Buddhist Sanskrit Manuscripts of Nepal: Continuity of Ancient Indian Textual Traditions in the Himalayas

Keynote Speaker: Prof. Shanker Thapa, Professor of History (retired), Tribhuvan University.

Chair: Shri Shyam Sharan, President, IIC

The Buddhist manuscripts of Nepal are the only surviving original literary heritage of Mahayana Buddhism, preserved for over 1,500 years. The lecture will highlight their historical context, their links with Indian Buddhist traditions, and their role in preserving ancient wisdom. It will also cover medieval Buddhist scholarship, Newar manuscript culture, Nepal’s contributions to manuscript preservation, indigenous literature, repositories, and digital databases.

Prof Shanker Thapa is the first Dean of Lumbini Buddhist University, has taught for 40 years and held fellowships in Seoul and Tokyo. Since 2010, he has been digitizing endangered Sanskrit manuscripts and has authored 18 books, 26 chapters, and over 100 research articles on Buddhism worldwide

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

The Hyderabadis: From 1947 to the Present Day

By Daneesh Majid (Harper Collins, 2025)

Discussants: Dr. Mujibur Rehman, Professor, Jamia Millia Islamia (Central University) ; Sh. Dinesh C. Sharma, Journalist ; Sh. P. Niroop Reddy, Advocate, Supreme Court ; Mr. Daneesh Majid, Author of the book

Moderator: Shri Ruben Banerjee, Journalist

Rajendra Dhodapkar, Devyani Bharadwaj (Delhi); Parwati Tirkey (Gumla-Jharkhand) and Parag Pawan (Varanasi) will read their original works in Hindi.

(Collaboration: The Raza Foundation)

Discussants: Amb. Harsh V. Shringla, Member of Parliament, Former Foreign Secretary and High Commissioner of Dhaka; Sreeradha Dutta, Professor, O.P. Jindal Global University; and Dr Rishi Gupta, Assistant Director, Asia Society Policy Institute

Chair: Shri Jawhar Sircar, Public intellectual and Former Secretary Culture and CEO, Prasar Bharti

Director: Sangeeta Gupta

(2024, Hindi, 78 minutes)

A documentary film directed by Sangeeta Gupta on acclaimed Hindi writer Mridula Garg.

(Collaboration: The Raza Foundation)

Carnatic Percussion Solo Recital

By Satish Krishnamurthy from Mumbai, disciple of Kalaimamani Shri K V Prasad

Accompanist: Delhi R Sridhar (Violin)

At 19:00

Hindustani Vocal Recital

By Radhika Joshi from Pune, disciple of Guru Pt. Raghunandan Panshikar

Accompanist: Dr. Mausam (Harmonium), Chaitanya Sahni (Tabla)

Exhibition Inauguration at Main Art Gallery, Kamaladevi Complex on 4th Sept at 18:30 Hrs

Chief Guest: Dr S. Jaishankar, Hon. Minister of External Affairs, Govt. of India

Welcome Remarks: Shri Shyam Saran, President, IIC

Exhibition Walkthrough: Dr Sudha Gopalakrishnan, Project Director, SAMHiTA and Prof. K. Ramasubramanian, Conference Convenor

Vote of Thanks: Shri K.N. Shrivastava, Director, IIC

The exhibition will be on view till Sunday, 14th September from 11:00 to 19:00 hrs

This exhibition traces India’s (and broadly South Asia’s) contribution to global mathematics through its historical development, theories and practices, contextualization through lineages, and exchanges and recontextualization through time and space. To understand this multi-layered discipline, the exhibition displays reproductions of manuscripts of works from the Vedic period to the early modern era, including treatises, explanatory commentaries and manuals.

(Collaboration: IIC-International Research Division and Centre for Traditional Indian Knowledge Systems and Skills, IIT Bombay)

Valedictory Session

At 17:00 Hrs

Introductory Address: Prof. K. Ramasubramanian, Professor-in-charge, Centre for Traditional Indian Knowledge Systems and Skills, IIT Bombay

Address by Prof. M.D. Srinivas, Padma Shri

Guest of Honour: Shri Govind Mohan, Secretary, Home Affairs

(Collaboration: IIC-International Research Division and Centre for Traditional Indian Knowledge Systems and Skills, IIT Bombay)

The conference examines South Asia’s manuscript traditions, focusing on mathematical thought and the challenges of deciphering diverse texts. It highlights their pedagogical, computational, and global contributions, underscoring the continuing relevance of this heritage.

 At 10:00

Inauguration by Shri Shyam Saran, President, IIC

Keynote Address by Prof. Manjul Bhargava, awarded Fields Medal (2014)

At 16:00

Lecture - demonstration: Sarangi and Vocal by Dr Deepak Paramshivan, IIT Madras

At 18:30

Exhibition Inauguration at Main Art Gallery, Kamaladevi Complex

Chief Guest: Dr S. Jaishankar, Hon. Minister of External Affairs, Govt. of India

Welcome Remarks: Shri Shyam Saran, President, IIC

Exhibition Walkthrough: Dr Sudha Gopalakrishnan, Project Director, SAMHiTA and Prof. K. Ramasubramanian, Conference Convenor

Vote of Thanks: Shri K.N. Shrivastava, Director, IIC

The exhibition will be on view till Sunday, 14th September from 11:00 to 19:00 hrs

The Mathematical Sciences: South Asia’s Contributions

This exhibition traces India’s (and broadly South Asia’s) contribution to global mathematics through its historical development, theories and practices, contextualization through lineages, and exchanges and recontextualization through time and space. To understand this multi-layered discipline, the exhibition displays reproductions of manuscripts of works from the Vedic period to the early modern era, including treatises, explanatory commentaries and manuals

(Collaboration: IIC-International Research Division and Centre for Traditional Indian Knowledge Systems and Skills, IIT Bombay)