Kiran Sankhla
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[edit] Family & Education
Reverend Kiran Sankhla (किरण सांखला) was born in Jodhpur, India. She is elder daughter of Retd. Justice Kan Singh ji Parihar of Rajasthan High Court. She did her masters in Political Science from the University of Jodhpur. She has been a best sportswoman of her time and represented University of Jodhpur in various state level tournaments and won many medals, awards and scholarships.
She is married to Chandra Prakash Sankhla of Jodhpur. Mr. Sankhla left for America in early 1970 to pursue higher education and Mrs. Kiran Sankhla joined him in 1972. Mrs. Kiran Sankhla finished her thesis work in theology in 1979.
[edit] Career & Public Life
Dr. William L. Thomas, vice president, University of Maryland appointed her as a Chaplain of the University of Maryland in 1992 for her outstanding services and extraordinary abilities. Kiran Sankhla is the only woman of Indian origin who has been given this honor. She is also appointed as a Chaplin of the George Washington University, Washington, D.C., USA. She is known as Chaplin “The Reverend Sankhla”
Sankhla recites texts from The Bhagavad-Gita in the presence of thousands of people and graduating students in every convocation ceremony of the University of Maryland and the George Washington University. The ceremony begins after she delivers prayers and concludes with her blessing and best wishes to the graduating students.
Sankhla’s work is very extensive. Beside the University of Maryland and the George Washington University She is affiliated to many organizations such as International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Indian Student Association, Student Council of India, Hindu Student Council, Forum of American Students and Vedic Cultural Society etc. She organizes seminars in Schools and Universities to spread the message of India’s vedic culture among the American people and the younger generation. She actively participates in these activities and hundreds of students have benefited from her association and guidance and have developed good understanding of Indian Vedic Knowledge.
Sankhla's work has been commended by such notable figures as US President Bill Clinton, US Senator Hillary Clinton, former Primer Minister of India I. K. Gugral, Ambassador of India to America Naresh Chandra, Congressman Richard Gephardt (The Minority Leader in the US House of Representatives), Ambassador of Russia to USA Yuri V. Ushakov, Ambassador of Hungary to USA Pal Tar, Dr. Karan Singh (Member of Parliament) and Maharaja Shri Gaj Singh of Jodhpur. Dr. Karan Singh quoted in his speech that “Reverend Kiran Sankhla is a true cultural ambassador of India in America”. Also Paul Barry, host of American Broadcasting Company (ABC) and Raghuvir Goyal, host of TV Asia network, introduced her as a “first lady the Hindu Chaplain in the world” on TV interview in Washington.
