News

OCHS student wins Sanskrit prize

6 May 2013

Rohana Seneviratne, D.Phil. student in Sanskrit at the Oriental Institute  and OCHS student, was awarded the Saraswati Sanskrit Prize. He is the first person of Sri Lankan descent and also the first Oxford student to receive this award.

At the official award ceremony held in New Delhi on 25 March, Rohana received his award from Dr. Karan Singh, president of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), titular Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, and also an OCHS patron.

The Saraswati Sanskrit Prize is a biannual award instituted in 2008 by the ICCR in India together with the Department of

Nehru Centre talk: Swami Vivekananda and the Transformation of Indian Philanthropy

Nehru Centre Event
Wednesday, 22 May 2013 - 6:30pm

A talk by Prabhu Guptara

Arising from research towards a history of Indian philanthropy, the lecture examines the influence of Swami Vivekananda. Briefly, the argument is that Indian philanthropy was transformed from its focus on temples and priests (with occasional charity to the poor), to take in "modern" concerns such as schools, hospitals, orphanages and other areas of public interest; and that Swami Vivekananda's impact prepared the way for the expansion of the ambit of Indian philanthropy to national and international concerns.

Friends Talk: The Hanuman Chalisa

Leicester Friends Event
Saturday, 27 April 2013 - 6:30pm to 9:00pm

In this talk Nick Sutton will discuss the Hindi text of the Hanuman Chalisa and try to place this well loved work within the wider of context of Tulsidas’s retelling of the Ramayana, noting the ways in which he builds on the earlier work of Valmiki to provide new insights into the significance of the deeds of Rama, Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman. Valmiki shows Rama as a heroic prince who triumphs over the forces of evil but he is less inclined to focus on Rama’s divine identity.

Friends Event: Tirath yatra

Leicester Friends Event
Saturday, 20 April 2013 (All day)

Join us on our third annual sponsored walk taking in the fifteen main temples in Leicester.

There is no age limit and you don't have to complete the whole course, just walk as much as you wish.

All money raised goes to support the work of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies.

Register at leicesterfriends@ochs.org.uk to receive a full sponsorship pack.

Obituary: Prof. M.N. Narasimhachary

14 March 2013

Prof. M.N. Narasimhachary passed away in Chennai on Wednesday 6 March 2013. Here he is remembered by Dr Ravi Gupta...

Some thirteen years ago, I met Prof. M. Narasimhachary for the first time when he arrived as a visiting professor at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies. That fortunate encounter changed my life in more ways that I can describe. In the years that have passed, Prof. Narasimhachary served as my doctoral examiner, wrote a reference for my first job, offered advice on all my writing projects, attended my wedding, and showered blessings on the births of both my boys.

Nehru Centre talk: Kitchen Religion: Hindu Approaches to Food

Nehru Centre Event
Thursday, 21 March 2013 - 6:30pm

A talk by Anuradha Dooney of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies

From the earliest expressions of Hindu thought to Ayurvedic remedies, tiffin wallas, and temples of today, food, fasting and feasting have been at the heart of Hindu ideology and practice. This talk savours some of the ‘thinking behind the eating’ from the Upanishads, the Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita amongst others.

Friends Event: Hinduism: A Religion for Non-Believers

Leicester Friends Event
Saturday, 30 March 2013 - 6:30pm to 9:00pm

One of the main reasons why people in the modern world are turning away from religion is that they find the doctrines and scriptural narratives implausible in light of modern scientific discoveries. Where doubts arise about the truth of what is claimed a divine revelation, many will find it hard to continue to practice the religion based on that revelation. In this talk Nick Sutton will consider issues of faith, belief and scriptural revelation in relation to Hinduism and suggest that even where faith is lost there it is still possible to remain devotedly Hindu.

Renowned Sanskritist, OCHS Fellow, Prof. Narasimhachary Passes Away

8 March 2013

Professor M.N. Narasimhachary, twice OCHS-Shivdasani Fellow and OCHS Director of Academic Affairs has passed away in Chennai, India, on Wednesday 6 March 2013, aged 74.

Born in Arthamuru village in East Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh, Prof. Narasimhachary was educated in Chennai. He earned his Ph.D. in Sanskrit from the University of Madras for his work on Yamunacharya.

He was revered at the OCHS as an excellent scholar, a gentleman, and a friend to all who met him. OCHS alumnus Dr Ravi Gupta remembers him thus: "Some thirteen years ago, I met Prof.

Friends Talk: The Hanuman Chalisa

Birmingham Friends Event
Saturday, 16 March 2013 - 7:00pm to 9:30pm

A talk by Dr Nick Sutton of the OCHS

In this talk Nick Sutton will discuss the Hindi text of the Hanuman Chalisa and try to place this well loved work within the wider of context of Tulsidas’s retelling of the Ramayana, noting the ways in which he builds on the earlier work of Valmiki to provide new insights into the significance of the deeds of Rama, Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman. Valmiki shows Rama as a heroic prince who triumphs over the forces of evil but he is less inclined to focus on Rama’s divine identity.

Image Gallery: Kumbh Mela 2013

4 March 2013

The OCHS's talented Artist-in-Residence, Param Tomanec, has been busily documenting this year's Kumbh Mela for us.

Param's experience as a photographer and film-maker has been a great gift to the OCHS, supplying us with hundreds of images capturing the life of the Centre. Now he takes us to Kumbh Mela, one of the world's great religious gatherings, where a reported 30 million pilgrims bathe at the rivers' confluence on one day.

Click here to view the gallery.

Click here to learn more about our Artist-in-Residence programme.

OCHS gets first Writer-in-Residence

22 February 2013

Young author, Prajwal Parajuly, has been selected as the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies (OCHS) first Writer-in-Residence.

At 28, Prajwal’s first book, The Gurkha’s Daughter, a collection of short stories set in Nepal and among the Nepali diaspora, has been called “Crisp, inventive and insightful” by The Guardian. Of his own work, Prajwal says, “I wanted to give the world a taste of my culture, my world, my people. We have fascinating cultures, great stories, wonderful history, but much of our literature has been closeted because it has been written in Nepali.”

While at the OCHS he will be

Friends Event: The Concept of God in the Bhagavadgita: Hindu Views and Christian Responses

Leicester Friends Event
Saturday, 23 February 2013 - 6:30pm to 9:00pm

Dr. Kate Wharton, Deputy Adviser for Inter Religious Affairs and Ramesh Pattni, Co-Chair of Hindu Christian Forum

Each speaker will give a short presentation in response to the text of the Gita.

Ramesh Pattni will show how the Gita has been read by a variety of Hindu traditions to depict God in different ways. Is Krishna in his highest essence a divine being beyond personhood, a divine person coextensive with all creation or as first among equals, one divine person among many?