President Mukherjee to inaugurate maiden 'World Indology Conference' tomorrow

A three day World Indology Conference organised by Rashtrapati Bhavan in collaboration with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) will be inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday.

Minister for External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj and President of ICCR, Prof. Lokesh Chandra will participate in the inaugural function.

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A 'Distinguished Indologist' Award will be presented by President Mukherjee to Prof. Heinrich Freiherr Von Stietencron from Germany on the occasion.

The idea of Rashtrapati Bhavan hosting such a conference emerged during the visit of President Pranab Mukherjee to Russia from May 7 to 11 this year.

Following a meeting with leading Indologists in Moscow, President Mukherjee announced that he would be happy to host an international conference on Indology in Rashtrapati Bhavan and directed ICCR to do the needful in this regard.

Around 21 eminent Indologists from across the world will live in Rashtrapati Bhavan (including in the prestigious Guest Wing of Rashtrapati Bhavan which normally hosts visiting leaders from foreign countries) and along with eight senior scholars from India deliberate on various topics related to Indian culture and philosophy during the conference.

The conference will witness detailed discussions on topics such as 'Indological Studies in Historical Perspective', 'Sanskrit Literature-Past and Present', 'Sanskrit Drama- Theory and Practice', Indian Philosophical Thought' and 'Indian Art and Architecture'. It will conclude with a special lecture by former President of ICCR, Dr. Karan Singh on the Upanishads.

The conference is a unique platform which will bring the best scholars from across the world, including India, to discuss the present state of Indology, its relevance and also the challenges faced by them in India and abroad.

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A large number of scholars both from India and abroad have been devoting themselves to the study of the vast Indian wisdom enshrined in old texts or paintings, sculptures, numismatic and archaeological remains. Still there are corners which need to be illuminated.

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The Conference on Indology is being convened to revisit all that is available to us in this regard. Scholars participating in it are those who have devoted their life-time to the interpretation and reinterpretation of Indian knowledge system.

Their effort would lead to putting proper focus on areas that need better attention so that the contribution of India is better appreciated by the global community.

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ICCR has instituted for the first time an annual 'ICCR Distinguished Indologist Award' to recognize eminent Indologists working abroad who have made outstanding contribution to the study/teaching/research in India's philosophy, thought, history, art, culture, Indian languages, literature, civilization, society etc.

The first Recipient of this Award, Prof. Heinrich Freiherr Von Stietencron has served as Director of Department of Indology and Comparative History of Religions at the University of Tuebingen for nearly 25 years from 1973-1998. He is a well known researcher, teacher, academician and epigrapher.