Maa Gyaan Suveera returns to Utsava Maa for her second appearance, offering two satsangs exploring the deep, sacred relationship between women and Nature. A gifted yogini and Vedic astrologer, she has spent more than three and a half decades guiding countless seekers on transformative paths rooted in ancient wisdom.

​

Maa Gyaan is the founder and spiritual guide of Kirti Hermitage in Rishikesh, where she facilitates courses in sacred sciences and inner alchemy. Her presence carries the grace of deep practice and the clarity of awakened insight. We are honoured to welcome her once again into the circle of Utsava Maa 2025.

Sneh Gupta is a retired Bollywood actress turned social entrepreneur, dedicated to creating opportunities for children with disabilities. She is the founder of Indability Foundation, an NGO that uses sport as a tool to break down barriers between disabled and able-bodied children. Through her work, she champions inclusion, confidence, and dignity, showing how play and teamwork can transform lives and shift mindsets.

​

She attended Utsava Maa in 2019, accompanied by young women from Indability who shared their powerful personal stories. At Utsava Maa 2025, she will return as a keynote speaker, bringing her warmth, experience, and vision for a society where every child is seen, valued, and celebrated.

Ruma Devi, renowned artisan and social entrepreneur from Barmer, Rajasthan, has transformed traditional hand embroidery into a powerful tool for women’s empowerment. What began with a small self-help group has grown into a network of more than 50,000 rural women sustaining their families and reviving their cultural heritage through craft.

​

Honoured with the Nari Shakti Puraskar, India’s highest civilian award for women, she has represented Indian artisans on global stages while continuing to root her work in dignity, skill, and solidarity. At Utsava Maa 2025, she brings her story of resilience and collective strength to inspire new ways of weaving tradition into change.

Deepti Asthana is a visual storyteller whos work has been featured in international publications including BBC News, Al Jazeera English, Huffington Post, Der Spiegel and The Hindu.​

Driven by a mission to amplify the voices of rural women in India, Deepti uses photography as a medium to uncover stories often invisible in mainstream media—stories of resilience, beauty, and survival; of cultural richness and unshakeable feminine strength.​ 

Her session at UM'25 Deepti will bring these lived experiences and encounters to life, inviting us into a world of images that bear witness, honour, and provoke reflection.

Pushpa and Pushta are forest guards and wildlife caretakers at the Desert National Park in Rajasthan, where they play a vital role in the protection of endangered species—including the Great Indian Bustard and the region’s declining vulture population.

​

Their work is grounded, tireless, and deeply ecological: from preventing overgrazing to ensuring essential water and food supplies for the park’s wildlife, they are keepers of balance in a fragile desert ecosystem. At Utsava Maa, they will speak from lived experience—offering rare insight into grassroots conservation, and the often unseen labour of love that protects the natural world.

Dr. Purnima Devi Barman is a renowned wildlife biologist and conservationist from Assam, India, best known for founding the Hargila Army—a women-led movement to protect the endangered Greater Adjutant stork. Through her work, she has woven together ecology, cultural revival, and grassroots empowerment, transforming fear and stigma into celebration.

​

Her approach places women at the centre of conservation, showing that protecting biodiversity is also about honouring local wisdom and restoring balance. At Utsava Maa 2025, Purnima will share her journey of listening to the land, building community power, and reimagining the relationship between women and the wild.

Shreejan Sita, C-IAYT, is a Yoga Therapist and Ayurveda Practitioner with over 30 years of experience, known for her integrative approach to healing and spiritual ecology. After seven years of intensive study in India, she founded the Shridevi Wellness Center at Shri Jasnath Asan in Rajasthan and now runs her practice in Michigan, USA.

​

Drawing from her own healing journey, Maa Shree specialises in neurological health and has taught widely, including at SVYASA in Bangalore. Her upcoming book, Yogecology: Spirit in the Soil, explores the return to Nisarga Chikitsa—Nature Therapy—and will be released in 2025.

​

Pooja Nathawat is a classical dancer and teacher of Bharatanatyam, a devotional art form rooted in Tamil Nadu. Traditionally performed by women, Bharatanatyam is a powerful embodiment of spiritual storytelling, drawing from the sacred traditions of Shaivism, Vaishnavism, and Shaktism.

