The Role of Art in Promoting Religious Dialogue and National Unity: From the Historic Indian Ramayana Manuscripts to the 1st Iranian Version
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The lecture was delivered by Prof. Amir Hossein Zekrgoo. Prof. Zekrgoo is an Honorary Professor at Melbourne University. He is a specialist in Eastern religions (Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam), an artist, art historian, and Indologist, who has finished his higher education in India in the field of Oriental Studies, Indology, Manuscripts, and Islamic Inscriptions. He has authored 18 books (in Persian and English) and more than 100 scholarly articles (in English, Persian, and Urdu) in international and local publications.
​The programme was started by a brief speech by Deputy Chief of Mission, John Mai. In his remarks, DCM spoke about the historical significance of Ramayana, its translations, and its influence on other countries.
In his lecture, Prof. Zekrgoo focused on the Ramayana as one of the most popular sacred texts of India. He stated that Rama and Sita are of particular interest in Hinduism as the ideal man and woman. During the lecture, at first, a brief description of the Ramayana and its versions was provided. In the second part, the Persian manuscripts of the Ramayana were introduced. Prof. Zekrgoo stated that during the rule of Muslim sultans, religious and ethnic conflicts were always an obstacle to achieving national unity. Jalal al-Din Muhammad Akbar, one of the smartest and wisest kings of the Mughal era, in an effective move towards proximity of religions and national unity, ordered Valmiki’s Ramayana to be translated into Persian and decorated with beautiful pictures. He argued that this was a blessed tradition which was not only a step towards the proximity of religions but also became a cultural bridge in the relationship between India and Iran. And finally, Prof. Zekrgoo introduced the first comprehensive Iranian Ramayana, which is the result of many years of his research and writings.