“India is regarded in Mongolia as a sacred geography and a ‘Spiritual Neighbor'”- Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
18th February, New Delhi:
The two-day international conference titled ‘Cultural Interflow between India and Mongolia’, organised by the Department of Brihattar Bharat and Area Studies of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, to mark seventy years of diplomatic relations between India and Mongolia, was inaugurated with grandeur at the Samvet Auditorium of IGNCA.
Commencing on the auspicious day of the Mongolian Lunar New Year, the inaugural session of the conference was graced by the Union Minister for Culture and Tourism, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, as the Chief Guest. Shri Vivek Agarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Culture, GoI, attended as the Guest of Honour, while His Excellency Mr. Ganbold Dambajav, Ambassador of Mongolia to India, was present as the Special Guest. The welcome address was delivered by Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary, IGNCA. On this occasion, the Conference Convener and Trustee of IGNCA, Professor Nirmala Sharma, and the Head of the Department of Brihattar Bharat and Area Studies, Professor Dharm Chand Chaubey, also shared their reflections.
Following the inaugural session, the dignitaries inaugurated a special exhibition showcasing evocative visual representations of Mongolian culture. The exhibition is on view to the public at IGNCA’s Darshanam Gallery and will remain open until 25 February. The conference brings together 31 scholars from India, Mongolia, the United States of America, France, and other countries. Over the course of two days, 75 research papers will be presented, offering diverse scholarly perspectives on the long-standing cultural and civilisational exchanges between India and Mongolia.
Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said that this conference is more than an academic exercise; it is shaped by shared spiritualistic and artistic traditions and sustained cultural interflow. He noted that the exchange between India and Mongolia has historically extended far beyond religion, encompassing astronomy, calendrical sciences, cosmology, ritual geometry, medicine, and literature. Mongolian calendrical traditions preserve concepts derived from Sanskrit scientific thought, while traditional Mongolian medicine incorporated principles of Ayurveda, with medical manuscripts reflecting strong Indic influence, demonstrating that scientific knowledge travelled alongside spiritual exchange.
He noted that literary traditions further reveal deep connections, with comparative studies drawing parallels between Mongolian historical literature and Indian epics such as the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, particularly in shared themes of morality, duty, sacrifice, and cosmic order. Referring to the Mongolian Kangyur, he described it as a monumental record of linguistic scholarship, philosophical interpretation, and intellectual devotion, whose preservation and digitisation strengthen civilisational dialogue and India–Mongolia cultural diplomacy. Shri Shekhawat observed that India has long been regarded in Mongolia as a sacred geography, recalling the words of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who during his 2015 visit described India as a ‘spiritual neighbour’. Referring to the Brihattar Bharat Initiative, he said Mongolia occupies a vital place in the trans-Asian network of Indian knowledge systems.
Highlighting present priorities, he stressed that manuscript preservation today requires the convergence of conservation science and digital technology, and that this conference provides a platform for cooperation in digital humanities. He underlined that true cultural diplomacy thrives through academic exchange, joint research, and artistic collaboration. Stating that the conference symbolises seventy years of diplomatic relations and more than two thousand years of civilisational bonds, he said that the Mongolian Kangyur stands as a sacred bridge between our people—a bridge of wisdom, faith, and scholarship—and emphasises that preserving heritage is essential to shaping the intellectual and moral imagination of the future.
Shri Vivek Agarwal, while speaking on the occasion, said that India and Mongolia are together shaping a model partnership grounded in shared civilisational memory and cultural kinship. Our collaboration spans strategic initiatives such as the oil refinery project, cooperation in defence and education, and sustained efforts to revive spiritual and manuscript traditions, including the preservation and dissemination of the Mongolian Kangyur through the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. Under the renewed focus of Project Mausam and Project Brihattar Bharat, we aim to document and preserve shared intangible heritage and take it forward for multinational recognition at UNESCO. He emphasised that scholarly dialogue must translate into actionable outcomes, including collaboration in creative and cultural economies, to ensure meaningful and lasting impact for communities in both nations.
Ambassador Ganbold Dambajav, recalling the establishment of the Embassy of Mongolia in New Delhi in 1957 and the commemoration of seventy years of diplomatic relations, described India as Mongolia’s spiritual neighbour and a vital partner in the region. He identified Buddhism as a central shared value, tracing its transmission to Mongolia through successive historical phases and its evolution into a distinctive tradition shaped by nomadic culture. Referring to the preservation of Indian intellectual traditions in Mongolia, he spoke of the monumental translations of classical Buddhist texts, notably the Kangyur and the Tengyur, and expressed gratitude to the Government of India for supporting their wider dissemination.
He further underlined the expanding strategic partnership between the two countries, citing initiatives such as the oil refinery project, the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Centre of Excellence, and the Friendship School, and concluded that shared cultural narratives and spiritual traditions provide a strong foundation for deeper cooperation in the years ahead, while conveying his best wishes for the success of the conference.
Introducing the conference, the convenor, Prof. Nirmala Sharma, stated that the event has brought together 31 scholars from several countries, including Mongolia, the United States, and France. She elaborated on the historical background of India–Mongolia relations and the long tradition of cultural interflow between the two regions. She noted that India–Mongolia relations span over 2,500 years. Cave paintings from Mongolia dating to the fifth century BCE depict two Indians arriving on white horses at the court of a Hun ruler. A coin from the first century BCE discovered in Mathura bears the inscription “Qagan Hagāmaşa.” In the sixth century, the Juan-Jan Empire appointed an Indian monk as its royal preceptor. Between 590 and 604 CE, Indian monks Shakyavansh and Narendrayash travelled to Mongolia. She further mentioned that Genghis Khan’s helmet bore the symbol of the trident, and his imperial standard featured nine tridents.
In his welcome address, Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary of IGNCA, remarked that while diplomatic relations between India and Mongolia are seventy years old, their cultural relations date back thousands of years. He recalled that India traced the sacred Mongolian Kangyur—containing the words of the Buddha—which had long been lost, and subsequently undertook its republication. He noted that 108 volumes of the Kangyur were presented to Buddhist monasteries and academic institutions in Mongolia. Dr. Joshi also observed that the name of Mongolia’s national flag, “Soyambo,” has its etymological roots in the Sanskrit word ‘Swayambhu’. He pointed out that it is the only national flag in the world whose name is derived from Sanskrit, symbolising the cultural bridge between India and Mongolia. Emphasising the future, Dr. Joshi underlined the need for continuous dialogue and sustained cultural exchange between the two countries.
At the conclusion of the inaugural session, Prof. (Dr.) Dharm Chand Chaubey, Head of the Brihattar Bharat and Area Studies Division, expressed his gratitude to the guests, speakers, and visitors, and emphasized that this conference will break new paths in cultural relationships between India and Mongolia.
This two-day international conference brings together scholars and experts to explore the historical, cultural, and spiritual ties between India and Mongolia, reflecting a friendship rooted in shared spirituality, culture, scholarship, art, and civilisational knowledge. The discussions focus on archaeological links, religious and architectural traditions, Sanskrit texts and manuscripts in Mongolia, literary and artistic exchanges, transnational journeys of monks and scholars, and shared material heritage such as coins, sculptures, thangkas, mandalas, and crafts.
