Dharma Association of North America (DANAM)

4th DANAM Conference 2006

PROGRAM

17-19 November 2006 Washington, DC

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DHARMA SUSTAINS DIVERSITY ______

4th DANAM Conference 2006

Sponsored by

Dharma Association of North America (DANAM)

*** CONFERENCE THEME:

CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN CONSTRUCTIVE DHARMA

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17-19 November 2006 Grand Hyatt Washington 1000 H Street NW Washington, DC

Held in conjunction with the 2006 AAR Annual Meeting

4th DANAM CONFERENCE CO-CHAIRS:

Adarsh Deepak, Ph. D., President, DANAM Rita DasGupta Sherma, Ph. D., Binghamton University

PURPOSE of the CONFERENCE

To provide a Forum where scholars of Dharma Traditions and interested members of Dharma communities can engage in the examination of, and constructive approaches to, contemporary issues in the study of Dharma Traditions. While there are multiple scholarly arenas for presentation of new textual, sociological, anthropological and historic approaches to the study of Indian cultural and religious traditions, there are no dedicated venues for discourse on, and the presentation of, constructive new approaches to pedagogy, epistemology, theology, or philosophy in these systems. It is hoped that this meeting can explore the possibility that the academic study of these traditions is now mature enough to include and move beyond the limitations of phenomenological methodologies in order to engage the conceptual depth and intellectual applicability of these traditions in an inclusive forum.

DANAM Summary DANAM (Dharma Association of North America) is an independent, non-political, donation-based, non-profit organization of Virginia, with a focus on constructive presentation of Dharma traditions in the North American context. Its mission and objectives are described at its web site at www.danam-web.org, which lists distinguished scholars as Patron and Board of Distinguished Visiting Scholars (BDVS) drawn from various disciplines. DANAM is a sponsor of the peer-reviewed Journal of Vaishnava Studies, now in its fifteenth year, and the peer-reviewed Constructive Issues in Constructive Dharma vulumes, now in their fourth year.

Proceedings of DANAM Conference Sessions The proceedings of the DANAM Conference sessions are available at Deepak Heritage Books (DHB), www.deepakheritage.com, unless otherwise stated. They are listed as follows: Contemporary Issues in Constructive Dharma Volume I (Eds. Rita D. Sherma and Adarsh Deepak, 2003. Contemporary Issues in Constructive Dharma Volume II: Epistemology and Hermeneutics (Eds. Rita D. Sherma and Adarsh Deepak, 2004). Asceticism Identity and Pedagogy in Dharma Traditions (Eds. Graham M. Schweig, Jeffrey D. Long, Ramdas Lamb and Adarsh Deepak, 2006). Dying Death and Afterlife in Dharma Traditions and Western Religions (Eds. Adarsh Deepak and Rita D. Sherma, 2006).

TENTATIVE AGENDA 4th DANAM Conference 2006 (DANAM06) Grand Hyatt Washington – Burnham Room

17-19 NOVEMBER 2006

FOUR TOPICAL THEMES and THEIR INTRODUCTIONS:

Theme: Challenges in Translating Classic Hindu Texts Introduction: Participants will discuss specifically challenges in the translation of classic sacred texts, such as the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, the Rig Veda, the Agama-s, and the Purana-s, among many other possibilities. Of particular interest would be the problems of translating certain terms, such as dharma, bhakti, deva, Brahman, etc., or the problems or advantages of leaving terms untranslated. We may like also to consider the issues conveying complex philosophical or cosmological terms and the challenges of making a satisfactory English rendering. Finally, we would like to include a discussion of approaches to the literary quality of a translated text, such as the rendering of sutra or verse texts and the challenges of treating these in translation. Other challenging issues of translation will also be engaged in this session. Sub-theme: Text and Terms in Classical Introduction: The nature of how conditioning affects current behavior are themes raised in classical Yoga. In this collection of papers, the texts and terms associated with theories of the influence of past samskara-s on our present and future life will be discussed.

Theme: Adhikara in Dharma Diaspora: Introduction: Where and with whom does adhikara (authority) reside in the Dharma Diaspora? Who has adhikara to speak for the burgeoning Dharma Diasporic community? This panel will consist of both academics and non-academics who will speak about adhikara and related issues in the Dharma Diaspora.

