Vibhooti R Acharya is the first female President of Shree Sanatan Mandir Leicester, one of the oldest and most prestigious Hindu Temples in the U.K. She graduated with BA (Hons) French and Spanish from Manchester University and gained a PGCE in Modern Foreign Languages and Literature from the University of Sheffield. She taught Gujarati, French and Spanish in the mainstream for over 10 years.
Thereafter she embarked on a career in Complementary Medicine and qualified as a Holistic Therapist in 2004. She taught Complementary Therapies at South Leicestershire college for over 10 years. She also qualified as a Yoga Teacher. In her spare time Vibhooti has taught the IOL Diploma in Public Service Interpreting at Leicester University and continues to teach “A” level Religion and Philosophy (Hinduism).
Vibhooti’s passion to serve the community has come from her father Rameshbhai V Acharya, who previously served as a President and her mother Devindra who has given Vibhooti divine energy.
1) What is your current position?
I’m the President of Shree Sanatan Mandir Leicester. I’m also a Hindu representative on NASACRE. Through the blessings of God, my elders and spiritual masters I am able to serve the Mandir. I teach Modern Foreign Languages and lecture in Spa and Holistic Therapies. I work closely with charities including Loros, MS Society, Rainbows and local organisations such as the Adhaar Project.
2) What are your proudest achievements?
I’m proud of my degree in French and Spanish which I achieved at a time when very few Asian females left home to study. I spent a year in France and Spain perfecting my linguistic skills. My father was always supportive of my career, he encouraged me to gain qualifications in Gujarati. One of the greatest experiences of my life was climbing Mount Everest- with my two sisters and 200 holy men. With God’s Blessings I was elected as the first female President of Shree Sanatan Mandir. I have had the great fortune of explaining the main principles of Sanatan Dharma to Royalty.
3) What inspires you?
My parents have been hugely inspirational. My mother with her abundant strength has been my guiding force. My father – being fun-loving but simultaneously strict helped give me strength to achieve. My sisters have helped me grow emotionally and spiritually. My two brothers have been inspirational. One with his ambition and the other by his humbleness. My Spiritual Master who has ignited my soul with knowledge, compassion and love and has made me who I am today. It never fails to amaze me how god has created us with an immense capacity to love, forgive and learn.
4) What has been the biggest obstacle in your career?
I believe that life’s obstacles are there to teach us. Sometimes this can feel painful because we have to move out of our comfort zone. I’m a perfectionist and this can make one self-critical but can allow a person to remain humble. As a female President of a temple I feel the world has some distance to travel before it truly embraces equality. Change is inevitable and those who hold powerful positions in society need to ensure they guide future generations.
5) Who has been the biggest influence on your career to date?
My parents stood by me when I decided to study languages. Secondly, my school teachers who had faith in me as a teenager were influential. They made me believe I could gain fluency in Spanish. The Mandir has been a place where I have gained knowledge and understanding. The Deities in the Mandir I believe, have blessed my life and silently guided me through the darkest of days.
6) What is the best aspect about your current role?
As a female I believe I’m able to relate to the female members and help ensure equality. Since being elected, I have also been fortunate to have had more youths joining the team. I love meeting religious leaders and spiritual masters from around the world.
7) And the worst?
I believe that we must respect those who impart knowledge. I find it frustrating to see the ever increasing culture of disrespect towards teachers. It disturbs me to see people who seek personal gain. It’s frightening to see how many males are still insecure about women in stronger positions. Worse still are people who try to manipulate, dupe or mislead the youth.
8) What are your long term goals?
My aim is to encourage more people to join in our endeavour to help the Mandir grow from being a place of worship to becoming a hub for learning and gaining qualifications. I want to see the Mandir develop into a place which attracts people to become better citizens.
9) If you were Prime Minister, what one aspect would you change?
The most important thing for me is education and experience through education. I would love to ensure a good education was available to all whatever background, colour or social status.
10) If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why?
The people I would love be in the endless peaceful company of include my mother for her love and wisdom, Abdul Kalamji for his exemplary life. I would love to spend time with Tagore for his magical way of touching hearts, Rani Laxmibai for her courage as a warrior queen and.
