Current Academic Calendar

1997-1998

Inaugural Programme: Padmavibhushan Smt. Girija Devi, Padmavibhushan Pt. Kishan Maharaj & Pt. Hanuman Pd. Mishra

Jnana-Pravaha stands for the promotion and dissemination of the centuries old message of Kashi in Sanatana Dharma, streams of Indian Philosophy, Art, Music and Culture. It seeks to explore unity in diversity through special and extension lectures, symposia and seminars, panel discussions, demonstrations and stage performances. A nuclear library of books, audio-visual library and a collection of Indian Musical Instruments are also attached to this Centre.

Following the above concepts, the annual activities for the academic year 1997-1998 started with Dr. I. Panduranga Rao's inaugural lecture on Ramayana : The Song of Life (16.04.1997), projecting broad perspective of the Epic and its poetic nuances and highlighting the concept of righteousness.

A series of lectures by Dr. Rao on Valmiki's Ramayana started with the episode of Rama's exiled life at Chitrakoot (Ayodhya Kanda). The Centre aims at a complete study of Ramayana with Dr. Rao's commentary. The discourses are archived. They are getting more and more popular in their quarterly frequency.

Weekly in-depth lectures by Prof. Kedar Nath Mishra backed up by his intense study of Shrimad Bhagavat are held in the Centre.

A symposium on Bhagavad-Gita was organized (24.07.1997), projecting diverse nature of the text including the concepts of Jnana, Bhakti, Nishkama Karma, Karma Yoga, etc.

The Centre organized a symposium on The Concept of Myth in collaboration with the Tri-Ratna Trust (23.09.1997).

Introductory courses on aspects of Indian Culture were envisaged. Prof. (Km.) Prem Lata Sharma's lectures on Appreciation of Indian Music and Dance started on 02.10.1997, followed by a short course by Dr. K. N. Mishra on Sanskrit Grammar and Language. The Centre aims to attract a bigger number of students in the following years by streamlining the courses and further popularizing them.

Mr. Koenraad Elst of Belgium lectured on The Origins of Indian Culture (30.12.1997 to 01.01.1998). Many questions were raised by the knowledgeable audience.

The famous architect Shri B. V. Doshi lectured on Aesthetics in Architecture (28.02.1998) with his philosophy of architecture as the background.

Traditional Vedic recitation or Vasanta Puja (11.10.1997), a new technique of Vedic singing by Dr. Krishnamurthy, Dhrupad recital by Dr. Ritwik Sanyal and Hari Katha Kalakshepam by Smt. Uma Maheshwari of Andhra Pradesh were organized and were audio taped for the Jnana-Pravaha archives.

The current academic year commenced with a seminar on Samskara on April 9-10, 1998 and was attended by a large number of audience and speakers. Prof. Dharma Pal, Vice-Chancellor, Gurukul Kangri University, Haridwar gave a lecture on The Indian Traditional Educational System (prior to the British Rule) and its Relevance to the Contemporary Man (27.04.1998). This was followed by Prof. (Km.) Prem Lata Sharma's lecture on The Concept of Loka In Bhrata's Natya-shastra (25.05.1998). Prof. Arindam Chakravarti of Hawaii University delivered a lecture on Contemporary Concept of Devata and Yajna (01.06.1998).