Post on 15-Mar-2023
Vadnagar International Conference for
Promoting Archaeological Heritage & Culture
18th to 20th May, 2022 Gandhinagar, Gujarat
Agenda
About Vadnagar
Conference Overview
Session and Speakers
Conference Highlights
Avenues for Collaboration
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About Vadnagar
Vadnagar is an ancient town located in Mehsana district with history of
continuous human settlement starting from 4th – 3rd Century BCE.
Vadnagar was a major trade point, land port of Gujarat and an important
Buddhist learning centre in western India, was visited by Xuanzang in 641 CE.
The town is known for it pluralistic culture and heritage along with significant
architectural and historical monuments such as Kirti Toran, Hatkeshwar
Mahadev Temple etc.
Vadnagar has been an active site for archaeological excavations for last 70
years, with findings of historical importance.
Through archaeological excavations and historical sources, we have found
evidence of sustainable water conservation practices
Conference Overview
Proposed Date
18th to 20th May 2022
Venue
Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar
Accommodation for Speakers
The Leela, Gandhinagar
Knowledge Partners
IIT Gandhinagar
Anant National University CEPT University
In partnership with
University Partners
Knowledge Partners
Speakers & Participants
Speakers From
25Total Speakers
17Indian Speakers
08Foreign Speakers
AUSTRALIA | ENGLAND | FRANCE | GREECE | INDIA | JAPAN | SRI LANKA
2500+ Participants
The conference will attract more than 2500 participants across the conference
including academicians, scholars, international delegates, subject experts and
students.
6 SessionsThere are six different sessions organized during the conference covering History,
Culture and Archaeological Heritage of Vadnagar along with Global Perspectives.
Delegates & Keynotes Speakers
Inaugural Session
• Hon’ble Prime Minister of India (Subject to Approval)
• Hon’ble Minister of Culture, Govt. of India
• Hon’ble Chief Minister of Gujarat
• Hon’ble Minister, Sports Youth & Cultural Activities, Govt. of Gujarat
Other Prominent Speakers
UNESCO Representative to Bhutan, India, Maldives and
Sri LankaMr. Eric Falt Opening Remarks
UNESCO Chair on Inclusive Museums and Sustainable
Heritage DevelopmentDr. Amareswar Galla Welcome Address
Visiting Professor, Humanities and Social Sciences- IIT
GandhinagarProf. Michel Danino Session Moderator
Dr. Nick Merriman Prof. Robin Coningham Dr. Ken Ishikawa
Prof. Sara Ahmed Dr. Krishan Pal Singh + 17 more
Former Professor and Vice-Chancellor at the Deccan College,
Post Graduate and Research InstituteProf. Vasant Shinde Conference Rapporteur
Timeline
Day 1: 18th May 2022
Wednesday
Day 2: 19th May 2022
Thursday
Day 3: 20th May 2022
Friday
10:00 AM 12:00 PM 3:00 PM 6:00 PM 9:00 PM
Session 3 Session 4 Session 5 BreakNetworking
Dinner
Cultural Programme Other Activities / Lunch / Tea / Student Presentation / Felicitation
Inaugural
SessionSession 1 Session 2
Day ends at 5:30 PM
Session 6 Site visit to Vadnagar(Starts at 3:30 PM)
Dinner &
Cultural night
Concl.
SessionBreak
Session 1
Archaeological Discoveries and Interpretation
Session 1
Archaeological Discoveries and Interpretation1
Conference Sessions
The conference structure has been worked with more emphasis on the research work that has been carried out on
Vadnagar. The following below themes has been proposed for the International Conference
Conference Sessions
Session 3
Traditional Water Management Practices at Vadnagar and Gujarat3
Session 2
History, Heritage and Cultural Landscape of Vadnagar2
Session 6
Global perspectives on Archaeological Museums and Heritage Conservation6
Session 5
Gujarat and the World (Maritime and Cultural Exchange)5Session 4
Buddhist Heritage of Gujarat4
Session 1
SESSION
1 Archaeological Discoveries and Interpretation
Wednesday, 18th May 2022Day 1
2 hrs 30 mins | 12:00 to 15:20 hrsmSession Time
06No. of Speakers
Shri Y. S. Rawat Vadnagar: A Saga of 2500 years of uninterrupted Civilization
Dr. Arati D. MukherjeeTracing the origins, growth and development of the shell Bangle industry at
Vadnagar
Dr. Pankaj Goyal Observations on the Faunal Remains excavated from the site of Vadnagar, Gujarat
Dr. Rajesh Agnihotri Botanical studies and Agricultural practices at Vadnagar
