Lucknow: The enduring cultural and spiritual bond between India and Mauritius came alive at the Lok Chaupal held at the Press Club in Lucknow. Organized by the Lok Sanskriti Shodh Sansthan, the event centered around the theme of “The Global Context of Ramkatha and Mauritius.” Distinguished Mauritian scholar and cultural icon Dr. Vinod Bala Arun was conferred the Pravasi Bharatiya Lok Sanskriti Samman for her extensive contributions to Ramkatha studies and Indian philosophy.
Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Vinod Bala Arun, who heads the Ramayana Centre in Mauritius, said, “The relationship between India and Mauritius is deeply intimate and blood-bound. Lord Ram serves as a cultural bridge between the two nations. He guides the people of Mauritius and remains a source of strength in their moments of joy and sorrow.”
Celebrating the Universal Spirit of Ram
Opening the discussion, Jitesh Srivastava, President of the organizing institute, delved into the folk prevalence and global dimensions of Ramkatha. He emphasized how the epic transcends geographical and linguistic boundaries.
Dr. Ram Bahadur Mishra, a noted Awadhi scholar, recounted episodes from his travels to Mauritius and praised the work being done by the Ramayana Centre there.
Padma Shri awardee Dr. Vidya Vindu Singh observed, “The indentured labourers who migrated to Mauritius from India carried the Ramayana with them. Their descendants have preserved it with deep reverence.” She added a personal anecdote of discovering a long-lost song related to Sita during her Mauritius visit.
Prof. Surya Prasad Dixit, former Head of the Hindi Department at Lucknow University, described Lord Ram as a convergence of ethics, righteousness, and moral discipline, stating that Goswami Tulsidas foresaw the global appeal of Ramkatha. He traced the journey of Ram’s narrative from the Vedas to global literature, highlighting its universal moral values.
Speakers like Vimal Pant (Kumaon Kokila) and Vedānand Vishwakarma from Prayagraj also shared their insights. A musical highlight of the event was a Ramdhun performance based on eleven classical ragas, directed by Nivedita Bhattacharya and performed by Soumya Goyal, Mihika, Avika, Atharva, Adrika, Avyukta, and Karnika.
The session was moderated by Archana Gupta, Lok Chaupal Coordinator, while the vote of thanks was delivered by Sudha Dwivedi, Secretary of the organizing institute.
Dignitaries Present
The event was graced by several prominent individuals including Anand Prakash Shukla, senior journalist Vivek Shukla, Dr. Apoorva Awasthi, Prof. Seema Sarkar, Sarita Agrawal, Dr. Smita Mishra, Rajnarayan Verma, Ajit Agrawal, Harikrishna Gupta, K.C. Gupta, Namrata Singh, Jyoti Kiran Ratan, Deveshwari Panwar, and Shakuntala Srivastava among others.
Honouring a Luminary: Dr. Vinod Bala Arun
A renowned scholar of Hindi, Sanskrit, and Indian philosophy, Dr. Vinod Bala Arun has served as Senior Lecturer at the Indian Philosophy Department of the Mahatma Gandhi Institute in Mauritius. From 2007 to 2010, she was the first Secretary-General of the World Hindi Secretariat, a collaborative initiative of the governments of Mauritius and India.
She currently heads the Ramayana Centre in Mauritius, established by a government bill in 2001. Her acclaimed research focuses on the ethical values in the Valmiki Ramayana and Ramcharitmanas, and their impact on Mauritian Hindu society. With over three decades of public cultural engagement, Dr. Arun has also hosted spiritual and literary programs on Mauritius National Radio, interpreting devotional poetry, Upanishads, Sanskrit aphorisms, and bhakti songs.
Author of seminal works such as “Sanskar Ramayan”, “Stuti Suman”, “Lachhman Gun Gatha”, and “Ramkatha Mein Naitik Moolya”, Dr. Arun has been previously honoured with the Pravasi Bharatiya Hindi Bhushan Samman by the Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sansthan.
Her recognition at the Lok Chaupal event marks yet another milestone in a lifelong journey devoted to preserving and propagating India’s cultural heritage on the global stage.