Theme: Prayer and Worship in Dharma Traditions and Western Religions (Multiple Sessions) Introduction: One of the objectives of DANAM (www.danam-web.org), as an organization, has been to broaden the discourse related to the dharma traditions (indigenous South Asian systems of thought and practice) to include comparative investigations that can both trace and continue the historical streams of interaction between these traditions. Following the success of last year’s session on “Dying Death and Afterlife in Dharma Traditions and Western Religions”, this year multiple sessions dedicated to the theme of "Prayer and Worship in Dharma Traditions and Western Religions" will examine commonalities and divergences in approaches to, and conceptions of, prayer and worship in Buddhist, Hindu, Jaina, Sikh, Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions. The intention of the session is to examine the modalities, functions, and philosophy of praxis behind the various modes and methods of prayer and worship. It is expected that the Session will engender quality papers that can be categorized in a thematic edited volume. Questions that we would like the presenters to consider include (but are not limited to) the following:

1) What is the place of prayer or worship in your living religious tradition? Is it an obligatory/daily practice, or optional/occasional practice?

2) Does prayer necessarily imply petitionary prayer to a Creator or are there other forms of prayer such as: a) Praise, conversation, or communion with God not informed by a desire for something.

b) Contemplative self-analysis. c) A practice meant to bring back the recollection of one's true origins or place in the universe.

3) Can prayer change the course of nature? Is it compatible with determinism (such as some understandings of karma) or God's foreknowledge of a fixed future?

4) What is the role of bhakti or devotion? Is it facilitative (an aid to the establishment of relationship with deity) or teleological (communion as an end in itself)?

5) How is the erotic imagination used in prayer and worship?

6) What is the role of art and iconography? Is it used to create a focal point for prayer? Is it to be "traversed" imaginatively as a map of transcendent properties or transphysical realities? Is it a meditative device for deepening concentration?

7) a) Whom do non-theists (such as Buddhists and Jains) address their prayers to? b) What is the justification for prayer and worship in traditions that view relationship with deity as a preliminary (but not necessary) step in the journey towards the ultimate goal of union, or merger of consciousness, with a greater reality (or recognition of one's embedded-ness in the ultimate reality)?

8) What are the moral implications of the practice of prayer? Can a morally derelict person pray and get a response? If so, under what circumstances?

9) What are the psychological or social significances of the rituals associated with prayer (such as Om kara, seed syllables, special mantras, chanting, incense, etc.)?

10) What are the exceptional physiological effects (e.g., the stigmata, or effects on breathing functions) of prayer and/or worship? What is the psychological or other purpose of preparations such as fasting and bathing before prayer and worship?

Theme: Yoga Philosophy in Dharma Traditions (Multiple sessions): Sub-Theme: Yoga and Ecology Introduction: The Yoga tradition has long been associated with trees, animals, and the elements. Archaeological research indicates that an early form of Yoga began in the Indus Valley 5000 years ago, as seen in statite seals and other artifacts that depict a person in a meditative pose surrounded with animals and, in some instances, ensconced in what appears to be a sacred tree. The early literary mention of Yoga in the Upanisads and the Bhagavad Gita indicate that equanimity and state of being in harmony with nature and the body are paramount to the accomplishment of this ideal form of spirituality. Similarly, in processes of Theravada Buddhist meditation as found in the Abhidharmakosa and the Visuddhimagga, one focuses on the body and the breath, and the elements. The emphasis on the elements, found in both the system and in the Buddhist Abhidarma texts, indicates the importance that the natural world plays in the development of contemplative states. The Buddhists refer to these states as Kasina-s; practitioners of Samkhya-Yoga refer to concentration on the elements as Dharana-s.

In this series of papers, the topic of Yoga and Ecology will be approached from sociological, philosophical, and ritual perspectives.

The first two papers will explore ethical and practice aspects of Yoga from a philosophical perspective. The first will study ways in which Yoga seeks to bring balance to a disturbed realm. Given

the fact that Samkhya, Yoga, Buddhism, and Jainism all emphasize the suffering nature of reality (sarvam duhkham), this paper will explore ways in which Yoga seeks to apply the principle of noninjury toward all living beings (ahimsa) in ways that bring about an eco-friendly process of mutual aid and service. In the traditional literature, places associated with Yoga are described as having natural beauty. This paper will explore the relationship between Yoga, aesthetic appreciation, and ecological awareness.

