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{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox Writer
| name = Nanditha Krishna
| image = Nadhitha2014.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption = in 2014
| pseudonym =
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1951}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
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| occupation = author, educationist and environmentalist
| nationality = [[India]]
| period =
| genre =
| subject = Indian art and history
| movement =
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| influences =
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}}
'''Dr. Nanditha Krishna''' (born 1951) is an [[India|Indian]] author, environmentalist and educationist. She was recognised by the Government of India who gave her one of the first Nari Shakti Awards in 2015, the highest award for women in India. She is the president of the [[C. P. Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation|C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation]] in [[Chennai]] and an author of several books.

==Life==
She was born in 1951 and was known as Nanditha Jagannathan.<ref><nowiki>https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n81044291.html</nowiki>. Retrieved 18 May 2020.</ref>

She is the great grand-daughter of [[C. P. Ramaswami Iyer|Dr C. P. Ramaswami Aiyar]], lawyer and Advocate General of Madras Presidency, Dewan of Travancore state and Vice-chancellor of Annamalai and University.<ref name=":0">The Illustrated Weekly Of India Vol.96, No.28-38 (july-sept) 1975. p.90. Retrieved 18 May 2020.</ref> She is the daughter of Shakunthala Jagannathan, Deputy Director-General and Regional Director of Tourism, Government of India, Mumbai, and author of the best-seller Hinduism – An Introduction and Ganesha,<ref>Jagannathan, Shakunthala, India Plan Your Own Holiday, Nirvana Publications, Bombay 400020.</ref> and A.R. Jagannathan, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of Tata Projects Limited.<ref>25 years of sustained growth, Tata Projects Limited, 2004, p. 7.</ref> Her maternal grandfather was [[C. R. Pattabhiraman]], former Minister of Law, Government of India.{{fact|date=September 2021}}

She studied at Cathedral and John Connon High School, Bombay,<ref><nowiki>https://catgirls66.wordpress.com/</nowiki>. Retrieved 27 August 2020. </ref> graduated from Elphinstone College, Mumbai in 1970 and obtained her Ph.D. on The Iconography of Vishnu Narayana from the University of Bombay in 1975<ref>Krishna, Nanditha The Art and Iconography of Vishnu-Narayana, D.B. Taraporevala Sons & Co. Pvt. Ltd, Mumbai 1980.</ref> and was a Heras scholar during the period of her research.<ref name=":1">www.nandithakrishna.in. Retrieved 27 August 2020.</ref>

She received an Honorary Doctorate of Literature from [[Vidyasagar University]], West Bengal in 2016.<ref>http://iks.iitgn.ac.in/nanditha-krishna-2020/</ref>

== Career ==
[[File:Magic Lamp TV.png|thumb|Magic Lamp TV]]
She was the anchor and presenter of the popular Bombay based "Magic Lamp" TV series from 1972 to 1974.<ref name=":0" />

She moved to Chennai after her marriage in 1974 and founded C.P. Art Centre, Chennai’s first gallery for traditional arts and crafts in 1978<ref>www.cprfoundation.org, Retrieved 27 August 2020. </ref>

In 1981 she was appointed Director of the C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation (CPRAF), and elected President in 2013. The Foundation is headquartered in [[Chennai]], India, on Eldams Road at "The Grove", the ancestral home of the C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar family, where all the institutions mentioned below are situated<ref>https://www.thehindu.com/features/downtown/where-culture-conservation-art-and-education-converge/article6868665.ece</ref>

In 1981, the C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation established the C.P.R. Institute of Indological Research, affiliated to the University of Madras for the Ph.D. degree in History and Environmental Studies. She was appointed as director and later a professor of the institute<ref>Report of Activities of the C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation for the year 2013-2014</ref>

In 1983, she founded The Grove School which was affiliated to the Council for Indian School Certificate Examination in 2006<ref>www.thegroveschool.in. Retrieved 27 August 2020.</ref>

In 1985, she established Saraswathi Kendra Learning Centre for Children with autism, dyslexia, learning disabilities and problems in the CPRAF campus<ref>www.saraswathikendra.org. Retrieved 27 August 2020.</ref>

