Hindu Heritage Seminar- Rishikesh 2008

Students from more than 20 countries assemble in Hindu Heritage Seminar, Rishikesh – 2008
Scores of students from around the world assembled in the holy land of Rishikesh on the bank of the river Ganga signifying the essence of Hinduism – Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam ( The world is a family.)
It was a 3-day heritage seminar organized by Hindu Heritage Pratisthan from 20th December to 22 December, 2008 at Dayanand Ashram, Rishikesh. The Students from more than 20 countries got a first hand experience of the Hindu way of life. During the rest of the year they study in classrooms and universities, but for these 3 days they experience the culture and spirituality of India.
The first day of the seminar started with yoga and it was followed by lectures on Hinduism and Hindu culture by eminent personalities. Swami Parmatmanandji offered priceless spiritual treasures through his speeches and all the participants became aware of Bharatiya traditions and customs and their scientific and practical aspects. Shri Aruneshwar Gupta, the President of Hindu Heritage Pratisthan also delivered valuable speeches on various aspects of Hinduism. The students enthusiastically took part in all the programmes and created a symphony of cultures traditions and faiths.
In the afternoon, the students offered aarati in the temple at Dayanand Ashram. In the evening, they took part in cultural programmes and enticed everyone with wonderful performances. Indian dance performed by Chinese girls was awesome. The local media in Uttarakhand highly eulogized the wonderful performances by the foreign students. It reflected the universal fact that culture is the language that each individual in the world speaks and understands. Yoga by the students of Japan and Belarus was also amazing.
The next day the students trekked through the bank of Ganga and visited Ram Jhula and Laxman Jhula. They also crossed the River Ganga by boat. In the afternoon all assembled together in front of Parmarth Niketan for Ganga Aarati. After the aarati, the students got the unique opportunity to personally interact with Swami Chidananda Saraswati Maharaj.
The next day, the students moved to Hardwar and witnessed the colorful Aarati of Ganga Maiya. The 3-day seminar was not only made the students experience the essence of Hinduism but also offered a kaleidoscopic view of Indian cultures and traditions. Moreover, the students got the opportunity to meet students from various countries studying in different educational institutes in India. Undoubtedly, this seminar organized by Hindu Heritage Seminar enriches the short span that the foreign students spend in India. All the participants thanked Hindu Heritage Pratisthan including its coordinators, Mr. Devender Diwan, Ajay Kumar and Arun Kumar for successfully organizing such a significant seminar.
The Participants
COUNTRY STUDENTS
Afganistan Zaki Azmal
Faisal Rahman
Subghatullah
Noor Rahman
Hamayoun
Rahmatullah
Fahim Aatif
Ahmad Sharif
Armenia Mratsakanyan Norine
Belarus Alena Askirka
China Ren Xiaoke
Di Yifang
Bao Di
Chen Junzhi
Yang Liyuan
Gao Qing Wei
Tang Bin
Liu Jun
Li Ming
Fiji Jainesh Prasad
Ashika Devi Chand
Georgia Rusudan Iuanishuili
Tinatin Popiashvili
Guyana Naitram Lalaram
Indonesia Martha Muliana
Italy Paolo Eugenio rosati
Pintus Consuelo
Japan Haruka shishinai
Nagi Fukuyama
Yu Fukuhara
Jordan Naji Qutetshat
Kyrgistan Nurshaim Tilenbaeva
Aizat Zhetibaeva
Aizada Akmatalieva
Mauritius Deeya Khomal Nathoo
Zakia Chummun
Mongolia Altntulkhuer
Nepal Babu Raja Bajracharya
Alok Kuma Gupta
Palestine Alok J M Albz
Russia Elena Shtapkina
Konstantinovskaya Violetta
Sri Lanka Anuradhi Nayomi Dehigolla
M.M. Nyana Nuwang Kumari
K.G. Erandi Karunarathna
SMSSMPK Arampola
Sinhalage Udara Prasanti Dharmasena
Godayalage Nadeeka Gayanie Amarasena
T.M. Lakshi Indunil Muthugama
Chamila Rupasinghe
Prasanna Premarathna
EM Ruwini Edirisinghe
S. Chamila Kumari
Ma Thulsi Gayani Gunasinghe
Surinam Mathoera Indersingh
Taiwan Chen Chien Huei
Thailand Junteera Danpo
Turkmenistan Gulnabat Hallyyeva
Ukraine Pylat Nataliya
Rybalkina Luliia
COORDINATORS:
Devender Diwan
Ajay Kumar
Arun Kumar

Article by – Pankaj Kumar Sharma