The second philosophical paper will explore the underlying relationship between the body (karmendriya-s), the sense organs (buddhindriya-s), the subtle elements (tanmatras), and gross elements (mahabhutas) that lays the foundation for extolling the process of physicality while undergoing processes of worldly renunciation. By engaging in protracted reflection on the twenty functions (/dharma) articulated in Samkhya and Abhidharma that connect an individual with the world, a simultaneous distancing from and embrace of the natural world, including one's own body, arises. This form of meditative connection will be explored in the context of Vedic literature, including the Prthivi Sukta of the Atharvaveda, the classical Samkhya of Isvarakrsna, the Yogavasistha, and the work of contemporary women seeking to heighten awareness of the Earth through Yoga practices and insights.

The third paper will examine contemporary ritual and the role of women in connecting the body with the creation of beauty. In the style of Hatha Yoga, the creation of public art, drawn by women each morning on the thresholds of homes, temples and business, brings its creators into a dance of bending, stooping, and stretching. This paper will explore the life affirming Yantra tradition of Yoga through concrete examples, as well as through discussion of these artworks as metaphors for transformation.

The fourth paper, based on a recently completed doctoral dissertation, will explore the emergence of a new movement within modern Yoga known as Green Yoga. This paper will provide a creative revisioning of the Yoga tradition in light of its growing popularity, seeking to demonstrate how Yoga can be reinterpreted with an environmental message. This paper will explore six existing ways of Yoga (Jnana, Bhakti, Hatha, Raja, Karma, and Tantra) through an ecological prism, and posit two New forms: Aranyaka Yoga, or Forest Yoga and Sangha Yoga, the Yoga of Sacred Community.

Interest in Yoga worldwide has grown stronger in recent years; currently more than fifteen million Americans practice Yoga regularly. This set of presentations will help expand our understanding of this ancient tradition, and explore, in some cases critically, if Yoga can be of service to those with an interest in ecological concerns.

Sub-theme: Re-imagining Yoga, Imagining Yoga-s

Introduction: Scholarly discourse in the last century regarding "yoga" has generally yielded the following construct: yoga is a discipline of moral conduct, philosophical reflection, and contemplative practice that result in a form of eternal freedom (moksa or nirvana).

The modern intellectual category "Yoga" has a complex development, yet was shaped in an ideal form during the 17th-18th centuries. Brahmans orchestrated this development, but it was generalized and universalized by Western Orientalists and theosophists during the 19th-20th centuries. Often, this construct has focused on Vedanta yoga or on particular reformulations of Patanjali's classical Yoga. One problem with these constructs is that they reflect a modern reading of Medieval Vedanta and of Patanjali's Yoga: readings that are not always justified in the texts. Additionally, this construct accounts for only a minority of what traditional Asia has understood as "yoga." When we look to Indian traditions to help us understand yoga we find a variety of presentations: some might promote practices leading to

accumulation of power and knowledge (employed toward individual, social, or political ends or to gain beatified afterlife in a heaven or paradise); while others might promote similar practices directed toward assuring a form of blissful liberation that is radically different from human experience. Ethical obligations and constraints might or might not be part of any of these particular systems. Our panel proposes to present some formulations of yoga that provide examples of various different yoga traditions-without privileging one or another type of yoga is the "right" or "authoritative" yoga. As such, the session is an exploration of actual yogas instead of a construct of an ideal yoga.

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LOCATION OF ALL DANAM SESSIONS Grand Hyatt Washington – Burnham Room 1000 H Street NW, Washington DC 17-19 November 2006

PARKING & METRO Information (see at the end of the program)

8:30am OPENS - DANAM06 CONFERENCE REGISTRATION DESK. To receive the Abstract Digest, please register ahead with contact information, online at: http://www.danam-web.org/registration_1.html

(Participation at DANAM sessions at the AAR Annual Meetings is complimentary. However, please register on-line. Your registration will help us utilize our resources more efficiently to ensure conference sessions run smoothly and enough Abstract Digests are printed for complimentary handouts. This information is strictly meant for planning purposes and to facilitate communications.)

