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Nehru Centre Event: Women in Hinduism

Nehru Centre Event: Women in Hinduism

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Nehru Centre Event: Women in Hinduism

Nehru Centre Event
Friday, 9 December 2011 – 6:30pm to 7:30pm
Nehru Centre
8 South Audley Street 
London,  W1K 1HF
 
A talk by Anuradha Dooney of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies.
 
The roles of women in Hindu traditions are changing as they are throughout the rest of the world. What can stories of Sita and Draupadi, of Savitri or Sulabha contribute to  the contemporary challenges of chapati rolling ( or not!)  child-care and career-making.  This talk sketches a broad overview of varying female voices from selected Hindu sacred texts and explores their relevance to Hindu women today.
 
Anuradha Dooney was awarded her BA in Social Science, from University College Dublin, and her MSt in the Study of Religion, from Oxford University. Her masters thesis was an exploration of faith development in the Vaishnava tradition. She is currently a Fellow of the OCHS, acting as a faculty member of the Continuing Education Department. Anuradha has been a tutor for courses in London, Birmingham, Oxford, Cambridge, and Leicester since 2003. She has acted as the principal curriculum writer for undergraduate degree courses granted by the University of Wales, Lampeter, courses taught in the UK and Belgium. She has also organised and run academic and interfaith workshops, seminars and conferences internationally. Anuradha is a respected lecturer and broadcaster.
Organiser: 
Nehru Centre – London
nehrucentre@btconnect.com
(020) 7491 3567
Friends Event: Hinduism & Christianity in Dialogue

Friends Event: Hinduism & Christianity in Dialogue

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Friends Event: Hinduism & Christianity in Dialogue

Leicester Friends Event
Saturday, 17 December 2011 – 6:30pm to 9:00pm
Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre
Rothley Street
Leicester LE4 6LF
 
Lecture by Shaunaka Rishi Das, Director of The Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies
 
Response by The Venerable Richard Atkinson, Archdeacon of Leicester
 
In this talk Shaunaka Rishi Das will outline some of the issues facing engaged Hindus and Christians as they develop their relationships. He will ask who writes the rules of dialogue and suggest ways of approaching relationships which may build good foundations for understanding, and a more profound practice of respect. Shaunaka will also address a number of key ideas where Hindus and Christians have struggled to gain a meeting of minds, and of hearts.
Organiser: 
Friends of the OCHS – Leicester
lf@ochs.org.uk
 
Sherwood Forest: Barclays cycle for the poor (of the OCHS)

Sherwood Forest: Barclays cycle for the poor (of the OCHS)

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Sherwood Forest: Barclays cycle for the poor (of the OCHS)

Tuesday, 29 November 2011
 
Fifteen bankers from the Barclays Non-Resident-Indian (NRI) banking team in the United Kingdom took part in a ten-kilometre bicycle and tricycle ride. The enthusiasm in supporting a good cause was inspiring. This transfer from the rich to the poor in a different age took place in Sherwood Forest, once home to the famous Robin Hood. The team were in high spirits and they all had a great time. We are pleased to report that no one fell of their bicycles.
 
Barclays employees around the world are encouraged and supported to give their time and skills to their chosen community causes. The Bike-a-Thon raised five thousand pounds, which Barclays matched with three thousand pounds by conducting a matched fund raising event to support one of their recognised charities.
 
Shaunaka Rishi Das, the director of the OCHS was also present at the event. He joined the ride, which took place around the beautiful paths of Centre Parcs in Sherwood Forest. He was pleased with the results of the event and was happy to discuss the benefits this funding would bring to the Centre. “The funds we have raised here enable us to support bright students and scholars from around the world to gain a mature understanding of Indian thought and practice.”
Barclays Bike a thon Oct 2011
Friends Event: Free will and Destiny in the Bhagavad-gita

Friends Event: Free will and Destiny in the Bhagavad-gita

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Friends Event: Free will and Destiny in the Bhagavad-gita

Leicester Friends Event
Saturday, 26 November 2011 – 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre 
Rothley Street
Leicester LE4 6LF
 
A talk by Anuradha Dooney of the Oxford Centre For Hindu Studies
 
In this talk Anuradha will explore questions about free will and destiny as she finds them discussed in the Bhagavad-gita. How much choice do we really have in life, and how much is dependent on our birth, gender, status etc. Are we ruled by karma, Krishna, or our own desires.
 
