International Ramayana meet to begin from June 4

Nearly 50 eminent scholars from different countries will deliberate on the aspects of the epic, reports Lalit K Jha.

Ramayana, one of the greatest epics ever written, has not only been revered by millions of people, particularly the Hindus, throughout the ages, but it has been generating academic interest across the globe.

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Bringing all those academicians and providing a platform to the Ramayana scholars from various parts of the globe to share their thoughts, latest research and find its relevance in the modern society is the second International Ramayana Conference beginning June 4.

For two days at the University of North Illinois, DeKalb, -- located some 65 miles west of Chicago, nearly 50 eminent Ramayana scholars from different countries including U.S., India, South Africa, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, Canada and Brunei would deliberate and discuss on various issues related to the epic around the theme "Ramayana in the Global context".

Topics vary as diverse as family system in Ramayana to Civil Engineering. "It is going to be a unique get-together of its kind," claimed Subhash Pandey, president International Ramayana Institute of North America. The Institute is jointly organizing this conference with the Northern Illinois University, DeKalb.

Interestingly, Pandey is Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Cell Biology at the Northern Illinois University.

"This would also provide an opportunity to scholars to get to know, what is going around the world in this field. Objective of the conference is to provide an exchange forum for Ramayana scholars to share art, archaeology, and literature related research," Pandey told Hindustantimes.com.

The Institute was founded in Chicago in 2000, to facilitate and promote the exchange of the literary, artistic, cultural and scientific aspects of Ramayana among various countries, he said.

"The conference will feature presentations on seven Ramayana related themes including Ramayana and family, Ramayana-related education and research efforts, its inception in various countries, literary and poetic forms of Ramayana, its effect on various cultures and civilizations, gender and political aspects of Ramayana and extrapolating Ramarajya (ruler induced peace and happiness) in today's environment," Pandey said.

Presentations will be in the form of talks and such creative arts as paintings, dances, and puppet shows. The conference will also feature a teachers' workshop on Ramayana for those involved in teaching grades K through 12. The workshop will focus on the epic and art and dance forms of Ramayana. It will feature the story, various dance styles of depicting it, and paintings, he said.

Two leading Ramayana scholars from the US are giving presentation as key note and plenary speakers. While Sally Suntherland Goldman, University of California, Berkley (on not so-perfect wife: Valmiki's construction of gender) would deliver the key note address, the plenary session would be addressed by famous Kathy Foley, University of California, Santa Clara ( on Churning the sea of milk and masking the monkey: Permutations of the Ramayana in southeast Asia and Indian repercussions).

Among other leading scholars are Satya Vrat Shastri (University of Delhi) Sachchidanand Sahai (Indian Institute of Advanced studies) from India, Pornrat Damrhung (Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok), Chirapat Prapandvidya (Silpakorn University) from Thailand), Sumarsam, (Connecticut Wesleyan University) from Indonesia; and Kin Maung from the Myanmar Ministry of Culture.

Many scholars -- the one like Y. A. Sharma -- would be presenting papers on topics like "Civil Engineering in Ramayana".

The conference chairperson, Anant Vyas, said the first international conference was held in 2001. Scholars from various American universities and seven different countries: India, Indonesia, Thailand, France, Belgium and Myanmar attended the first conference.

Founded in 2000 with the objective of promoting Ramayana and its activities in North America, the current member countries of the Institute are India, Indonesia, and Thailand.

Claiming that Ramayana was one of the greatest epic poems ever written, Pandey said the conference will provide a link for the multicultural activities of the Asian communities in general and Asian-American communities in particular through the values of the epic.

Though himself a scientist, Pandey said: "There is no other mythic tale that can boast of such widespread circulation and which has had such a stimulating impact on diverse countries' artistic and ethical traditions. In each country it spread, Ramayana inspired poets, writers, teachers, sculptors, painters, musicians, dancers, puppeteers, and singers."

Stating that through the various historical periods, the epic has remained popular and people have found guidance from it, he argued the values expounded in Ramayana are universal. "The epic puts forward the ideals of human behaviour in every walk of life. It sets standards for a person's behavior in relationships with family, society, and nation," he said.