For updates, please continue to check at: www.danam-web.org/events.htm

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AM17-2 17 November 2006 Dharma Association of North America (DANAM) – Session PREP 7:00am – 8:00am Grand Hyatt Washington - Burnham

DANAM Program Meeting (Staff and Volunteers)

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AM17-12 17 November 2006 Dharma Association of North America (DANAM) – Session CT 9:00am – 11:45am Grand Hyatt Washington - Burnham

Theme: Challenges in Translation of Classic Hindu Texts Graham M. Schweig, Christopher Newport University, Convener and Presiding

Presenters: Laurie Patton, Emory University Challenges in Translating Works from Early India

Graham M. Schweig, Christopher Newport University; Challenges in Translating the Bhagavad Gita

BVK Shastry, Hindu University of America Pāṇinian Grammar Rules Governing Compound Words Formed with ‘Ārya’ in Bhagavad-Gita (2-2).

Ithamar Theodor, Haifa University, Israel Looking into the Structure of the Bhagavad Gita as a Precondition for its Translation

Prabhavati C. Reddy, Northwestern University Text and Context: Making the Sense of the Srisailakhandamu

------AM17-54 17 November 2006 Dharma Association of North America (DANAM) – Session Yoga 1 1:00pm – 3:45pm Grand Hyatt Washington - Burnham

Theme: Yoga Philosophy and Its Implications in Dharma Traditions

Sub-Theme: Re-imagining Yoga, Imagining Yoga-s Jeffrey C. Ruff, Marshall University, Convener Ramdas Lamb, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Presiding

Jeffrey C. Ruff, Marshall University Re-imagining Yoga, Imagining Yoga-s

Ian Whicher, University of Manitoba Kaivalya in the Yoga Sutra: Ultimate Disengagement or Engagement?

Sthaneshwar Timalsina, San Diego State University Nath Yoga: Union of the Body and the Cosmos

Jeffrey Stephen Lidke, Berry College The Royal Wisdom: Power or Transcendence? That is the question

Alfred Collins, Anchorage, AK Dharma Cloud Samadhi: The Other Side of Release (kaivalya) in Patanjali's Yoga Sutra and the Samkhya Karika

Beverley Foulks, Harvard University Super Samskara-s: Soteriological Subliminal Impressions in Patanjali's Yoga-Sutra

(For updates, please check at: www.danam-web.org/events.htm)

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AM17-111 17 November 2006 Dharma Association of North America (DANAM) – Panel ADD 4:00pm – 6:20pm Grand Hyatt Washington – Burnham

Theme: Adhikara in Dharma Diaspora Deepak Sarma, Case Western Reserve University, Convener and Presiding

Introduction: Where and with whom does adhikara (authority) reside in the Dharma Diaspora? Who has adhikara to speak for the burgeoning Dharma Diasporic community? This panel will consist of both academics and non-academics who will speak about adhikara and related issues in the Dharma Diaspora.

Panelists: Neelima Shukla-Bhatt, Wellesley College Women and Priestly Adhikara in Dharma Diaspora

Joanne Punzo Waghorne, Syracuse University Adhikara: Authority, Rights of Access, and New Global Hindu-based Organizations

Pravin K. Shah, Jain Study Center, North Carolina

Prabhavati C. Reddy, Northwestern University Institutional and Priestly Adhikara in American Hindu Temples

Suhag Shukla, Hindu American Foundation

(For updates, check at: www.danam-web.org/events.htm)

------AM17-131 17 November 2006 Dharma Association of North America (DANAM) – BIZ 1 6:20pm – 8:30pm Grand Hyatt Washington- Burnham Room

6:20pm-6:50pm AWARDS RECEPTION (Beverages and Light refreshments) 6:50pm-8:30pm AWARDS CEREMONY

The recipient of the DANAM-Takshashila PANINI LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD for 2006 is PROFESSOR JITENDRA N. MOHANTY of Temple University, for his sustained outstanding studies and research on Indian Philosophy. The award will be presented to him at an Awards Ceremony. Professor Mohanty’s students, colleagues and well-wishers who wish to attend are encouraged to immediately contact Drs. Adarsh Deepak ([email protected]; phone 757-848- 8257cell or 757-876-0360cell), Rita D. Sherma, or Bina Gupta, in order to help us make appropriate arrangements. Attendance is complimentary. Those who have not registered ahead are encouraged to do so by providing contact information at: http://www.danam-web.org/registration_1.html

For Grand Hyatt Parking and Metro Information, see at the end of this Agenda. ------

AM18-2 18November 2006 Dharma Association of North America (DANAM) – Session OPEN 7:15am-8:15am Grand Hyatt Washington - Burnham

