Re: Anantha Research Foundation and its activities.

From the Bhakti List Archives

• June 25, 1998


Dear BhakthAs :

I am copying you on a private note form Professor AzhwAr 
of Mysore , who is actively involved in a noble
Kaimkaryam of outreach to overseas Sri VaishNavAs 
to help them understand our glorious sampradhAyam .
This multimedia based approach is an excellent one 
that merits strong support from all of us .

Please send me private mail on your interest to
particpate in helping this kaimkaryam .Extremely 
competent scholars are particpating in 
this endeavour . I think that we can support 
this outreach effort thru personal 
persuasions during  visits to our temples .

The USA Temple Council headed by Dr.Mysorekar 
and supported by all the temples of this country 
should be able to support .

I need a set of volunteers to join me in
helping the noble efforts of Ananatha Research
Foundation . Please let me know of your interests 
to help . Thanks very much .

V.Sadagopan

Anantha Research Foundation
>
>Anantha Research Foundation is an organization devoted to the research 
>and propagation of Indian Culture and Heritage in general and 
>Srivaisnavism in particular.  It has been functioning unofficially for 
>the last few years by arranging lectures in different places within South 
>India to create awareness among people about the above-mentioned topics.  
>From the feedback the Foundation has been receiving from the people 
>attending its programs, it is being known that Non-Resident Indians 
>(NRIs) are in need of such programs to the maximum extent and that too in 
>the immediate future, lest the young NRI generation would lose its 
>cultural roots.  Many such NRIs have evinced keen interest  and 
>appreciated the activities of the Foundation while also promising help to 
>further the causes the Foundation is pursuing.  
>
>Recently, in an attempt to broad base and give a fillip to its proposed 
>objectives, the Foundation has embarked on a wide-ranging series of 
>programs.  For the last few months the Foundation has been doing 
>extensive research to find out innovative and thought-provoking means to 
>achieve its objectives.  It  would not be inappropriate to claim that the 
>Foundation has been quite successful in unearthing such means.  Of the 
>many means that the Foundation has selected to resort to, to achieve its 
>objectives, the medium of computers using all the facilities like 
>Multi-Media(MM) has emerged as the premier means to be used by the 
>Foundation to carry out its programs mainly outside India where resource 
>persons helping the Foundation are unable to be physically present  due 
>to various factors. 
>
>Recently the Foundation has taken up a project to educate the NRIs 
>interested in learning  more about Srivaisnavism.  The project intends to 
>develop a series of MM packages (to be delivered in CD-ROMs) covering the 
>various aspects of Srivaisnavism.  At present the material that is to 
>form the content of these packages are ready, which have been provided by 
>a team of erudite and versatile scholars who have very kindly consented 
>to be on the Foundation's panel of Resource persons. The Foundation also 
>has at its disposal an efficient team of computer engineers well versed 
>in MM, graphic designers, artists, audio and video experts.  It has made 
>arrangements to equip itself with a full-fledged MM studio required to 
>develop MM programs.  
>
>The first project in this series is on Bhagavan Ramanuja.  It proposes to 
>enlighten the users to know more about Ramanujacharya, our premier 
>Acarya, which includes the details of His appearance on this earth, His 
>achievements, a brief description of His entire works with the originals, 
>and other necessary details.  According to the Srivaisnava tradition, any 
>person who is a Srivaisnava or interested in knowing about Srivaisnavism 
>has to first try to acquire knowledge about our Acaryas, and also about 
>their greatness.  This knowledge would form the foundation on which their 
>information about Srivaisnavism is going to be built.
>
>At present a demo-version of this package is ready with the Foundation.  
>This may be of use to gauge the opinions of the users interested in this 
>package. The Foundation by showing this demo-version (as it is clear by 
>the name itself), intends to get the feedback regarding all aspects of 
>the package from potential users.  
>
>As of now, the Foundation, even though rich in its ideas and the resource 
>persons giving them, is short of funds to develop the package on its own 
>and distribute it to interested persons.  Since the Foundation is a 
>non-profit-organization, it would not like to market the package as a 
>commercial one.  In fact it is only as a service to Srivaisnavism that it 
>has embarked on this project.
>
>
>If you are interested in the completion of this project the Foundation 
>will send you a copy of the demo-version on a CD-ROM, which may be 
>returned immediately after viewing (i.e. within a week).  Afterwards the 
>Foundation will correspond with you and give you the details of the costs 
>that are involved.  It is to be noted that the Foundation intends to 
>execute the project at cost.   Further discussions can be held by e-mail.
>
>A list of the Resource persons associated with Anantha Research 
>Foundation is given herewith. 
>
>Resource Persons associated with Anantha Research Foundation
>
>1. PanditaRathnam K.S.Vardacharya, Melkote, Karnataka, South India.
>2. Prof M.A.Lakshmi Thathachar, Director, Academy of Sanskrit Research, 
>Melkote, Karnataka, South India.
>3. Vidvan Areyar Srirama Sarma, Melkote, Karnataka, South India.
>4. Vidvan N. Viraraghavacharya, Melkote, Karnataka, South India.
>5. Dr. M.A. Venkatakrishnan, Madras, Tamil Nadu, South India.
>6. Vidvan Velukkudi V.Krishnan, Madras, Tamil Nadu, South India.
>
>
>
>