Speaker: Mr Stephen Batchelor, author, teacher and scholar of Buddhism

The speaker, who has led meditation retreats all over the world, is a proponent of agnostic or secular Buddhism

Speaker: Dr Rebecca Johnson, Executive Director, Acronym Institute for Disarmament Diplomacy

Chair: Shri Praful Bidwai, Founder-Member, Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace, India

An expert on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, Dr Johnson is Co-Chair, International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, member of the International Panel on Fissile Materials, and of the women's advisory group for the International Action Network for Small Arms. Her book Unfinished Business is on civil society and government strategies to achieve the CTBT, and her most recent book is Trident and International Law, co-edited with Angie Zelter (2011)

Speakers: Shri A.K. Shukla, I.F.S., Chief Conservator of Forests, Govt. of NCT of Delhi; Smt Padmavati Dwivedi, Team Leader, Citizens' Tree Census, Sarvodaya Enclave; Shri S.D. Singh, I.F.S., and CEO, Delhi Parks and Gardens Society; and Shri Subhash Chandra, I.F.S., D.I.G. Forests, Ministry of Environment and Forests

Chair: Shri Suhas Borker, Founder Member, Green Circle of Delhi

Participants will include horticulturalists from land-owning agencies of Delhi, RWAs, schoolteachers and students

VEDANTA TODAY

Speaker: Dr Karan Singh, M.P.

Chair: Shri Rajiv Mehrotra, Trustee, Foundation for Universal Responsibility of His Holiness the Dalai Lama

An overview of the six orthodox schools, with special reference to the Vedas

The first in a series of monthly lectures on Indian spiritual thought that will explore some of the principal schools of Indian philosophy, their impact on Indian civilization, and contemporary relevance  

The story of a city through the eyes of young photographers from Srinagar - photographs of its architectural heritage, everyday life, and people of the city

Inauguration on Tuesday, 29th January, at 18:30 by H.E. Shri N.N. Vohra, Governor of Jammu & Kashmir

As part of this exhibition, there will be two other programmes

Film screening on Friday, 1st February, in the Multipurpose Hall, Kamaladevi Block, at 18:30
Mann Faqeeri
(52 min; 2012; dvd; English subtitles)
Director: M.K. Raina

With the advent of Islam in Kashmir, an inter-cultural confluence took place between Central Asia, Persia and India. From these exchanges emerged a new syncretic mosaic in the Valley, containing the essence of Islam, Shaivism and Buddhism. The film explores this syncretic tradition, both past and present, through the Sufiyana kalam of the Valley. It traces its long tradition of singing verses, from Lal Ded in the 13th century to contemporary poets, in the context of the unbroken relationship between music, poetry and the changing landscape of the valley

Shri Raina will introduce the film and lead the discussion that follows

Panel discussion on Monday, 4th February, in Conference Room - I at 18:30
Kashmir: Dimensions of Intangible Heritage
Lead presentation by Prof Riyaz Punjabi

Speaker: Dr Daryoosh Akbarzadeh, former Director of the National Museum of Iran, and author of many scholarly works on ancient and medieval Iran

Chair: Prof N.C. Shukla

The speaker will argue that the "Maha-Raja" referred to in Persian texts may be identified as Raja Raja the Great or more probably as Rajendra Chola I, present a comparative study of the birthplaces of Zoroaster and the Buddha, and discuss Indian tales in the Shah-nameh of Firdowsi

(45 min; 2012)
Director: Ruchi Saini

A disciple's tribute to Kathak maestro Guru Shri Munna Shukla of the Lucknow Gharana, in which his personality, philosophy and views on various matters unfold through interviews with critics, scholars, his guru and disciples, friends and family