Road to Ayodhya: Event on Capitol Hill Underscore Importance of Cultural Heritage in Contemporary Geopolitics
- Hosted by the nonprofit HinduACTion, ‘Ramayana Across Asia and Beyond,’ was held a little more that a week before the Jan. 22 consecration ceremony at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
HinduACTion hosted an event in D.C. on Jan. 10 to focus on the integration of Ramayana’s teachings in today’s governance and geopolitics. Titled “Ramayana Across Asia and Beyond,” the Capitol Hill conference “aimed to underscore the importance of cultural heritage in contemporary geopolitics,” according to a HinduACTion press release. The event aimed to “highlight the need for a deeper comprehension” of the Indo-Pacific region’s civilizational qualities and value. “This insight “is instrumental for American policymakers to develop nuanced relationships with the 16 nations in the region,” the press release added.
The event comes a little more that a week before the Jan. 22 consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The ceremony will mark the culmination of a week-long Amrit Mahautsav, which will begin on Jan. 16 with various Vedic rituals and a 1008 Hundi Mahayagya, in which thousands of devotees will be fed, the Hindustan Times said.
Addressing the event, India’s Ambassador to the U.S. Taranjit Singh Sandhu, said “Ramayana is a bridge across geographies and teaches people about the complexities of human relationships and the eternal struggle between good and evil.”He said the ancient text’s “timeless wisdom transcends geographies, across the Indo-Pacific and beyond.”
Joining him were Ambassador of Thailand to the U.S. Tanee Sangrat as well as Reps. Jim Baird (R-In.), Max Miller (R-Ohio), and Sri Thanedar (D-Mich). Key embassy staff from Bangladesh and Guyana, as well as representatives from the offices of Reps. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), Congresswoman Sarah Jacobs (D-Calif.), and Congressman David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) also marked their presence.
In his address, Thanedar condemned the recent attacks on Hindu temples in the U.S., saying such incidents should not be tolerated. “We should not tolerate any kind of phobia,” he said, adding that “religions are about love, helping each other and doing good things for each other.”
Jay Kansara, one of the organizers and co-curators of the exhibit at the event said that not many in the Congress would have been aware of the cultural and geopolitical significance of the Ramayana for so many nations around the world, especially in the Indo-Pacific region.”The story of Ramayana transcends millennia, and its message of ethical governance, coalition building and respect for family values are relevant now more than ever before.”
Utsav Chakrabarti, co-curator of the exhibit and executive director of HinduACTion, said he strongly believes that “America as a nation should engage our friends in the Indo-Pacific through a civilizational lens, and the Ramayana and the message it carries, provides us with such a lens.” According to him it’s the reason why the epic has “transcended boundaries of ethnicity, language, culture and religion in each of these nations and has found a place of respect and reverence in them,” he said. “This civilizational message has the power and strength to “unite us in our stand against China and its machinations in the region.”
A cultural dance performance of the Ramayana complemented the backdrop of exhibition panels, illustrating the epic’s interpretation across various Indo-Pacific nations. A significant highlight was the participation of members from the Afghan Hazara community, who shared their experiences in safeguarding Buddhist and Hindu monuments in Afghanistan from the Taliban. Each dignitary was honored with a Tibetan shawl by HinduACTion, symbolizing the event’s spirit of unity and respect for diverse traditions.
HinduACTion is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. dedicated to empowering American pluralism by integrating STEM, meditation, and yoga with Hindu civilizational wisdom for inclusive policies, media accuracy, and community engagement. The Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit is “dedicated to empowering American pluralism by integrating STEM, meditation, and yoga with Hindu civilizational wisdom for inclusive policies, media accuracy, and community engagement.”