Our Acharya-s

 

Sri Gaurangbhai Nanavaty
Srimati Darshanaben Nanavaty

The heart-and-soul of Chinmaya Mission Houston.
They are affectionately known as 'Uncle' and 'Aunty' to one and all.

 

Inspired by Swami Chinmayananda, Sri & Smt Nanavaty left their professional careers and joined Sandeepany West, Piercy, California in 1979. After completing the Vedanta studies in 1982, they moved to Houston where they began imparting knowledge of Vedanta to the community.

Sri Gaurangbhai, the acharya in-charge, dedicates his time and energy in conducting Satsanga-s, leading Vedanta study groups, and organizing and managing CMH activities. Being one of us, he understands the challenges faced by the householders and aptly guides us to the spiritual path. His discourses, based on a profound understanding of Vedanta, are illustrated with amusing and insightful anecdotes.

Smt Darshanaben is the Director of the Balvihar and Yuvakendra programs. She is the co-acharya of CMH. She has established a very unique, creative, and dynamic Balvihar curriculum and complementary teaching materials for the faculty to teach spiritual values and Indian culture. She has authored a book, "Bon Voyage," to convey simple spiritual messages to children, and produced "Journey To The Truth"- a multimedia CD-ROM version of the Bhagavad Gíta. This CD-ROM uniquely combines animations, folk art, traditional and classical styles of chants, games, stories, and other interactive elements to present the in-depth messages of the Gita. The CD-ROM is designed to cater to adults, youth, and children.