These questions of free will and fate are universal, arising from a need to know how our lives are shaped and the value of our decisions. Krishna and Arjuna’s dialogue in the Bhagavad-gita comes to surprising conclusions. In the Hindu Samkhya tradition, the three gunas, or ‘threads’ of sattva, rajas and tamas weave together reality around us. They ‘colour’ our vision of ourselves and others, the choices we make and how we act in the world.Through visual and interactive exercises this presentation offers a fresh opportunity for self-reflection and challenges us to take responsibility for who we are and what we become in life.
Organiser: 
Friends of the OCHS – Leicester
lf@ochs.org.uk
 
Bridges and Barriers report launched at Lambeth Palace

Bridges and Barriers report launched at Lambeth Palace

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Bridges and Barriers report launched at Lambeth Palace

Friday, 25 November 2011

The OCHS ‘Bridges and Barriers to Hindu-Christian Relations’ report, compiled by Dr Jessica Frazier, was launched at the Hindu-Christian Forum (HCF) at Lambeth Palace on 23 November.

 
The Hindu-Christian Forum was hosted by the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams. The event was introduced by the Chairs of the HCF: The Ven. Richard Atkinson, Archdeacon of Leicester, and an OCHS scholar, Ramesh Pattni, Interfaith Chair of the Hindu Forum of Britain. It was addressed by Andrew Stunell MP, Sri Shruti Dharma Das Ji, Baroness Richardson, and Lord Popat.
 
The report, funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government and compiled by the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, was consistently praised by all on the panel and was the basis of the Forum’s discussion. The Archbishop described the report as a ‘very creative and stimulating piece of work, which provides an enormous resource for reflecting on how dialogue can be pursued, and how at the grassroots level it is to be understood and worked with.’ 
 
Speaking of a recent visit to Bangalore, Williams described a day of dialogue with religious leaders from a variety of Hindu traditions as ‘a deeply enriching experience, a day in which we were able to speak simply and directly about our traditions. We were able to say together at the end of that conversation a number of things about our mutual respect and the understanding that we sought.’ The attendees at Lambeth Palace echoed this very sentiment.
Nehru Centre Event: How to Understand the Bhagavad-gita

Nehru Centre Event: How to Understand the Bhagavad-gita

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Nehru Centre Event: How to Understand the Bhagavad-gita

Nehru Centre Event
Monday, 21 November 2011 – 6:30pm to 7:30pm
Nehru Centre
8 South Audley Street 
London,  W1K 1HF
 
A talk by Dr Nicholas Sutton of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies.
 
The Bhagavad-gita is widely known as one the main sacred texts of the Hindu tradition but precise understanding of the message it conveys remains elusive, as is demonstrated by the widely differing interpretations of its meaning.  In this talk, we will consider the ways in which the Gita seeks to offer a reconciliation of differing concepts, including Yoga, Samkhya, devotion and dharma and is able to emerge with a coherent revelation that is central to the contemporary Hindu tradition.
Organiser: 
Nehru Centre – London
nehrucentre@btconnect.com
Leicester Friends Annual Gala Dinner

Leicester Friends Annual Gala Dinner

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Leicester Friends Annual Gala Dinner

Tuesday, 22 November 2011
19th November 2011
FOCHS Leicester – The City Rooms
 
Our Leicester Friends of the OCHS (FOCHS) hosted a gala dinner on 19 November to celebrate the achievements and milestones of the OCHS and the Leicester FOCHS.
 
 
The lively night began with a reception for guests to meet and mingle.
 
The programme kicked off with a short presentation about the OCHS after which Shaunaka Rishi Das, Director of the OCHS, expressed his appreciation and gratitude for the Leicester FOCHS who have worked tirelessly since their incorporation in 2008 to support the OCHS by organising fun events including golf tournaments, sponsored temple walks and hikes.
 
Nishad Shah, the Sales head of the NRI banking team from Barclays, the main sponsors for the evening, gave a short speech which touched on the need for Hindu studies in today’s world.
 
