Our Management Committee
Pandit Venkatraman Shastri - President
0434 523 968 | [email protected]
Registered Marriage Celebrant (Religious)
Born in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India he studied under his father, Shri G. Krishnamurthy Ghanapathigal, (alias Sri G. Babu Sastrigal) and Shri Neelakanth Vaishampayan, Baroda. He completed Krishna Yajur Veda, up to Padam level. Also studied Sanskrit from Shri Venkatachala Shastri (professor-Madras Sanskrit College). Pandit-ji also had the opportunity of studying directly from His Holiness Shri Jayendra Saraswati Swamigal of Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt, Kanchipuram, India. Besides this, he has studied B.Com, IRPM, and Post Graduate Diploma in Counseling in Australia. And prior to taking up paurohitya full-time he worked as an Executive Pers. &HR with Larsen & Toubro Limited, Jamshedpur and Baroda, India for 22 years. Venkatraman-ji worked with Ekkavan Shakti Peeta, Shri Kamakshi Temple, Ambaji, Gujarat, India for 4 years before coming to Australia in November 2007, he served as a Priest with Shri Shiva Mandir Ltd. Minto until 2013. Currently he serves the community as a purohit in Sydney and other parts of Australia.
Registered Marriage Celebrant (Religious)
Born in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India he studied under his father, Shri G. Krishnamurthy Ghanapathigal, (alias Sri G. Babu Sastrigal) and Shri Neelakanth Vaishampayan, Baroda. He completed Krishna Yajur Veda, up to Padam level. Also studied Sanskrit from Shri Venkatachala Shastri (professor-Madras Sanskrit College). Pandit-ji also had the opportunity of studying directly from His Holiness Shri Jayendra Saraswati Swamigal of Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt, Kanchipuram, India. Besides this, he has studied B.Com, IRPM, and Post Graduate Diploma in Counseling in Australia. And prior to taking up paurohitya full-time he worked as an Executive Pers. &HR with Larsen & Toubro Limited, Jamshedpur and Baroda, India for 22 years. Venkatraman-ji worked with Ekkavan Shakti Peeta, Shri Kamakshi Temple, Ambaji, Gujarat, India for 4 years before coming to Australia in November 2007, he served as a Priest with Shri Shiva Mandir Ltd. Minto until 2013. Currently he serves the community as a purohit in Sydney and other parts of Australia.
Pandit Siva Srinivasan - Secretary
0434 015 564 | [email protected]
Born in a traditional brahmin family from Ambasamudram,Tirunelveli, India and started priestly training underlies father’s guidance at the Kashyapanathar temple, Ambasamudram at which they are the Parampara Archakas (hereditary priests).He studied and gained the knowledge to conduct Hindu karma-khanda in sanskrit and also learned to perform various pujas, rituals according to various hindu traditions.
Beside this he has also completed Diploma in Engineering and migrated to Australia 2007.
Currently serving as Temple Priest at Shirdi Sai Baba Temple, Regents park and Strathfield south. Apart from regular temple routines he has been conducting vedic Samskaaras in Sydney such as Grihapravesham, Griha shanthi, Navgraha shanthi, Satyanarayan puja, Naamakaranam, Punyavachanam, Rudraabhisekhams and many more.
Born in a traditional brahmin family from Ambasamudram,Tirunelveli, India and started priestly training underlies father’s guidance at the Kashyapanathar temple, Ambasamudram at which they are the Parampara Archakas (hereditary priests).He studied and gained the knowledge to conduct Hindu karma-khanda in sanskrit and also learned to perform various pujas, rituals according to various hindu traditions.
Beside this he has also completed Diploma in Engineering and migrated to Australia 2007.
Currently serving as Temple Priest at Shirdi Sai Baba Temple, Regents park and Strathfield south. Apart from regular temple routines he has been conducting vedic Samskaaras in Sydney such as Grihapravesham, Griha shanthi, Navgraha shanthi, Satyanarayan puja, Naamakaranam, Punyavachanam, Rudraabhisekhams and many more.
