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...
by Shantala Sriramaiah | Jan 17, 2025 | Chanting practice, Sūktams
In the Vedas, Śraddhā is revered as both an attitude and a divine presence, guiding seekers towards truth and understanding. Unlike andha-viśvāsa (blind faith), Śraddhā does not demand unquestioning belief. Instead, it invites inquiry, comprehension, and a journey...
by Shantala Sriramaiah | Jan 6, 2025 | Chanting practice, Festival chanting
For the last four years, I have had the privilege of teaching a worldwide group of dedicated Śiva devotees the magnificent prayer known as Rudram. This prayer, a jewel from the Kṛṣṇa Yajur Veda, is both a challenge and a blessing—a journey that transforms all who...
