"And it was Very Good:" Towards a Planetary Eco-Spirituality

Speaker: Dr. M. Darrol Bryant, Distinguished Professor Emeritus and Director, Centre for Dialogue and Spirituality in the World Religions, RenisonUniversityCollege, University of Waterloo, Ontario

What does the environmental crisis mean for the religious traditions of humankind? Can we find the resources in the wisdom traditions to redress the human/earth relationship? Can we find a way ahead? This lecture will explore these issues as it seeks to sketch a planetary eco-spirituality centred in the good earth

Speaker: Ms Asiya Alam, Department of Asian Studies, University of Texas, Austin

The lecture will examine the question of Muslim familial reform by looking at the related debates held in the colonial period from 1870 to 1947 around three major processes: compatibility and consent in marriage, polygamy and dissolution of marriages

Rabindranath Tagore: A Tribute

Introduction by Shiela Sengupta

Poetry Readings by Ruma Ghosh

Rabindrasangeet by Jayati Ghosh

Speaker: Shri Vinod Rai, Comptroller and Auditor General

Chair: Shri Pratyush Sinha, former Central Vigilance Commissioner

By Jayanti Mishra from Mumbai, daughter and disciple of Smt Sitara Devi, Tara Devi and Chuabe Maharaj

By Anil Saari, with an introduction by Saibal Chatterjee (New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2011)

Book release and discussion around the new book

The book will be released by Muzaffar Ali, noted filmmaker

Sohaila Kapur, playwright and filmmaker will read extracts from the book

Speakers: Paranjoy Guha-Thakurata, eminent journalist; and Saibal Chatterjee, film critic and writer;

Moderator: N. Madhavan, Associate Editor, The Hindustan Times

Presentation of awards to Outstanding Woman Mediaperson

Followed by a discussion on

Evolving Depiction of the Media in Cinema

Panelists: Ms Anusha Rizvi, Director, Peepli Live; Shri Om Thanvi, Editor, Jansatta; and Shri Mukul Kesavan, historian, Jamia Millia Islamia

At 19:30

Peepli Live (104 min; 2010; dvd; English subtitles)

Directors: Anusha Rizvi & Mahmood Farooqui

The film will be introduced by Mahmood Farooqui

A discussion on Dancing with Kali, a novel by the Mumbai based author and architect, Lalita Das

Discussants: Shri Gurcharan Das and Dr. Kavita A. Sharma

Conducted by Smt Ava Khullar, Shri Ashdeen Lilaowala and others

The three-day workshop will include the setting up of the adda (embroidery frame), explanation of the meaning of the motifs and their history, and learning the techniques and stitches

Demonstrations:

14^th March at 11:00 - Draping the Parsi Sari - Techniques & styles

15^th March at 11:00 - Khusti weaving by experts from Navsari

16^th March at 11:00 - Toran making by experts in this traditional art

Seminar on Parsi Craft

Introduction by Ms. Ritu Sethi, Craft Revival Trust 

Overview by a Representative of UNESCO 

Speakers: Ms. Jasleen Dhamija, Smt. Pheroza Godrej, Dr. Tulsi Vatsal, Shri Ashdeen Lilaowala, Dr. Shernaz Cama. (to be confirmed)