International Women’s Day brought luminaries together at Vigyan Bhawan’s national conclave ‘Bharati: Nari se Narayani’. Day two’s panel on women’s growth featured former MP Rakesh Sinha, Sangeet Natak Akademi head Dr. Sandhya Purecha, and Kalaripayattu expert Dr. S. Mahesh.
Sinha traced empowerment arcs from 1921’s 597 infant and 494 toddler widows, crediting Swami Shraddhanand’s research. ‘Generations now think rationally,’ he noted. ‘Girls need martial arts training, but power of logic is key to consciousness.’
Dr. Purecha rooted her views in philosophy: ‘Eternal truth—people, society, arts need women’s shakti, as ‘Nari, tum Narayani ho’ affirms.’ Her goal: nurture sensitivity via arts, teaching youth to value culture in digital times.
Dr. Mahesh probed transformation: ‘Nari to Narayani—what’s the difference in their forms?’ Citing armed deities and historical queens who vanquished foes, he lamented lost warrior essence amid modern fears.
These voices converge on a renaissance: blend logic, arts, and martial heritage to awaken women’s divine potential, redefining progress.