In 1989, she founded C.P.R. Environmental Education Centre, established jointly by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Govt. of India and the C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation. She has restored 53 sacred groves in South India; trained Kota and Kurumba tribes to develop their traditional skills as a source of income;<ref>www.cpreec.org. Retrieved 27 August 2020.</ref> revived traditional rainwater harvesting in eight tanks of Tamilnadu;<ref>Sacred Tanks of South India, (CPR Publications), 2009. ISBN: 978-81-86901-05-2</ref> designed programmes to train teachers in environmental education;<ref>Environmental Education – A Teacher’s Kit (CPR Publications) (1997)</ref> introduced Dr. Dog, a pet therapy programme for autistic and dyslexic children, in Chennai ;<ref><nowiki>http://www.dogsandpupsmagazine.com/the-therapist-dr-moosa/</nowiki>. Retrieved 27 August 2020. </ref> introduced Kindness Kids, a programme to teach children about their food and the environment, in Chennai .<ref>https://kindnesskids.org/. Retrieved 27 August 2020.</ref> She has been documenting the Ecological Traditions of India which are posted on the Ministry of Environment and Forest’s ENVIS (Environmental Information systems) website on "Conservation of Ecological Heritage and Sacred Sites" run by CPR Environmental Education Centre.<ref>[[www.cpreecenvis.nic.in]]. Retrieved 27 August 2020.</ref>

In 2001, she converted the 450-year old family house of the C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar family into the Shakunthala Jagannathan Museum of Folk Art and Rangammal Vidyalaya, a school for low-income children.<ref>[[www.cprfoundation.org/sjmuseum.html]]. Retrieved 27 August 2020.</ref>

In 2005, she took over the Sir C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar Memorial School in Kumbakonam which is run as a free English medium school by the CPRAF.<ref>www.cprfoundation.org/C.P.-Memorial-school.html. Retrieved 27 August 2020.</ref>

She is also the president of the Conjeevarum Hindu Education Society which runs the SSKV schools and college.<ref>www.sskvcollege.com/about_us.html. Retrieved 27 August 2020.</ref>

She is a former Member of the Indian Council of Historical Research (2015-2018)<ref><nowiki>http://ichr.ac.in/Council_Members.pdf</nowiki>. Retrieved 27 August 2020.</ref> and co-opted Member of the Monitoring/Advisory Committees for Southern Regional Centre (SRC) of the Indian Council of Historical Research, Bengaluru.

== Research ==
Her areas of research include Indian Art History and Environmental History of India. She has written several research papers, articles and books on the subject.<ref name=":1" />

Literary career

She started writing for Eve’s Weekly and the Illustrated Weekly of India from 1972.2 After moving to Chennai in 1974, she wrote for The Hindu and the Illustrated Weekly of India. Her article on "Slaughter for Science" in the Illustrated Weekly of India, 26 March 1978, resulted in a total ban on the export of Rhesus monkeys from India.

She had a regular column "Creations" in The Sunday Express from 2001-2007.26

Since 2017, she has been writing regularly for OPEN magazine27 and now has a column in editorial page of The New Indian Express.28

== Literary career ==
She started writing for Eve’s Weekly and the Illustrated Weekly of India from 1972.<ref name=":0" /> After moving to Chennai in 1974, she wrote for The Hindu and the Illustrated Weekly of India. Her article on "Slaughter for Science" in the Illustrated Weekly of India, 26 March 1978, resulted in a total ban on the export of Rhesus monkeys from India.<ref>Illustrated Weekly of India, 26 March 1978.</ref>

She had a regular column "Creations" in The Sunday Express from 2001-2007.<ref>http://www.nandithakrishna.in/articles/1st%20lot/How%20to%20hype%20a%20Painting_</ref>

Since 2017, she has been writing regularly for OPEN magazine<ref>https://openthemagazine.com/features/are-indian-slaughter-houses-safe/</ref> and now has a column in editorial page of The New Indian Express.<ref>https://www.newindianexpress.com/opinions/2020/aug/07/nep-and-education-for-the-future-2180185.html</ref>

== Books ==

* Believe in Yourself – Life Lessons from Swami Vivekananda (Aleph), 2020 – ISBN – 978-93-89836-10-3
* Groves and Gods of Tamilnadu, (ICHR, Bangalore), 2019
* Live and Let Others Live - Life Lessons from Mahavira (Aleph), 2019 - ISBN: 978-93-88292-42-9
* You are the Supreme Light - Life Lessons from Adi Sankara (Aleph), 2018 - ISBN: 978-93-87561-38-0
* The Book of Avatars and Divinities (Penguin, India), 2018 - ISBN: 978-0-143-44688-077
* Hinduism and Nature (Penguin, India), 2017 - ISBN-10: 0143427830
* Deva Pratima (CPR Publications), 2016 - ISBN: 978-93-85459-01-6
* Sacred Groves of India – A Compendium (CPR Publications), 2014 – <nowiki>ISBN 978-81-86901-24-3</nowiki>
* Paintings of the Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Kanchipuram, (CPR Publications), 2014 - ISBN: 978-81-908305-0-8
* Sacred Plants of India (Penguin, India), 2014 - ISBN: 9780143066262
* Madras Then, Chennai Now (Roli Books), 2013 - ISBN: 978-81-7436-914-7
* Sacred Animals of India (Penguin India), 2010 - ISBN: 9780143066194
* Hug a Tree (New Horizon Media), 2010 - ISBN: 978-81-8493-437-3
* Madras-Chennai, Its History and Environment (New Horizon Media) 2009 - ISBN: 978-81-8493-229-4
* Book of Demons (Penguin India), 2007 - ISBN: 9780143102021