​

At Utsava Maa 2025, Pooja will offer both a live performance and a participatory workshop, inviting us into the grace, rhythm, and deep reverence of this ancient dance. Her practice honours the feminine principle as it flows through movement, ritual, and the expressive power of the body.

​

​

Vishaka Sharaf is a choreographer and teacher from Jodhpur, dedicated to preserving and sharing India’s classical and folk dance traditions. Trained in Kathak for over 15 years, she embodies the art’s grace, rhythm, and storytelling, while also championing Rajasthan’s beloved folk dance, Ghoomar, in its authentic rajwadi style.

​

Her performances and teachings carry these traditions beyond their regional roots, inspiring audiences across India and globally. At Utsava Maa 2025, Vishaka will present both Kathak and Ghoomar, offering audiences a glimpse into two vibrant streams of Indian dance and inviting participants to step into rhythm, grace, and cultural expression.

Meghna Khanna is a creative entrepreneur and brand strategist based in Bangalore, India. She is the founder of the iconic store Levitate, co-founder of The Preloved Co., and the force behind The Bindi Project—all dedicated to celebrating craft, culture, and conscious living. With a deep commitment to sustainability and women-led enterprise, Meghna works as a style therapist and brand consultant for independent makers.

​

At Utsava Maa 2025, Meghna will host a branding workshop from her Marketplace booth—offering practical tools to elevate your creative work through storytelling, visual style, and connection to the land. She’ll also offer a sari draping demo and an open discussion on women, the environment, and artful entrepreneurship.

With over 20 years of experience, N. Radha Arora integrates yoga, mindfulness, and inclusive education to support individuals of all abilities. She specialises in adaptive yoga for people with autism, Down’s syndrome, mobility challenges, and emotional regulation, drawing on a strong foundation in Montessori pedagogy and special education. Her work also extends to supporting parents and caregivers, helping them meet their own needs while caring for others.

​

At Utsava Maa 2025, she will lead a practitioner workshop: ‘Teaching Adaptive Yoga’, a 2-hour session for yoga teachers on designing safe, supportive, and inclusive classes for students with special needs.

​

Mahima Bhatnagar is an Expressive Arts Therapist and Somatic Practitioner with over 12 years of experience integrating movement, art, storytelling, and ecology into spaces of connection, healing, and embodied awareness. She has facilitated workshops and retreats across India, guiding participants to rediscover resilience, creativity, and belonging through the arts. Her approach is deeply rooted in the body’s wisdom and the power of collective creativity.

​

At Utsava Maa 2025, she will lead two offerings: Dance of the Feminine, a somatic movement workshop on embodiment and renewal, and Threads of Resilience, a collective art therapy session weaving personal stories into a shared sari as a symbol of continuity and collective strength.​​

Cynthia Sciberras is an Australian creative rooted in the eight limbs of yoga, ancestral wisdom, and the art of sacred gathering. She is the founder of YOKE, a print journal offering pathways back to the sacred, the Earth, and one another. Her work weaves community, ceremony, and creativity into spaces of deep connection and presence.

​

At Utsava Maa 2025, Cynthia will guide ‘Waters of the Body, Rivers of the Soul’—a gentle water ceremony combining breath, chant, and ancestral ritual. Participants are invited to bring a small vessel of water from a meaningful place to join in this collective blessing.​

​

Eileen Hall is a senior yoga teacher from Sydney, Australia, with over four decades of dedicated practice in both Ashtanga and Iyengar traditions. A long-time student of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, she has made more than 30 pilgrimages to India, deepening her study of asana, mantra, meditation, and yoga philosophy.

​

At her studio OM House in Bondi Beach, Eileen leads Mysore-style Ashtanga classes that emphasise individual guidance, breath, and meditative awareness. Known for her compassionate yet disciplined approach, she helps students build sustainable practices rooted in tradition, devotion, and community, inspiring practitioners to experience yoga as a lifelong path of transformation.​​

Dr. Saroj Kumari Fagodia is an Assistant Professor of Botany and innovator working at the intersection of ecology, empowerment, and sustainable livelihoods. As coordinator of a Department of Science & Technology project in Rajasthan, she has pioneered the use of bajra cob post-harvest residues to create eco-friendly paper and handicrafts, a contemporary evolution of  Western Rajasthan's papier-mâché tradition.

