EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH VAISHALI K. SHAH

This Indian Woman is Spreading Hindu Vedic Knowledge & Culture in the World

BY ONKARESHWAR PANDEY

PM Modi is doing fantastic jobs in every field. World over, the people love him and it has definitely changed the idea about India in NRIs’ minds. I am glad that I am witnessing this drastic change in India in just the last six years. However, we desperately need to encourage Indian small and medium size entrepreneurs to create more jobs for the lower strata of the economy. The fastest way to reduce the funds getting out of the country through MNCs and other outbound investments by the Indians in other countries.- Vaishali Shah

“Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is our cultural heritage, identity and the most treasured place for every Hindu living anywhere in the world. It is extremely heartening to see this temple taking shape finally after the wait of 450 years. Yes I ensured that I contributed to the temple funds and encouraged others to contribute too,” says Vaishali Shah. She is one of the most active Indian women in our Indian diaspora, who is living in Kenya, and working tirelessly to promote Vedic knowledge and Indian culture throughout the world through her website www.hinduscriptures.com  and also continuously through social media. She is the founder-owner of Shrivedant Foundation (www.shrivedant.com ) in India, Kenya and United Kingdom, which aims to bring forth the pearls of wisdom from ancient Indian scriptures. She has managed to collect more than 45000 pages of various scriptures under one portal http://www.hinduscriptures.com. “I want our education system to adopt our scriptures and scripture based topics, says Vaishali, who has built a Shiv Temple in Kenya with her husband, she is also promoting vegetarianism in Africa, through her Kenya Vegetarian Club www.kenyavegclub.com . Vaishali Shah was recently awarded with The Great Indian Women Awards #GIWA 2021.

Here is an exclusive Interview with Vaishali Shah.

A) Welcome Ms. Vaishali Shah. Congratulations! You are our Special Guest and one of the Golden Signatures from Indian Diaspora, because of your vision, dedication and continued hard work to promote Vedic knowledge and Indian culture throughout the world through your website hinduscriptures.com and the social media. Tell us about this journey. When and how this idea came in your mind?

- Greetings to everyone. It is a mammoth task to narrate the story of two decades from early teenage to adulthood. My interest in the scripture-based topic was there from my school days as I used to read various tales in Panchatantra and other stories based on our culture. I used to read the Shrimad Bhagwad Purana to my grandmother during holidays. Going ahead, during my university days, I got interested in Chanakya’s Arthashastra which really opened my eyes towards Indian knowledge. Earlier, I used to think Sun Tzu’s Art of War is the best book on strategy but after reading Bhagwad Geeta and also Mahabharata I realised how advanced we were in those days. Our knowledge of weaponry, warfare, astronomy, medicine, nature, architects, mathematics, etc. were incomparable, even today. I couldn’t stop reading many such scriptures and felt the urge to make them publicly available to seekers.

B) What were the initial challenges, when you started this mission to propagate about Indian culture and Vedic Knowledge?

- When I started researching the content, there were not many websites available, Infect that was the major push to start a website. So I started reading books, talking to spiritual gurus, read newspapers and contacted researchers and professors of various universities. Back then, many people laughed at me for choosing this subject to create a portal as most of the people were running after making commercially viable websites and applications. I was determined that one day this website will be worth millions and it will help millions of people across the globe. I spent all my reserves of lifetime, invested whatever savings I had. I still spend a lot from my own pocket to sustain this project. I still haven’t thought of making any profit out of it. 

C) Total how many pages have been researched, written and digitized so far? And what are all topics you have covered?

- We have collected 45000 pages so far. We still keep adding more topics to the website every day. These are researched content written by various professors, scholars and researchers from different parts of India. More than three hundred scriptures are digitized from the authentic sources. Apart from scriptures, we have covered every aspect of Indian and Vedic lifestyle from the Vedic era to medieval era to historic time and till today. Festivals, rituals, prayers, warriors, queens, bhakta, Vedic sciences, institutions, lifestyle, culture, heritage sites, dresses, jewellery, food, traditions,  music, musical instruments, dances, universities, heroes, researchers, historic sites, holy cities, rivers, mountains, vedic mathematics, astrology, astronomy, biology, Ayurveda, yoga, meditation etc. The list is really long and exhaustive.