The High Sheriff of Leicester, Resham Singh Sandhu, then went onto emphasise the importance of community and service in today’s world.
Anuradha Dooney, tutor from the OCHS then said grace in Irish and Sanskrit after which a delectable meal was served.
After dinner the keynote speaker, Alpesh Patel of tradermind.com, floored the audience with an intelligent, engaging, entertaining and inspiring talk. The OCHS’s Nick Sutton responded.
 
The MC for the evening was Kamlesh Purohit (BBC) who kept the group entertained through the night.
Friends Event: Human Rights and Right Humans

Friends Event: Human Rights and Right Humans

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Friends Event: Human Rights and Right Humans

Birmingham Friends Event
Saturday, 5 November 2011 – 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Meeting House of the Society of Friends
1 Hamlet Street
Hall Green
Birmingham, B289BG
 
A talk by Anuradha Dooney of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies.
 
Human rights discourse is increasingly at the heart of all moral debate. In this talk we will draw from selected Hindu narratives and philosophical ideas and consider what their perspectives on morality and human rights contribute to the global debate.
Organiser: 
Friends of the OCHS – Birmingham
bf@ochs.org.uk
Amitabh Bachchan and Karan Singh become OCHS Patrons

Amitabh Bachchan and Karan Singh become OCHS Patrons

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Amitabh Bachchan and Karan Singh become OCHS Patrons

Tuesday, 1 November 2011

Renowned actor, Mr Amitabh Bachchan is taking a leading role in support of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies.

Mr Bachchan was invited to the OCHS Patrons Council following his highly successful visit in May 2011 where he delivered the Distinguished Ford Lecture, with Prof. Rachel Dwyer. On inviting Mr Bachchan, OCHS Governor Lord Dholakia said that his presence on the Patron Council, ‘would underline the contribution of the arts to the development of Indian culture and thought through the centuries.’

Mr Bachchan said the OCHS is ‘a sure means of enhancing the study and propagation of Hindu Culture, resulting in better understanding.’

Another recent inductee is Dr Karan Singh, an MP in India’s Rajya Sabha and President of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, among many other distinctions. Dr Singh spoke at the OCHS in May 2011 on the relevance of Indian thought in the modern world.

The OCHS Patrons Council comprises distinguished honorary members who have made a significant contribution in public service and to public discourse. Patrons support the Centre by publicly aligning themselves with the goal of developing the study of Indian thought and culture at the highest levels of academia.

BBC report on Mr Bachchan’s visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14008513

Nehru Centre Event: Literalism, Steam Engines and the Vedas: On the Interpretation of Hindu Sacred Texts

Nehru Centre Event: Literalism, Steam Engines and the Vedas: On the Interpretation of Hindu Sacred Texts

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Nehru Centre Event: Literalism, Steam Engines and the Vedas: On the Interpretation of Hindu Sacred Texts

Nehru Centre Event
Thursday, 20 October 2011 – 6:30pm to 7:30pm
8 South Audley Street 
London,  W1K 1HF
 

Dr Rembert Lutjeharms

How do we understand and apply the teachings of centuries-old texts today? How do we make their teachings, grounded in a social structure that no longer exists, relevant in our modern world? How do we interpret these ideas in the light of contemporary science? In recent decades, the interpretation of sacred texts has become not just the pursuit of a few scholars and theologians in the academies and religious institutions but have become the focus of public debate. How do Hindu sacred texts relate to this discussion? What do Hindu sacred texts teach, and how do we understand what they convey? This talk will examine the nature of Hindu sacred texts and explore the way Hindu theologians throughout the centuries have viewed these texts, how they thought they should be read and understood and how their ideas are relevant for Hindus today.
 
Dr Rembert Lutjeharms from Brussels, Belgium, is the Librarian at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies.He was awarded his BA and MA in Oriental Studies from the University of Ghent, Belgium, and successfully completed his D.Phil. in Theology at the University of Oxford in 2010, focusing on the theology of the sixteenth-century poet and literary critic Kavikarnapura. His research interests are Sanskrit poetry and poetics, early Vaisnava history, and Sanskrit hermeneutics. He is also an editor of the Journal of Hindu Studies, published by Oxford University Press.
Organiser: 
Nehru Centre – London
nehrucentre@btconnect.com
(020) 7491 3567