16th Annual Global Gita Conference held in Texas

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The 16th Annual Global Gita Conference was held at Karya Siddhi Hanuman Temple in Frisco, Texas, hosted by the International Gita Foundation Trust in conjunction with Avadhoota Datta Peetham.

The theme of this year’s conference was Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga, which is known as Chapter 16 in the Srimad Bhagavad Gita.

The International Gita Foundation Trust has been conducting these Bhagavad Gita Conferences annually in different parts of the world including India, the United States and England.

Those who attended the conference included Parama Pujya Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swami, founder and pontiff of Avadhoota Datta Peetham; Sri Sri Sugunendra Theertha Swami, pontiff  of Shri Puttige Matt in Udipi, Karnataka; Swami Japananda, founder and chairman of Sri Ramakrishna Sevaashrama in Pavakada, Tumkur District; Acharya Sharada Kumari of Chinmaya Mission in Michigan and Professor M.G. Prasad from Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey and former trustee of the Hindu Temple and Cultural Society in Bridgewater, New Jersey.

The conference also featured the chanting of 700 shlokas of the entire Bhagavad Gita by adults and children who were trained in a year-long disciplined program called “Gita Mahayagna,” which was initiated by Parama Pujya Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swami in 2015.

Thus far, the program has trained 450 memorizers and 225 fluent readers.

Two short skits were performed in the evening by the Mahayagna students on the influence of Gita in day to day life events while Professor Prasad gave a wonderful and informative overview of the shlokas in Chapter 16.

The night ended with a ballet featuring three different dance forms and was based on Parama Pujya Sri Swami’s composition of Gita Sara.

On the second day of the conference the winners for the fifth National Annual Gita Competition were announced and Acharya Sharda Kumar elaborated on a few shlokas from Chapter 16, connecting them to the audience with everyday examples.

Speeches were given by Swami Japananada, Sri PV Nath ji and Terry Rann from England, along with high school students Pavan Prabhala and Harsha Sankaran, and college student Sthitadeesh Nelapatla.

Activities such as a talent show, Antakshari and charades were featured and related to the Bhagavad Gita.