The India Centre
Webinars
BHAGAVAD GITA: PHILOSOPHY, STRUCTURE, AND MEANING BY PROF. ITHAMAR THEODOR
The Bhagavad Gita is a unique literary creation but deciphering its meaning and philosophy is not straightforward. This careful study of the Bhagavad Gita approaches the ancient text with a modern mind and offers a unifying structure of universal relevance.
QUANTUM PHYSICS AND INDIC VISION BY PROF. VARADARAJA V. RAMAN
Quantum Mechanics is a twentieth-century culmination of three centuries of modern (Galilean-Newtonian) science. Therefore, one may wonder how to talk about Quantum Mechanics and any traditional religious perspective. This lecture explores some of these fascinating findings.
AYURVEDA AND MODERN SCIENCE BY PROF. BHASWATI BHATTACHARYA
This lecture demonstrates that Ayurveda is a direct and modern expression of that wisdom that connects the wise observer to the edges of the Self, from the earth and water, to fire, to our food and our health, and to our mind’s ability to navigate.
Conferences
New Directions in Indic Studies: Beyond Imperialism of Categories
FLAME University, Pune, along with the Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS), Shimla, jointly hosted a two-day virtual interdisciplinary conference on ‘New Directions in Indic Studies’ on May 12 and 13, 2021. The conference was anchored by Professor Pankaj Jain, Professor and Head, Department of Humanities & Languages and Chair, The India Centre at FLAME University and Professor Makarand R. Paranjape, Director, Indian Institute of Advanced Study, who shared their experiences and their learnings on Indic Studies.
Multiple sessions were held on a wide range of topics, where notable speakers shared a plethora of insights, views, ideologies, methodologies, scripts, etc. dating back to the roots of the Indic civilization, foresight on the advancement in Indic studies, and so on.
Speaking about Sanskrit Buddhism, Professor Robert Thurman, Department of Religion, Columbia University said, “Karma theory as elaborated by Buddha, is to have been a kind of biological theory explaining the variety of living forms and living beings, a kind of an ancient Indian Darwin’s theory, one that is for the individual, not only for the species but for the individual, their individual life and real life, life and death and rebirth.”
Professor Lavanya Vemsani, Shawnee State University spoke about how respect for water bodies, trees, and other animals is embedded in texts and lifestyles and is also represented in inscriptions, but not incorporated into history. Values that represent India must be a part of Indian history and its evolution.
While speaking about ‘Darshan’, Professor Chris Chapple, Loyola Marymount University said that to take Darshan from or with a vowed Jain monastic can be a very transfixing, transforming, and transportation experience. Professor Jeffery D Long, Elizabethtown College believes that there is something we can learn from everyone, and to simply dismiss an entire world view or a belief system is mistaken because we might be dismissing what might be valuable knowledge, this is a more non-violent approach to otherness and difference.
In another session, Professor Frederick M Smith, University of Iowa spoke about the knowledge of forests and villages in Vedic ritual and bringing together the forces of the Grama along with the forces of Aranya. The conference was very well-received and hosted notable speakers such as Professor Robert Thurman, Columbia University; Professor Deven Patel, University of Pennsylvania; Professor Frederick M. Smith, University of Iowa; Professor KTS Sarao, Delhi University; Professor Vinod Vidwans, FLAME University; Professor Bharat Gupt, IGNCA; Professor Balaganapathi Devarakonda, Delhi University; Professor Lavanya Vemsani, Shawnee State University; Professor Chris Chapple, Loyola Marymount University and Professor Jeffery D Long, Elizabethtown College.
- Speakers
- Prof. Sunaina Singh, Nalanda
- Prof. Vinod Vidwans, FLAME
- Prof. Bharat Gupt, Delhi
- Prof. Jeffery Long, USA
- Prof. Chris Chapple, USA
- Prof. Fred Smith, USA
- Prof. Deven Patel, USA
- Prof. Lavanya Vemsani, USA
- Prof. Bala Ganapathi, Delhi
- Prof. KTS Sarao, Delhi
- Prof. Bob Thurman, USA
- Chairs
- Prof. Ankur Barua, UK
- Prof. K Srinivasan, Chennai
- Prof. Adi Nataraju, Assam
- Ms. Rita Ganguly, Bengal
- Prof. Viraj Shah, FLAME
- Partners
- American Institute of India Studies (AIIS), New Delhi
- Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Shimla
- Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi
- American Academy of Indic Studies
- Loyola Marymount University, USA
- Shawnee State University, USA
- Elizabethtown College, USA