Purnima Ramakrishnan is a UN award-winning journalist, writer, editor, and certified Heartfulness meditation trainer. She is the Chief Strategy Officer at World Moms Network and the recipient of the BlogHER International Activist Award (2013) and the IRP Fellowship in Journalism at Johns Hopkins SAIS (2014). Her writing has appeared in outlets including The New York Times, The Huffington Post, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the UN’s Shot@Life, and The Times of India. She has spoken at literary festivals on Indian mythology, folktales, and women’s narratives, and she also writes and edits books rooted in India’s ancient wisdom traditions. Most recently, she published her children’s book, Tall Tales of Tenali Ramakrishna. Through her multifaceted roles, Purnima combines Heartfulness, activism, and storytelling to empower individuals and communities worldwide.
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Think Like Tenali Raman | Purnima Ramakrishnan on Wit, Wonder and Royal Puzzles | OCLF
On 22nd Nov 2025 09.30 AM To 10:40 AM
The session "Think Like Tenali Raman: Wit, Wonder and Royal Puzzles" featured author and editor Purnima Ramakrishnan, who introduced young audiences to the sharp humour and clever problem-solving of the legendary Tenali Raman. Through lively storytelling and witty anecdotes, she explored how Tenali’s intelligence, humour and presence of mind can inspire modern-day thinking.
The session highlighted the value of unconventional solutions, emotional balance and using humour to resolve challenges. Purnima connected ancient folklore with everyday life, showing how Tenali-style thinking can help in school, relationships and decision-making. Children enjoyed discovering how wit can be a powerful form of intelligence and how stories can shape resilience and creativity.