www.yogculturefestival.com

2ND- 6TH October 2014

Dev Sanskriti University, Shantikunj- Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya

Yugrishi Pt. Shriram Sharma Acharya (1911-1990) is the patron founder of All World Gayatri Parivar (www.awgp.org), who initiated the Thought Revolution Movement and established Shantikunj at its Head Quarter in 1971. He was a spiritually uplifted personality, great freedom fighter, profound thinker, noted philosopher, dedicated social reformer and prolific writer, who wrote more than 3000 books touching almost all aspects of humanity. Acharya shree lived a disciplined life of devout austerity, visited the several times and attained spiritual eminence.

His movement is focused on bringing constructive revolution in the fields of spiritual penance (sadhana), education, health, self-reliance, women empowerment, environment protection, de-addiction and eradication of unjust social customs, through its headquarter, Shantikunj and more than 4000 social reform centers (Shaktipeeths) spread all over . Vandaniya (Revered) Mata Bhagvati Devi Sharma (spiritual counterpart and wife of Yugrishi Pt. Shriram Sharma Acharya), has been the foremost collaborator and disciple of Gurudev. Premise of the Festival

With the advancement and material development happening all around, some of us at times pause and think if we are really happy and peaceful, and the answer we get is a big NO. This makes us wonder and we try hard to achieve more but the result remains the same. More accumulation of wealth doesn't ensure the desired happiness and peace of mind and therefore the journey of life comes to a standstill. We start searching for answers around us. We marvel where do we go wrong and the quest make us move on.

For the seekers of these curiosities, Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya, under the aegis of Shantikunj, Haridwar, has come forward with a one of its kind experience to take the voyage forward and offer solutions to the hurdles of life based upon the teachings of ancestral Indian culture. The spiritual teachings and the deep rooted philosophy of Yog in everyday's life brings in not only new dimensions to a seekers quest, but also hand hold him or her to reach new orbits hidden within the self.

The unique offerings of the Indian culture offer a variety of ways to a seeker to find solutions to their queries through specially designed spiritual sessions, research based scientific plenary sessions, experiential sessions of Complementary and Alternative System of Medicine, Cultural sessions showcasing the heritage of Indian Culture, the tour to the Spiritual Academy - Shantikunj, morning meditation on rising sun at the banks of mother Ganga, and interdisciplinary discussions among participants and facilitators.

The 4th Edition of the International Festival on Yog, Culture and Spirituality brings a new experience of rejuvenating the spirit of life and recognizing the divinity within. The purity of the intrinsic faith and the arousal of the inner sentiments are important for the realization of divinity existing in the inner-self. The need of the hour is to understand spiritual practices from a scientific perspective so that they can alleviate the suffering of human beings across the globe.

Objectives: ŸCelebrate the Spirit of Life ŸExpand and Extend the Self ŸLearn Spiritual Therapies for Holistic well being ŸStriking harmony within Self, Family and Society ŸRedefining the purpose of life ŸEnhancing the value system ŸCreating a better family and surroundings through Self Refinement Invitation

Dear Friend, It gives me immense pleasure to extend my cordial invitation to you for the 4th International Festival on Yog, Culture and Spirituality, being organized between 2nd and 6th October 2014 at the Dev Sanskriti University (DSVV), Shantikunj, Haridwar, Himalayas, India.

Yog means communion; it refers to the unification of the inner-self with the supreme divine consciousness. The ultimate aim of all yogic disciplines is the spiritual refinement. Spirituality is a deeper science based on the self-realization and transformation of the thoughts through intrinsically established and verified principles. Though its principal focus lies in the domains of the cosmic consciousness and deeper cores of human psyche, it is as scientific in its methods as any other branch of the modern science. In spite of the advancement of technology in this age, the spiritual disciplines are not being subjected to the rigorous scientific investigations, which often make skeptics question the success of yogic principles.

With a vision of establishing the scientific basis of the yogic disciplines and spirituality, the foundation of the Dev Sanskriti University was laid in the early 2002 and its core principles are interwoven in the teachings of the great saint of modern era, Yugrishi Pt. Shriram Sharma Acharya Ji. Our efforts have been widely appreciated and the University has an established global presence in the field of the Yoga, Vedic Sciences, Indology and the allied subjects. This festival is another step in the direction of sharing the wealth of information and propagation of the knowledge obtained by us in our unique and historic expedition so far.

I hope that this congregation will offer you enough opportunities to not only interact with eminent personalities and luminaries with spiritual depth, but also a new dimension to understand the Indian culture. On behalf of All World Gayatri Parivar and DSVV family, I cordially extend this warm invitation to one and all. May each of you find some significance and this chapter becomes a strong foundation for your endless spiritual growth.

Best wishes for your social and spiritual well being Sincerely,

Dr. Pranav Pandya, MD Chancellor DSVV and Head All World Gayatri Pariwar Shantikunj, Haridwar, India Festival Attractions

• Over 15 key notes, 20 spiritual luminaries and 30 adepts • Spiritual, Scientific, Experiential and Cultural sessions • Interactive sessions with Spiritual mentors • Enlightening Spiritual & Cultural evenings • Lamp Ceremony (Deep Yagya) • Fun and Shopping at the Festival Haat (Evening market) at DSVV • Free Medical Counseling Sessions on Ayurved, Yog, Yagyopathy, Pranic Healing, Acupressure, Spiritual Psychology • Outbound adventure learning • Program abstracts and the Festival Kit Venue of the Conference

The conference will be held in the campus of the Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya (University) in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India. Situated at the foothills of the Himalayas in the vicinity of the holy , the Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya (University) was established in 2002. Sorrounded by lush Himalayan vegetation, the campus is spread over 80 acres of flat land and is equipped with an excellent infrastructure and dedicated faculty, staff and knowledge seeking students. The university is duly recognized by the University Grants Commission, India and is privately financed by Shri Vedmata Gayatri Trust, a renowned socio-spiritual organization. A unique concept of Samaydaan or Time donation also distinguishes the University from traditional Universities.

