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Prof M Taher memorial lecture delivered

By Correspondent

JALUKBARI, April 24 - The 2nd Professor M Taher Memorial Lecture on the occasion of the 86th birth anniversary of Late Dr Mohammed Taher, retired Head of the Department of Geography, Gauhati University was held at the Phanidhar Datta Seminar Hall of GU recently.

Dr Rana PB Singh, retired Head of the Department of Geography, Banaras Hindu University delivered the memorial lecture on �Appraising the Indian Cultural Landscape: Envisioning Ecological Cosmology in the 21st Century�.

In his lecture he said, �The Indian cultural landscape is a holistic model of sustainability and inclusive heritage development and requires deeper and intimate understanding through realisation to revelation that lead to self-help action. Ironically, the stakeholders are attempting to implement many sustainable projects and a sustainable regeneration plan on a limited and compartmentalised knowledge base.

Because the heritage value stands under-recognised and most of such areas are not nominated as a cultural landscape, concerned administrative authorities tend to focus their energies on built heritage-centric secondary issues, rather than the issues concerning the inclusive cultural landscape and holistic-sustainable development.�

He further added, �The concept of Indian cultural landscape refers to a complex cultural mosaic and network of spatiality of time, temporality of space and overall the encompassing manifestation of transcendence of man, who since time immemorial is trying to make a strong bridge between conscious mind and super-conscious divine. This way the interplay has been part of constant and continuous evolutionary drama between earthly Man and cosmic Nature, turning into various built-structures and traditions that maintained continuity-maintenance-transformation and changes, of course always keeping the essence of the past that processed and get transferred from one generation to another.

This makes the aliveness in life � ways of the people and culture. Concept of cultural landscape has its roots in geographical thought and is commonly accepted as one of the best strategies to understand and project the vividness and commonality of landscape and culture.

This essay is an attempt on the line of critical appraisal of history of Indian cultural landscape, and its selected manifestoes representations, e.g. cosmic rhythm and mandala, Bharat as Devi, the �motherly� Ganga river and sacred sites, and intangible heritage.�

The programme was attended by members from the Geography fraternity, members of the Gauhati University family, kin of Late Prof Taher and other well-wishers. The programme was inaugurated by GU Vice Chancellor Dr Mridul Hazarika.

Meanwhile, scholarships in the name of Prof M Taher Innovate (Motivate) Fellowship were awarded to Debashree Borah and Bijoy Kumar Mahato Bhuyan, PG Semester IV students of Geography, GU for the year 2016-17 and carrying Rs 25,000 annually.

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