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Seminar Report
The Himalayan Research and Cultural Foundation (HRCF) in collaboration with Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (IGRMS), Bhopal organised a 3 -day International Seminar on Cultural Heritage of Indian Himalaya at the Avritti Complex, IGRMS campus, Bhopal from 3 to 5 March 2001 . Prominent academics, social scientists, scholars, literateurs, artists and writers belonging to the Himalayan region as well as other parts of the country participated in this Seminar. It provided a forum for serious discussion on vital issues relating to the Himalayan heritage and focussed particularly on the Himalayan regions of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttranchal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya and other areas. The Seminar analyzed and appraised the evolution of different cultures, cross-cultural movements and contribution of the Himalayas to Indian civilisation, besides recording the rich and variegated cultural heritage of the Indian Himalayas. A wide range of issues discussed during the seminar included bio- diversity, evolution of cultures and beliefs, mysticism, shrines and pilgrimages of the Himalayas, festivals, fairs and folklores, art and architecture, language and literature, cultural identities, contribution of Himalayas to Indian aesthetics, philosophy, music, paintings etc. The Seminar also discussed the impact of modernisation, tourism and extraneous factors on the Himalayan heritage, preservation and promotion of cultural heritage of Indian Himalaya and its problems and prospects.
Dr. Bhai Mahavir, H.E. the Governor of Madhya Pradesh, inaugurated the Seminar. In his address, Dr. Mahavir described the Himalaya as the most significant symbol of Indian consciousness, as the stream of our civilization flows from its high peaks in the shape of our sacred rivers, most significantly the Indus and Ganges rivers. While quoting a Sanskrit shloka from Kalidas's Kumarasambhav, the Governor said that Himalaya has been India's guardian angel, abode of civilisation, residence of gods, shelter of sages, protector against the chilly winds of the north and the repository of precious eco-cultural diversity. Recalling that the Himalaya had served, in the past, as a sanctuary for thousands of pilgrims, traders and craftsmen, who exchanged their goods, ideas and skills, he said that they derived their food, fodder, shelter, poetry, philosophy and literature from the Himalaya. "Many of our sacred scriptures have originated from the Himalayan region. It is in the Himalayan region that the...