Pandit Narayan Bhatt (Shastri) - Vice President
Registered Marriage Celebrant, (Civil & Religious)
Purohit, Kirtan & Kathakar,
Phone: +61 (0)2 9600 7815
Mobile: + 61 (0) 430 338 770
e-mail : [email protected]
www.hinduheritage.org.au
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Shri Pdt. Narayan Bhatt obtained his Shastri degree from the Sampurnanand University of Varanashi in 1986. He has also obtained a masters degree (MA) in Sanskrit from the Gurukul University of Haridwar Uttaranchal. He has studied Vedas, Upanishadas, Ramayan, Gita, Chanda Shasras, Kavya Shasrtas and other related Sanskrit literature. He narrates beautiful katha of Ramayan, Bhagwatam and Devi Bhagwatam.
Shri Bhatt ji has also completed practical Training of Karmakanda of various sanskars and Anusthans conducted by the ministry of Human Resources in India.
He has been living a priestly life since his teenage days. Pdt Narayan Bhatt has served the Hindu community of Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra since his arrival in Australia. He speaks fluent Hindi, English, Nepali, Gujarati and Sanskrit languages.
He has helped and guided numerous organisations to achieve their aims and objectives from time to time and founded 'Hindu Heritage Society Inc', a charitable organisation dedicated to promote Education, Arts and Hindu Religious Heritage. The organisation is working towards promoting the values of Hinduism in Australia and has a strong and dedicated team of people. Hindu Heritage Society Inc is growing and has been well received by the community under his guidance and the guidance of the Almighty God.
Purohit, Kirtan & Kathakar,
Phone: +61 (0)2 9600 7815
Mobile: + 61 (0) 430 338 770
e-mail : [email protected]
www.hinduheritage.org.au
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Shri Pdt. Narayan Bhatt obtained his Shastri degree from the Sampurnanand University of Varanashi in 1986. He has also obtained a masters degree (MA) in Sanskrit from the Gurukul University of Haridwar Uttaranchal. He has studied Vedas, Upanishadas, Ramayan, Gita, Chanda Shasras, Kavya Shasrtas and other related Sanskrit literature. He narrates beautiful katha of Ramayan, Bhagwatam and Devi Bhagwatam.
Shri Bhatt ji has also completed practical Training of Karmakanda of various sanskars and Anusthans conducted by the ministry of Human Resources in India.
He has been living a priestly life since his teenage days. Pdt Narayan Bhatt has served the Hindu community of Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra since his arrival in Australia. He speaks fluent Hindi, English, Nepali, Gujarati and Sanskrit languages.
He has helped and guided numerous organisations to achieve their aims and objectives from time to time and founded 'Hindu Heritage Society Inc', a charitable organisation dedicated to promote Education, Arts and Hindu Religious Heritage. The organisation is working towards promoting the values of Hinduism in Australia and has a strong and dedicated team of people. Hindu Heritage Society Inc is growing and has been well received by the community under his guidance and the guidance of the Almighty God.
Pandit Rishikesh Bhattar - Vice President
0414 997 899 | [email protected]
Registered Marriage Celebrant(Religious)
Born in Hyderabad Andhra Pradesh India. Began his studies in Sanskrit at the Ramanuja Sanskrit Pathashala until the age of 12 and then joined the Sri Venkataswara Veda and Agama Pathashala at Tirupati. He graduated in 1985 and migrated to Australia in 1986 to serve as the head priest of the Venkateshwara temple at Helensburgh. He served in that capacity until 1996 when he left the temple employment and began serving the community as a purohit. He has been involved in many temple consecrations in Australia, India and Srilanka and is still a visiting archaka at the Venkateshwara temple.