Dr. Siddharth PrizomwalaFirst archaeoseismic evidence of a palaeo-earthquake from Vadnagar, Mainland
Gujarat
Dr. Abhijeet Ambekar Archaeological Excavations at Vadnagar – recent findings
SESSION
2 History, Heritage and Cultural Landscape of Vadnagar
Wednesday, 18th May 2022Day 1
1hr 30 mins | 15:20 to 16:50 hrsSession Time
03No. of Speakers
Session 2
Dr. Susan Verma Mishra Vadnagar: A Strategically Located Buddhist site and its Multiple Facets
Dr. Ramesh Atmaram OzaVadnagar in Ancient texts and literature
Dr. Margi Hathi Nagar community of Vadnagar and their contribution
SESSION
3 Traditional Water Management Practices at Vadnagar and Gujarat
Thursday, 19th May 2022Day 2
1hr 30 mins | 10:00 to 11:30 hrsSession Time
03No. of Speakers
Session 3
Dr. Navin Juyal Hydrological characteristics of the northern alluvial plain rivers in Gujarat
Dr. Krishan Pal SinghAncient Water Structures and Lakes at Vadnagar
Prof. Sara Ahmed Visualising Water Heritage – Living Water Museum
SESSION
4 Buddhist Heritage of GujaratThursday, 19th May 2022Day 2
2hr 20 mins | 12:10 to 15:30 hrsSession Time
06No. of Speakers
Session 4
Shri Y. S. RawatBuddhist remains at Vadnagar, Taranga Hill and Interpretation of travel records of
Xuanzang
Prof. Shrikant GanvirThe Emergence and Development of Buddhism in Gujarat: Textual and
Archaeological Sources
Dr. Ken IshikawaSignificance of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain archaeological remains in North Gujarat
and special focus on Vadnagar findings
Prof. V.H. SonawaneArchaeology of Rock Paintings Depicting Stupas in Gujarat in the backdrop of
Buddhist remains at Devnimori and Vadnagar
Prof. Robin Coningham
Prof. K Krishnan
Archaeology, Geophysics and Cultural Heritage Management of Sites of Buddhist
Pilgrimage within South Asia
Session 5
SESSION
5Gujarat and the World
(Maritime and Cultural Exchange)
Thursday, 19th May 2022Day 2
1hr 30 mins | 15:30 to 17:00 hrsTime
03No. of Speakers
Prof. Himanshu Prabha Ray Vadnagar and its Sailing Networks: Maritime links and Communities
Prof. Alok Kumar Kanungo Early Historic to Ethnography Beads from Gujarat: A case study at Vadnagar
SESSION
6 Global Perspectives on Development of Archaeological Museums
Friday, 20th May 2022Day 3
2hrs 10 Mins | 10:00 to 12:00 hrsTime
05No. of Speakers
Session 6
Dr. Nick Merriman An International Overview of Archaeological Site and Museum Interpretation
Mr. Ratish Nanda Recreating & Promoting Heritage Conservations and Archaeological Interpretation
Shri Tapan BhattacharyaConservation Approaches to excavated brick Structures and Architecture in
Archaeological Contexts
Ms. Anusha Kasthuri Arachchilage Role of Technology in the investigation, interpretation, presentation of artifacts
Prof. Ioannis PouliosLiving heritage, Tourism and Sustainable Development, Business strategies for
heritage organizations, Designing visitor experiences
Conference Highlights
Poster Presentation by Students/ Scholars
Display of Students works/Research on the subject related field
MoU with Universities
For historical research and condition assessment of monuments
Coffee Table Book
To publish a Coffee Table book on Vadnagar Archaeological Heritage and Culture
Archaeological Exhibition
To display the artifacts discovered from the excavation of the Vadnagar site. State and ASI to be involved
Vadnagar Charter on Heritage Tourism
The "Charter” will be a standard setting instrument and framework for the identification of tangible heritage
Conference Compendium
Abstract received from the speakers will
be reviewed and published in the form of
Compendium
Avenues for Collaboration
During the Conference
Post Conference
Active Participation of Universities
We seek the active participation of various universities in presenting their work on Vadnagar and other relevant aspects pertaining to Gujarat through its students and researchers. A separate session has been planned for the student/researcher poster presentations
Knowledge Sharing
We also invite relevant faculty members working on the themes of the conference to grace the event and be apart of this unique platform of knowledge sharing and dissemination
Multi Disciplinary Research
We invite various universities for collaborating in carrying out multi disciplinary research on Vadnagar and other historically significant archaeological sites though its students, faculty and academicians.
