National Seminar on Religion and Literature Inaugurated at IIAS Shimla
Inaugural session explores decolonial readings of Indian intellectual tradition through the lens of religion-literature intersectionality
The Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS), Shimla inaugurated a two-day national seminar today titled “Revisiting the Intersectionality of Religion and Literature in Indian Intellectual Tradition”, which seeks to re-examine the deep linkages between spiritual narratives and literary traditions in India’s epistemological history.
The ceremonial lighting of the lamp was performed by Prof. Balaganapathi Devarakonda (Convener, University of Delhi), Prof. Sanjeev Kumar H.M. (Co-convener), and other dignitaries.
In the welcome address, Prof. Devarakonda emphasized the need to revisit religious texts and literary expressions in a framework that honors Indian epistemologies and resists homogenizing colonial interpretations. He called for reclaiming the richness of the Indian narrative traditions that integrate ethics, aesthetics, and spirituality.
Prof. Sanjeev Kumar H.M., in his thematic introduction, underlined that religion in the Indian context is not merely a doctrine but a way of life that finds articulation through literary forms. He proposed a shift in scholarship that recognizes this lived interface and moves toward a decolonised, structurational approach to knowledge.
Delivering the keynote address virtually, Prof. Siddharth Singh, Vice-Chancellor of Nava Nalanda Mahavihara, Bihar, traced the history of religious literature from the time of ancient Buddhist and Brahmanical texts to contemporary readings. He articulated how sacred narratives in India were carriers of both individual enlightenment and social cohesion.
Prof. Shashiprabha Kumar, Chairperson of IIAS and former Vice-Chancellor of Sanchi University, delivered the presidential address online. She emphasized that Indian philosophical thought inherently resisted the secular-sacred binary found in Western Enlightenment discourse, and that the dharmic worldview organically integrates metaphysical insight with literary aesthetics.
The vote of thanks was delivered by Shri Mehar Chand Negi, Secretary of IIAS, followed by the National Anthem and a group photograph. Akhilesh Pathak, PRO of IIAS moderated the inaugural session. A tea break marked the end of the inaugural proceedings.
The academic sessions that followed included papers on Bhakti literature, epic reinterpretation, decolonial textuality, and regional religious aesthetics, continuing the conversation set forth in the morning’s inaugural session.
