Our Acharyas

Our resident acharyas guide the spiritual life of Chinmaya Mission Dallas–Fort Worth — teaching Vedanta, leading worship and study, and mentoring our Bala Vihar children, youth, and adult devotees. Trained in the Mission’s residential Vedanta courses, they carry Pujya Gurudev’s work forward here in our community.

Brahmachari Hari Chaitanya

Born and raised in Dallas, Br. Hari Chaitanya has been part of CMDFW since he was a kindergartener at Chinmaya Saaket. He studied at the University of Texas at Dallas and was an active member of CHYK Dallas.

In 2013 he joined the first batch of the Youth Empowerment Program (YEP) America under Pujya Swami Sarveshanandaji, and went on to serve on the CHYK West Steering Committee, coordinating Junior CHYK initiatives. He taught Bala Vihar classes at Chinmaya Saaket for six years. After completing the 17th Residential Vedanta Course at Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Mumbai under Pujya Swami Bodhatmanandaji, he was posted to serve at CMDFW.

Contact: br.harichaitanya@gmail.com

Brahmacharini Sanjana Chaitanya

Brahmacharini Sanjana joined Chinmaya Mission to serve full time in May 2021, with the blessings of Pujya Swami Swaroopananda Saraswati Ji, Head of Chinmaya Mission Worldwide, and Pujya Swami Sarveshananda Saraswati Ji.

She grew up in Chinmaya Mission New Jersey, where she was first introduced to Bala Vihar in the 8th grade. While studying for her Bachelor’s at Rutgers University, she attended the second batch of the Youth Empowerment Program at Krishnalaya in 2014, deepening her connection to the Mission. In 2016 she was accepted into the two-year Brahmachari Training Course in Trinidad & Tobago under Pujya Swami Prakashananda Saraswati Ji — the same residential rigor and curriculum as the course at Sandeepany, Mumbai. Inspired to commit to Pujya Gurudev’s work, she joined CMDFW and now serves under Brahmachari Hari Chaitanya.

Smt. Asha Ghate

Born and raised in Hyderabad, Smt. Asha Ghate completed her Master’s in Economics at Osmania University before settling with her family in Richardson, Texas in 1966. She also holds a Master’s in Library Science from North Texas State University.

Her association with Chinmaya Mission began in 1982, when she first heard Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayanandaji’s discourses. When CMDFW was formally established in 1994, Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayanandaji appointed her Vice President, and she went on to serve as President of CMDFW from 1997 to 2005. Under her leadership, CMDFW purchased the land on Davenport Road in 1998 and inaugurated the Saaket center in December 1999. From 2005 to 2007 she attended the 13th Vedanta Course under Swami Tejomayanandaji at Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Mumbai, and passed the Madhyama Sanskrit examination with distinction. She continues to serve at the CMDFW center today.