Bangkok, March 20 (IANS) Strengthening age-old civilizational ties based on Buddhism, a new Centre for Bharat Studies (CBS) was inaugurated at Maha Chulalongkorn Rajavidyalaya University, the oldest Buddhist university in Thailand, on Thursday.
The inauguration, marking yet another milestone in India-Thailand relations, was done jointly by Ambassador of India to Thailand Nagesh Singh and Phra Sitthivajrabundit who is an Assistant Professor and Vice Rector for Foreign Affairs in the iconic university.
Several venerable monks, distinguished scholars and academics from India, Thailand, and other countries were also present on the occasion.
“The centre seeks to foster greater understanding and scholarship in age-old civilizational ties based on Buddhism as well as India’s role at the global stage in contemporary times. Ambassador Nagesh Singh in his keynote address highlighted the importance of greater academic exchanges between the Centre and the Indian universities to make it a vibrant hub of knowledge,” the Indian Embassy posted on X.
Five such centres in Thailand are already functional at Chulalongkorn University, Silpakorn University, Thammasat University, Mahidol University and Chiang Mai University.
In addition to India Studies Centre, nine India Corners have also been set up in Thai universities — at PridiBanomyong International College of Thammasat University, Chulalongkorn University, Mae Fah Luang University, Surat Thani Rajabhat University, Prince of Songkla University, Chiang Mai University, UbonRatchathani University, Srinakharinwirot University and also in National Library of Thailand.
The bilateral relations between India and Thailand are rooted in history, age-old social and cultural interactions and extensive people-to-people contacts. The shared link of Buddhism is reflected in regular pilgrimages to places of Buddhist interest in India by many in Thailand.
Last month, while addressing SAMVAD virtually, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the deep cultural ties between India and Thailand which have existed for over 2,000 years and underscored the role of Asian traditions in fostering peace and harmony.
The Prime Minister remarked that the Ramayana and Ramakien connect the two nations and that their shared reverence for Bhagwan Buddha unites them. He noted that when India sent holy relics of Bhagwan Buddha to Thailand last year, millions of devotees paid their respects. PM Modi emphasised the vibrant partnership across multiple sectors between India and Thailand, mentioning that India’s ‘Act East’ policy and Thailand’s ‘Act West’ policy complement each other, promoting mutual progress and prosperity.
Prime Minister Modi also highlighted that the First Asian Buddhist Summit was recently held in India under the theme ‘The Role of Buddha Dhamma in Strengthening Asia’. Earlier, India had hosted the First Global Buddhist Summit.
–IANS
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