Based on the website, we have written a book series called Hindu Culture and Lifestyle. The series is a partially fictional story of a young boy in New York who is keen to learn about his culture. The series helps you to know the fundamentals of Hinduism. This will also help you to educate your kids when they ask you some weird questions like why Ganesha has an elephant face or why we have so many Gods. We have tried to explain a lot of such queries which modern kids have in their minds. The series is available on amazon.in and amazon.com, flipcart.com and notionpress.com websites. 

D) Mantras, Sutras, and Vedic hymns are some of the major aspects of Hindu culture. How many Mantras, Sutras, and Vedic hymns have you collected so far? And how you did it?

- We have collected a few important mantras from various scriptures; they are useful to us on a daily basis. Our team from Varanasi also has sung the Bhagwad Geeta in a melodious way.  

E) You have also collected more than 300 scriptures from various schools of thought and have made it available for all readers in the best digital format. Plz. tell us about some of the main scriptures and their highlights.

- We hand-coded all four Vedas. Our team in Pune actually typed them on the computer so that we don’t have to scan these important scriptures. Apart from Veda, we have Purana, Upanishad, Darshan shastra, Vedanta, Itihas like Ramayana and Mahabharata, Gurbani of Sikhism, Agama shastra, Brahmana Granth, Jain scriptures, Upaveda, Vedangas, Upa Purana and thousands of researched articles which explain various aspects of Vedic sciences.

F) You are actively involved in the social work in Africa. Please tell us something about that.

- Through Kenya Vegetarian club, we promote human health, protect animal rights, preserve the environment and improve the lifestyle of the people. So far, we have planted 70,000 trees single-handedly.

•Women empowerment through vegetable farming and seed donation. Donated more than 6000 seedlings to women to start their cottage business

•Youth empowerment through the development of study material for vegetable farming and organic farming with Lake Basin College

•Food Outreach Program in the remote area of Kenya, feeding more than 400 kids

•Built and Managing the Hindu Shiv Temple in Kenya

We conduct seminars on the benefits of plant-based diet in corporate, private institutes, education centres, schools, colleges, religious organisations across Kenya. After working for seven years, I had to write down my experiences and encourage the people to turn vegetarian. Hence we published The Veg Safari, a book on my journey to vegetarianism. 

- We need to free Hindu temples from the governments

- We need uniform civil code for every aspect of life including education

- We need to change our education system and make it more Indian in nature

- Government should declare India as a Hindu Rashtra

G) Talking about Hindu culture has become a political issue in India nowadays. How do you see it?

- It is a very challenging time for India because we are going through a great turmoil of identity crisis. Unfortunately, we have made culture a matter of politics. Ideally, one should be free to follow the culture of the land the way their ancestors followed it. But because many other cultures are trying very hard to convert us into their belief, the whole media, some politicians and activists criticise whatever is Hindu. It is a well-planned and a well-designed strategy to uproot us so that they get a dominant place in the country and also steal our wealth. Internationally, people are getting aware about culture impropriation and believe in supporting every culture in its purest form. If current politicians will not take any appropriate steps now, we will face great depression in future and the country will get dismantle.

Personally I feel that we should encourage the youth and the people to follow the religion of the land, preserve cultural values, follow our age-old traditions and respect what we have been given by our ancestors.

H) There are lots of talks about Love Jehad etc in India. What do you think when you hear such news in Indian media?

- It is really sad to see the men cheat women to convert them into their religion by fake love and then marriage. 99% times these women are getting killed or completely suppressed by the family. So where is Love in such a case?

Government should take strict action against such rapes and killings. There needs to be an open campaign required to expose these people and their intentions. All our spiritual gurus across the country should unite and fight against it openly. Let the media cover such incidents on a daily basis and let women know how dangerous this gamut is.

I) You live in Kenya, and have travelled several parts of the world. What is the thinking of Indian Diaspora people about your work and Hindu Culture?

- I was very fortunate to get an excellent response from the people across the globe with awards, appreciations and support for my projects. NRIs have started following Indian culture and lifestyle and enjoy festivals, celebrations and other cultural programs.  The NRIs also take great interests in the political scenario of India hence they always support those who are promoting Indianness living anywhere in the world.

J) Temple of Lord Ram is being built in Ayodhya on war footing, after the Supreme Court’s historical verdict. Do you have any plan or idea in relation to the Temple?

