Kriti-SAMHiTA: The Plurality of Indian Knowledge Systems

Recovering the Plays of Māyurāja

Conversation between Prof. Andrew Ollett, University of Chicago, and Prof. Naresh Keerthi, Ashoka University

Chair: Dr. Sudha Gopalakrishnan, Executive Director, IIC-International Research Division

The speakers will share their experiences of editing and translating two plays composed by the eighth-century poet Māyurāja, Tāpasavatsarāja (“Udayana the Ascetic”) and Udāttarāghava (“Raghu’s Exalted Descendants”). They will refer to the challenges posed by the manuscripts, of which there is only one extant for Tāpasavatsarāja, and only one accessible to scholars of Udāttarāghava.

Prof. Andrew Ollett works on the literary and intellectual traditions of South Asia, including works composed in Sanskrit, Prakrit, Apabhramsha, Kannada, and Chinese from the first millennium of the common era. He is the recipient of the Infosys Prize for 2025.

Prof. Naresh Keerthi is Head, Department of Sanskrit, Ashoka University and researched on the semantics of colour in Sanskrit, at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore. He is interested in kāvya and nāṭya literature in Sanskrit and Prakrit, and their interactions with South India’s literary cultures. He studies topics at the intersection of the lexicon, grammar and poetics, and is investigating the development of poetic topoi in kāvya literature.

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

The World is not Binary: Reflections from a COP of Truth and a COP of Implementation

Opening Remarks: Shyam Saran, President, IIC and former Special Envoy and Chief Negotiator on Climate Change

Lead Presentation by: Dr Arunabha Ghosh, CEO, Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), and COP30 Special Envoy for South Asia

Panelists: Ravi Shankar Prasad, Former Special Secretary MoEF & CC, and (currently)Distinguished Fellow, CEEW; Laveesh Bhandari, President, Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP); Dr Ajay Mathur, Former Member of PM's Council on Climate Change and  Professor of Practice in the School of Public Policy, IIT, Delhi.

Chair: Shyam Saran, President, IIC

This talk reflects on COP30 as a pivotal moment where climate diplomacy confronts its limits and possibilities. Moving beyond binary narratives, it assesses concrete outcomes, hard truths, and the implementation-driven pathways shaping the world’s climate future.

Unearthing Muarajambi Temples
(93 mins; 2023; Bahasa Indonesia with English subtitles)

A documentary film by Nia Dinata

Unearthing Muarajambi Temples is a 2023 documentary that explores the historical and cultural significance of the Muarajambi Temple complex in Jambi, Indonesia, a Buddhist learning centre of the early medieval period. The film uses the history of the temples as a lens to tell stories across different eras, highlighting their connection to the ancient Srivijaya and Malay kingdoms and their current efforts to gain UNESCO World Heritage status. It brings to light how Atiśa Dīpaṃkara spent over a decade here, studying Mahayana and Tantrayana, which he later taught in Tibet.

The screening forms part of the ‘Guru Conference and Exhibition: Life and Legacy of Atiśa Dīpaṃkara Śrījñāna' at IIC, 21st to 30th November 2025

(Organised by IIC- International Research Division)

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Dinner: 7:30 pm to 10:00 pm

For table reservations please call: 011-24609432 / 418 

 

Serving non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages to members and residents in an informal setting with indoor and outdoor seating arrangements.
Timing: 12:00 noon to 2:30 pm  |  7:00 pm to 10:00 pm
 

Multi cuisine Restaurant: operates for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Breakfast: 7:30 am to 10:00 am
Lunch: 12:30 pm to 2:45 pm
Dinner: 7:30 pm to 10:00 pm

For table reservations please call: 011-24609411 (Main Dining Hall)
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Day Slot: 9am - 5pm/ 9am - 3pm/ 4pm - 11pm

Tariff (In Rs) Excluding GST :-  8,800

Half Day Slots: 8am - 10am/ 11am - 3pm/ 4pm - 6pm/ 7pm - 11pm

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Full Day Slot: 9AM to 9PM

Tariff (In Rs) Excluding GST :-  13,200

Breakfast: 8am - 10am

Tariff (In Rs) Excluding GST :-  2,800

Dinner: 8pm - 11pm

Tariff (In Rs) Excluding GST :-  4,400

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