* Folk Arts of Tamilnadu (CPR Publications), 2006 - ISBN: 81-901484-7-8
* Folk Toys of South India (CPR Publications), 2006 – ISBN: 81-901484-9-4
* Book of Vishnu (Penguin India), 2001 - ISBN: 9780670049073
* Varahishwarar Temple, Damal (CPR Publications), 2001 – ISBN:978-81-908305-5-3
* Balaji-Venkateshwara (Vakils), 2000 - ISBN: 81-87111-46-1
* Painted Manuscripts of the Sarasvati Mahal Library, Thanjavur (The Maharaja Serfoji Sarasvati Mahal Library), 1994
* Arts and Crafts of Tamilnadu (Mapin), 1992 - ISBN:0-944142-21-4
* Ganesha (Vakils), 1992 - ISBN: 978-81-8462-004-7

Art and Iconography of Vishnu-Narayana, Bombay (D.B. Taraporevala), 1980

== Edited ==

* Religion and Ecology, 2019 - ISBN: 978-81-86901-32-8
* The Environment and Indian History, 2016 - ISBN: 978-93-85459-02-3
* Iconography of the Hindus, Buddhists and Jains, 2016 – ISBN: 978-93-85459-03-0
* The Twentieth Century – A History, 2003 – ISBN: 81-901484-0-0
* Kanchi, 1992 - ISBN: 81-901484-1-9

* Shakti, 1991
* Ecological Traditions of India – a series covering each Indian state20

'''For children'''

* Mahabalipuram – The Ganga Comes to Tamil Nadu (Mapin Publishing), 2018 - ISBN: 978-93-85360-49-7
* Animals – It’s their world too (CPR Publications), 1990 - ISBN: 81-86901-07-8

The Tree (CPR Publications), 1989 - ISBN: 81-86901-08-6

==Awards==
[[File:Nanditha President award.png|thumb|President Award]]
She was awarded one of the first Nari Shakti Awards for her leadership and achievement in 2015. The award was made on [[International Women's Day]] from the then Indian President [[Pranab Mukherjee]].<ref>https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/stree-shakti-puraskar-and-nari-shakti-puraskar-presented-to-6-and-8-indian-women-respectively-243468-2015-03-09</ref>

Her other awards include Ambassador for Peace Award (2017); International Social Activist Award (2017) Sir J. C. Bose Memorial Award (2014); Dr. M. S. Swaminathan Award for Environmental Protection (2004); [[Stree Ratna]] (1998); and [[Outstanding Woman of Asia]] (1997).<ref><nowiki>http://www.nandithakrishna.in/career.html</nowiki>. Retrieved 27 August 2020.</ref> CPR Environmental Education centre received the Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar (1996)<ref><nowiki>http://www.wwfenvis.nic.in/Database/IGPPAWARDS_5624.aspx?format=Print</nowiki>. Retrieved 27 August 2020.</ref> under her directorship.

She has organized several national and international seminars and conferences on Indian culture and the environment.

==Personal life==
She is married to Dr. S. [[Chinny Krishna]], an industrialist who is a co-founder and chairman of the animal rights charity [[Blue Cross of India]].<ref>https://www.dtnext.in/News/City/2019/01/05082635/1101774/The-final-walk-End-of-a-35yearold-tradition.vpf</ref> She is also a member of the Board of Governors of the Blue Cross of India.<ref>https://bluecrossofindia.org/board/</ref> She has two sons – Dr. Prashanth Krishna, who is the Executive Director of The C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation,10 and Rudra Krishna, who is a writer and author of Onus of Karma<ref>Krishna, Rudra, Onus of Karma, Penguin Books India - ISBN 978-0-143-06549-4</ref> and Brahma Towers<ref>https://www.amazon.in/Brahma-Towers-Files-Sachin-Vittaldev/dp/1795258993</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}
<references />
{{Authority control}}

{{Nari Shakti Puraskar}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Krishna, Nanditha}}
[[Category:Indian writers]]
[[Category:Indian women writers]]
[[Category:1951 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Chennai]]

Nanditha Krishna - Revision history

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