Here are the announcement circulars dated 15 October 2004 and 10 February 2004 on the Eleventh International Conference on Maharashtra: Culture and Society, followed by a note on the conference theme by Prof. Iwao Shima
The Eleventh International Conference on Maharashtra:
Culture and Society
(Third Circular: 15 October 2004)
We have great pleasure in announcing that the Eleventh International Conference on Maharashtra: Culture and Society will be held in Tokyo in August 2005. We invite all scholars interested in participating in it to read their papers.
Date: 22 (Monday), 23 (Tuesday) and 24 (Wednesday), August 2005
Venue: Senshu University (Kanda Campus)
3-8 Kanda Jimbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan 101-8425
Tel: +81-3-3265-5973
Theme: Marg(a)
Submission of papers: Participants are requested to submit an abstract of their papers by the end of March 2005 to the Secretary-General (H. Kotani) by e-mail (e-mail address: reji@zf6.so-net.ne.jp). The full paper (A4: 4~8 pages) should be sent to the same e-mail address by the end of July 2005.
Registration and registration fee: We will acknowledge registration upon receipt of an abstract. The registration fee is $100, which will be collected at the time of the Conference.
Local hospitality (board and lodging) from 21st to 24th August 2005 will be provided free of cost.
Convener of the Conference
Professor Masao Naito, Chairman, Organizing Committee
Department of History, Senshu University,
2-1-1 Higashimita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Japan 214-8580
Tel: +81-44-900-7811
Secretary-General
Professor Hiroyuki Kotani, Organizing Committee
Department of History, Tokyo Metropolitan University
Residence: 2-26-2 Kamisoshigaya, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan 157-0065
E-mail: reji@zf6.so-net.ne.jp
Tel/Fax: +81-3-3308-6255
The XIth International Conference on Maharashtra:
Culture
and Society
The
Secretary General of Organizing Committee
H.
Kotani
Tokyo
Metropolitan University (hkotani@bcomp.metro-u.ac.jp)
Second
Circular
(10
February 2004)
The Second Meeting of the Organizing Committee of the the XIth International Conference on Maharashtra: Culture and Society was held in Tokyo (Senshu University) on 8 February 2004 and the Theme of the Conference has been decided as follow:
Marg (Path)
The term Marg or Marga (path, way) has various implications. In a realistic meaning, Marg is a road to some destination like Pandharpur or a road for some purpose such as trade and commerce. Marg may mean even a method to accomplish some political purpose in modern politics. At the same time, Marg has been long used in a symbolic way in Indian culture. Jnaya marga, bhakti marga are quite familiar examples of this. Thus, the theme Marg (Marga) is inclusive enough to accommodate various topics pertaining to Maharashtrian society and culture.
Professor Iwao Shima, an Indologist working on the Jnanesvari, as well as Professor Masao Naito, specializing in the modern political history and political thinkings of Maharashtra, will express their ideas on Marg (Marga) on this mailing list soon. Your responses to their ideas are expected.
Email message from Prof. Iwao Shima sent 13 February 2004
Marg in Religious Context
According to Prof. Kotani’s request I will express my idea on `marg’ especially in its religious context.
1. Religion itself is a `marg’ from this empirical world to the other world.
2. Religion has three aspects, namely, doctrine, religious practice and organization.
3. Formation of the doctrine of a religion, a religious sect or a religious person itself is a `marg’ of them. It means a historical approach to this aspect of religion will be included in our topic ‘marg’.
4. We can say just the same thing on the formation, growth and decline of a religious organization including a temple etc.
5. Almost all the religious practices such as rituals, meditation, pilgrimage etc. are ‘margs’ from the suffering of this world to the liberation from it. And social and political activities of Neo-Buddhist are also a ‘marg’ from the depression to the freedom from it.
6. To conclude, almost all the topics concerning to the religion in Maharashtra will be included in our topic ‘marg’.
Is this idea too rough?
SHIMA Iwao
sima@kenroku.kanazawa-u.ac.jp
Faculty of Letters, Kanazawa University）
Kakuma-cho, Kanazwa
920-1192 JAPAN 920-1192
Tel.+81-(0)76-264-5312
Fax +81-(0)76-234-4062