Book of Abstracts SAARC Research Seminar on Hindu Cultural Trails: Celebration of a Timeless Tradition – Gods and Goddesses, Pilgrims and Prayers, Temples and Texts 8th to 10th October 2017 Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts in New Delhi, India SAARC Cultural Centre, Sri Lanka Executive Editor D.K.R. Ekanayake, Director, SAARC Cultural Centre Editorial Team Bindu Urugodawatte, Deputy Director – Research, SAARC Cultural Centre Apsara Karunaratne, Research Assistant, SAARC Cultural Centre Sewwandi Marasinghe, Intern, SAARC Cultural Centre Layout and Design Ishan Amaraweera, Computer Operations Officer, SAARC Cultural Centre Research Seminar on Hindu Cultural Trails: Celebration of a Timeless Tradition – Gods and Goddesses, Pilgrims and Prayers, Temples and Texts © SAARC Cultural Centre, Colombo 2018 All Rights Reserved. No material in this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. ISBN 978-955-567-18-8 Disclaimer: The views expressed and the information contained within abstracts included in this publication is the sole responsibility of the author/s, and do not bear any liability on the SAARC Cultural Centre, Colombo. Message from the Director, SAARC Cultural Centre It gives me immense pleasure to introduce this Book of Abstracts of the SAARC Research Seminar on Hindu Cultural Trails: Celebration of a Timeless Tradition – Gods and Goddesses, Pilgrims and Prayers, Temples and Texts, the second Research Seminar on the “South Asian Cultural Trails” approved by the 18th SAARC Summit held in Kathmandu in 2014. The South Asian Cultural Trails reflect the “Unity within Diversity” of South Asia where many cultural traits are shared by the SAARC Member States. Hinduism is one of the oldest established religions in the world and has influenced the cultures of South Asia as a religion as well as through its tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Religious Tourism is one of the key fast developing sectors in the modern world where tangible heritage such as temples are receiving increased number of tourists both as pilgrims and as visitors during the festivals and ritual times, indicating an increased interest in the intangible heritage. The SAARC Research Seminar on Hindu Cultural Trails is an endeavour to understand the cultural history, tangible heritage, intangible heritage of Hinduism and to create opportunities for the academic knowledge to be utilised in implementation of tourism programmes with cultural sensitivity and respect to the culture. The Seminar explores various facets of Hindu Cultural Trails such as pilgrimages, art, dance forms, paintings, archaeology, architecture, festivals and rituals. Hindu cultural heritage in the South Asia has played an important and major role in creating a sense of brotherhood and fellow-feeling amongst its people. The SAARC Cultural Centre seeks to promote collaborative efforts amidst this feeling of friendship in one of the most important vibrant reflections of our society - religion. Through these series of seminars, we aim to explore the diversity and the many echoes of the glorious historical reflections of many of the prominent religions of the world. This will help to build a better understanding of humanity, ideas and ideologies, as well as share knowledge about the respective historical past and also help to build a comprehensive future through mutual trust, respect and thoughtful cooperation. This Book of Abstracts is a comprehensive effort to inspire, view and represent recent discoveries and to act as a platform for the spread of well-known and popular research, completed and still being conducted across the Region. Thus, the following pages of the Book of Abstract trace the innumerable paths of Hinduism in the Region and its numerous echoes which include the earliest evidences of the religion found amidst different material contexts as well as archaeological sites and historical data. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all our participants, readers and well-wishers for their very encouraging and appreciative reception towards all our earlier publications. We hope to continue to maintain the same trust and feeling of fellowship along the way as we begin our journey with this present publication. D.K.R. Ekanayake Director, SAARC Cultural Centre, Colombo, Sri Lanka. ii Contents Introduction 1 Keynote Speaker 4 Programme 6 Abstracts Arya P. ADITYAN 11 Indic Pilgrimage Tradition and Sacred Geography Worrel Kumar BAIN 12 Terracotta Folk Art and Traditional Knowledge Systemː An Anthropological Venture into the Panchmura Village of Bankura District, West Bengal, India Bijoy Krishna BANIK 13 Durga Puja in Bangladesh: An Archaeological Analysis Manwendra Singh BARTWAL 14 Goddess Nanda Devi Pilgrimage and Rupkund Mystery Ananya BARUA 15 From Bleeding Goddess to Bleeding Hearts Archana BARUA 16 Re - interpreting the Deeper Significance of Tirtha Yatra in Light of Some Basic Ideals of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankaradeva, The Founder of Eka Sarana Nām Dharma in Assam Sundaralingam CHANDRAKUMAR 18 Saivism in Koothu – A Traditional Community Theatre Hathikote Anitha CHANDRASHEKHAR 19 Shaiva Mural Paintings of South India – A Study of Narration of Kiratarjuniya Poonam CHAUDHARY 20 Intangible Heritage of Cultural Routes of Jammu and Kashmir Road towards Sustainable Development Vaishnaavi M. CHAVAN 21 Hindu Goddess Renuka - The legend with relevance to Penance and Pancha Maha-Bhoota Ashim Kumar DEY 22 Hindu Cultural Trails in Bangladesh-Role of Government and Administration D.P. DUBEY 23 Pilgrimage: The Visitation to Places where Heaven and Earth meet Rabindra GOPE 24 Art, Architecture & Archaeology of HCT in Bangladesh Ankur GOSWAMI 26 Sacred Journeys and Cultural Heritage: Evaluating Prayag and its Kumbh Mela Mueezuddin HAKAL 27 The Glory of Hindu Shahis as Represented by Kattha Temple in District Khoshab Shirisha KAKARLA 27 Gods on Indian Coins Rajaratnam KARGEN 28 Trends of Hindu Religious Pilgrimage between Sri Lanka and India Advaitavadini KAUL 29 Sacred Geography of Kashmir Madhu KHANNA 31 Some Insights on Cultural Trails as Reflected in the Goddess Tradition of Newar Tantrism in Nepal iv Anil KUMAR 31 The Forgotten Archaeological Remains at Mandar in Early Medieval Context: Its Implications R. NAGASWAMY 33 Worship of Panca Brahmans K.C. NAURIYAL 34 The Sacred Cultural Landscape of Gaya: Multidisciplinary Issues and Perspectives Sharad Kumar PANDEY 35 Role of School Education in Strengthening Cultural ties among SAARC countries through the Hindu Cultural Trails: An analytical study of National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) Textbooks Achal PANDYA 36 Issues of Conservation in Majuli, Assam Prasad Chhagan PAWAR 37 Reflection of Hindu Culture in Ajanta & it’s Preservation through Digital Media Vasana PREMACHANDRA, Kalpa ASANGA & Renuka PRIYADARSHANI 39 Identification of Hindu Temples in Northern Province Kilinochchi District Sri Lanka Paramu PUSHPARATNAM 40 Recently Discovered Ruins of Chola Hindu Temple with Tamil Inscriptions at Thirumangalai in Trincomalee District, Sri Lanka Mohammad Hashim QURESHI 41 Hindu Cultural Trail Focused Through the Indian Village Saurav Kumar RAI 42 Historicizing the ‘Eternal’ Healing System: Ayurveda, Myth and Reality v Deekonda Narsinga RAO 43 Ancient Temples in Telangana State Sharodi SAIKIA 44 Intangible Heritage of Assam Sattriya: The Path Pristine Chinmayee SATPATHY 45 Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath: A Global Ceremony D.V. SHARMA 46 Sun Temple Konark: Sarvan Kavya - Darsh Kavya Umesh Chandra SHARMA 47 Vaishnav Tirth: Sentimental Geography of Braj Mayank SHEKHAR 48 Looking into the Sacred Site of Goddess Sarada Kiran Shahid SIDDIQUI 49 Fresco Paintings at Katasraj Temple Complex Rana P.B. SINGH 50 The Shaktipithas and Sacredscapes in South Asia: Faithscape, Spatiality, and Pilgrimage-Tourism Salam Shyamkishore SINGH 51 Sankirtana of Manipur: Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity Shanti Swaroop SINHA 52 Shaiva Trails: Timeless Tradition of Hindu Culture Santhoshi SUBRAHMANYA 54 The Influence of Vaishnava cult on Bharathiya Natya Shastra: A special reference to Yakshagana Hasibul Hasan SUMI 55 The role of Hindu Cultural Trails to Reconstruct the Cultural Heritage of Bangladesh vi Bipin Kumar THAKUR 56 Relevance of Shanti Parva for the Present-day Polity and Governance in India M. VARADARAJAN 57 Sri Ramanuja’s Tirtha Yatra to Divya Desas (Vaishnava Trails) Atul Kumar VERMA 58 Sun deity worship in Bihar Ayswaria WARIAR 59 The Confluence of Vaishnava and Shakta Traditions in Mohiniyattam List of Participants 60 vii Introduction The SAARC Research Seminar on Hindu Cultural Trails: Celebration of a Timeless Tradition – Gods and Goddesses, Pilgrims and Prayers, Temples and Texts is a result of the “South Asian Cultural Trails” approved by the 18th SAARC Summit held in Kathmandu in 2014. SAARC Research Seminar on Hindu Cultural Trails is the second in the series of research forums organized by the SAARC Cultural Centre which aims at strengthening the cultural ties in the SAARC Region by bringing the mutual heritage of Hindu Culture under a common platform. This Seminar will increase the understanding of the Hindu Culture in its different facets and improve the academic, cultural, religious pilgrimage and tourism relations between the Member States. This will be an opportunity for the SAARC countries to revive a dialogue about tangible and intangible cultural heritage of Hinduism through time. A dialogue which will address the issues of conserving and preserving the Cultural Trails