Events

June 1, 2015 at 2:37 pm

Ping Institute Teacher Workshop | ‘The Mahabharata: India’s Great Epic’

Lord Krishna preaching Bhagavadgita to Arjuna at battlefield, Kudroli Gokarnanatheswara Temple, Mangalore, Karnataka, India, Asia

The Charles J. Ping Institute for the Teaching of the Humanities presents The Mahabharata: India’s Great Epic

This three-day workshop for secondary teachers is being held from Wednesday, June 17, to Friday, June 19, 2015, at Ohio University in Athens, OH.

The workshop leaders are Brian Collins, Drs. Ram and Sushila Gawande Chair in Indian Religion and Philosophy, fellow of the Ping Institute, and author of The Head Beneath the Altar: Hindu Mythology and the Critique of Sacrifice and Vishwa Adluri, faculty member at Hunter College, CUNY and co-author of The Nay Science: A History of German Indology.

“No Indian ever hears the Mahabharata for the first time,” remarked the folklorist A. K. Ramanujan of India’s great Sanskrit epic. A story of two warring branches of a great royal family, the Mahabharata incorporates in-depth discussions of ethics, metaphysics, politics, and above all, dharma, the Sanskrit word often translated as “law,” “duty,” or “religion.” It also contains some of India’s best known stories about gods, demons, heroes, and other mythological figures. As the epic says of itself, “What is not here is nowhere else.” The reading for the workshop will be Chakravarthi V. Narasimhan’s The Mahabharata: An English Version Based on Selected Verses, which will be sent to participants in advance.

Enrollment is limited to 10 teachers on a first-come, first-served basis. The Institute will be free of charge. Housing will be paid for by the participants. A block of rooms is available for individual reservation and payment at the Ohio University Inn for $99 + tax per night (June 17 and 18), and must be reserved by Sunday, May 17, for the discounted rate. To make a reservation call 740-593-6661 and ask for a room with the Ping Institute on June 17 and 18.

Registration Information

  • The workshop is free, but registration is required.
  • Preregistration must be received by Wednesday, June 10.
  • To preregister, please email to pinginstitute@ohio.edu. Include your name, home address, email address and school affiliation.

Please contact Bryan Baur at 740-593-2100 or by email at baur@ohio.edu with any questions.

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