Historical and Civilisational Studies
Environmental Awareness in the Vedas

A webinar was held on August 26, 2020 where the main speaker, Prof. Shashi Prabha Kumar, Dean, Sri Sankaracharya Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya, Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan gave her second lecture in the series, Indian Philosophy for Beginners, organis...

Chikitsa Dharma (Medical Ethics): Insights from Ancient Indian Tradition

The Vivekananda International Foundation held an online discussion on 10th August 2020, on the subject of “Chikitsa Dharma (Medical Ethics): Insights from Ancient Indian Tradition”. The main aim of the discussion was to understand medical et...

The Arthasastra- New Directions in Research

On 6th August 2020 VIF organised a symposium on the theme: “The Arthasastra: New Directions in Research”. The aim of the symposium, apart from briefly discussing the historical perspectives on the Arthasastra, was to shed light on the strate...

Indian Philosophy for Beginners

VIF has started a new lecture series called ‘Indian Philosophy for Beginners’. Lectures will be given on the Vedas, Upanisads and the Indian schools of philosophy, that will (a) introduce and explain these subjects lucidly to non-experts (ma...

Re-conceptualizing Religious History: Archaeological Findings from Itkhori, a Composite Sacred Space

VIF organized a talk by Professor Rupendra Kumar Chattopadhyay (Vivekananda Chair Professor of Social Science, University of Calcutta) under the VIF Lecture Series ‘Understanding Indian History & Civilization’. The talk was titled Reconce...

The Shared Heritage of Yoga: Ideas and Practices from Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism

On the occasion of International Day of Yoga, VIF organized a talk by Professor Christopher Key Chapple (Loyola Marymount University, USA) under the VIF Lecture Series ‘Understanding Indian History & Civilization’. The talk was titled The...

Talk by Ambassador Basant Gupta on Spirituality and International Politics: India’s Role

VIF organized a talk by Ambassador Basant Gupta on Spirituality and International Politics: India’s Role on 9 January 2020. The purpose was to cull out strategic insights from our ancient texts. Amb. Gupta spoke about the Bhagavad Gita....

Talk on ‘Cave Temples in China’, by Dr. Shashi Bala, Dean, Centre for Indology, Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan

Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) organised a lecture by Dr. Shashibala, Dean at the Centre of Indology, Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan, New Delhi. The topic of the lecture was ‘Cave Temples in China’. Dr. Arvind Gupta, Director, VIF chaired...

Talk on Buddhist Monasteries and Temples in Ancient Capitals of China

The Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) organised a lecture by Dr. Shashibala, Dean at the Centre of Indology, Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan, New Delhi. The topic of the lecture was ‘Buddhist Monasteries and Temples in Ancient Capitals of China...

Talk on ‘Faith and Empire-Tombs to Temples in China’

The Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) organised a lecture by Dr. Shashibala, Dean at the Centre of Indology, Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan, New Delhi, the topic of the lecture being, ‘Faith and Empire-Tombs to Temples in China’. Dr. Arvind ...

Talk on ‘The Role of the Buddhist Master Kumarajiva in India-Chinese Relations’

The Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) organised a lecture by Dr. Shashibala, Dean at the Centre of Indology, Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan, New Delhi. The topic of the lecture was ‘The Role of the Buddhist Master Kumarajiva in Indo Chinese Re...

UIHC Lecture Series, ‘Hindu Studies in India and Abroad: Problems & Prospects’, by Swami Narasimhananda

Swami Narasimhananda, monastic member, Ramakrishna Math & Mission, and Editor, Prabuddha Bharata, monthly journal of the Ramakrishna Order started in 1896 by Swami Vivekananda, gave a talk on ‘Hindu Studies in India and Abroad: Problems...

UIHC Lecture Series, ‘Debates on Ancient India’ by Prof. Dilip K Chakrabarti

Prof. Dilip K. Chakrabarti, recently awarded with the honour of ‘Padma Shree’, Professor Emeritus of South Asian Archaeology, University of Cambridge and Distinguished Fellow, VIF, gave a talk on ‘Debates on Ancient India’, as part of th...

Dr. Shashi Bala’s Talk on ‘Silk Route: A Bridge between India and China’

In her fourth lecture of the series, Dr. Bala spoke about the small kingdoms situated on the Silk Routes that connected China and India through a vast expanse of desert. Kashgar as a centre of Vedic learning and Khotan as a centre of Buddhist le...

Talk on ‘Chinese Masters in India’ by Dr. Shashi Bala

During her third lecture Dr. Shasi Balas spoke on Chinese pilgrims who came to India in search of Buddhist sutra texts and to pay homage to the sacred land. She spoke about Chinese monks Faxian, Zuanxang, Yijing and relatively less-known Chines...

UIHC Lecture Series, ‘Indian Mode of Philosophising’ by Prof. S. R. Bhatt

The second talk of the VIF lecture series, ‘Understanding Indian History & Civilisation’ (UIHC) was delivered by Prof. S. R. Bhatt, Chairperson, Indian Council of Philosophical Research, on 10 October 2018. Prof Bhatt spoke on ‘Indian mode...

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