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Ancient Indian knowledge can help combat modern disease

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The role of Yoga, Ayurveda and Meditation in human health was well-understood by ancient Indian sages. The knowledge of rishis and rishikas was passed down the generations and there was a time not so long ago, when Ayurvedic remedies for common ailments such as cold, cough, headache and fever were well known to every person of Indic origin. This was before medical drugs such as Advil and Claritin made an appearance and got embedded into modern lifestyles.

Dr David Frawley (Pandit Vamadeva Shastri), an Acharya in the Vedic tradition has spent a great part of his life in educating people in the west about the holistic healing offered by Ayurveda and Yoga. He is a recipient of Padma Bhushan, one of India’s highest civilian awards and author of path-breaking books on Sanatana Dharma, Yoga, Ayurveda and Vedic Astrology. On September 11, 2016 the Acharya will speak about the importance of Yoga and Ayurveda for psychological well-being. The event is being presented by Indian History Awareness and Research, a think-tank based in Houston in collaboration with India House.

“Ayurveda is inherently a psychological as much as it is a physical system of medicine,” explains Dr Frawley. “Its scope of practice includes both physical (sharirika) and mental (manasika) diseases.” According to him, we cannot really understand Ayurveda without looking at its view of the mind and consciousness. At the Houston event Dr Frawley plans to drive home the importance of reviving the psychological and yogic underpinnings of Ayurveda and applying it to treat modern afflictions such as hypertension and attention-deficit.

Dr Rajan Narayanan is another expert who will be sharing the stage with Dr Frawley. The Founder of Life in Yoga Foundation, Dr Narayanan believes that the current relevance of Yoga in medicine is that Yoga alone has the potential to reveal a unified structure of understanding of the human system. His lecture is titled “Place of Yoga in medicine – A Historical and Current Perspective.” Now that the benefits of yoga have been understood by modern science, Dr Narayanan reveals that it has already started impacting medical textbooks and Life in Yoga became the first yoga organization to be given accreditation to offer continuing medical education credits to physicians.

Dr Indranill Basu Ray, the third expert to speak at India House will underline the role of meditation in modern medicine. Dr Basu Ray, a cardiologist with Texas Heart Institute and Baylor College of Medicine straddles the worlds of modern medicine and yoga with equal ease. “Meditating does more than just making you feel good and calming you down, it makes you perform better and alters the structure of your brain,” he says. The audience will learn how neuroprotective effects of meditation have been borne out by electroencephalographic (EEG), cognitive and imaging studies on ubiquitous people including monks without and with experience in meditation.

The last speaker of the day, Dr Raj Vedam will take the audience along a journey showing the pathways by which ancient Indian knowledge of herbs, yoga and meditation was transferred to Europe and the rest of the world. “Did you know that Materia Medica from Ayurveda was the basis of Western and Eastern medicine from at least 2,000 years ago?” asks Dr Vedam. His lecture titled “Antiquity of Indian Medical Systems” will interest all those who have wondered about the history of Ayurveda.

This is not the first time Indian History Awareness and Research (IHAR) has organised lectures on a stimulating topic. IHAR has been developing narratives of Indian history free from the bias that has often distorted perspectives in the past. The think tank consists of professionals who bring their scientific knowledge from various disciplines and apply it for the study of Indian history. Collaborating with IHAR is India House, which has played a stellar role in bringing, resources, education, services and Indian culture to Houstonians.

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NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONFERENCE IGNITES SCHOLARLY DISCOURSE WITH LAUNCH OF IHAR MP-CG CHAPTER

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Bhopal, September 6, 2025: The State Museum in Bhopal, the city of Raja Bhoja, became the epicenter of a significant academic advancement as it hosted the inaugural National Archaeological Conference alongside the formal launch of the Indian Historical Awareness and Research (IHAR) Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Chapter. The event, titled ‘Recent Researches in Indian Archaeology’, successfully convened a distinguished gathering of scholars, students, and enthusiasts, marking a pivotal moment for historical and archaeological studies in the region.

The day commenced with a traditional Invocation of knowledge, paying obeisance to Goddess Saraswati through a lamp-lighting ceremony and a SaraswatiVandana, followed by a captivating Bharatanatyam performance by Ms. Samriddha Sinha. She was accompanied by Mrs. Moumita Sinha, IHAR Convenor, North India. The auditorium was graced by the presence of eminent personalities from the fields of archaeology, history, and cultural studies, setting a tone of scholarly reverence and intellectual curiosity.The event was honoured by the presence of Chief Guest Dr.ShivakantBajpai, Superintending Archaeologist of the ASI Jabalpur Circle, and Special Guest Dr.Rachana Mishra, Head of the Department of History at PN College of Excellence, Bhopal. The event was further elevated byGuests of Honour including Dr. Manoj Kumar Kurmi (SA, ASI Bhopal Circle), Dr.KantiPawar (Archaeologist), Dr. R.P. Pandey (Retired Professor, Jiwaji University, Gwalior), Mr. Surya Sarathi Roy (Director of India Operations, IHAR), Dr. O.P. Mishra (Retired Deputy Director, State Archaeology, MP), Dr.GovindBatham (Professor), Dr.Namrata Yadav (Curator, State Museum, Bhopal), and Mr. Suresh Jain (Retired IAS Officer).

