"There is a universal need to find a unifying factor that brings back the basic values of family life. The assimilation of Ramayana will achieve this by stressing the commonality of the ideas and values. Ramayana describes the life story of Rama and has been the basis of classical dances in several countries. It promotes human values and has inspired poets, writers, sculptors, painters, musicians, dancers, puppeteers and singers worldwide. Ramayana has acceptability and a proven track record in several countries worldwide, including Bhutan, Cambodia, Fiji, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Surinam, Thailand, Trinidad Tobago and Vietnam (Ramayana Countries).
"The Epic Ramayana has acted as a messenger of peace, hope and harmony among people cutting across language and religion "
2021, India
Conference organised by the virtual organization Shri Ram Charit Bhavan (www.ramacharit.org) on 23-25 April 2021 using Video Conference Mode. The Conference proceedings consist of 14 papers among them:
Grooming HR Innovations and Principles from Ramayana: The Need of the 21st Century Organizations
Partha Nascar Principal Ideas of Yoga VasisthaAsha Venular Panorama of Science & Technology in the Ram Charit ManasVirendra Goswami Linguistic Relativity: A Lesson Learned from the Story of Maharishi ValmikiVinay Sharma, Rajat Agrawal, Manvi Goel Shri Ramcharitmanas and Medicinal Plants: Projecting Medicinal, Sociocultural and Spiritual ImportanceVinay Sharma, Rajat Agrawal, Rakesh G Nair Business Crisis due to Corona Virus Pandemic and Importance of Lessons from RamayanaRajesh Kumar Mishra Lessons for Effective Business Leadership - Ramayana Depicts Through Many Real-life ExamplesRajesh Kumar Mishra Ram an Ideal Manager, Diplomat and PoliticianRam Malik Principles and Practices of Management: The Ramayan wayTulsee Giri Go swami, Prakash Giri Go swami Shri Rama, The Universal Ideal!!
2020, USA
Virtual Ramayana Conference presented by the International Ramayana Institute of North America (IRINA) https://www.ramayanainstitute.com/ The online conference was attended by more than 500 participants from the US, Indonesia, India, Thailand and Europe The President of the Executive Committee of IRINA, Martino Tangkar, noted during his opening address that the IRC coincides with the 20th anniversary of the IRINA-led cultural cooperation between the people of Indonesia, India and Thailand in the US. The story of Ramayana is chosen as a central theme due to its strong influence on the cultural heritage and society in those three countries.
Speakers included:
Dr. Tony Nader, MD, PhD, MARR, Head of International Transcendental Meditation Organizations Worldwide, who presented “Ramayana in Human Physiology",Michael Sternfeld, a producer / Director with experience in presenting more than 300 Ramayana-themed performances of theatrical, musical and dances,Anita Bose, organizer of the World Ramayana Encyclopaedia Project from the Ministry of Culture of India and the Ayodhya Research Institute: “Ramayana Footprints in South East Asia Culture & Heritage";Dr. Catherine Raymond from Northern Illinois University, USA :“Ramekin: The Thai Buddhist Ramayana in the Heart of the Kingdom"Prof. Wayan kun Adriana, Head of the Bali Provincial Government's Cultural Services: “One Thousand Years of the Ramayana Epic in Nusantara-Bali, Indonesia".
During the Conference the Chicago Indonesian Consulate dance team, presented a scene from the Ramayana. The conference participants also had the opportunity to watch other Ramayana dance performances namely by the Indian Dance School-Choreography and the Thai Cultural and Fine Arts Institute of Chicago.
