“Telangana Bouddha Sangiti 2019”, an International Seminar on Buddhist Archaeology in Hyderabad on 16th& 17th Nov 2019. The seminar will be organised at Marri Chenna Reddy Human Resource Development Institute (MCR HRDI), Road no 25, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad. This is a prestigious seminar jointly hosted by Buddhavanam Project of Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation (TSTDC) and The Department of Heritage, Telangana.
About thirty eminent Buddhist Archaeologists and Scholars from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Australia and Indian states will be presenting papers in this international seminar on significant Buddhist excavations and researches on history, art and architecture.
The key note address will be delivered by Prof Gautam Sengupta, internationally acclaimed archaeologist and former Director General of Archaeological survey of India.
Distinguished scholars from other countries including, Noor Agha “Noori”, Director Institute of Archaeology, Afghanistan, Basanta Bidari from Nepal, Dr. Sufi Mostafizur Rahaman from Bangladesh, Prof. Gamini Ranasinghe from Sri Lanka and Karma Tenzin from Bhutan will be presenting papers.
Eminent Indian archaeologists and scholars from India include Dr. K. Muniratnam, Epigraphist, ASI Mysuru, Dr. D Raja Reddy, Numismatist Hyderabad, Prof. Aloka Parasher Sen, Professor Emerita, University of Hyderabad, Yadubirsingh Rawat, former Director, Archaeology department Gujarat, Prof YS Alone, JNU and Dr Sunil Kumar Patnaik, Odishan Institute of Maritime and South East Asian Studies, and other scholars.
After this seminar, on 18-19 November, a two-day trip to Buddhavanam, Nagarjunakonda, Phanigiri and Nelakondapalli is being organized for the delegates to showcase the Buddhist Heritage of Telangana.
In the last year the Department of Heritage of our state has achieved a great distinction in the form of finding a life Size Stucco of Bodhisattva and an Octagonal stupa- a rare and one of its kind in India, in the Phanigiri excavations. Buddhavanam Project, a 275-acre Buddhist theme park at Nagarjuna Sagar is also in the final state of completion and will be opened for public in a few months.
This could happen because of financial sanctions made by the Hon’ble Chief Minister Sri K Chandrasekhar Rao garu in 2016. Thus by encouraging archeology and preserving historical sites and building monuments like Buddhavanam will give a boost to Telangana Tourism also.
