Rashtrapati Bhavan to host World Indology Conference

A three-day World Indology Conference will be hosted for the first time at Rashtrapati Bhavan from November 21 in collaboration with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

"This is a first of its kind event where 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) along with eight scholars from India," a Rashtrapati Bhavan release said.

They would deliberate on various topics related to Indian culture and philosophy, it added.

'Distinguished Indologist' award will be presented by President Pranab Mukherjee to Heinrich Freiherr Von Stietencron from Germany on the occasion. The award is being instituted for the first time by the ICCR.

The idea of Rashtrapati Bhavan hosting such a conference emerged during the visit of President Mukherjee to Russia, the statement said.

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 make suitable arrangements for it.

The conference will commence with an inaugural address by Mukherjee on November 21. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and ICCR president Lokesh Chandra will also participate in the function.

The five academic sessions of 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'.

Sushma Swaraj and the ICCR president will chair sessions on the opening day.

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