Dr.S.R.Leela hails from a remote village, Sampangere in Malur Taluk, Kolar Dist. Born into a culturally rich but an economically poor family she diligently pursued her education. Mother Smt.Chudamaniyamma stood like a rock in support of her pursuits despite utter poverty in the family. After completing primary education at Chikka Tirupathi, three miles away from Sampangere, she shifted to Bengaluru for her High School Education. She graduated from APS College, Bengaluru studying science subjects, with the help of a small scholar ship, then termed as PCP (Poverty cum progress). Though very fond of physics and Mathematics, she was fascinated by the root language Sanskrit, which she studied as one of the languages until graduation. She did her Post Graduate course, M.A. in Sanskrit and joined the teaching profession by choice. She sat at the feet of many learned scholars to upgrade her knowledge of Sanskrit. FIP of UGC opened new opportunities for higher studies. She obtained her M.Phil. degree from Madras University and Ph.D. from Bengaluru University, working in the college.
Dr.Leela is a wellknown writer and contributes towards many journals and Daily Papers. Presently she is a leading columnist in the most popular Kannada Daily, Vijayavani. Collection of her Kannada articles are published in two volumes recently.
As a lecturer in NMKRV College, ample opportunities to grow came her way. New vistas opened up. As NSS officer and as director of RV Institute of Sanskrit studies, she worked with such involvement that she developed deep interest in both the fields. Today as an MLC if she has taken up rural development projects seriously working towards the benefit of villages, her theatre training has culminated in producing Sanskrit films, a rare achievement indeed. While serving in NMKRV College as Prof. and HOD of the Sanskrit Dept., she organized student seminar, national seminars, drama festivals and many other educational programmes.
Her single minded devotion to the propagation of classical arts epitomized in Sanskrit Theatre has culminated in the launching of the cultural organization called Abhinaya Bharati (Regd.). AB has staged Sanskrit plays in many prestigious forum such as Sangeet Natak Academy, New Delhi: Kalavedi,Bengaluru: Indian Institute of World Culture , Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru; Mount Carmel College, Bengaluru; NMKRV College, Bengaluru:
After G.V.Iyer, if anyone has produced films in Sanskrit it is Dr. Leela. She has four films to her credit.
She is a vivacious person of varied interests. Cooking, Gardening, reading, listening to classical music, scripting, writing, acting, direction, social service are some of them which she has been pursuing with passion.
She is an author of about 15 books in three languages, Sanskrit, English and Kannada. With her deep knowledge of Sanskrit language and literature, the basic language of Bharat, she has matured into an able translator. Her book, Glory of Vasistha Ganapati Muni, which is an English adaptation of the notable work Vasishta Vaibhavam by Vid.T.V.Kapali Shastri,(published by SAKSHI,Bengaluru) has won accolades from both the learned and the layman alike. She has the honour of contributing one volume to the massive Kathasaritsagara (Sanskrit to Kannada) project, undertaken by the Kuvempu Bhasha Bharati.
She toured Europe extensively during 2006, and presented a paper in the World Sanskrit Conference held at Scotland; Her paper Trans continental trade in Chanakya's Arthashastra, won critical appreciation by the scholars, present there. In 2007 presented a paper in the University of Bangkok, Thailand on the Buddhist classic, Buddha charitam of Ashvaghosha. From Thailand she went to the celebrated Ankhorvat Temple at Cambodia to study the Indian temple art and architecture of the eight century. Based on this visit a video presentation of the biggest temple in the world is prepared and shown to many groups.
She is inspired by the forceful personality and philosophy of Swami Vivekananda. Wellread in Ramakrishna and Vivekananda literature, she is invited to deliver talks on Indian literature, Philosophy and tradition. Sister Nivedita is another great personality she admires. Shivaji, Jhansi Rani, Kittur Chennamma, Subhash Chandra Bose, Veer Savarkar and such heroic personalities and patriots are her role models.
After taking voluntary retirement from college in 2005, she joined Mahabharata Pratishtana, as Editorialcoordinator of the Encyclopedia of the Mahabharata, at the request of the Institute. She edited a few books like Hundred stories from Mahabharata, in three languages, Kannada, English and Hindi, during her short stay there for two years, till she was nominated to the upper house of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly in 2008. She also organized two national seminars on Mahabharata, at Delhi and Bengaluru and edited the research journal vyasa smruti.
She was nominated to the upper house of the Karnataka Legislative in 2008 by the BJP Government in recognition of her services to the field of education and culture.
Presently as MLC she has completely dedicated herself to rural development work. She is using her grants and goodwill to help the needy, both in rural and urban areas. Solar Lighting of villages and building Primary and High Schools are some of the top priority developmental works she has taken up. About 200 villages are having been fixed with Solar Street Lights. About 50 schools are given financial assistance so far apart from many other social activities.
She is actively involved in many service organizations and Academic Institiutions like.
With her deep knowledge of Sanskrit theatre she is eminently able to judge the Sanskrit drama competitions. Hence she is invited all over the country to judge the National level competitions conducted by premier Institutions such as RSKS Delhi, Kendriya Vidya peeta Tirupati.etc.,
More details can be found at the link http://srleela.wordpress.com/