Sisters Revathi and Vandana complete each other’s sentences, they study Veda and Veena together, and acquiring knowledge, especially the spiritual variety, has been a lifelong pursuit for both.
By Sophia Ann French
“You could interview Revathi and Vandana together, they’re sisters,” said Shantalaji to me when she shared the list of students attending the Indica Veda Studies Teacher Training Programme (2025-2026). When I interview two people simultaneously, I send a questionnaire and ask them to complete it, and I meet them on Zoom to get to know them so I can write about their Veda recitation journey. In the past, when I sent such a questionnaire, each individual would answer each question individually, so I’d get two answers (one from each) for every question. Sisters Revathi and Vandana Mamidanna answered most questions as a collective “we”. Before I met them on Zoom, I was thinking of tactful ways to tell them to answer the questions individually, but, after I met them on Zoom, I realised that would be criminal. Revathi and Vandana are proof that a soulmate isn’t restricted to romantic relationships. When I met them on Zoom, I thought they were twins. It took me a minute to realise they are not. They complete each other’s sentences, they study Veda and Veena together, they’ve got each other’s back, and as a happy only child, I found myself wishing (this is very rare) I had a sister. Such is the inspiring camaraderie and love between Revathi and Vandana. I did something I never do in an interview: I asked them to recite a Veda mantra, and they did — they were one voice.
The sisters were born in Hyderabad, South India, but moved to Nigeria and then the USA, where they currently live and work. Both their parents attended IIT (Indian Institute of Technology), and given the studious nature of their lineage, it’s not surprising that their lives are a continuous pursuit of knowledge. But I have to confess, as much as I enjoyed their company, the highlight of this interview was Ozu — who is also attending the Indica Veda Studies Teacher Training Programme with Revathi and Vandana. Ozu joined us for the interview and stayed till the end. He recognised Pūrṇamadaḥ as the closing mantra, and when his mommies recited it at the end of the interview, he was visibly pleased knowing he would soon have their undivided attention. Revathi and Vandana talk life, Veda and sisterhood…
Sophia: How did you learn about Veda Studies, and what inspired you to study Veda?
Revathi: I stumbled on Veda Studies on Instagram. I was going through a rough patch in my life, and was looking for some reprieve. I found Shantala’s Śani Vrata course on Instagram. I joined it without knowing much about Veda Studies at that time.
Vandana: I had seen how practising the Śani Vrata helped my sister, and I wanted to give it a try, so I joined the Veda Foundation Course and have been with Shantala ever since.
Sophia: What is the one misconception people have about reciting Veda?
Revathi and Vandana: We have always been told that women cannot chant the Vedas because we are not aware of the right Uccāraṇa. Then we heard so many women chanting in the Veda Studies community and realised that chanting is not gender specific. Shantala helped simplify the Veda chanting rules for us and, in fact, inspired us to pursue much more intricate mantras and sūktams.
Sophia: What was your understanding of Veda before you started studying formally, and how has that impression changed after you started studying formally?
Revathi and Vandana: It didn’t change our understanding as much as it gave us the confidence that we can, in fact, pursue learning it. Even though it is such a vast ocean of knowledge, the impression that it is a very daunting task and not achievable by a regular householder is diminished.
Sophia: Did anything surprise you about the Veda Studies tradition of learning and teaching?
Revathi and Vandana: The level of detail, the thorough research and the way each mantra and sūktam is made accessible for a layman’s learning perspective is beyond words to explain.
Sophia: What has sustained your commitment to this practice over time?
Revathi and Vandana: The consistency of the learning material and a teacher who shows up with so much commitment to the subject and her students. She encourages us not to give up on our learning journey and ourselves. That kind of encouragement makes us want to learn more and more.
Sophia: Have you been practising any other forms of spirituality before you started reciting Veda? How did reciting Veda enhance or affect those practices?
Revathi and Vandana: We were learning Vedānta (Bhagavad Gīta). Not chanting, but learning the essence of the Gīta from our guru Gautam Jain, a disciple of A. Parthasarathy of Vedanta Cultural Foundation. Chanting Veda has made us more aware of the inward journey, and we live our lives more intentionally, to be better versions of ourselves.
Sophia: Tell us about the Indica Veda Studies TTC Programme and how that added value to your practise/life?
Revathi and Vandana: We are so focused on learning the mantras with the right svaras and rules, it hasn’t dawned on us yet that we are in the TTC because we are trying to better our learning before we start teaching. It is just helping us be better listeners.
Sophia: How do you envision sharing this practice in your own work or community after you complete the TTC?
Revathi and Vandana: If we may be honest, we are only trying to put one foot in front of the other. We definitely want to give this back to the community at some point, but we don’t think we are able to see that far ahead just yet.
Sophia: Which mantras resonate most with you and why?
Revathi and Vandana: Rudram, Devī Sūktam, Gaṇapati Atharvaśīrṣā, Gāyatrī — all of them. Why? Chanting in general helps us stay on the right track to be better humans who exude peace and calm, regardless of any bumps along the way. People around us have noticed it, too.
Sophia: What is your advice to people who want to practise and study Veda?
Revathi and Vandana: With all that we are currently seeing around us in the world, this is a good time to really focus on the inward journey. If given an opportunity, just dive right in, learn, have an open mind and see how much this practice enhances your mind and body. Being a part of a community brings so much peace and joy. Ram Ram.
To get in touch with Revathi and Vandana, email them at: