Shimla: India’s religious, literary heritage re-examined

The Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS), Shimla, inaugurated a two-day national seminar on “Revisiting the Intersectionality of Religion and Literature in Indian Intellectual Tradition”, aimed at re-examining the profound linkages between spiritual narratives and literary traditions in India’s epistemological history.

The seminar began with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by Prof Balaganapathi Devarakonda, Convener, University of Delhi, along with other dignitaries.

In his welcome address, Prof Devarakonda stressed the importance of revisiting religious texts and literary expressions through a framework that honours Indian epistemologies, resisting the homogenising interpretations imposed during the colonial period. He urged scholars to reclaim the richness of Indian narrative traditions that seamlessly integrate ethics, aesthetics and spirituality.

Prof Sanjeev Kumar HM, in his thematic introduction, highlighted that in the Indian context, religion is not merely doctrine but a lived experience that finds articulation through diverse literary forms. He advocated for a decolonised, structurational approach to knowledge that acknowledges this dynamic interface.

Delivering the keynote address virtually, Prof Siddharth Singh, Vice-Chancellor of Nava Nalanda Mahavihara, Bihar, traced the evolution of religious literature from ancient Buddhist and Brahmanical texts to contemporary interpretations. He underlined how sacred narratives in India served as vehicles for both personal enlightenment and social cohesion.

In her presidential address delivered online, Prof Shashiprabha Kumar, Chairperson of IIAS, emphasised that Indian philosophical thought inherently resisted the sacred-secular binary found in Western Enlightenment discourse. She noted that the dharmic worldview organically integrates metaphysical insights with literary aesthetics, creating a holistic intellectual tradition.