ICCR Hosts Conference Advocating Classical Language Status for Pali

ICCR Hosts Conference Advocating Classical Language Status for Pali

Sub: History

Sec: Art and Culture

Why in News

The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) organized a significant conference in Colombo, Sri Lanka, focused on advocating for the recognition of Pali as a classical language in India. This gathering brought together Buddhist scholars and monks from countries such as Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar, and Bangladesh, highlighting Pali’s cultural and religious importance in Buddhist traditions.

About Pali:

Pali is the canonical language of Theravāda Buddhism, containing essential Buddhist scriptures like the Tripitaka.

The Pali Canon, known as the Tipitaka, was first orally transmitted and later written down in Sri Lanka in the 1st century BCE.

Pali is considered an early Prakrit language, closely related to the vernacular dialects spoken during the time of Buddha.

Pali’s use declined in India after the 12th century, but it was revived by Buddhist scholars in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Thailand.

Pali is often called a “dead language” as it was mainly a literary and liturgical language, not spoken as a native tongue.

The spread of Pali through Buddhist texts helped promote Indian culture and spirituality in Southeast Asia.

Pali continued to be preserved and promoted by councils, especially the Sixth Buddhist Council held in Myanmar in 1954–1956.

Granting classical status to Pali would help conserve the language and recognize its contributions to spiritual and cultural heritage.

About Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR):

The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) is an autonomous body under the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.

Established in 1950 by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, ICCR’s mission is to promote Indian culture globally and foster cultural exchanges with other nations.

It is an autonomous organisation of the Government of India, involved in India’s external cultural relations i.e., cultural diplomacy.

Its objectives are:

• to actively participate in the formulation and implementation of policies and programmes pertaining to India’s external cultural relations.
• to foster and strengthen cultural relations and mutual understanding between India and other countries,
• to promote cultural exchanges with other countries and people, and to develop relations with nations.

It is running 36 cultural centres in different countries with the promotion of Indian culture and projecting India as a hub for higher education.

It instituted several awards for foreign nationals as a way to promote India’s culture abroad:

• Distinguished Indologist Award
• World Sanskrit Award
• Distinguished Alumni Award – Citation and Plaque
• Gisela Bonn Award