Watch the Conference Proceedings, Day 1, Day 2, Day 3
Watch a quick overview HERE.
BhāratShakti, Sri Aurobindo Society (Pondicherry) was a collaborating institution for a recently concluded 4-day International Conference on Discovery and Application of Vedic Knowledge. Hosted at the beautiful campus of AURO University, Surat, from February 12 to February 15, 2026, the conference organisational work was led by Auro University in collaboration with Sri Aurobindo Integral Life Center (Surat), La Grace Sri Aurobindo Integral Life Center (South Carolina, USA), Brhat Foundation (India), AuroChit (USA), and SAKSHI Trust (Bengaluru).
The conference brought together scholars, researchers, practitioners, thought leaders as well as seekers and spiritual aspirants to explore the depth, relevance, and contemporary application of Vedic knowledge. Through interdisciplinary discussions and scholarly presentations, the conference highlighted the enduring insights of the Vedas and their significance for modern society.
During the initial planning stages, it was decided to ground the conference in Sri Aurobindo’s psycho-spiritual interpretation of the Veda and its connection with his futuristic vision for the humanity. The planning group found inspiration in Sri Aurobindo’s call that India must take three important steps to be able to help humanity rise to a higher consciousness:
- The recovery of the old spiritual knowledge and experience in all its splendour, depth and fullness is its first, most essential work.
- The flowing of this spirituality into new forms of philosophy, literature, art, science and critical knowledge is the second.
- An original dealing with modern problems in the light of the Indian spirit and the endeavour to formulate a greater synthesis of a spiritualised society is the third and most difficult.
With the inspirational framework in place, the detailed planning work for the conference started six months prior to February 2026 through a process of several online meetings and discussions. In all these meetings Dr. Beloo Mehra, Director, BhāratShakti played an important role, sharing ideas, inputs and overall structure and flow of the conference. Six core themes were identified for the conference deliberations. The conference agenda and schedule were also set up also during these online meetings and other online discussions. Keynote speakers and key topics were identified to address each of the core six themes. The six core themes of the conference were:
- The Veda and the Evolution of Consciousness
- Sri Aurobindo’s Integral Philosophy as a Continuation of the Vedic Philosophy
- The Vedic Knowledge and the Integral Yoga of Transformation
- The Future of Humanity in the Light of Vedic and Integral Vision
- Expressions of Vedic and Integral Consciousness through Art, Literature and Culture
- The Universal Relevance of the Vedic Vision
Several sub-themes were also identified and abstracts and research paper submissions were invited from scholars and seekers from across the world. More than 55 abstracts were received, out of which about 40 were selected for presentations during the conference — either in person or online. These were in addition to the invited keynote addresses. The final conference schedule can be downloaded HERE.
The conference was inaugurated on February 12, 2026. The Chief Guest of the Inaugural ceremony was Shri Hasmukh Adhia, Advisor to the Chief Minister, Govt. of Gujarat. In addition to the graceful presence of Shri H.P. Rama, Founder-president of Auro University and Patron of the conference, and Professor Parimal H. Vyas, Vice Chancellor and Conference Chair, several dignitaries were also present at the inauguration. The context was thoughtfully set during the three key addresses made during the inaugural session. A conference souvenir was also released during the inaugural event.
February 12 was also the birth anniversary of Swami Dayananda Saraswati, whose pioneering work to recover the right clues for Vedic interpretation has been given great importance by Sri Aurobindo. Dr. Beloo Mehra, Director, BhāratShakti, SAS was asked to deliver a special address to honour the legacy of Swami Dayananda Saraswati. Read the full report on this talk HERE.
Dr. Beloo Mehra also delivered a second keynote address on Day 2 of the conference which explored Vedic Insights on Integral Education. Read a summary of that address HERE. Other keynote invited speakers at the Conference included: Dr. Alok Pandey, Dr. Matthijs Cornelissen, Dr. Nagendra N., Dr. Anuradha Choudry, Dr. Vladimir Yatsenko, Sri Ram Chandra Roddam, Prof. Sharad Joshi, Mr. Mohit Bansal, Dr. Pankaj Saxena, Dr. Mala Kapadia, and Dr. Bharat Dash.
On Day 2 and Day 3, two hours were reserved each day for paper presentations during which time parallel sessions were held in different rooms to accommodate several paper presenters. These presentations were held both in person and also online. Each presenter was given 10-15 minutes for the presentation. A Chairperson from the Keynote Speakers Panel was assigned to each of these sessions. On Day 3, Dr. Beloo Mehra also chaired one online paper presentation session which featured four engaging presentations by scholars. This session was coordinated by Dr. Dhaval J Thaker, a faculty member from Auro University.
On Day 3, Dr. Mehra also chaired another online international session later in the evening which featured speakers who are part of the weekly study group called AuroChit, which was also one of the collaborating partners for this Conference. BhāratShakti, Sri Aurobindo Society has also been collaborating with AuroChit for several years now and has organised meaningful programmes (see HERE, HERE and HERE), including the ongoing study group on Veda. The initial idea for an international conference also emerged from within our ongoing study group.
On the final day of the conference, February 15, Dr. Beloo Mehra along with Dr. Nimesh Joshi from Auro University presented short reports and reflections on the conference proceedings. The valedictory ceremony also included a delightful cultural programme presented by the students of Auro University celebrating Mahashivaratri. Certificates for the student volunteers and Auro faculty members who participated enthusiastically in the sessions were also distributed. Three young upcoming scholars were identified and honored whose papers stood out as most impactful contributions.
Overall, the conference was a huge success. More than 150 people participated in the plenary sessions as well as the paper presentation parallel sessions. About 100 people joined online for various sessions, including four keynote speakers and about 20 paper presenters. The participants included academicians, educators, Vedic scholars, seekers and students.
Some contemplative time was also spent at the beautiful space created at Sri Aurobindo Integral Life Center. On the sidelines of the conference, some meetings were also held with the top leadership of Auro University and other collaborating partners to explore the future steps beyond this successful conference.
Watch the Conference Proceedings, Day 1, Day 2, Day 3
Watch a quick overview HERE.
To learn more about the conferences and seminars organised by BhāratShakti, SAS, see HERE.
