One aspect of “lived religion” that is emphasized repeatedly in ICNY’s “Religious Worlds of New York” summer institute for teachers, is the diversity that exists within each faith tradition. This is exemplified in this panel discussion of Hindu clergy and lay leaders sharing their personal stories and faith practices. In order of appearance:
Vanita Yogeshwar is an active member of the Staten Island Hindu Temple, or Shree Ram Mandir. The temple was registered as a nonprofit organization in 1997, and the inaugural puja for its temple building was performed in 2006.
Aminta Kilawan-Narine is an attorney, community activist, and writer. Born in the Bronx to Guyanese Hindu parents, Aminta's passion for social justice manifests in various aspects of her
life. In 2011, she co-founded Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus to merge her activist spirit with her love of Hinduism's progressive values.
Pandit Prakash Bhat is a reputed Vedic scholar and independent priest who performs various Vedic/Hindu rituals and ceremonies, working directly with individuals and families in the greater New York region and beyond. He also serves as the head priest of the Broome Street Ganesh Temple, in lower Manhattan.
Kaustubha Das serves as Senior Educator and Creative Director of The Bhakti Center, a yoga cultural center and Hindu Temple on New York’s Lower East Side. He teaches bhakti-yoga philosophy and meditation, which he has practiced for over thirty years in the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition.
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