Haridwar is an ancient city believed to be one among the seven salvation giving cities in the holy land of India. Early March is the spring season at its very best and the weather in Haridwar is pleasant. Haridwar is conveniently linked to by road, rail and also by the air.

There is need for an educational institution which could mold its students into noble and enlightened human beings: selfless, warm-hearted, compassionate and kind.

- Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya Registration

To register, please download and forward the completed form to us either by Post: Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya (University), Gayatrikunj - Shantikunj, Haridwar - 249411 (Uttarakhand) INDIA Fax: +91-01334-260723 or Email: [email protected]

Amount Amount Category (Residential) (Non-Residential) Specialists, Professionals (Abroad) 295 $ 175 $ Delegates (India) 5,000 ` 3,500 ` Residents, Trainees & PhD Students (Abroad) 225 $ 125 $ Residents, Trainees & PhD Students (India) 3,500 ` 2,200 `

Please note that the student rates are only applicable to participants who will have full-time student status on 01st August 2014. A letter verifying this status must accompany all registration forms. Letters must be signed by either a Supervisor or Head of the Department. If you register via the website, a letter verifying student status must be sent as hard copy to the Registration Team and must be carried in person and presented at the time of collecting the registration kit. Accompanying Guests must be registered using the appropriate space on the registration form. Please provide full names of the guests, as all guests will be issued a badge for entry to the Welcome Reception.

Payment Payments can be made through Demand Draft or a cheque for the appropriate amount in favour of “Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya", payable at Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India. For electronic transfer through Indian Banking Channels the details are: 1. State Bank of India (SBI) Account No: 10876859868, IFS Code: SBIN 0002350 2. Punjab National Bank (PNB), Account No: 4694000100002057 IFS Code - PUNB0469400 MICR024 3. Payments are also accepted in Indian currency at festival registration desk.

Confirmation The registration will be confirmed by the Festival Organizing Committee through a confirmation receipt by email or by post.

Cancellation and Refund Policy • Cancellations must be received by the Registration Team by letter, fax or email. • For cancellations received after 30th September 2014, there will be no refund. • For cancellations received before this date there will a cancellation fee of $75. • All refunds will be made after the conclusion of the Festival. The Organizing Committee

Patron : Dr. Pranav Pandya, Chancellor - DSVV

Advisory Board : Mr. Gaurishankar Sharma, Manager - Shantikunj, Haridwar Mr. Harish Thakkar, Chief Finance Officer - Shantikunj, Haridwar Mr. Vireshwar Upadhyay, Editor-Pragya Abhiyan - Shantikunj, Haridwar

Chairpersons : Mr. Sharad Pardhy, Vice Chancellor, DSVV Dr. Chinmay Pandya, Pro Vice Chancellor, DSVV

Vice-Chairperson : Mr. Sandeep Kumar, Registrar - DSVV

Sub Committee

Reception, Registration & Accommodation - (C) Arunesh Parashar (M) Umakant Indolia, Somnath Patra, Sudarshan Kumar • Program Schedule, Sessions - (C) Baldau Dewangan (M) Ashwani Sharma, Girijesh Mishra • Public Relations, Media, Promotion - (C) Saurabh Mishra (M) Sukhnandan Singh, Hemant Kumar • Haat management - (C) Kaveri Bali (M) Mukesh, Chandrakala Sahu, Manjari Mehta • Ceremonies, Cultural programs - (C) Gulam Askari Zaidi (M) Satish Kaiwart, Arti Kaiwart • Website & Volunteer Mgmt. - (C) Ashutosh Sahu (M) Gopal Krishna Sharma, Naveen Pandey • Souvenir - (C) Abhay Saxena (M) Sorabh Srivastava, Ashish Kumar, Rajat Rastogi • CAM Sessions -(C) Suresh Barnwal (M) Kamakhya Kumar, Saraswati Kala, Vandana Srivastava, Usha Jaiswal, Alka Mishra, Amril Lal Guruvendra, Gyaneshwar Mishra • Transport & Catering - (C) Sudheer Sripad & Vishnu Mittal (M) Baldev Patel, Tikeshwar Bishen • LIU documentation - (C) Manoj Srivastava (M) Subhash Kumar • Fin Purchase, Audit & Budgeting - (C) Radhey Shayam Soni (M) Raj Kumar Vaishnav • Audio-visual and Multimedia - (C) Divyesh Vyas (M) Santosh Singh • Photography and Exhibition - (C) Sudheer Soni (M) Khilawan Sinha, Prem Kumar • Designing & Printing - (C) Ketan Patel (M) Kamal Narayan, Pawan Diwan, T.C Sharma

(C) Convener (M) Member

Organizers

www.dsvv.ac.in www.awgp.org Shantikunj, Haridwar - 249411, Uttarakhand, India