Chinmaya International Foundation © - About CIF

Home Reach Us Site Map Online Shopping Online Study Courses Donate

Adi Sankara Nilayam

About CIF

About Chinmaya Mission

Photo Gallery

CIF has been set up with a view to throw a bridge between the fully developed, time-tested, trusted ancient science of the East and the modern developing branches of science of the west. It will be a meeting ground for the eastern and western thinkers to open up new channels of world - saving thoughts.
- Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayananda (Head of Chinmaya Mission, World Wide)


			Aims and Objectives

			Research Facilities

			Major Events

			History

			Who's Who

			Trustees

			The Team



	Hailing from the well-known Ambadi family in Tripunithura, Smt. Shantha Balakrishnan has been serving for long the cause of quality education for a long time. Smt. Shantha and Sri. A.Balakrishnan, her late husband, both devotees of Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayanandaji left Kuwait, where they were well established and returned to Kerala to look after Chinmaya International Foundation and the Chinmaya Vidyalaya at Tripunithura.

Sri. A.Balakrishnan was the Founder Trustee and Chief Sevak of Chinmaya International Foundation, was the prime mover under the guidance of Pujya Gurudev, in building CIF since its inception. Smt. Shantha Blakrishnan continues her Guruseva as the Chief Sevak of Chinmaya International Foundation. As Secretary of the Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Tripunitura, the school has risen to new heights of academic excellence in her care.



	Dr.K.H.SUBRAMANIAN had a brilliant academic career and was Rank holder in his graduation and post graduation. An acclaimed scholar of Sanskrit, especially Sahitya (Literature), Dr.K.H.Subramanian served for 28 years as the Head, Department of Sanskrit in an Aided College and then became the Registrar of Kannur University, Kerala for four years. A renowned administrator and academician Dr.Subramanian has authored 15 books in Sanskrit and Malayalam and is an approved guide in Sanskrit for the Kannur and Calicut Universities.

Dr. Subramanian, a good organizer and orator, joined as Director, CIF in December 2005. He had been associated with National Literacy Mission, National Service Scheme, Teacher’s movements and various other social and Cultural activities. He has published several research articles and had conducted many national seminars on literature and education.



	Smt. Sarala Suresh, a M.A., M.Phil, has been working at Chinmaya International Foundation since its inception in 1990. She obtained her Post Graduate Degree from Govt. Sanskrit College, Tripunithura and M.Phil degree from the University of Pune, where she is soon to submit her Ph.D thesis on Ritual context in Sabarabhasya — Chapter II & III. Her guide in her doctoral studies is the noted Mimamsa scholar, Dr.Ujjwala Jha from the Centre of Advanced Study of Sanskrit, University of Pune.

Hailing from a family closely connected with the traditional Melpazhur Mana (the maternal home of Sri Adi Sankara’s mother) she has devoted her time and expertise in fulfilling the visions of Pujya Gurudev through the execution of various projects like Sanskrit Home Study Course, Sansk-Net project, critical Edition of Sabarabhashya, Critical edition of Brahmasutra Sankarabhashya etc.



	Br. Sagar Chaitanya was deeply interested in spirituality right from his childhood. He joined the Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Powai (Mumbai) where he completed his Vedanta Course in 1998. Bestowed the 'Brahmacharya Deeksha' by Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayanandaji in 1998, he served at the Noida and Sidhabari centres till 1999.

In 2000 he took over as the In-charge of the Vedanta Home Study Course at the Central Chinmaya Mission Trust, Mumbai. Today, Br. Sagar Chaitanya serves at the Chinmaya International Foundation adding a new fillip and inspiration to the Postal and E-Vedanta Courses.



	A senior monk of the Chinmaya Mission, she was a teacher by profession having served at the Chinmaya Vidyalayas in Chennai and Bangalore as the Principal for more than ten years. She completed her Vedanta Studies at the Sandeepany Sadhanlaya, Powai in 1993, and was bestowed 'Brahmacharya Deeksha' with the name Brn. Tapasya Chaitanya by Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayanandaji, whereafter she went on to render yeomen service as Acharya of Chinmaya Mission, Chennai till 2001.

During this time, in 1996, she was initiated into the holy order of Sannyas by Pujya Swami Tejomayanandaji with the name Swamini Niranjanananda. Her immense academic abilities were realized by the Mission under her editorship of Tapovan Prasad, the international monthly journal of the Chinmaya Mission. Now amma, as she is called lovingly, is at CIF serving as the resident Acharya.



	Acharya and trustee of CIF, Swami Advayananda completed his Vedanta Course in 1993 at Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Powai and was bestowed 'Brahmacharya Deeksha' by Swami Chinmayanandaji with the name Samahita Chaitanya. He served the Chinmaya Mission, Kodaikanal, Tamilnadu for three years and later at the Chinmaya International Residential School (CIRS), Coimbatore from 1996-2000.

From 2000 to 2003 he served as the Acharya of Sandeepany Vidyamandir, the Sandeepany of Tamilnadu. (Sandeepanies are the gurukulas of the Chinmaya Mission). In March 2003, he was initiated into the Sannyas order with the name Swami Advayananda by Pujya Swami Tejomayanandaji.

30 Nov - 6 Dec 2007	:	Sulabha Samskritam
19 Dec - 28 Dec 2007	:	Advaita in the Classics
1 Feb - 2 Mar 2008	:	Upanishad Lahari