- Ram mandir in Ayodhya is our cultural heritage, identity and the most treasured place for every Hindu globally. It is extremely heartening to see this temple taking shape finally after the wait of 450 years. Yes I ensured that I contributed to the temple funds and encouraged others to contribute for the same.

K) Your goal of life is almost clear. However, what exactly do you want to achieve?

I strongly support and believe in teachings of Hindu Vedic scriptures in schools and universities in its purest form. I have been sharing the idea of Vedic Education System for last seven years in various seminars and platforms. We should have one dedicated board to authenticate our scriptures and encourage the research of the same. This will help the pujaris and pandits to get the jobs in various temples across the world, universities and other sections of the society.

Unfortunately, Current education system is designed to develop professionals only for a limited area of knowledge which can offer very limited jobs across the world. Whereas we need people with other skill sets like farmers, painters, designers, tailors etc. There is no skill based training available in India. Right from the school curriculum to the college courses, all of them need to be changed completely.

 Hence it’s time to design a robust education system which can crate employment for everyone and develop entrepreneurs in the country.

L) How do you see the work of the Govt of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi? And what have been the views of Indian Diaspora people so far?

- He is doing fantastic jobs, every decision from the demonetization to taxes to covid; every step he has taken was in the favour of the public. Though many couldn’t see it in positive ways, world over, the people love him and it has definitely changed the idea about India in many NRIs’ minds.

M) India is facing several challenges, especially in regards to unemployment, price rise and now farmer’s issue. Any comment?

- Unemployment, corruption and poverty is there world over. India alone is not suffering with recession. People need to realise that currently India is the only cash-rich country. We have recently given loans to the USA which shows that we have enough funds within the country. But the problem is corruption, unequal distribution of the money, large amounts locked up in the banks, billions stuck in swiss banks, and at the same time MNCs sucking our money out of the country through their mediocre products or services. IF we become self-dependent and reliant, we can save all these funds going out. In return, the money will get circulated into the economy and will create more jobs.

Farmer’s issue is highly made up issue so no point commenting on that. But I hope the new policy will not give rise to GMO or related practises and we will not lose our soil and the quality of the crops.

N) PM Modi led Govt has actively been engaging with the Indian Diaspora people. Any issue, you think, remains pending on the part of the Govt of India? Any suggestions?

- Yes, the issue of women getting cheated in marriage by NRIs is not addressed with full force yet. We have 35000 pending cases in Punjab alone, wherein NRIs come to the state, got married to these women, taken money and never called their wives to their residing countries. Such cases are visible all across the world. Many women become the victim of domestic violence outside India, there is no proper channel in the embassy who can help them. There is no legal aid under which these women can claim any compensation or alimony from the husband in case of such harassments.

O) If you have to suggest 3 Big Things to PM Modi, what will you suggest?
 
- We need to free Hindu temples from all state governments

- Government should declare a uniform civil code to give justice to all kinds of people living in the country  

- We need to change our education system completely and make it Indian in the true sense (Scrape all boards and introduce one Indian board across India, If possible stop International boards as they teach only 20% about India, Introduce Vedic Education board to support traditional learnings) 

P) Tell us about your family and future plans.

- I am currently in Kenya. I am looking for an IT company to partner with to distribute the culture based products anywhere in the world. I will continue creating more video content of interviews, talks and other topics of the site. 

Q)  You must have got several Awards and accolades? Plz. tell us about that too.

- Over the period of time, many people and associations recognised my work and awarded me. It feels nice to get encouraged. But the real award was when I met Modiji and shared my ideas about the Vedic education system. He appreciated it and also encouraged me to work on it further. 

Contact - Vaishali K. Shah, Founder and Chairperson, Shrivedant Foundation

Signature project: www.hinduscriptures.com Books - Hindu Culture and Lifestyle: www.hinduculturestudies.com Foundation website: www.shrivedant.com / Vegetarianism: www.kenyavegclub.com /  Personal Blog: www.vaishalishah.com  / Social Media – Hndu Scriptures – FB- hinduscriptures.com / Instagram – hinduscriptures1 / Youtube – Hindu Scriptures / Twitter – hinduscriptures  / Vaishali Shah - Facebook page - Vaishalishahauthor  / Instagram – vaishalishahauthor - Email: vaishali@shriva.com