🌸 Celebrating Strength, Service, and Sisterhood
Gargi Awards 2025 presented by the Hindu Council of Australia
The Hindu Council of Australia proudly hosted the Gargi Awards 2025, a special evening honouring outstanding Hindu women who have made significant contributions to our community across Australia. These women continue to uplift others through selfless service, leadership, and dedication. It was held at the prestigious SP Jain School of Global Management in Sydney.
The awards are named after Gargi Vachaknavi, a revered philosopher from ancient India known for her courage, intellect, and pursuit of truth. The legacy of Gargi lives on through women in our community who lead with grace and strength in their chosen fields.
The ceremony was held during Mother’s Day weekend, a time that reflects the nurturing and resilient spirit of womanhood. It was an opportunity to celebrate women who contribute not only at home but also in the wider community with quiet determination.
The evening began with the traditional lighting of the lamp, symbolising wisdom and unity, followed by a classical dance performance by Ameesha Darshana of the Nrityasagara School of Dance.
We were privileged to welcome a distinguished group of guests whose presence added immense value to the celebration.
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Prof Dr Satya Lakshmi Komarraju, Director of the National Institute of Naturopathy, Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India, attended as our Chief Guest and shared her wisdom and encouragement.
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Michele Goldman, Vice President of the Jewish Board of Deputies, joined us as our Guest of Honour.
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Councillor Sandhya Reddy and Councillor Sukirti Bhatta brought warm support from the City of Parramatta and Cumberland Council, respectively.
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Karen Correy, Community Liaison Officer from the Australian Federal Police Eastern Command, also graced the occasion and showed
strong solidarity with women leading change.
Prof Dr Satya Lakshmi Komarraju also had the honour of felicitating our esteemed judging panel – Filiz Eminov, Shantha Viswanathan, and Diana Weston – for their thorough, fair, and thoughtful evaluation process.
Michele Goldman presented a Special Appreciation Award to Neha Desai, recognising a quiet but extraordinary act of compassion that brought comfort and dignity during a moment of crisis.
It was a delight to have Vaibhavi Joshi ji as our host. She was a former Gargi finalist in the Language and Culture category. Vaibhavi ji returned this year as a graceful and powerful presenter. Her presence was a wonderful reminder of how each journey continues beyond recognition.
✨ Congratulations to our 2025 Gargi Award Winners
- Performing Arts – Sheila Nair, NSW
- Science and Research – Dr Tanima Banerjee, NSW
- Journalism – Roslyn Mendelle, Qld
- Visual Arts – Pramila Shanmuga Ganesan, NSW
- Sports – Dr Mirunalini Nidhivanan, NSW
- Language and Literature – Rekha Rajvanshi, NSW
- Frontline Services – Dr Smriti Murali Krishna, Qld
- Community Service – Asha Bhat, WA
🌏 National Participation
While we received the highest number of nominations from New South Wales, it was heartening to see strong representation from other parts of the country. This year’s finalists and winners came from across Australia, showing the depth of service and talent in our wider community.
Queensland was represented by Roslyn Mendelle and Dr Smriti Murali Krishna, both winners, and Greta Mukherjee and Vasudha Parashar as finalists. Asha Bhat from Western Australia received the Community Service Award. Victoria was represented by Medh Aich, a finalist in Performing Arts, and the ACT by Mudra Bhatt, a finalist in Sports.
This national presence reflects the inclusive and far-reaching spirit of the Gargi Awards.
The audience was treated to uplifting cultural performances by Nritysagara School of Dance, Sapphire Dance Group, Abirami Dance School, and Bandana Cultural School.
The vote of thanks was delivered by Annu Tandon ji, Joint Secretary, HCA NSW Chapter.
A very special thank you to Vishal and Poorva Vishal from Evergreen Memories and to our own Gargi team member, Nupur Mittal, for capturing the essence of the evening through their photography. Your work has given us beautiful memories to cherish. Thanks to Manish Sharma, who has pitched in at the last minute to live stream the event on the HCA Instagram page.
🕊️ Message to our 2025 Nominees and Finalists
We encourage all of this year’s nominees and finalists to share information about the Gargi Awards within their communities. By doing so, we can ensure that more women who serve the community with dedication and sacrifice are brought into the spotlight. These awards exist to celebrate women who often give up personal and family time for the greater good. Let us help them receive the recognition they deserve.
🙏 Gratitude to the Team Behind the Vision
A heartfelt thank you to the team that worked behind the scenes to make this event a success. Their dedication, care, and attention to detail made all the difference.
Gargi Awards Team 2025
Shoba Deshikan, Neelima Paravastu, Annu Tandon, Srivithiya Sansare, Sarita Soni, Shweta Sharma, Aarti Garg, Praveen Sethi, Sarika Goyal, Shoba Anand, Sakshi Jain, Nupur Mittal.
A heartfelt thank you to the SP Jain School of Global Management for generously providing the venue and supporting this important celebration of women and community spirit.
On behalf of the Hindu Council of Australia, thank you to everyone who attended, participated, supported, and shared in this special occasion. Together, we continue to honour the legacy of Gargi and the women who carry her spirit forward in today’s world.
#GargiAwards2025 #HinduCouncilAustralia #CelebratingHinduWomen #RecognisingExcellence #LegacyOfGargi #CommunityLeadership #WomenOfSanatanaDharma #SPJainglobal
Links to social media posts
Livestream on HCA Insta page
https://www.instagram.com/p/DJd68BuznlS/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/p/DJd2RuBTtXr/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/p/DJd1PvnT0CR/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/p/DJd0ZZaTiXM/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/p/DJd0ILXzN4X/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/p/DJdzPOaTvN4/?hl=en
Photo album on HCA Facebook page
