Applications for 2025 are now accepted

The tradition of chanting has been passed down through Śruti Parampara over millennia in India. To this day it continues to be a profound practice of expressing devotion, learning and imbibing the teachings of ancient scriptures and an integral part of ritual, meditation and contemplation. 

Veda Studies and Indica Yoga are very happy to bring you this Teacher Training Certification Course to skill future teachers through a rigourous selection, training and preparation process which covers both mantras from the Veda as well as the Hindu daily prayer tradition.

Together with the graduates from our previous two Teacher Training groups (2022 & 2024) you will become part of a community of teachers who will continue to be supported after the training, through ongoing events and a platform to connect and engage. 

Dear interested student,

Some highlights of this highly structured Teacher Training Course will be an immersion in the tradition I grew up in, watching my mother build a devotional chanting community, sharing my experience studying with The Challakere Brothers – insights, practices, being, committing, practicing & the continuous study. 

Learning to teach mantras from both the Veda as well as the daily prayer Hindu tradition in South India, a strong focus on theory and refinement in chanting, getting organised and skilled to lead chanting classes are some of the key elements of this training.

The intensive teacher training will run online from September 2025 to July 2026. Ongoing information sessions will be offered. Interested students can have full visibility into the program before applying. Please request a replay in case you weren't present for this session.

I am very grateful to offer this in collaboration with INDICA Yoga who bring the experience and expertise in the preservation and dissemination of Indic knowledge systems through authentic, immersive and transformative learning experiences. 

This teacher training program is the first in a series of programs for Yoga teachers being developed by INDICA on Sanskrit, Vedanta, Textual Yoga, Ayurveda, Plant Based Diet etc, all of them in turn being modules of their soon to be launched Yogacharya program.

I hope you will be inspired by its content.

With gratitude, 

Shantala Sriramaiah

Program content

The group will meet online twice a week (2 hours each) and one Saturday a month (2 hours). Each month we will have one week off to allow time to practice and integrate the teaching. There will be no classes in the months of December and April allowing space and time for students to assimilate the teachings.

All the dates are published along with the curriculum. In addition, we are honoured to invite two guest lecturers who will contribute to your learning. We will also provide access to the recordings of the guest lectures from the previous year.

Dr. Nagaraj Paturi is a senior professor with over 30 years of experience in Culture Studies, Folk Culture, Sanskrit Linguistics, and Mythology. Trained in Sanskrit and Advaita Vedanta by his polymath father, he earned a PhD from the University of Hyderabad, focusing on Vedic principles in Anthropology and classical Indian poetry. With over 120 publications, he contributes significantly to cultural research and creative projects in dance, theater, and media.

Komilla Sutton is a prominent Vedic Astrologer with over 25 years of experience. She has been a sought-after consultant, educator, author and speaker since 1995, fostering a deeper understanding of this ancient science. She founded the Academy of Vedic sciences, offering an in-depth four level online Vedic Astrology program and advanced courses. She co-founded and serves as Chairman of the British Association of Vedic Astrology.

Timings

Mondays & Wednesdays (4pm-6pm Brussels time)

3 weeks/month

+ 1 Saturday a month – 4pm-6pm

December & April no classes.

Dates are published with curriculum

Student requirements

The program is intensive, and it is recommended that you be studying this program exclusively to benefit from it fully. Applicants who already have an established chanting practice and have studied successfully with Shantala are invited to apply.

The Challakere Brothers’ lineage of teaching invites practitioners to reflect upon one’s lifestyle for those who wish to seriously dedicate themselves to learning, teaching, and preserving the Veda. A vegetarian and alcohol-free lifestyle is therefore encouraged.

Program objectives

At the end of this program, students will:

Blessings from The Challakere Brothers:

"Greetings to everyone, 

I would like to congratulate Mrs. Shantala on launching the Indica - Veda Studies Teacher Training Program. I sincerely believe that this program will be of great value to those learning. Shantala is a diligent student and teacher of Veda. I wholeheartedly bless this program and wish that it may benefit all those who participate.

May everyone be blessed."

Monthly Curriculum

Orientation program

Welcoming session for participants

September

Invocation, Qualities of a teacher

October

Knowledge systems & vocabulary

November

Vedāṅga, Śīkṣā, Taittirīya prātiśākhyā

January

Brāhmaṇa, Āraṇyaka, Upaniṣat 

February

Mantras for peace

March

Chanting traditions & Hindu daily prayers

May

Japa, festivals, Hindu calendar & deities

June

Yoga & health in Veda 

July

Presentations & closing

Course fee

► €3997 one-time fee

► €1449 X 3 times 

► €489 X 9 monthly payments

Indica and Veda Studies are offering a limited number of (partial) scholarships – you will have the opportunity to indicate your requirement in the application process.

Resources

During this course you get access to the following resources

For who is this course?

This course is for:

   ✓  Those who wish to lead chanting classes.

   ✓  Learn or improve their teaching skills.

   ✓  Those with an established chanting practice.

   ✓  Students who know many of the chants included in this program.

This course is not for:

   ❌  Those who don't intend to teach, but only wish to deepen knowledge.

   ❌  Those new to chanting & Sanskrit.

   ❌  Those unable to make time for live classes. (80% attendance is required)

  ❌   Those who have not studied previously with Shantala.

Future teacher trainings

Continuing training will be planned in the future for teachers, but they will require the primary Teacher Training certification first.

1. Lalitā Sahasranāma, Viṣṇu Sahasranāma & Pañca Sūktam (Nārāyaṇa, Puruṣa, Viṣṇu, Śrī, Bhū Sūktam)

2. Jyotiṣa chants – Navagraha & Nakṣatra Sūktam

3. Bhagavad Gita chanting

4. Many others coming!

Your teacher

The course is developed and taught by Shantala Sriramaiah, born and raised in Bangalore, India. She studied Sanskrit and chanting from an early age, as part of her family tradition as well as in school. 

Much of her inspiration comes from her mother Saroja, who taught chanting classes in their family home for over 30 years. She continues studies with various Vedic scholars and pundits, including Guruji M.S. Sreenivasan from the Challakere Brothers, and brings all their teachings to these courses.

APPLY NOW

If you have read all the above information carefully and believe you qualify and are motivated to dedicate yourself for 11-months to learn how to become a Veda Chanting teacher according to the Mysore tradition, Shantala would love to hear from you.  

Please fill out the below form as complete as you can. Note that we can only process fully completed forms. Applicants who have not yet studied with Shantala -- minimum the Vedic Chanting Foundation Course + 2 Sūktams -- will not be accepted. Yet, if you have a clear and commited study path towards completing the minimum requirements, your application will be put on hold and assessed at a later date.

© Veda Studies B.V. - 2024