2-Day National Seminar on title, ‘Study of Sacred Spaces and Cults in Pre-Modern North-West India’

Chandigarh, March 18, 2019: The Two Day National Seminar on the title, ‘Study of Sacred Spaces and Cults in Pre-Modern North-West India’ is organized by the Department of History, Panjab University, Chandigarh in collaboration with ICSSR-NWRC, Chandigarh on March 18th-19th, 2019. On the first day of the seminar, the keynote address is delivered by Prof.Mahesh Sharma, Professor of History, DES-MDRS, Panjab University, Chandigarh. He deliberated on the idea of sacred centre, its formation and its relation with the profane and spiritual worlds. Prof.Sharma also discussed the concept of Axis Mundi, according to which mountains, ponds and other geographical features acted as the centre of the world of cosmos. This centre, constructed by the devotees and sacred centre, also exhibits the relation between human self perception and the idea of sacredness in the manifested world. The Chief Guest, Dr. Sarvdeep Singh Dhatt, Additional Professor (PGI, Chandigarh) narrated a relevant anecdote about the process through which sacredness is somehow created through an endeavour of human beings to protect, what belongs to them. Prof. J. K Sharma, former Professor of History, Department of History, Panjab University, and Prof G.C Chauhan, Professor of History, DES-MDRS, Panjab University, Chandigarh, chaired the first technical session, in which D.r Garima (Asst Archaeologist, ASI Chandigarh circle), Dr. Tara Sheemar (JDM College, Delhi University), Prof. Jigar Mohmmad (University of Jammu, J&K), Prof. Reeta Grewal (Professor of History, Dept. of History, Panjab University, Chandigarh) presented their papers on themes, viz., Art in Context; Devotional Queen and Sorceresses; Persian Sources on the Water Springs and other religious places of Kashmir under the Mughals; Sacred Spaces and Communities in Early 19th Century. The second technical session chaired by Prof. Jigar Muhammad and Dr. Vinay Kumar (Associate Professor, JCDAV Collge, Dasuya, Punjab) saw over several papers, presented in their technical session. In the third technical session, chaired by Dr. Mohammad Idris, HOD, Dept. of History, Punjabi University, Patiala and Dr. Jasbir, Assistant Professor, Dept of History, Panjab University, Chandigarh around ten papers ranging from popular cults and temples in Himachal, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, and Rajasthan were presented.