Successful Inaugural Gita Conference Held at the University of Houston

By Dave Shah

HOUSTON: The city’s first Gita conference was held on Saturday, May 26, where people from many different communities gathered to learn, reflect, and discuss the various teachings of the Bhagavad Gita.

The conference, named “Spiritual Conference: Road map for life and living”, had the goal to enlighten people of all ages, backgrounds, and religions to learn about and appreciate the philosophy of the Bhagavad Gita.

Pradip Seernani, a long time devotee of the Geeta Ashram, initiated the conference with the traditional conch sound, and all in attendance were tranquil yet eager to engage in the conference. The Gita Conference was primarily organized by Mr. Seernani, who invited six very knowledgeable speakers that focused on expressing the practical and philosophical messages of the Bhagavad Gita.

The lineup of speakers featured Joseph Emmett, Brahmacharini Shweta Chaitanya, Satya Kalra, Narinder Kapoor, Stephen Phillips and Guru Maa Geeteshwari Ji. Each speaker had a unique and deep understanding of the daily applications of the scripture. Seernani was accompanied by Acharya Gaurang Nanavaty from Chinmaya Mission, as well as Dr. Virendra Mathur, as they were key supporters of the conference.

To seek out youth attendees, the conference was located at The University of Houston (Main Campus). There were many from different walks of life as they all joined in an experience of broadening their spiritual horizons.

“We need more of this for our youth. The program was not only fun, but intellectually beneficial” said Mr. Gopal Savjani, Chairman and CEO of Ansh Labs. The conference was emceed by Dave Shah, 23, and Pratik Gandhi, 24, two young men who volunteered to bridge the gap between the speakers and attendees.

“We really enjoyed the informative speakers, but also really appreciated the MC’s who brought a ton of energy and entertainment throughout the entirety of the event,” said Jay Shah, an attendee. “As a college student, the messages by the speakers and the emcees resonated with me and attendees close to my age.”.

“The best way to get the youth more involved, and inclined to learn the teachings of the Gita is simply by being an example that they can look up to,” said Brahmacharini Shweta Chaitanya Ji, responding to a question that many of the adults, more specifically parents had in regards to youth involvement and interaction.

The conference built the foundation for more youth involvement in various aspects and hopes to create a community where this scripture can be applied to anyone who looks to have a deeper understanding of spirituality. The organizers of this event plan to conduct the conference biennially, and expect tremendous growth due to the debut’s success.