Registered Marriage Celebrant(Religious)
Born in Hyderabad Andhra Pradesh India. Began his studies in Sanskrit at the Ramanuja Sanskrit Pathashala until the age of 12 and then joined the Sri Venkataswara Veda and Agama Pathashala at Tirupati. He graduated in 1985 and migrated to Australia in 1986 to serve as the head priest of the Venkateshwara temple at Helensburgh. He served in that capacity until 1996 when he left the temple employment and began serving the community as a purohit. He has been involved in many temple consecrations in Australia, India and Srilanka and is still a visiting archaka at the Venkateshwara temple.
Pandit Davendra Sharma - Treasurer
89 Brisbane St., Oxley Park NSW. Australia
P: +61 414560424
E: [email protected]
W: www.Hindu-Cosmos.com
Pandit-ji is available for all Hindu rituals and samskaras from birth to death and beyond.
P: +61 414560424
E: [email protected]
W: www.Hindu-Cosmos.com
Pandit-ji is available for all Hindu rituals and samskaras from birth to death and beyond.
Pandit Daxesh Joshi - Asst Secretary
0402 523 128 | [email protected]
Born by the banks of the Narmada River into a religious Brahmin family in the state of Gujarat, India, Pandit Daxesh has been exposed to traditional Hindu ceremonies and rituals from a very young age. From very early on he would help in his local village Ramji Mandir and soon became the main Pandit there. He has studied and dived deep into understanding a variety of scriptures like yajña, karma-khanda, vedas & others under well-known Gurus including Param Pujya Shree Pandurang Shashtri Athavale at Tatvajnana Vidyapeeth in order to understand what is at the core of spirituality and Hinduism. He received his Diploma In Mechanical Engineering prior to coming to Australia in 2008 and continues to spread his knowledge to the community.
Born by the banks of the Narmada River into a religious Brahmin family in the state of Gujarat, India, Pandit Daxesh has been exposed to traditional Hindu ceremonies and rituals from a very young age. From very early on he would help in his local village Ramji Mandir and soon became the main Pandit there. He has studied and dived deep into understanding a variety of scriptures like yajña, karma-khanda, vedas & others under well-known Gurus including Param Pujya Shree Pandurang Shashtri Athavale at Tatvajnana Vidyapeeth in order to understand what is at the core of spirituality and Hinduism. He received his Diploma In Mechanical Engineering prior to coming to Australia in 2008 and continues to spread his knowledge to the community.
Pandit Ramachandra Athreiya - Public Relations Officer
0418 427 372 | [email protected]
Registered Marriage Celebrant (Religious)
Religious Consultant Shri Shiva Mandir (Minto NSW),
Broome Street (Ganesha) Temple New York USA
Born in Madras India. Began his initial studies of Veda and Karma-khanda under his great-grandfather venerable Venkaṭarama Gaṇapāṭhi of Thillaiyadi. He later joined the Kanchi Shankara Matha and furthered his studies under the Matha Parikshadhikari and served as an apprentice purohit under his grandfather the venerable Sriman Nāgarāja Shastri Ji.
He also studied yajna under the illustrious scholar Lakshmi-narayana Dikshitar of Madras and Nellure Viśvanatha Srauti. He has traveled extensively throughout India and has served as a priest (adhyāyana bhaṭṭa) at the famous Pashupati Nath temple in Kathmandu Nepal. He served as a temple priest of the Vara-siddhi Vinayagar temple of Besant Nagar for many years and then came to Australia to serve as a priest of Sri Venkateshwara temple Helensburgh NSW, from 1987 until 1992 then he began serving the community as a purohit. He has participated in a number of temple consecrations both in Australia, India, Srilanka and USA.
Registered Marriage Celebrant (Religious)
Religious Consultant Shri Shiva Mandir (Minto NSW),
Broome Street (Ganesha) Temple New York USA
Born in Madras India. Began his initial studies of Veda and Karma-khanda under his great-grandfather venerable Venkaṭarama Gaṇapāṭhi of Thillaiyadi. He later joined the Kanchi Shankara Matha and furthered his studies under the Matha Parikshadhikari and served as an apprentice purohit under his grandfather the venerable Sriman Nāgarāja Shastri Ji.