2019, Jaipur (India) in January, Ahmedabad (India) in December, Bangalore (India) in December
The conference at Jaipur took place at International School of Informatics and Management, Technical Campus (IIIM) in collaboration with AIMS International and Shri Ram Charitra Bhajan https://www.iisjaipur.org/iiim/Current-2018-19/Ramayana_Conference/Ramayana_Conference.html
The two-day-long conference had 20 national and international paper presentations.Chief Guest of the conference Prof. Vinod Shastri an astrologer, palmist and Vasthu Consultant and Dr. O. P Gupta, inaugurated the conference, emphasizing the relevance of Ramayana in the current era. The sessions were chaired by Dr OP Gupta Professor, Marilyn Davies College of Business, University Of Houston and Dr. Ashow Gupta, Director, IIIM and Vice Chancellor, IIS University. During the session, papers on topics like, “Leadership Lessons from Hanuman”, “Ram eknaam ane”, “Rama and development of 8 kingdoms for 8 grandsons of king Dashrath”. Dr Kusum Knapczyk from Duke University narrated the use of Ramayana and its stories while teaching “Relevance of Ramayana in teaching elementary Hindi”.Day two included papers on topics like “The secrets of Ramayan and Rama”, “Simplifying and summarizing sanathan dharma” and “Valmiki Ramayan as a Treatise for transforming leaders and leadership” in which Dr. Balkrishnan Muniapan from the University of Malaysia, explained how leadership qualities that can be imbibed from Ramayana. He stated that the manifestations of core themes of the Ramayana are very intune with the management trends and in need of detailed research.
2016, Fiji
The Fiji Sevashram and other religious organisations of Fiji organised the International Ramayana Conference at Suva Civic Centre Upper Auditorium, Fiji. The three-day conference started 14th October 2016 with a keynote address by Chief Guest Aiyaz Sayed Khayyam, the Attorney General and Minister of Economy, Public Enterprises, Civil Service and communication of Fiji.
More than 25 eminent scholars from across India, Malaysia, Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad, Tobago, Australia and New Zealand gave presentations on various aspects Ramayana. The conference covered Academic session, General session and Cultural evening.The group from India performed Ramleela, a dramatic folk re-enactment of the life of Rama. "The conference is to inspire people especially our younger generation and imply teachings of Lord Rama in their lives."
2015 Bangalore, India
Conference jointly organised by AIMS International & Indus Business Academy, Bangalore https://iba.ac.in/international-ramayana-conference-2015/
Theme: Relevance of Ramayana in Modern Times
Date: 18th – 19th December 2015
The Ramayana Conference emerged as a guide for successful managers. "The four-day conference created a platform for many scholars, students, activists, researchers and corporate to have a debate and discussion on the tactics, strategies and teachings of Ramayana and apply them in the modern management system."
The first day session was headed and commenced by Dr. Subhash Sharma, Director – IBA Bangalore who enlightened the minds of the people present with the knowledge of leadership, ethics, consciousness and values prevalent at the time of Rama Rajya and the ways through which these ideas, could be applied in the present scenario. The session then proceeded with speakers like Dr. Meera Chakraborthy, who set the example of Valmiki and advised the audience to make decisions which could evolve their personalities. Mr. Chirag talked about Ramacharitamanasa (a widely revered epic poem about the deeds of Lord Rama). Mr. Piyush Kumar spoke about Lord Rama and his leadership qualities that can be applied, in the modern times. Mr. Anantha Raj viewed the entire story of Ramayana in three different spectrums of life, and Mrs. Balla informed about the ethical behaviour and whistleblower policy which could be learned, from Vibhishan’s approach.
The second day began with paper presentations by speakers like Dr. C Maheswara, who focused on the managerial skills which could be acquired, through Ramayana. Mrs. Madhuri Mather gave an Indian world view to Ramayana, Prof. Butchi Babu related Ramayana with strategic management, and Dr. N. Sreesha connected Ramayana with the concepts and functions of man-management.
