Bound by Grammar: Loan Words, Linguistic Borders, and Vernacular Poetry in the Līlātilakam

Speaker: Dr. Sivan Goren-Arzony, Lecturer, Asian Studies Department, Bar-Ilan University, Israel
Chair: Dr Sudha Gopalakrishnan, Executive Director, IIC-International Research Division

The talk will explore the 14th century Līlātilakam, discussing the grammar and poetics of Manipravāḷam from Kerala. The speaker will focus on the ‘theory of semblance’ it offers, advocating the autonomous nature of Kerala’s bhāṣā.

Dr. Sivan Goren-Arzony is a lecturer in the Asian Studies Department at Bar-Ilan University. She specializes in premodern South Asian poetry, particularly Kerala’s Manipravāḷam tradition. She holds a PhD in Comparative Religion from Hebrew University and was a Harvard Society of Fellows member.

Fourteenth in a series of lectures organised by IIC-International Research Division with the support of the Ministry of External Affairs
 
 

Illustrated lecture by Madan Meena, artist and researcher working with the rural, nomadic and tribal communities in Rajasthan and Gujarat to document their lives in a bid to preserve their cultural roots and identities. His doctoral work was on “Art of the Meena Tribe”, which focused on the traditions of his own ancestral community. He is at present Honorary Director, Adivasi Academy, Gujarat 

The Tejaji Gatha or the ballad of Tejaji, describes the heroic life of Tejaj, the snake deity. Though the snake deity was born in western Rajasthan he is celebrated and sung across Rajasthan to Madhya Pradesh. Madan Meena will focus on mapping the variations of the ballad with samples of recordings in about 12 languages from Kharnal (Nagaur) in western Rajasthan where Tejaji was born, to villages in Jhalawar and Baran districts bordering Madhya Pradesh and to Jaipur and Dausa in the north


(Collaboration: Archives and Research Center for Ethnomusicology, American Institute of Indian Studies)

Indian Classical Dances: The Healing Power
By Kanaka Sudhakar (Shubhi Publications: 2023)

Discussants: Guru Rama Vaidyanathan, senior Bharatanatyam artist & Guru, President, Ganesa Natyalaya; Guru Harish Gangani, leading Kathak artist and Guru (Jaipur Gharana); Ms Tripura Kashyap, pioneer of the Dance Movement Therapy in India, dance educator, choreographer and author; and Guru Kanaka Sudhakar, Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi artist, choreographer and author of the book

Moderator: Ms Aparajita Sarma, Bharatanatyam artist, Coordinator, Sunaina

Reading Schopenhauer – From Kesarbai through Nine Other Musicians

Speaker: S. Gopalakrishnan, professional broadcaster with long years of association with the central archives of All India Radio. Formerly Director, Content of Sahapedia, an online encyclopaedic resource on South Asian arts and heritage; recipient of the Kerala Sahitya Sabha award for prose in 2012, he has authored several books in English and Malayalam

(Collaboration: The Raza Foundation)
 

Conceptualised by Dr. Ashwani Kumar

To Mark World Sight Day 2024
Theme: Love Your Eyes
Eye camp and talk

From 10:00 to 13:00
World Sight Day – Eye Screening Camp 
A comprehensive camp which will include screening for Refractive errors; Presbyopia; Cataract; Glaucoma; and Diabetic Retinopathy
The camp will be conducted by a team of doctors, Officers and staff from Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre (RPC) for Ophthalmic Sciences under the supervision of Dr. Jeewan S. Titiyal, Professor and Chief of RPC, AIIMS, New Delhi

Open to IIC members and staff members of IIC

At 16:00
Love your Eyes Kids
Speaker: Dr. Jeewan S. Titiyal, Professor of Ophthalmology and Chief, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences and Dean (Research), All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi

Followed by a panel discussion on: How to Protect your eyes from common and serious problems
Panelists from the Faculty of Dr. Rajendra Prasad Ophthalmic Sciences, AIIMS – Dr. Jeewan S. Titiyal; Dr. Tanuj Dada; Dr. Praveen Vashist; Dr. Rohit Saxena; and Dr. Rohan Chawla

Chair: Dr. Ashwani Kumar

Eye problems may affect all ages and dramatically affect the quality of life. Poor vision can significantly impact life in various ways by affecting independence of individuals, reduced engagement in activities, negative impact on mental health, limitations to education and increased risk of accidents. The public lecture and panel discussion will focus on eye problems that may affect individuals of all ages with special emphasis on childhood related eye problems

Illustrated lecture by Mr. Tenzin Tsundue, Tibetan writer and activist, born and raised in India

A presentation on the geography, culture, language and sub-dialects, herbs, architecture, livelihood, trade and the traditional relationships of the five Indian Himalayan states with Tibet using slides and storytelling

(Collaboration: Foundation for Universal Responsibility of His Holiness The Dalai Lama)
 

Is a formal land leasing framework the next Big Idea in Agriculture?

Panelists: Prof. Bina Agarwal, Professor of Development Economics and Environment, Global Development Institute, University of Manchester, UK; Dr. P.K. Joshi, former Director, International Food Policy Research Institute, South Asia Office; and Dr. B.S. Sidhu, former Commissioner, Agriculture, Govt. of Punjab

Chair: Shri Siraj Hussain (IAS retd.), former Union Agriculture Secretary

Moderator: Shri Pravesh Sharma (IAS retd.), former Managing Director, Small Farmers' Agri-Business Consortium (SFAC)

Treasures of Lakshmi: The Goddess who Give
Edited by Namita Gokhale and Malashri Lal (Penguin: 2024)

Discussants: Ms Vidya Shah, well-known Hindustani vocalist and music scholar; Amb. Lakshmi Puri, former Assistant Secretary- General, United Nations, former Deputy Executive Director, UN Women and former Indian Ambassador to Hungary; Dr. Alka Tyagi; Ms Namita Gokhale and Prof. Malashri Lal, co-editors of the book 

Illustrated lecture by Dr. Anu Jindal on the continuing engagement with the culture of “kawaii” in multiple areas of fashion, design and lifestyle in Japan. The Japanese word kawaii translated as cute or adorable, characterizes a segment of Japanese popular culture. Designers and artists draw inspiration from its aesthetic, while some young people practise it prolifically often gathering in groups, at favoured spots like Harajuku, to exchange fun ideas of their personal style statements. 

Chair: Amb. Amarendra Khatua, author and poet, former Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, former Director General, ICCR

 Dr. Jindal is an artist, scholar, curator who holds a Ph.D. in Japanese Art History from the National Museum Institute, New Delhi

 

Nehru’s First Recruits: The Diplomats who built Independent India’s Foreign Policy
By Kallol Bhattacherjee (HarperCollins: 2024)

Discussants: Ms Nandita Haksar, Human Rights Lawyer, Advocate, Supreme Court of India and author; Amb. Manjeev Singh Puri, former Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Deputy Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations; and Shri Kallol Bhattacherjee, Senior Assistant Editor, Foreign Affairs, The Hindu and author of the book

Chair: Amb. K.P. Fabian, Distinguished Fellow, School of Law, Symbiosis University, Pune