Following their felicitation, the dignitaries delivered insightful addresses, emphasizing the critical need for novel research, the reassessment of existing archaeological work, and strategies to enhance the current academic framework to better guide and inspire enthusiastic students. Their narratives, rich with field experiences, served as a profound inspiration for aspiring researchers.The pivotal moment of the inaugural session was the official announcement of the IHAR MP-CG Chapter by Mr. Surya Sarathi Roy, Mr. Shivam Dubey (Convenor, IHAR MP-CG Chapter), and Mr. Shivam Trivedi (Co-Convenor, IHAR MP-CG Chapter). The President of IHAR, Mr. SubrotoGangopadhyay, addressed the assembly via a video message, elucidating the organization’s origin, core objectives, and its overarching vision to promote historical awareness and rigorous research across India. This auspicious launch was commemorated with another powerful Bharatanatyam performance by Ms. Samriddha Sinha.

The post-lunch sessions transitioned into intense academic discourse with three technical sessions featuring the presentation of over fifteen research papers. Scholars and students from prestigious institutions nationwide, including Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Delhi University, University of Mumbai, and Deccan College, presented their findings. The sessions were adeptly chaired by Dr.ShivakantBajpai and Dr.Rachana Mishra (first session), Dr. Manoj Kumar Kurmi and Dr. R.P. Pandey (second session), and Dr.KantiPawar and Mr. Surya Sarathi Roy (third session). These presentations unveiled new perspectives and explored uncharted horizons in Indian archaeology, fostering a dynamic environment of learning. Each presentation was met with thoughtful queries and constructive feedback from the audience, providing invaluable suggestions for the researchers to refine their work.An interlude in the academic proceedings was provided by the screening of an insightful documentary, ‘The Unseen Bhojpur’, directed by Prashast and Shivaji Rai. The film captivated the audience, transporting them through the historical landscape and socio-religious essence of Bhojpur.The conference culminated in a highly enlightening panel discussion where the dignitaries engaged with pressing issues such as the challenges faced by young fieldworkers, the current state of archaeological research, the availability of fellowships, and emerging areas of academic inquiry. They fielded questions from the audience, addressing topics related to making archaeological studies more inclusive and accessible to a wider academic community.

The entire event was met with widespread appreciation from all attendees. The successful convergence of diverse minds from across the country truly upheld the essence of a national conference and significantly advanced IHAR’s objective of fostering a robust culture of historical and archaeological research. The conference not only provided a premier platform for young scholars to showcase their work but also established a vital new chapter for sustained academic collaboration and discourse in  India.

 

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The IHAR SCITYA DIALOGUES: Advancing Inclusivity and Equity in Science & Technology

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Scitya Foundation, in collaboration with the IHAR Science Cell, recently organized The IHAR Scitya Dialogues on the theme of increasing inclusivity and equity in the Science and Technology ecosystem. The event brought together eminent voices from academia, research, and policy to deliberate on pressing challenges and pathways for building a more just and participatory S&T framework.

The panel featured distinguished experts: Dr. Kinkini Dasgupta Misra (Senior Scientist, INSA), Dr. Kamalika Banerjee (Co-Founder, The Light Mission and Executive Member of IHAR Science Cell), and Dr. Nimita Pandey (Member, W4EAI, UNESCO). The session was moderated by Dr. Mrittunjoy Guha Majumdar, Founder of Scitya Foundation and Chair of the IHAR Science Cell.

The discussion traversed a wide spectrum of themes — from the need for responsive governance and equitable policy formulation to participatory approaches in decision-making and the critical role of effective science communication. The panel emphasized that inclusivity in S&T is not merely an ethical imperative but a necessary condition for sustainable innovation and societal progress.

The event witnessed active participation from scholars and students of premier institutions such as IIT Delhi and JNU, alongside policymakers, academics, and industry representatives. The engagement reflected a growing recognition of the importance of collaborative dialogues in shaping the future of science, technology, and innovation in India.

The IHAR Scitya Dialogues marked a significant step towards nurturing an ecosystem where diversity, equity, and inclusion serve as the cornerstones of scientific advancement.

 

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IHAR West Bengal Proudly Attends the Inauguration of BRIL Virtual Museum

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We are delighted to share that our West Bengal Convenor, Sri. Prasun Roy, along with other dignitaries, were invited to inaugurate the first-ever Virtual Museum (Bengal Revolution for India’s Liberation Virtual Museum) at the Press Club, Kolkata.

An initiative of the Madhyamgram Historical Society (an academic platform to discuss facts of History, particularly Indian History, formed by history-enthusiasts Boddhisatya Tarafdar, Mrinmoy Banerjee and Supriyo Mukherjee), this virtual museum seeks to honor the unsung and forgotten heroes of India’s Independence movement and highlight Bengal’s contributions to the armed revolution. The virtual museum is conceptualized and created by Boddhisatya Tarafdar.

Among the other dignitaries were, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s grandniece Tapati Ghosh, The Mentor & Karmadhyaksha (Shiksha, Sanskriti, Tathya-O-Krira Sthayee Samity), Hooghly Zilla Parishad, Dr. Subir Mukherjee, Journalist Suman Bhattacharya and Somdev Chatterjee.
IHAR is proud of this recognition and remains committed to supporting initiatives that preserve and promote our nation’s historical legacy.

 
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