MENTAL HEALTH
21 April 2015, 05:30 am
MENTAL HEALTH
Programme Type
Discussions
Balancing the States of Mind
Speakers: Prof. Ramesh Bijlani, Sri Aurobindo Ashram; Prof. Ishawar Basavaraddi, Director, Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga
Moderator: Dr. S. K. Khandelwal
Despite rapid and exponential advances in the field of neurosciences to understand mental symptoms and disorders, we are still far away in understanding the cause of various mental phenomena causing distress in the society. Drug industry has been dishing out new drugs at a very rapid rate, yet the limitation of efficacy of psychotropic is now being seriously debated in scientific literature. These drugs have very limited role in life style disorders, and have practically no role in preventive and promotive aspects of mental health. It is now being increasingly validated scientifically that stress can be tackled through simple, practical, and traditional and spiritual techniques to integrate biological, psychosocial and spiritual health to enhance mental health
The First King and the First Ascetic: A Poetic Retellling of Acharya Mahapragya’s Rishabhayan
20 April 2015, 05:30 am
The First King and the First Ascetic: A Poetic Retellling of Acharya Mahapragya’s Rishabhayan
Programme Type
Discussions
The First King and the First Ascetic: A Poetic Retelling of Acharya Mahapragya’s Rishabhayan
Readings and discussion around the recently published translation of Acharya Mahapragya’s book of verses by Sudhamahi Reghunathan (New Delhi 2014: Harper Element, HarperCollins)
Introduction to the book by Sudhamahi Reghunathan, author and translator
Readings in English and Hindi by Smt Shailaja Chandra, former Chief Secretary Delhi; and Samani Charitrapragya, Vice-Chancellor, Jain Vishva Bharati Institute (Deemed University)
Chair: Prof. G.C. Tripathy, Director, Bhogilal Leherchand Institute of Indology
Rishabhayan – The Story of the First King is about the first king in a society of beginning-less time, according to Jaina mythology. It tells of the evolution of human civilisation as it grew from a society based on need to one attached to material possessions. The epic depicts the search for truth and the role of renunciation and sacrifice
To Mark the 400th Birth Centenary of Dara Shikoh
20 April 2015, 05:30 am
To Mark the 400th Birth Centenary of Dara Shikoh
Dara Shikoh: An Aphorism for Truth (90 min; 2015; dvd; English)
Director: Surendra Verma who will introduce the film
Screening will be followed by a discussion
Dara Shikoh was the central figure of a great religious and literary movement for the adaptation of Islam to the spiritual traditions of India. He stood unique among the modern thinkers of India. The film focuses on Dara Shikoh’s life and his road-map for love and the doctrine of humanity his exploration of interfaith harmony
The Enigma of Gandharan Buddhas
18 April 2015, 05:30 am
The Enigma of Gandharan Buddhas
Programme Type
Talks
Speaker: Prof. Juhyung Rhi, Department of Archaeology & Art History, Seoul National University, Korea
Evidently the Buddha was the focus of worship in Gandharan Buddhist monasteries. In addition to a major Buddhist stupa, which most probably contained the Buddha's relics, numerous Buddha images were dedicated in monasteries. Despite their central importance in Gandharan statuary, a number of aspects concerning their production as material objects and significance as religious images still remain obscure. This lecture will explore the practice of making and dedicating Buddha images in Gandharan monasteries
The Buddhist Caves of the Western Deccan in the late 5th and 6th century: Where the Silk Road and the Indian Ocean Meet
17 April 2015, 05:30 am
The Buddhist Caves of the Western Deccan in the late 5th and 6th century: Where the Silk Road and the Indian Ocean Meet
Programme Type
Talks
Speaker: Prof Pia Brancaccio, Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA
The lecture will examine the dynamics that led to the renaissance of Buddhist rock-cut architecture in Western Deccan between the 5th and 6th century. This was a transformative period in India as political, economic and religious traditions underwent important changes; from a global perspective, this was also a time of tremendous international engagement both across the Indian Ocean and the north western regions of the Subcontinent. The artistic and architectural evidence from caves like Ajanta and Aurangabad will be examined in a global perspective, connecting these sites to Buddhist networks leading to Gandhara and Central Asia, and to renewed Indian Ocean trade
An Evening of Punjabi Sufi Poetry
17 April 2015, 05:30 am
An Evening of Punjabi Sufi Poetry
Programme Type
Cultural
Speakers: Dr Ravnder i Kumar, Associate Professor, Punjabi Department, SGTB Khalsa College; and Dr. Kuldeep Pahwa, Punjabi Department, SGTB Khalsa College
Chair: Dr. Vanita, recipient of the Sahitya Akademi award and Associate Professor, Dept. of Punjabi, S.G.T.B. Khalsa College, Delhi University
The programme will cover Baba Sheikh Farid, Shah Hussain, Hazrat Sultan Bahu, and Baba Bulleh Shah
Pangea One World Expedition – A Journey from Arctic to Antarctic
16 April 2015, 05:30 am
Pangea One World Expedition – A Journey from Arctic to Antarctic
Programme Type
Talks
Speaker : Shri Akhil Bakshi, leader of the Expedition and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society; Chairman, Science and Exploration Committee of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation and Chairman of the Editorial Board of the Indian Mountaineer
Chair: Ms Sharmistha Mukherjee
The talk covers the 36,000 km journey from Prudoe Bay, on the Arctic Ocean, at the northern end of Alaska, to Cape Horn, the southernmost tip of South America undertaken from September to December 2013
Gandhara and the Silk Road: Daily Life and Buddhist Practice in the Niya Oasis
16 April 2015, 05:30 am
Gandhara and the Silk Road: Daily Life and Buddhist Practice in the Niya Oasis
Programme Type
Talks
Speaker: Dr. Stefan Baums, Institute for Indian and Tibetan Studies, University of Munich
The ancient settlement of Niya (known as Caḍḍ_ota in the local language and as
Jingjué in Chinese) was a major station on the Southern Silk Road connecting
India and the West with China. Abandoned around the 5th century CE and
buried by the desert, it was rediscovered in the early 20th century and has
yielded impeccably preserved artefacts and written documents that provide
insight into the daily life and Buddhist practice of the local community as well
as the political interactions between Niya and the neighboring Silk Road states.
After an overview of the history and exploration of the site, I will focus on the
local form of Buddhism as it emerges from the Niya documents. The talk will
conclude with personal impressions from a recent expedition to the Niya oasis.
The ancient settlement of Niya (known as Caḍḍ_ota in the local language and as
Jingjué in Chinese) was a major station on the Southern Silk Road connecting
India and the West with China. Abandoned around the 5th century CE and
buried by the desert, it was rediscovered in the early 20th century and has
yielded impeccably preserved artefacts and written documents that provide
insight into the daily life and Buddhist practice of the local community as well
as the political interactions between Niya and the neighboring Silk Road states.
After an overview of the history and exploration of the site, I will focus on the
local form of Buddhism as it emerges from the Niya documents. The talk will
conclude with personal impressions from a recent expedition to the Niya oasis.
