Bharat Natyam Troupe has performed every year in the International Yoga Festival (1993 to 2002), as well as performing for Food Festivals, DRDA Festival, Chidambaram Natyanjali Celebrations, Vinayaka Chathurthi Festivals (1991-2001), Fete De Pondicherry and Natya Vizhas, and many other programmes. In the last two years she has conducted the Bharatanatyam Arangetrams for two of her students Miss Renuka Devi (2001) and Miss Padma Prashanthini (2002) who have completed the Nine Year Part Time Diploma study in Yoga and Bharata Natyam at Yoganjali Natyalayam.
It is note worthy that four of her students Miss Niraimathy, Miss Ramya, Master M. Ilaval and Miss Desh M have been selected for the Central Govts Human Resource Ministrys National Best Child Awards since 2000 Her students have won many National and International Awards.
Amma can be contacted at:
Yoganjali Natyalayam,
25, 2nd Cross, Iyyanar Nagar, Pondichery-13, India.
e mail: amma@icyer.com
Editor "Yoga Life" and Director ICYER, Ananda Ashram and Yoganjali Natyalayam, Pondicherry, India
