An Indian delegation visited Kyrgyzstan from July 4 to 7 to participate in the inauguration of the International Centre for Civilizational Studies “Manas and Mahabharata”, established by the Manas National Academy in collaboration with the Centre for Studies of International Relations (CSIR), New Delhi.The inauguration also saw the signing of trilateral cooperation agreements between the Manas National Academy, the CSIR and seven universities in Kyrgyzstan, including KNU, BSU, AUCA and Ala-Too. The event also featured the presentation of the first Hindi translation of the Kyrgyz epic Manas. The Kyrgyz Embassy in India and the Indian Embassy in Kyrgyzstan supported the event.Sunil Ambekar, member of the National Executive Committee and Head of Media and Communications of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), attended the event as the chief guest. The Indian delegation also included Professor Hem Chandra Pande, Professor Ramakant Dwivedi and Dr Punit Gaur.During the visit, the delegation held a bilateral meeting in Bishkek with Oktyabr Kapalbayev, deputy head of the department of Political and Economic Studies and head of the Strategic Planning and Reform Analysis Division at the Administration of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic. Kapalbayev later attended the inauguration along with Durusbek Kozuev, Deputy Minister of Science, Higher Education and Innovation; Salkyn Sarnogoeva, deputy minister of culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy; and India’s Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic, Birender Singh Yadav.The event was attended by political leaders, former ambassadors, Manas reciters, scholars and students.Addressing the gathering, Ambekar said Bharat and Kyrgyzstan share longstanding cultural links and common traditional values centred on human values. He said the Mahabharata has shaped Bharatiya culture, while Manas has played a similar role in the cultural history of the Kyrgyz people. He also acknowledged the work of Professor Ramakant Dwivedi and Professor Hem Chandra Pande on the Hindi translation of Manas and referred to the establishment of the centre as a historic initiative of the National Academy Manas.Dr Punit Gaur said the centre would serve as a platform for scientific, educational and cultural cooperation between India and Kyrgyzstan. He said it aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposal to establish a Civilizational Dialogue Forum to strengthen connections across Eurasian cultures. According to Gaur, the centre will focus on comparative civilizational studies, the epic traditions of the Mahabharata and Manas, history, culture, intercultural dialogue, humanitarian diplomacy, international scientific cooperation and the training of researchers.The ceremony also included the release of the first Hindi translation of the Kyrgyz epic Manas, translated by Professor Hem Chandra Pande and Professor Ramakant Dwivedi.Dwivedi said the translation is based on the Russian poetic retelling by Mar Baizhiev, People’s Writer of the Kyrgyz Republic, and covers all three parts of the epic—Manas, Semetey and Seitek. He said the publication aims to introduce Indian readers to the Kyrgyz epic tradition, promote academic cooperation between the two countries and strengthen collaboration in epic studies, civilizational studies and humanitarian diplomacy.During the visit, the Indian delegation also visited the Chingiz Aitmatov House Museum and the Ata-Beyit National Historical and Memorial Complex.