2009, Mysore, Karnataka, India
Avadhoota Datta Peetham, Mysore 27 - 29 Nov 2009
Conference programme
27 NOVEMBER Conference Inauguration in the Divine presence of His Holiness Sri Ganapati Sachananda Swamiji and Pujya Sri Datta Vijayananda Teertha SwamijiSession topic: Ramayana : Spiritual DimensionsSpeakers : Mrs. Svetlana Dinges, Ramayana Scholar, France Dr. Kush Visser, Vice Chancellor, Maharishi University, Netherlands Dr. David, USA Sri Aralumallige Parthasarathy, Scholar in Dasa Sahithya, Bangalore Ramayana Dance Ballet by Sri Ganesan & Troupe, Malaysia28 NOVEMBER -- GITA JAYANTISession topic: Similarities in messages from Gita and RamayanaSpeakers : Dr. Chandra Bhushan Mishra, Ramayana Scholar, Patna Dr. P.V.Nath, Chairman, International Gita Foundation, Birmingham, UK Sri Gian Dhunnookchand, Ex-Senior Education Officer, Mauritius Sri N. Ramanuja, Chairman, Bharati ya Vidya Bhavan, BangaloreSession topic: Ramayana in Indian languages: Basis of National UnitySpeakers : Dr. Y.P. Singh, Director, Ayodhya Research Inst., Lucknow Dr. N. Sundaram, Hindi Writer, Chennai. Dr. Jay anti Manowar, Vedic Research Scholar, Bangalore Prof Mohan G. Ramanan, Dean, School of Humanities, University of HyderabadSession topic: Ramayana: Basis of Global Cultural Relations and Human UnderstandingSpeakers : Dr. Chirapat Prapandvidya, Prof. in Sanskrit, Silpakorn University, Bangkok Ms. Sujata, Trustee, Ramayana Center, Mauritius Pandit Manideo Prasad, High Commissioner, Trinidad & Tobago Dr. Jacamar Karnawat, BhopalSession topic: Science in RamayanaSpeakers : Dr. Ram Mohan Tewari, Former ENT specialist, Holland Medical Academy Mrs. Santosh Shekhar, Ramayana Scholar, Delhi Music for Meditation and Healing by His Holiness Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Swamiji29 NOVEMBERSession topic: Concept of Management and Leadership in RamayanaSpeakers : Dr. Sushil Chandra Consultant, ILO, Delhi Prof. Trilochan Shastry, Dean. IIM, Bangalore Padmasri Dr. Mrs. Yamaha Pappu, Advocate, New Delhi Mrs. Leena Edendale, IAS, MumbaiSession topic: Ramayana: Divine experiences and inspirationsSpeakers : Mrs. Radhika Srinivasan, Writer & Singer, Chennai Mrs. Yashumati Singh, Scholar of Ram Charit Manas, Muzaffarpur Prof. Yejassudin, Professor, Mahatma Gandhi Centre, Bangalore Sri Virendra Yajnik, Ramayana Scholar, MumbaiValedictory Session in the divine presence of His Holiness Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Swamiji and Puja Sri Datta Vijayananda Teertha Swamiji
2001, Chicago, Illinois, USA
The Infinity Foundation and Northern Illinois University, supported by the International Ramayana Institute of North America organise a Ramayana Conference held September 21-23, 2001 in DeKalb, Illinois. https://infinityfoundation.com/international-ramayana-institute-of-north-america/
The Mission of the International Ramayana Institute of North America is to facilitate and promote the exchange of the literary, artistic, cultural and scientific aspects of Ramayana among different countries worldwide. Ramayana Institute’s is supported by the Consulate of Indonesia, Chicago, Hindu Sat sang, Indonesian Students Association in Chicago (Permias), Indonesian Women’s Association (Dharma Anita), Natya Dance Theatre, Thai Cultural and Fine Arts Institute, Thai Association of Illinois, Burmese Buddhist Association.
Over 60 scholars from 12 different countries participated in the conference. The conference sessions on September 21 and 22 focused on the following subjects:
- Effect of Ramayana on family relations
- Ramayana-related education and research efforts
- Ramayana in various countries.
- Literary and poetic forms of Ramayana.
- Art forms of Ramayana
- Effect of Ramayana on various cultures and civilisation.
- Gender and political aspects of Ramayana.
