By Aashna Shah
On April 26, 2026, the Gita Vicara Leadership Program, also known as Games for Seva, hosted the official release event for their new game Kurukshetra. Games for Seva is a nonprofit organization focused on empowering youth through leadership, service, and teachings inspired by Hindu philosophy and culture. The event was hosted at the Asamai Hindu Temple and was a major success, filled with excitement, meaningful conversations, and enthusiastic participation from attendees. Many guests purchased the game and enjoyed an interactive experience centered around reflection, teamwork, and dialogue.
Kurukshetra is inspired by the Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita, encouraging players to think deeply about conflict, values, and peace on personal, community, and global levels. The student-led GVLP event brought together teens in a unique and engaging way, with participants taking on different roles such as players, facilitators, and reporters.
One of the student reporters, Aanya Gupta, shared her experience from the event: “The event was really a success. I had the privilege of working as a reporter where I helped create social media content for our Instagram page, @gamesforseva. Additionally, getting feedback from participants was very rewarding, and the responses were overwhelmingly positive.”
The release of Kurukshetra highlighted the power of youth leadership and demonstrated how games can be used as a tool to inspire learning, reflection, and community connection. Thank you to Games for Seva’s head teachers Madhu Allu and Rathi Raja for making it possible.
Aashna Shah is an Indian American sophomore at Syosset High School interested in business and storytelling. She hopes to use the Kaleidoscope as a pathway to uplift underserved communities. She serves as the Submission Coordinator for Kaleidoscope, where she helps curate and elevate youth voices through storytelling.