He also studied yajna under the illustrious scholar Lakshmi-narayana Dikshitar of Madras and Nellure Viśvanatha Srauti. He has traveled extensively throughout India and has served as a priest (adhyāyana bhaṭṭa) at the famous Pashupati Nath temple in Kathmandu Nepal. He served as a temple priest of the Vara-siddhi Vinayagar temple of Besant Nagar for many years and then came to Australia to serve as a priest of Sri Venkateshwara temple Helensburgh NSW, from 1987 until 1992 then he began serving the community as a purohit. He has participated in a number of temple consecrations both in Australia, India, Srilanka and USA.
Pandit Sri Rama Ramanujacari - Public Relations Officer
0419 654 987 | [email protected] | www.srimatham.com/
Registered Marriage Celebrant
Born in Durban South Africa. Pandit Rami Studied Vedanta philosophy at Sivananda Ashram in Rishikesh for 1 year at the age of 18. He then went to Benaras and studied Sanskrit and Veda at Swami Sanjayananda's gurukul for 2 years. He also studied Karma-kanda, Yajna and Puja vidhi under Satyanarayana Shastri of Tirupati. His theoretical Agama training was done in Madras under Srimati Sita Padmanabhan. In 1983 he took pancha-samskara initiation from His Holiness Sri Sri Varada Yatiraja Jiyar swami the (late) pontiff of Adi Kesava Perumal temple in Sriperumbudur, Tamilnadu and in 1993 he was granted the Acharya degree by His Holiness and given full authority to teach, initiate, administer the sacraments and to conduct temple installations and consecrations. He studied Vedic astrology under the renowned Hart deFouw and has been serving the Hindu community in Australia as a purohit, counselor and Dharma-teacher since 1980.
He is much valued for his extensive explanations of the rituals being performed and for his inclusion of English in marriage vows etc. Rami-ji is also a registered nurse. He travels extensively and teaches Hindu Philosophy, Sanskrit and ritual and regularly participates in Yoga workshops in Australia, Bali and in the USA. He has participated in a number of temple consecrations in Australia and in the USA.
He performs all samskāras from birth to death, all Vaidik, Pauranika and Pancharātra rituals and since 9th January is performing marriage ceremonies for Same-Sex couples.
Registered Marriage Celebrant
Born in Durban South Africa. Pandit Rami Studied Vedanta philosophy at Sivananda Ashram in Rishikesh for 1 year at the age of 18. He then went to Benaras and studied Sanskrit and Veda at Swami Sanjayananda's gurukul for 2 years. He also studied Karma-kanda, Yajna and Puja vidhi under Satyanarayana Shastri of Tirupati. His theoretical Agama training was done in Madras under Srimati Sita Padmanabhan. In 1983 he took pancha-samskara initiation from His Holiness Sri Sri Varada Yatiraja Jiyar swami the (late) pontiff of Adi Kesava Perumal temple in Sriperumbudur, Tamilnadu and in 1993 he was granted the Acharya degree by His Holiness and given full authority to teach, initiate, administer the sacraments and to conduct temple installations and consecrations. He studied Vedic astrology under the renowned Hart deFouw and has been serving the Hindu community in Australia as a purohit, counselor and Dharma-teacher since 1980.
He is much valued for his extensive explanations of the rituals being performed and for his inclusion of English in marriage vows etc. Rami-ji is also a registered nurse. He travels extensively and teaches Hindu Philosophy, Sanskrit and ritual and regularly participates in Yoga workshops in Australia, Bali and in the USA. He has participated in a number of temple consecrations in Australia and in the USA.
He performs all samskāras from birth to death, all Vaidik, Pauranika and Pancharātra rituals and since 9th January is performing marriage ceremonies for Same-Sex couples.
