The speakers in the programme, ‘Civil Services and the Indian Constitution’, discussed the need of civil services, its role and place in the Indian Constitution, and the interaction between the administration, and legal and political systems. [...] From the theory of the city to the idea of the state, from the sense of the sacred to the very concept of metaphor, rivers have underwritten the ideas of civilisation. [...] Gathering gems and jewels of great beauty from the kharkhanas of the Mughals, the toshakhanas of maharajas and the tijoris of families, the illustrated lecture, ‘Inheritance of Brilliance: India’s Romance with Gems and Adornment’ by Usha Balakrishnan, decoded the deep symbolism of forms, discussed the connections between jewellery as personal and societal statements, and narrated the stories of lo. [...] The Uruvela or Uruvilva cycle, depicted on the pillar of the eastern gateway at Sanchi Stupa, illustrates the interaction between the Kasyapa brothers and the aniconic presence, indicating the Buddha. The story is based on the contestation between the established ideology of yajna and the emergence of Buddha as a proselytising force. [...] Organised to mark 70 years of the India–Japan relationship, in the talk ‘Building the Next Stage of India–Japan Relations’, James Kondo spoke about the history of the relationship between India and Japan and that of the International House of Japan and IIC.
- Pages
- 354
- Published in
- India
