by Shantala Sriramaiah | Nov 11, 2025 | Chanting practice
The Viṣṇu Sahasranāma, the thousand names of Lord Viṣṇu, is one of the most beloved hymns in the Vedic tradition. Many of us know it as a prayer of protection, healing, and grace. Yet, when we approach it deeply, we begin to discover that each name is also a window...
by Shantala Sriramaiah | Oct 13, 2025 | Chanting practice, Festival chanting
The Festival of Renewal Diwali marks the victory of light over darkness – a time to rekindle clarity, joy and auspiciousness.For me, it is also a moment to turn inward, to engage in sādhana – a daily practice that aligns sound, thought and intention.This...
by Shantala Sriramaiah | Sep 4, 2025 | Chanting practice, Personal & community
When you move to a new place, one of the first questions you often hear is: “So, what do you do?” As many of you know, we’ve just moved to Lugano, Switzerland, and are settling into a new rhythm of life and new social situations It’s a simple question, but I’ve found...
by Shantala Sriramaiah | Jul 18, 2025 | Books Published, Chanting practice, Personal & community
From July 6–12, 2025, participants from across the world gathered at the breathtaking Mandali Retreat Center in the mountains of northern Italy for a weeklong immersion in Śiva Saṅkalpa—the sacred intention of the mind, as revealed through the mantras of the Veda to...
by Shantala Sriramaiah | Mar 31, 2025 | Chanting practice
The Nakṣatra Sūktam is not merely a poetic hymn—it is a luminous map of the cosmos as lived and experienced through sacred time. Each verse is an invocation to a star, a force, a deity who governs a portion of our celestial rhythm. To chant these verses is to align...
by Shantala Sriramaiah | Feb 7, 2025 | Chanting practice, Festival chanting
The Śrī Rudram is one of the most powerful and transformative hymns of the Vedas, a sacred invocation that reveals the all-pervasive nature of Rudra—both as the cosmic force of destruction and renewal, and as Śiva, the auspicious reality that is the foundation of...