Theme: Dharma Meditation Observances

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AM18-25 18November 2006 Dharma Association of North America (DANAM) – Session PW 1 9:00am-11:45am Grand Hyatt Washington - Burnham

Theme: Prayer and Worship in Dharma Traditions and Western Religions

Sub-Theme: Prayer and Worship in Hindu Traditions – Session 1 Rita D. Sherma, Binghamton University, Convener Lance Nelson, University of San Diego, Presiding

Arindam Chakrabarti, University of Hawaii at Manoa What is a Devatā? What is a Yajnā? Can Work be Worship? From Veda, through Bhagavadgita, to Tantra of Abhinavagupta

Gerald J. Larson, UC Santa Barbara and University of Indiana Bloomington, emeriti The Eccentric God of Yoga: A New Approach to 'Worship' and 'Prayer' (Bhakti-Visesa)

Purushottama Bilimoria, Deakin University & Melbourne University, Australia Mantric Effect, Noetics of Supplication, and the Apūrva in the Mimamsa

Bina Gupta, University of Missouri at Columbia Can an Advaitin Pray? The role of ‘Upasana’ in Shankara

Anant Rambachan, St. Olaf College Knowing Brahman as Creator and Self: Reconsidering Prayer and Worship in Advaita (For updates, check at: www.danam-web.org/events.htm)

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AM18-63 18 November 2006 Dharma Association of North America (DANAM) –Session PW 2 1:00pm-3:30pm Grand Hyatt Washington - Burnham

Theme: Prayer and Worship in Dharma Traditions and Western Religions

Sub-Theme: Prayer and Worship in Hindu Traditions – Session 2

Adarsh Deepak, DANAM,and Rita D. Sherma, Binghamton University, Conveners Arindam Chakrabarti, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Presiding

Marzenna Jakubczak, Pedagogical University of Krakow, Poland Why Meditate on God? The Role of Ishvara-pranidhana in Classical Yoga and Samkhya Traditions

Ramdas Lamb, University of Hawaii at Manoa P&W in the Sanayasa Tradition

Deepak Sarma, Case Western Reserve University Madhva Worship: Enlightened Bhakti

Nancy Martin, Chapman University Role of Music in Devotional Hinduism

Madhu Khanna, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi, India P&W in the Shakta Tradition

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AM18-108 18 November 2006 Dharma Association of North America (DANAM) – Session PW 3 4:00pm-6:30pm Grand Hyatt Washington - Burnham

Theme: Prayer and Worship in Dharma Traditions and Western Religions

Sub-Theme: Prayer and Worship in Hindu Traditions – Session 3 Adarsh Deepak, DANAM, and Rita D. Sherma, Binghamton University, Conveners Jeffery Long, Elizabethtown College, Presiding

Arindam Chakrabarti, University of Hawaii at Manoa Reasoning-Yoga and the Epistemology of Worship: The 12 Forms of Kālī in Kashmir (Tantraaloka IV)

Graham M. Schweig, Christopher Newport University P&W in the Gaudiya Tradition

Guy Beck, University of North Carolina-Wilmington Prayer and Worship through Music and Liturgy in North Indian Vaishnava Traditions

Aditya Adarkar, Montclair State University The Narrative and the Suppliant: Katha in the Mahabharata

Acharya Premchand Shridhar, Arya Pratinidhi Sabha America Sandhya and Yajna in Arya Samaj Tradition

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AM18-133 18 November 2006

Dharma Association of North America (DANAM) – Reception 6:30pm – 8:30pm Grand Hyatt Washington - Roosevelt

DANAM Reception (in the Roosevelt Room near Burnham Room, immediately following the panel). To informally meet, commiserate and interact with colleagues and friends and Trustees of DANAM over light refreshments and beverages and wine and cheese. (For updates, check at: www.danam-web.org/events.htm)

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AM19-20 19 November 2006 Dharma Association of North America (DANAM) –Session Yoga 2 9:00am – 11:45am Grand Hyatt Washington - Burnham

Theme: Yoga Philosophy and Its Implications in Dharma Traditions

Sub-Theme: Yoga and Ecology Christopher Chapple, Loyola Marymount University, Convener Daniel Michon, Loyola Marymount University, Presiding

Knut Axel Jacobsen, University of Bergen The Disharmony of Interdependence: Samkhya-Yoga and Ecology