​

At Utsava Maa 2025, she will lead a 7-day Women’s Empowerment Workshop, offering hands-on training in transforming agricultural by-products into sustainable, marketable goods. Her work supports rural women in building livelihoods rooted in creativity, environmental care & resilience.

Founder of Morapunk Yoga in Rajasthan and co-founder of Femved Wellness, Mandira Chaudhary brings over a decade of experience in yoga, mindfulness, and sound healing. With more than 5,000 hours of teaching, her approach blends authentic Hatha Yoga traditions with practices that nurture emotional intelligence and vitality. Her work weaves strength with softness, movement with stillness, and individual practice with collective well-being.

At Utsava Maa 2025, she will guide a two-part yoga immersion exploring feminine flow and embodied expression, as well as a Tibetan singing bowl sound bath that invites deep rest, inner balance, and harmony.

​

​​

Dr. Sumitra Kumari Choudhary is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Botany at Jai Narain Vyas University (JNVU), Jodhpur, specialising in plant biotechnology and the conservation of Thar Desert bioresources. Her research spans micropropagation systems, genetic diversity, and sustainable management of desert flora. She has published widely and served on organising committees for scientific conferences.

​

As a chapter contributor to Yogecology, she shared “Foraging for Sangri: Foundations of Bioresourceful Conservation”, exploring the balance between tradition and ecological responsibility. At Utsava Maa 2025, Dr. Choudhary will offer a lecture on biodiversity and conservation, highlighting the urgent need to protect the fragile ecosystems of Rajasthan while supporting sustainable livelihoods.

Sadhvi Veragi is a devotional singer whose bhajans carry the grace of satsang and the warmth of her presence. A satsangi — one who lives in spiritual practice and community — she shares teachings not only through words but through song. Though she performs only in her native tongue, her music speaks across languages, touching listeners worldwide.

Returning for her second year at Utsava Maa, she first brought her love and spirit to the festival in 2019. Her voice remains a gentle pilgrimage — one of devotion, connection, and light.

​

​

​

​

​

The Siddha Fire Dance is an ancient Rajasthani tradition originating with the 15th-century yogi Shridev Jasnath. Rooted in devotion and community healing, it weaves together fire, drumming, and Sufi-inspired whirling, creating a powerful fusion of rhythm, trance, and meditation. Safeguarded for centuries by the Siddha community, it remains a rare living example of sacred theatre in India’s desert culture.

​​

Now performed at Shri Jasnath Asan and across Rajasthan, the fire dance continues to mesmerise audiences, drawing them into focused awareness through the hypnotic interplay of flame and movement. At Utsava Maa 2025, the Siddha Fire Dancers will conclude the gathering with this traditional performance, offering participants a glimpse into one of Rajasthan’s most profound cultural treasures.

Kelam & Dariya are a gifted duo of folk singers from Rajasthan, known for their powerful devotional voices and masterful veena accompaniment. Their music carries the soul of the desert, echoing ancestral songs that tell of love, longing, devotion, and the deep ties between people and land.

​

With a style that is both raw and refined, they embody the living tradition of Rajasthani folk music—preserving its stories while sharing them with new audiences. At Utsava Maa 2025, their performance will transport listeners into the heart of Rajasthan’s cultural heritage, blending spiritual depth with the timeless rhythms of the desert.

​​​

​

The Kalbeliya dancers bring the desert to life with swirling skirts, rhythmic movement, and powerful feminine energy. Originating from the nomadic Kalbeliya community of Rajasthan, this dance form is rooted in storytelling, celebration, and cultural resilience.

​

Traditionally performed by women and accompanied by live music, Kalbeliya is known for its graceful, snake-like movements,  echoing the community’s ancestral connection to snake charming.​ Now recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage, Kalbeliya is a vibrant expression of identity, joy, and tradition.
We’re honoured to welcome the dancers to this year’s gathering.

​​​​