Pandit Narendra Dave - Advisor
0403 226 364| [email protected]
Registered Marriage Celebrant (Religious)
Pandit Narendra was born in a traditional Brahmin family in the state of Gujarat, India. Since his childhood and while living in India, he studied yajña, Karma-khanda, Vedas & other scriptures under a variety of renowned Gurus. He received his Masters Degree in Engineering Geology and worked for the Government of Gujarat prior to coming to Australia in 1997. In Australia he has been practicing as a Hindu Priest. His personal goal is to pass on the invaluable knowledge of the Hindu religion to the society at large.
Registered Marriage Celebrant (Religious)
Pandit Narendra was born in a traditional Brahmin family in the state of Gujarat, India. Since his childhood and while living in India, he studied yajña, Karma-khanda, Vedas & other scriptures under a variety of renowned Gurus. He received his Masters Degree in Engineering Geology and worked for the Government of Gujarat prior to coming to Australia in 1997. In Australia he has been practicing as a Hindu Priest. His personal goal is to pass on the invaluable knowledge of the Hindu religion to the society at large.
Pandit Jatinkumar Bhatt - Advisor
0423 341 604 | [email protected]
Registered Marriage Celebrant (Religious)
Pdt. Jatinkumar Bhatt has been full time priest of Sri Mandir since 2004 and has been one of the most respectable and recognised priest in the community since then. He has held an excellent reputation in the community with his extensive knowledge, patience, & his performance of rituals and prayers. He has performed over 250 marriages according to Vedic tradition. Pdt. Jatinkumar Bhatt is a highly qualified priest with the degree of “Jyotish Alankar” and serves the community with free astrological consultations and counseling. Panditji performs all kinds of poojas & hawan including Satya Narayan Katha, Grih Pravesh, Rudra Abhishek, all shanti pujas (e.g. Grah Shanti, Vastu, etc…), all sanskar pujas (excluding antyesti), Marriages, and new vehicle puja. Pandit-ji is also very active in the community teaching Hindu philosophy and devotion/duties of a an individual towards God and humanity in community. Panditji has been regularly sharing his knowledge and talking about our festivals, rituals, significance of a particular ritual/day/festival and various factors related to Hinduism and humanity on radio programs – Indian Link and SBS. He has attended various interviews on radio community programs and helped sharing his religious & spiritual knowledge to people seeking information. It has been a huge contribution to the community in bringing awareness on why and how the rituals are performed and what really religion means. In addition, Pdt. Jatinkumar Bhatt hold degree of Masters in Chemistry as his academic background.
Registered Marriage Celebrant (Religious)
Pdt. Jatinkumar Bhatt has been full time priest of Sri Mandir since 2004 and has been one of the most respectable and recognised priest in the community since then. He has held an excellent reputation in the community with his extensive knowledge, patience, & his performance of rituals and prayers. He has performed over 250 marriages according to Vedic tradition. Pdt. Jatinkumar Bhatt is a highly qualified priest with the degree of “Jyotish Alankar” and serves the community with free astrological consultations and counseling. Panditji performs all kinds of poojas & hawan including Satya Narayan Katha, Grih Pravesh, Rudra Abhishek, all shanti pujas (e.g. Grah Shanti, Vastu, etc…), all sanskar pujas (excluding antyesti), Marriages, and new vehicle puja. Pandit-ji is also very active in the community teaching Hindu philosophy and devotion/duties of a an individual towards God and humanity in community. Panditji has been regularly sharing his knowledge and talking about our festivals, rituals, significance of a particular ritual/day/festival and various factors related to Hinduism and humanity on radio programs – Indian Link and SBS. He has attended various interviews on radio community programs and helped sharing his religious & spiritual knowledge to people seeking information. It has been a huge contribution to the community in bringing awareness on why and how the rituals are performed and what really religion means. In addition, Pdt. Jatinkumar Bhatt hold degree of Masters in Chemistry as his academic background.