Christopher Chapple, Loyola Marymount University Connecting Body, Senses, and Elements: Yoga and the Process of Ecological Restoration

Vijaya Nagarajan, University of San Francisco Yoga as Metaphor: Ecology, the Feminine, and the Kolam

Laura Cornell, California Institute of Integral Studies A Model for Eight Paths of Green Yoga

Suzanne Ironbiter, SUNY Purchase College Yoga and Nature: Vital Concentration in Atharva Veda

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AM19-52 19 November 2006 Dharma Association of North America (DANAM) – Session PW 4 1:00pm-3:30pm Grand Hyatt Washington – Burnham

Theme: Prayer and Worship in Dharma Traditions and Western Religions

Sub-Theme: Prayer and Worship in Buddhist and Jaina Traditions Rita D. Sherma, Binghamton University, Convener and Presiding

Rita M. Gross, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Prayer and Worship in Vajrayana Buddhism

David Drewes, University of Manitoba

Worship in Indian Mainstream and Mahayana Buddhism

Judith Simmer Brown, Naropa University Prayer and Worship in Tantric Buddhism

Anne Vallely, University of Ottawa Denying and Renouncing, Desiring and Pleading: The Art of Jain Prayer

M. Whitney Kelting, Northeastern University, Boston Why Might Jains Make Prayers No One Answers?

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AM19-109 19 November 2006 Dharma Association of North America (DANAM) – Session PW 5 4:00pm-6:30pm Grand Hyatt Washington – Burnham

Theme: Prayer and Worship in Dharma Traditions and Western Religions

Sub-Theme: Prayer and Worship in Jewish, Christian, Islamic and Sikh Traditions Rita D. Sherma, Binghamton University, Convener Kusumita Pedersen, St. Francis College, Presiding

Yehudit Kornberg Greenberg, Rollins College Divine Love and Eros in Jewish Prayer

Tazim R. Kassam, Syracuse University Prayer and Rituals of Ismaili Muslims

Alan Godlas, University of Georgia P&W in Sufi Tradition

Selva J. Raj, Albion College Public Devotions, Domestic Rituals: Prayer and Worship in Popular Christianity in India

Francis X. Clooney, SJ, Harvard University Prayer and Worship in the Srivaisnava Tradition: the Three Mantras according to Vedanta Desika

Nikky Singh, Colby College P&W is Sikh Tradition (For updates, check: at www.danam-web.org/events.htm)

------AM19-133 19 November 2006 Dharma Association of North America (DANAM) – Panel BIZ 3 7:00pm – 8:00pm Grand Hyatt Washington – Burnham DANAM Business Meeting – session 3

(For updates, check at: www.danam-web.org/events.htm)

For Updates of the Agenda, please continue to check the web site at: www.danam-web.org/events.htm

Contacts For Further Information

For Conference Administration & Logistics: Ms. Diana McQuestion, Conference Manager: [email protected] Tel: 757-766-5831 (till 15 Nov 06); At the Conference (17-19 Nov 06)

For Conference Program: Dr. Adarsh Deepak, President, DANAM: [email protected]

CONFERENCE ORGANIZATION

STEERING COMMITTEE

Rita D. Sherma, Binghamton University, Chair Arindam Chakrabarti, University of Hawaii at Manoa Christopher K. Chapple, Loyola Mount University Deepak Sarma, Case Western Reserve University Graham M. Schweig, Christopher Newport University Jeffrey D. Long, Elizabethtown College, PA Ramdas Lamb, University of Hawaii at Manoa Kusumita Pedersen, St. Francis College

DANAM ACADEMIC ADVISORY BOARD The Academic Advisory Board of DANAM includes Professors Rita D. Sherma, Chair, (Binghamton University & Berghoffer Institute), Arvind Sharma (McGill Univ), Arindam Chakrabarti, (University of Hawaii at Manoa), Subhash Kak (Louisiana State University), Kusumita Pedersen (St. Francis College, NYC), Anant Rambachan (St. Olaf College), T. S. Rukmani (Concordia University), Graham Schweig (Christopher Newport University), Srinivas Tilak (Montreal), Ian Whicher (University of Manitoba)

DANAM PRESIDENT Adarsh Deepak, (publisher of Journal for Vaishnava Studies, and academic volumes in Hindu Studies).