Dr. Robert Goldman of the University of California, Berkeley was one of the keynote speakers of the conference, and he covered Valmiki’s values in India and beyond. Dr. Goldman specifically covered the impact of the Ramayana in Southeast Asia. His keynote address included Sanskrit Sloka to back up his statements. The second keynote speaker, Dr. Philip Lutgendorf from the Department of Asian Languages and Literature at the University of Iowa, had a very interesting presentation on Hanuman. His presentation included different temples, sculptures, paintings and other forms of Indian artwork related to Hanuman. Among the other U.S. speakers was Dr. Amita Sinha, associate professor, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign whose presentation included several visuals depicting the use of landscapes in the Ramayana paintings of India. Patricia Henry of Northern Illinois University covered Indonesian Ramayana. Saw Tun from Northern Illinois University talked about the Burmese Ramayana. Dr. Phyllis Herman from California State University in Northridge presented a paper on Sita Rasoi shrines in modern India. Mark A. Oliver and Ronit Ricci from the University of Michigan talked about the university’s several years of research efforts on the Indonesian Ramayana. Dr. and Mrs. Rao from the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh were learned contributors to the entire conference. Their own presentation on Rama and Sita’s return journey in the Indonesian Ramayana was well-received. Dr. V. Raja Bandar, an independent scholar from New Jersey, gave a presentation on the Poetic Portrayal of Characters in Ramayana. Three scholars from Indonesia, one from Bali and two from Jakarta participated in the conference. Dr. Budya Pradipta from the University of Indonesia, Jakarta presented a paper on Ramayana as a Vehicle for the Dissemination of Universal Humanitarian Values. Dr. Wahyati Pradipta, a professor at the University of Indonesia, Jakarta presented a paper on Sita’s attitude of Silent Rebellion. Dr. Somvir, another scholar from Dayan University in Bali, Indonesia talked about the Indonesian Ramayana.. Dr. U. Kyaw Zwa from the University of Culture in Myanmar (Burma) presented a paper on the role of Ramayana in Myanmar. Burma has currently several versions of Ramayana, and Dr. Zwa is responsible for developing a standard Ramayana version, which may be used for developing curricula in schools as well as a standard for the performing arts. Thailand's presenters included Dr. Sunthana, Mr. Phubest Suntharanund and Mrs. Jutarut Suntharanund, who are the Ramayana Institute’s local experts on Thailand Ramayana. Dr. Sunthana discussed Ramayana in Thailand, whereas Mr. Phubest Suntharanund and Mrs. Jutarut Suntharanund talked about the Thai mask play, “Khon.” Svetlana Radlovic-Dinges from France talked about different Ramayanas in France, and Eva De Clercq from the University of Ghent in Belgium provided an analysis of different Jain Ramayanas. The scholars from India mostly spoke about Ramayanas in Southeast Asia. Padma Shri Dr. Satya Vrat Shastri and Dr. Amarjiva Lochan talked about the popularity of Ramayana in Thailand. Dr. Dinesh Saklani from the HNB Garhwal University of India provided an in-depth view into his research on the impact of Ramayana on the society and culture of central Himalaya. Ms. Sangeeta Saran, who represented the Asia Fellows Program (India), provided an Analysis of the Portrayal of the Ideal Woman and the Evil Vamp in the classical dance forms of Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia and India.
The Ramayana Fair included diverse Ramayana-related performances followed by an opportunity for the audience to see the details of the costumes, music, dance movements, facial expressions, acting and presentation. There where also workshops on making the Ramayana-related paintings, sculptures, poetry, video, audio, music and other types of art in addition to the dance.
1998, Mauritius
Narendra Modi was invited to attend the conference in Moka. Modi spoke with great zeal about the life of Bhagwaan Sri Ram, leaving a lasting impression on those in attendance.
1986, Thailand
The April 8-11 conference opened in Ayutthaya, then moved to Bangkok and closed in the Memorial Hall of King Rama VI, who wrote "The Sources of Ramayana" in Thai. Ramekin, is one of the best-known Thai dramas.The name of Ayutthaya, Thailand´s ancient capital, is adapted from Ayodhya, kingdom of the Rama. Many Thai kings used "Rama" in their names, including the present monarch, King Humidor Adulyadej (Rama IX).
Conference participants came from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czechoslovakia, France, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, South Africa, the Soviet Union, Thailand, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States and West Germany.
The hero Rama is presented as perfection incarnate, exemplifying the perfect man, king, father, son, husband, friend, fighter and victor over evil. The original Ramayana was translated and rewritten into many Indian dialects and other languages, then adapted to local beliefs and tastes. Through these adaptations, Indian culture permeated other countries.
Princess Mahachakkri of Thailand presided at the closing ceremony, where a scene of divine love from the Ramayana was performed for her by Indian actors.
1984 Ayodhya, India
"Ramayana Building A Global Network" www.hinduismtoday.com/magazine/october-1994/1994-10-global-dharma/ The very first International Ramayana Conference was held in India in November 1984, on the banks of the river Saryu in Ayodhya. The first conference concluded that the epic, due to its international characters, might bring people together to discuss common problems for mutual understanding.