The greatest strength of Indian civilisation lies in its cultural continuity and its remarkable capacity for assimilation, which has enabled Indian artistic traditions to preserve their essential spirit despite changes in time, society and historical circumstances.
This was said by Dr Rashmita Jha, a historian and Additional Commissioner of Income Tax, who served as the chief guest in the three-day International Seminar and Performance Series titled “Abhijātakalākalāpeṣu Bhāratīya-Jñāna-Paramparā (Sadyovṛttāntaḥ): Tracing Roots of Bhāratīya Jñāna Paramparā in Contemporary Practice of Classical Arts”, held at Indian Institute of Advanced Studies (IIAS), Shimla.
While addressing the participants during the valedictory session, she said the preservation of the Indian knowledge and tradition cannot be achieved solely through archives and texts, but through living cultural practices, performative traditions and active social participation.
Dr Jha also said culture is not a static product or a museum artifact, but a living and continuously evolving process shaped by the collective consciousness, memories, experiences and values of society.
In the valedictory lecture, Dr Bhagyesh Vasudev Jha, Chairman of the Gujarat Sahitya Academy and eminent scholar, reflected upon the broader dimensions of Indian cultural traditions, knowledge practices and civilisational thought.
In his presidential remarks, Prof Himanshu Kumar Chaturvedi, Director, IIAS, said a comprehensive understanding of the Indian knowledge system requires renewed attention to the interconnections between art, literature, philosophy, history and spirituality.
He also added that the institute will continue to promote serious study, dialogue and reinterpretation of India’s intellectual, cultural and philosophical traditions through such academic initiatives.
The session witnessed participation of eminent scholars, artists, researchers and practitioners from India and abroad engaged in extensive deliberations on Indian knowledge tradition, classical arts, aesthetics, dramaturgy, spirituality, cultural history and contemporary intellectual discourses during the seminar.
Detailed discussions were held on themes related to natyashastra, rasa theory, Sanskrit theatre, Bhakti traditions, Indian classical dance forms, yoga, music, architecture, sculpture, aesthetics, Devadasi traditions, the National Education Policy and the Indian knowledge tradition in the context of artificial intelligence.
