HimVani
NEW DELHI: A three-day conference on social consciousness in Himalayan tradition was organised here from December 15 to 17, during the 10th International India conference of the Association for Vedic Studies (WAVES), in a tie-up with the University of Delhi, South Campus.
The conference received an enthusiastic response from scholars of Sanskrit studies and Indian studies. About two hundred delegates from different parts of India, USA, Belgium and UK participated in the conference. WAVES is an academic multidisciplinary society, based in the USA.
Presenting his paper and representing Himachal, Prashant Bhardwaj, Member of the Indian Governing Council of WAVES, said, “Discovering Himalayas, the land of God, known as Devbhumi has been a focal point of Vedic and Pauranic culture. Epics like Ramayana, Mahabharta, Vedas and Bhagvat Geeta have influenced the culture that flourished in the core of Himalayas since the Vedic period. The religious life in Himalayas was dominated by the elements of Shaivism, Vaishanavism, Bhuddism, Animism and superstitions. Dev tradition prevails in the Himalayas, which integrates the family system and binds the inhabitants. Pauranic literature and tradition found in this region in the form of manuscripts, inscriptions, carving, folk, temples, fairs, lok-gathas and jan-shrutis provide comprehensive information regarding its cultural consciousness.”
He added, “Folk song is the backbone of our folk tradition and life. Folk songs are taken as a source of evidence for the existence of socio-culture in any particular society and reveal their thoughts. It is vividly claimed that such kind of rare cultural consciousness and tradition is uniquely found in the Himalayas.”
He said that if Himalayas were excluded from the Ancient heritage of India, “we would be excluding the whole ancient Vedic and Pauranic tradition… that enrich this unique culture.”