By the C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation
THE RAMAYANA IN LITERATURE, SOCIETY AND THE ARTS
A Festival organized by
The C.P. RAMASWAMI AIYAR FOUNDATION 1, Eldams Road, Alwarpet Chennai 600 018, India. www.cprfoundation.org Tel.: 91-44-2431778, 24337023 e-mail: cprafoundation@gmail.com; ramayanaconference@gmail.com
FEBRUARY 2013
The C.P. RAMASWAMI AIYAR FOUNDATION is celebrating the role of the great epic in the culture of India and South-East Asia.
The Ramayana is a great epic which knows no boundaries of religion or nation. It has taught the values of life and behaviour to men and women over centuries, across India and South-East Asia. There is no finer example in the world of a multi-religious, international culture than the Ramayana. Scores of generations of children have watched performances and narrations of the great epic over 2,000 years, to learn the importance of an ethical life. This has been the cornerstone of the life of India and South-East Asia. Many kings in these countries have taken the name of Rama, cities and islands have been named after persons and places in the epic and symbols of Vishnu (whose incarnation is Rama) have been royal emblems across the region.
The story of the Ramayana is enacted more often than any other story of the world. It is performed by Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims. It is the most important cultural tradition of Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal and India. It has also been widely prevalent in Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam. The Ramayana is the great bond of culture which unites India and the countries of South East Asia.
FEBRUARY 1, 2013, at 10 a.m.– INAUGURATION by His Holiness SWAMI DAYANANDA SARASWATHI.
Dr. SUBRAMANIAMSWAMY presides.
Release of the following publications:
1 VALMIKI RAMAYANA by late Justice N. Chandrasekhara Aiyer.
2 THESETU AND RAMESHWARAM by late Shri N.Vanamamalai Pillai.
VENUE for all programmes – The C.P. RAMASWAMI AIYAR FOUNDATION, 1 ELDAMS ROAD, ALWARPET, CHENNAI 600018.
PROGRAMME
FEBRUARY 1 to 24 – Exhibition of the RAMAYANA in PAINTING, SCULPTURE
and POPULAR CULTURE
organised by C.P. ART CENTRE
The Ramayana as it has been created in early 20th century oleographs, miniature and folk painting, bronzes, terracotta and popular toys will be on display. A map of India with Rama’s route from Ayodhya to Lanka and scenes of the various events that took place in each site will be depicted by clay toys.
There will be performances of the RAMAYANA in HARIKATHA, MUSIC and DANCE during this period. The final programme will be posted later.
FEBRUARY 1 and 2 – International Conference on the RAMAYANA in LITERATURE, SOCIETY and the ARTS organised by C. P. R. INSTITUTE OF INDOLOGICAL RESEARCH.
All conference participants should be registered. While there is no participation fee, we are limiting the number of participants, so please register as soon as possible.
FEBRUARY 1 & 2, 2013 – RAMAYANA CONFERENCE
SPEAKERS (in alphabetical order) –
1. Tracing the Antiquity of the Ramayana – Through the Inscriptions, literature and
Art of the Gupta …..Dr. Ashvini Agarwal
2. Plant Diversity in the Valmiki Ramayana…..M. Amirthalingam and Dr. P. Sudhakar
3. The Influence of Ramayana on Kalidasa…..Dr. S. Annapurna
4. Ethical Values of Ramayana…..Dr. V. Balambal
5. Time-honored Depictions of Ramayana in Vidarbha (Maharashtra) during Vakatakas…..Kanchana Bhaisare, B.C. Deotare and P.S. Joshi
6. Highlights from the Chronology of Ayodhya…..Nicole Elfi and Michel Danino
7. Temples in and around Thanjavur District, in Tamil Nadu connected with Ramayana…..Dr. S. Gayathri
8. The Historical Rama…..Dr. D.K. Hari and D.K. Hema Hari
9. Historicity of Rawana and Trails of Rama – Seetha in Srilanka…..Devmi Jayasinghe
