Category: Friends

Friends Event: South Indian Religion, a lecture by Professor M. Narasimhachary

Friends Event: South Indian Religion, a lecture by Professor M. Narasimhachary

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Friends Event: South Indian Religion, a lecture by Professor M. Narasimhachary

Leicester Friends Event
Saturday, 25 February 2012 – 6:30pm to 9:00pm
Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre
Rothley Street
Leicester LE4 6LF

A lecture by Professor M. Narasimhachary, Shivdasani Visiting Fellow of the Oxford Centre For Hindu Studies 

 
These highly acclaimed lectures – brought to you each month – are presented by renowned, expert speakers from the Oxford Centre For Hindu Studies. They explore challenging issues connected to Hindu scripture and dharma which provide a forum for education and debate. The speakers actively encourage audience participation and interaction.
Organiser: 
Friends of the OCHS – Leicester
lf@ochs.org.uk
Friends Event: Hindu approaches to religious pluralism

Friends Event: Hindu approaches to religious pluralism

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Friends Event: Hindu approaches to religious pluralism

Leicester Friends Event
Saturday, 28 January 2012 – 6:30pm to 9:00pm

Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre, 
Rothley Street,
Leicester LE4 6LF

A talk by Lucian Wong Student of the Oxford Centre For Hindu Studies

Religious plurality is a pervasive feature of the multi-cultural society in which we live, presenting challenges and opportunities to persons of faith. The existence of multiple and divergent religious currents is, of course, nothing new to Hinduism. This talk will explore the ways in which Hindu texts and traditions address the issue of religious pluralism.

Organiser: 
Friends of the OCHS – Leicester
lf@ochs.org.uk
 
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
 
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
 
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

Friends Event: One-Day Course

Friends Event: One-Day Course

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Friends Event: One-Day Course

Leicester Friends Event
Saturday, 15 October 2011 – 9:30am to 5:30pm
 
Cost: £50 including lunch
 
For more information and bookings contact Ramila Chauhan on 07801 241296 or lf@ochs.org.uk
 
Session One: The Origins and History of the Hindu Religion
In this session we will first look at different views on the origins of the Hindu religion, noting the importance of the Vedas and the significance of the ancient culture of the Indus Valley. We will then explore the way in which the history of India has had an influence on its religious culture, noting in particular the impact of foreign invasions and foreign rule.
 
Session Two: The Hindu Scriptures
In this second session we will begin by considering where authority lies in establishing Hindu teachings, with particular emphasis on the authority and status of sacred texts. We will then conduct a brief overview of the identity, content and teachings of those scriptures that are accepted and revered by the majority of practising Hindus, noting the role they play in the religious and cultural life of the Hindu community.
 
Session Three: Hindu Religious Philosophy
Here we will focus on the doctrines espoused within the Hindu religious tradition, noting in particular the varying interpretations of Vedanta. Whilst Shankaracharya teaches the absolute identity of individual soul and the Supreme Brahman, devotional Hinduism maintains a clear distinction between God and humanity, and in this session we will be looking at how it is that a single religious tradition can embrace variant religious doctrines.
Organiser: 
Friends of the OCHS – Leicester
lf@ochs.org.uk
07801 241296
Friends Event: Yoga and Hinduism

Friends Event: Yoga and Hinduism

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Friends Event: Yoga and Hinduism

Leicester Friends Event
Saturday, 24 September 2011 – 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Jalaram Community Centre
Narborough Road
Leicester LE3 0LF
 
Today many millions of people in the Western world and in India practice some form of Yoga. It is well known that Yoga originates in India but the relationship with Hindu religious teachings is frequently misunderstood. In this talk Nick Sutton will consider the relationship between Yoga and Hindu teachings and show how Yoga should properly be understood as an expression of Hindu spirituality.
 
Organiser: 
Friends of the OCHS – Leicester
lf@ochs.org.uk