New Delhi .These days Ram Katha is being organized at America's prestigious Harvard University. The nine-day Ram Katha of spiritual guru Morari Bapu has started at Sanders Theater from August 15 and will conclude on August 23. Sages, saints, scholars and other people from different major pilgrimage sites of India are participating in this event.
Ramkatha has been organized in the context of Tulsi Jayanti in the month of Sawan. During this period, three days of scholarly discussion was also organized from 16th to 18th August. In the programme, topics related to the tradition of Ramkatha, its spiritual aspect and its importance in Indian culture are being discussed.
Morari Bapu gave special importance to truth, love and compassion during the event. He said that the flame lit in the program should be seen as a flame of love rather than a lamp of knowledge. Efforts are being made to present these values on a large scale through Ramkatha.
Academics associated with Harvard's South Asia Studies also participated in the program. An attempt was made to explain the exile journey of Ram, Sita and Lakshman in the context of Indian pilgrimage tradition. The story of Ram's 14-year journey starting from Ayodhya to reach Rameshwaram via Prayag, Chitrakoot, Panchavati and Kishkindha is related.
Scholars involved in Ramkatha told that these places have special importance in Indian religious and cultural tradition. For centuries, devotees have been considering the places associated with Ram's exile as pilgrimage sites. Apart from India, this tradition also influenced the traditions of Ramkatha and Ramlila in many countries of South-East Asia.
During this event, the birth anniversary of Goswami Tulsidas was also celebrated on 19th August. Tulsidas played an important role in making Ramkatha reach the wider society in popular language through Ramcharitmanas. The celebration of Tulsi Jayanti was also linked to the preservation of the tradition of Ramcharitmanas and Ramkatha.
This type of program was started by Morari Bapu in the year 2010 on the occasion of Tulsi Jayanti. The objective behind this has been said to be to carry forward the tradition of Ramkatha and Ramcharitmanas. Over time, such events have been organized at various prestigious places outside India also.
In the Ramkatha organized at Harvard, special importance is being given to the presence of sages, saints and scholars from Ayodhya, Chitrakoot and Varanasi. This is also creating an opportunity for dialogue between Indian religious tradition and the global academic environment.
According to people associated with the program, on one hand this event brings forward the ancient story and text tradition of India, while on the other hand it gives place to discussions related to Indian culture and philosophy in the campus of one of the world's leading educational institutions. During Ramkatha, discussion focused on values like truth, love and compassion is being given prominence.
This nine-day long event will end on August 23. During this, various aspects of Indian spiritual and literary tradition are being put forward through Ramkatha, scholarly discussion and programs related to Tulsi Jayanti.