10. Women in Ramayana – Portrayals, Understandings, Interpretations and Relevance…..Dr. Prema Kasturi
11. Telling or Showing? Ramayana in Graphic Novels…..Aarttee Kaul Dhar
12. Historicity of Ramayana on the leads of Plato’s Timaeus and Critias and Valmiki’s Ramayana…..N.C.K. Kiriella
13. Rama Temples in South India…..Dr. Chithra Madhavan
14. Epic retold – Ramayana influencing English graphic novels for children in India over the years…..Dr. Lopamudra Maitra
15. Chudamani – The crest jewel of Sita and its Symbolism in the Ramayana…..Dr. Soumya Manjunath Chavan
16. Bhratru Bhava in Ramayana – A Critique (Bonding Relationship of Brotherhood in Ramayana)…..Dr. V. Mohan
17. Ramayana as a source for Yogic concepts…..R. Muthulakshmi
18. A few important Pahari Ramayana Drawings and Painting from the Seth Kasturbhai Lalbhai Collection…..Dr. Indubala J. Nahakpam
19. Textual and Contextual Dynamism in RamayanaSculptures…..Dr. Choodamani Nandagopal
20. The depiction of Rani Kaikeyi in the Ramacharitamanasa…..Dr. Haripriya Rangarajan
21. Dream Motif – Ramayana Inheritance…..Dr. Ramadevi Sekhar
22. Valmiki and many Ramayanas…..Tilak Shankar
23. Sri Ram Temple at Ayodhya…..Dr. A. K. Sharma
24. Re – Telling Ramayana: Performing Women in Ramlila of Ramnagar…..Dr. Anita Singh
25. The Ramayana as the Inexhaustible Site of Cultural Contexts…..Dr. Avadhesh Kumar Singh
26. Glimpses of Ramayana in the Hymns of Saiva Saints of Tamilnadu…..Dr. Bala Sivakadadcham
27. Iconographic trends in Rama worship: Insights from techno – cultural studies of bronzes…..Dr. Sharada Srinivasan
28. The Art of Administration as depicted in Valmiki Ramayana…..Dr. R. Subasri
29. The Didactic Representation of the Characters of Ramayana in Sanskrit Literary Tradition…..P.P. Sudarsan
30. Ramayana and Bhattikavya…..Dr. Sita Sundar Ram
31. Ramayana and the works of Mahamahopadhyaya Sri Lakshmana Suri…..Dr. Uma Maheshwari
32. Characterization of Sri Rama in Mandodari Chatusloki……Dr. M. Varadarajan
33. Plight of Sita in Chudamani Episode – A Study…..S. Kumuda Varadarajan
34. Ramanayana panel sculptures from Tiruchenampoondi, Pullamangai and other early Chola temples in Tamil Nadu…..Dr. S. Vasanthi
35. Axioms as idioms and proverbs – Ramayana’s influence on society…..K. Vidyuta
36. Uttarakhand in Avani: Sita’s life in exile and the Cholas’ religious policy in the aftermath of the Govindaraja Controversy (1186 – 1279)…..Dr. Usha R. Vijailakshmi
37. Ramayana Musical Compositions……Dr. V. Yamuna Devi
For further information, please write to the above e-mail / postal addresses. Or call G. Balaji: +91-94441 54939 or Malathy Narasimhan: +91- 97100 49639
Please visit our website: www.ramayanafestival2013.org
Top image: Author: Raja Ravi Press / Source: http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00routesdata/bce_299_200/ramayana/goldendeer/goldendeer.html / Wikimedia Commons / The lord Rama portrayed as exile in the forest, accompanied by his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana / http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rama_in_forest.jpg
Second image: Wikimedia Commons: “This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years or less.” / Valmiki composing the Ramayana / http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Valmiki_Ramayana.jpg
Third image: Artist: Raja Ravi Varma / Varuna the Lord of ocean, pacifying Sri Rama, who stands on the shore, angered at the intransigence of the sea. / Wikimedia Commons: “This work is in the public domain in the United States, and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years or less.”
Fourth image: Artist: Raja Ravi Varma / Wikimedia Commons: “This work is in the public domain in the United States, and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years or less.” / Hanuman