President to inaugurate Dharma-Dhamma meet in Nalanda

President Ram Nath Kovind will inaugurate the 4th International Dharma-Dhamma Conference on "State and Social Order in Dharma-Dhamma Traditions" in Rajgir of Nalanda district in Bihar on January 11, officials said on Monday.

Nalanda University Vice Chancellor Sunaina Singh told the media here that the varsity, in collaboration with the Centre for Study of Religion and Society, India Foundation, Ministry of External Affairs and the Vietnam Buddhist University, is organising the conference from January 11 to 13 at Rajgir International Convention Centre, Rajgir -- about 100km from here.

The event is being organised as part of the commemorative events to celebrate the Silver Jubilee year of ASEAN-India Dialogue Partnership, with active support of the Ministry of External Affairs.

Besides President Kovind, Bihar Governor Satya Pal Malik, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Sri Lankan Minister of Foreign Affairs and Development Assignments Tilak Marapana and Kingdom of Thailand's Minister for Culture Vira Rojpojchanarat, among others, will attend the conference.

The overall theme of the Conference -- State and Social Order in Dharma-Dhamma Tradition -- which aims to facilitate cross-pollination of ideas and foster harmony at the global level and also seeks to explore the shared values of the dharmic traditions that may provide the guiding light to the world and a vibrant sense of inter-connectedness.

As one of the defining principles of the human civilization, Dharma-Dhamma provided the structure upon which the broad array of human existence and cosmic life was built across the globe.

The notion of Dharma-Dhamma, in its manifold manifestations, including truth and non-violence, peace and harmony, humaneness and spiritual linkages and universal fraternity and peaceful co-existence, served as a moral compass that guided people in the Indian sub-continent through ages and continues to shape and sustain the Indian cultural ethos.

--IANS

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