CONFERENCE COORDINATION COMMITTEE Diana McQuestion, Conference Manager Meera Rao Jyoti Gandhi

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE General Co-Chairs: Dr. Adarsh Deepak, President, DANAM Dr. Rajinder Gandhi, Chairman, DANAM

TRAVEL INFORMATION

The following information web site is for the convenience of the attendees of DANAM06Conference and/or 2006 AAR Annual Meeting.

From AAR web site: http://www.aarweb.org/annualmeet/default.asp

GRAND HYATT PARKING & METRO INFORMATION

Grand Hyatt Washington At Washington Center 1000 H Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001 www.grandhyattwashington.com

Parking Information

Note: The Grand Hyatt Washington is located directly above Metro Center stop for the Blue, Orange and Red Lines on Metro, exit towards 11th Street

Washington Center 1001 G Street, NW *Hotel does not own or operate garage, and can not be responsible for service/ availability in the area* Self-Park Garage Adjacent to Hotel - 250 spaces- Indoor (202) 393-7611 6’5” Height Maximum; 24 Hour Parking CASH/CREDIT CARDS (V/MC)

(Valet Parking-limited to Hotel Guests) (Self Parking)* 0-3hrs $15.00 0-1hr $7.00 3-8hrs $20.00 1-3hrs $14.00

8-24hrs $26.00 3-8hrs $18.00 8-24hrs $20.00 Flat Rate Saturdays and Sundays $10 (Self Parking)* * No in and out privileges *Does not include overnight

CITY CENTER PARKING (pricing as of 4/24/06) ¾ Site of Old Convention Center, located directly across from Grand Hyatt ¾ Features over 1000 parking spaces ¾ 24 Hour Security ¾ Pay upon arrival ¾ Entrance and exit are on 9th Street between I and H on the right

¾ Sunday – Thursday: 6 AM to Midnight Friday – Saturday 6am-2am 1-2 Hours $8.00 3 to 5 Hours $10.00 5 to 10 hours $16 Maximum All Day $20 Saturday 6am-5pm $5.00; Saturday 5pm-2am $10 Sunday All Day $5.00 Events (at Convention Center, Verizon Center, etc )$15 Lost Ticket $20, Tour Bus $50 ¾ Manager: Mr. Henok Tesfaye, President office: 202-265-0010; cell: 703-629-9424; fax: 202-265-5007

B) Park America 1100 New York Avenue, NW Self Park Garage (300+ parking spaces) 0-1hr $5.00 6’8” Height maximum 1-2hrs $8.00 Monday-Friday 6am-12midnight 2hrs & Up $12.00 Saturday 9am-12:00pm CASH ONLY (202) 789-1750 No Outside Parking During High Security Alerts

Marriott Metro Center 775 12th Street, NW Valet (200 parking spaces) 0-2 hrs $12.00 7’ Height Maximum 2-3hrs $18.00 24 hour Parking 3hrs & Up $21.00 Overnight $28.00 (Over Size Vehicles $25.00) CASH ONLY (202) 824-6118

Colonial Parking 700 11th Street, NW Self-Park Garage 0-1hr $7.00 6’8” Height Maximum 1-2hrs $14.00

Monday-Friday 7am-8pm Parking after 5pm - $10.00 2hrs & Up $14.00 Saturday 9am-5pm CASH ONLY 0-1hrs. $6.00 2hrs. & up $10.00 (202) 298-7053

Union Station -Alright Parking 30 Massachusetts Avenue, NE Self Park Garage (1300 parking spaces) 0-1hr $5.00 8’ Height Maximum (Passenger Vehicles) 1-2hrs $8.00 13’ Buses/Over Size Vehicles 2-4hrs $10.00 24 Hour Parking 4-5 hrs. $12.00 Requires a short cab ride or use of metro 5-12hrs $14.00 2 hour validation available from merchants 12-24hrs $16.00

Buses -7am – 7pm $20.00 7pm – 7am $10.00 Reserved Bus Daily Rate $50.00 CASH/CREDIT CARDS (All) No in and out privileges (202) 898-1950

Colonial Parking (outdoor parking) 1212 New York Avenue, NW Self Park Lot Monday-Friday 7am-7pm 0-1hrs $7.00 6’6” Height Maximum 2hrs & Up $14.00 CASH/CHECK No Buses (202) 295-8078