Book on ancient maritime trade launched at PU seminar
The Hindu
Pondicherry Univ. hosted a five-day seminar on “Tantric Religion” in collaboration with IGNCA, ICHR. 60 scholars from India participated. Lt. Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan released a book, unveiled painting & attended cultural performances. Sessions discussed philosophical evolution, tantric literature, art, schools & popular/elite faces of tantric religion. Special symposiums on Tamil Siddhas & Tantra Yoga & Sri Aurobindo's Yoga. Art exhibition & study tour to Chidambaram Temple.
The Department of History, School of Social Sciences and International Studies, Pondicherry University recently hosted a five-day seminar on “Tantric Religion: Philosophy, Literature, Cult, Art, History and Continuities”.
The event was held in collaboration with Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), Regional Centre Pondicherry and Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), New Delhi. More than 60 distinguished scholars from all over India participated in the international seminar.
Lt. Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, who is Chief Rector of Pondicherry University, released a book, “Guilds, Monarchs & Markets: Dimensions of Maritime Trade in Peninsular India” edited by N. Chandramouli and unveiled the “Self: Painting” by J. Gopal, Regional Director, IGNCA, Puducherry.
Over five days, the seminar delved into defining Tantric elements of various sectarian belief systems and tantrism as a ritual and doctrinal system, a press note said. Scholars discussed diverse sub-themes under the broad category of tantric religion, such as the philosophical evolution of tantrism and tantric literature, development and syncretic philosophy of sufism, art and tantra, different tantric schools and the popular and elite faces of tantric religion.
The academic sessions included special symposiums, on the Tamil Siddhas: Literature, Philosophy, Rituals and Practices (in Tamil) and on Tantra Yoga and Sri Aurobindo’s Yoga.
Sri Aurobindo Ashram organised an art exhibition on tantric art in this connection. Cultural performances including Perini Sivatandavam (Telangana), Bharata Natyam (Puducherry), Theyyam (Kerala) that showcase the cultural manifestation of tantric religion and a study tour to the Chidambaram Temple.