Ambassador Bhaswati Mukherjee has written an article entitled \u201cIndia\u2019s Global and Cultural Heritage.\u201d We present below this article.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIndia\u2019s cultural and civilizational heritage\u00a0is\u00a0her gift to the world.\u00a0An understanding of what is our culture and civilisation would take us into a historical journey into our\u00a0past.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Any serious discussion must begin with E.H. Carr. In \u2018What is History\u2019 Carr concludes:\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHistory is a continuous process of interaction between the historian and his facts, an unending dialogue between the present and past, a dynamic, dialectical process, which cannot be limited by mere empiricism or love of facts alone\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Another aspect is the inter-linkage between culture and imperialism in the 19th\u00a0century.\u00a0Dr. Edward W. Said noted in his seminal work on \u2018Culture and Imperialism\u2019:\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPartly because of empire, all cultures are involved in one another; none is single and pure, all are hybrid, heterogeneous, differentiated and un-monolithic\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This is an excellent definition of our own culture.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Efforts were made to belittle or downgrade our heritage after the arrival of the Dutch, Portuguese, French and British to India.\u00a0This was the age of colonialism and imperialism.\u00a0Dr.\u00a0Said noted the notion of inferior races helped fuel the imperial acquisition of territory during this period. The culture of imperialism entailed venerating the colonialist\u2019s\u00a0culture to the exclusion of other cultures, a notion completely antithetical to the Indian approach.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
One of the most authoritative works of A.L. Basham\u00a0\u2018The Wonder that was India\u2019\u00a0rejects the earlier Western interpretation\u00a0that Indian civilisation is un-political,\u00a0spiritual\u00a0and unchanging\u00a0i.e.\u00a0Indian civilisation itself is static and non-dynamic.\u00a0\u00a0Basham\u00a0demonstrates\u00a0that India\u00a0has a dynamic civilisation\u00a0and cultural heritage.\u00a0India\u2019s oral traditions\u00a0also\u00a0had an important contribution.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The civilisation that developed in the Valleys of the two great river systems, the Indus and the Ganges, although in a sharply demarcated geographical region due to the Himalayas, was never an isolated civilisation.\u00a0\u00a0Settlers and traders came to India\u00a0from the land and sea routes from East and West. As a great maritime power, Indians also travelled East and West.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
This resulted in the development of a complex pattern of multi-dimensional culture,\u00a0demonstrated\u00a0in\u00a0art and cultural traditions from Ancient to Modern India, whether the dancing Buddha\u2019s of the Gandharva school of art which was strongly influenced by the Greeks\u00a0to the great temples of North and South India.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Aryan period saw the development of Vedic literature as well as the Puranas.\u00a0\u00a0The earliest literary source was the Rig Veda and the two epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ancient Indian architecture and sculpture was dynamic, not static.\u00a0\u00a0Due to\u00a0cross fertilisation of culture, India\u2019s ancient culture did not perish with the coming of Muslim invaders.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ancient Indian culture was severely\u00a0impacted\u00a0by invasions from Muslim invaders from 10th\u00a0century onwards.\u00a0\u00a0These invasions destroyed many elements of our ancient culture. They resulted in barbaric acts such as attacks on temples, including multiple attacks and destruction of the famous Somnath temple.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Later the Indo Islamic\u00a0Mughal architecture and miniature paintings\u00a0evolved as an example of India\u2019s syncretic culture.\u00a0The most fascinating aspect of medieval history\u00a0is the development of the Indo-Islamic style in art and architecture,\u00a0through\u00a0adaptation of Indian resources,\u00a0expertise,\u00a0designs\u00a0and motifs.\u00a0What developed in Mughal times was an\u00a0eclectic pattern of culture of which the Taj Mahal\u00a0remains\u00a0the finest example.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
It is important to recognise that India\u2019s culture and civilisation is a gift to its Diaspora. India is a multi-cultural state. With the contribution and partnership with its huge Diaspora, Indian culture has\u00a0emerged\u00a0as the force to connect, to build relations and to heal the ruptures created by history and politics.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
It is internationally recognised that one of India\u2019s significant global contributions has been its ancient cultural and civilisational partnerships.\u00a0\u00a0\u2018Vasudhaiva\u00a0Kutumbakam\u2019\u00a0from the Maha Upanishads\u00a0was\u00a0among the first precursors of global citizenship as it is understood today.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018Udara\u00a0charitanama\u00a0tu,\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vasudaiva\u00a0kutumbakam\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It means that it is only for the generous hearted that the world is one family.\u00a0\u00a0It forms the basis of UNESCO\u2019s ongoing dialogue between cultures,\u00a0religions\u00a0and civilisations.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
India\u2019s vibrant cultural\u00a0and civilisational heritage,\u00a0through\u00a0her Diaspora has spread worldwide. It serves as a powerful reminder that India\u2019s values of tolerance,\u00a0inclusiveness and cross fertilisation of cultures which are an intrinsic part of our\u00a0civilisation, are more relevant than ever before in the\u00a0emerging, chaotic global disorder.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cultural diplomacy\u00a0now plays\u00a0an important role\u00a0in the dissemination of these values.\u00a0Indian arts,\u00a0culture\u00a0and spiritualism have attracted people from all around the world for centuries.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Indian spirituality has had a global presence for centuries. One of its important manifestations in today\u2019s world is the\u00a0large number\u00a0of Yoga centres spread across the world. At the personal initiative of PM Modi soon after his first election in 2014, the UN General Assembly recognised 21st\u00a0June as International Day of Yoga.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Culture and cultural diplomacy have\u00a0emerged\u00a0as the force to connect, to build bilateral relations and to heal the raptures created by history and politics.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Most challenging is how do we preserve that culture? It is a living culture and can only survive if nurtured and strengthened by successive generations including our Diaspora. Indeed, unless we present our civilisation and cultural heritage in a manner which is both comprehensible and attractive to young India,\u00a0this heritage cannot\u00a0survive.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Our\u00a0composite\u00a0culture is our gift to the world. It reflects the evolution of our own history, the\u00a0manner in which\u00a0India seamlessly absorbed other cultures but never lost her\u00a0own.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0I had\u00a0recently\u00a0visited Vishwa Bharati University, Shantiniketan and read Gurudev\u2019s inspirational message\u00a0at the entrance\u00a0which still resonates today.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Gurudev\u00a0said:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIndia\u00a0represents\u00a0the wealth of mind which is for all.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We acknowledge India\u2019s obligation to offer to others the hospitality of her best culture\u00a0<\/p>\n
And India\u2019s right to accept from others their best.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0We have\u00a0done so and will continue to do so for generations to come.\u00a0That is\u00a0why we are Bharat that is India\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ambassador Bhaswati Mukherjee\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ambassador Bhaswati Mukherjee has written an article entitled \u201cIndia\u2019s Global and Cultural Heritage.\u201d We present below this article.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cIndia\u2019s cultural and civilizational heritage\u00a0is\u00a0her gift to the world.\u00a0An understanding of what is our culture and civilisation would take us into a historical journey into our\u00a0past.\u00a0\u00a0 Any serious discussion must begin with E.H. Carr. In \u2018What is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5343,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[173],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5342","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n