Documentation and Creating Database
Along with research we also would wish to collaborate to support in the documentation and creation of suitable database of Archaeological heritage sites including their condition assessment
Detailed Schedule | Day 1: 18th May 2022
Inaugural Session
9:50 AM 10:00 AM 0:10 Arrival of Dignitaries at Mahatma Mandir ,Gandhinagar
10:00 AM 10:02 AM 0:02 Lighting of the Lamp
10:02 AM 10:04 AM 0:02 Felicitation of dignitaries on the dais
10:04 AM 10:14 AM 0:10Introductory remarks by UNESCO Representative to Bhutan,
India, Maldives and Sri Lanka
Mr. Eric Falt
(UNESCO)
10:14 AM 10:17 AM 0:03Welcome Address by Shri Govind Mohan, IAS, Hon’ble
Secretary (Culture), Govt. of India
10:17 AM 10:22 AM 0:05 Speech by Hon’ble Minister (Culture), Govt. of India
10:22 AM 10:32 AM 0:10 Inaugural Speech by Hon’ble Chief Minister of Gujarat
10:32 AM 10:42 AM 0:10 Keynote address by VIP/VVIP Guest 1
10:42 AM 10:57 AM 0:15 Keynote address by VIP/VVIP Guest 2
10:57 AM 11:00 AM 0:10 Buffer Time
11:00 AM 11:30 AM 0:30 Tea Break
Time Duration Activities / Session Speaker
Detailed Schedule | Day 1: 18th May 2022
11:30 AM 11:50 AM 0:20Keynote Speech by UNESCO Chair on Inclusive Museums &
Sustainable Heritage DevelopmentProf. Amareswar Galla
12:00 PM to 3:10 PM 3:10Session 1: Archaeological Discoveries and
Interpretation at Vadnagar6 Speakers
12:00 PM 12:20 PM 0:20Archaeological excavations at Vadnagar: A Saga of 2500
years of uninterrupted CivilizationShri Y. S. Rawat
12:20 PM 12:40 PM 0:20 Archaeological Excavations at Vadnagar – recent findings Dr. Abhijeet Ambekar
12:40 PM 1:00 PM 0:20Tracing the origins, growth and development of the shell
Bangle industry at Vadnagar
Dr. Arati Deshpande
Mukherjee
1:00 PM 1:20 PM 0:20Observations on the Faunal Remains excavated from the site
of Vadnagar, GujaratDr. Pankaj Goyal
1:20 PM 1:40 PM 0:20Botanical studies and Agricultural practices at Vadnagar
through usage of Radiocarbon datingDr. Rajesh Agnihotri
1:40 PM 2:30 PM 50 Lunch
2:30 PM 2:50 PM 0:20First archaeoseismic evidence of a palaeo-earthquake from
Vadnagar, Mainland Gujarat
Dr.Siddharth
Prizomwala
2:50 PM 3:20 PM 0:30 Panel discussion and Q&A on Session 1 Panel Discussion
Time Duration Activities / Session Speaker
Detailed Schedule | Day 1: 18th May 2022
3:20 PM to 4:30 PM 1:30Session 2: History, Heritage and Cultural Landscape of
Vadnagar3 Speakers
3:20 PM 3:40 PM 0:20Vadnagar: A Strategically Located Buddhist site and its Multiple
Facets
Dr. Susan Verma
Mishra
3:40 PM 4:00 PM 0:20 Nagar community of Vadnagar and their contribution Prof. Margi Hathi
4:00 PM 4:20 PM 0:20 Vadnagar in Ancient texts and literatureDr. Ramesh Atmaram
Ojha
4:20 PM 4:50 PM 0:20 Panel discussion and Q&A on Session 2 Panel Discussion
4:50 PM 5:10 PM 0:20 Tea Break
5:10 PM 5:30 PM 0:35 Poster Exhibition by Students Students
Time Duration Activities / Session Speaker
Detailed Schedule | Day 2: 19th May 2022
Time Duration Activities / Session Speaker
9:30 AM 9:45 AM 0:15 Arrival of Dignitaries at Mahatma Mandir ,Gandhinagar
9:45 AM 10:00 AM 0:15 brief about the day's schedule & activities
10:00 AM to 12:10
PM2:10
Session 3: Traditional Water Management practices at
Vadnagar and Gujarat4 Speakers
10:00 AM 10:20 AM 0:20Hydrological characteristics of the northern alluvial plain rivers in
GujaratDr. Navin Juyal
10:20 AM 10:40 AM 0:20 Ancient Water Structures and Lakes at Vadnagar Dr. Krishan Pal Singh
10:40 AM 11:00 AM 0:20 Visualising Water Heritage – Living Water Museum Prof. Sara Ahmed
11:00 AM 11:30 AM 0:30 Panel discussion and Q&A on Session 3 Panel Discussion
11:30 AM 12:00 PM 0:30 Tea Break
Detailed Schedule | Day 2: 19th May 2022
Time Duration Activities / Session Speaker
12:10 PM to 3:30 PM 3:20 Session 4: Buddhist heritage of Gujarat 6 Speakers
12:10 PM 12:30 PM 0:20Buddhist remains at Vadnagar, Taranga Hill and Interpretation
of travel records of XuanzangShri Y. S. Rawat
12:30 PM 12:50 PM 0:20The Emergence and Development of Buddhism in Gujarat:
Textual and Archaeological Sources Prof. Shrikant Ganvir
12:50 PM 1:10 PM 0:20Significance of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain Archaeological
remains in North Gujarat and special focus on Vadnagar Dr. Ken Ishikawa
1:10 PM 1:30 PM 0:20Archaeology of Rock Paintings Depicting Stupas in Gujarat in
the backdrop of Buddhist remains at Devnimori and VadnagarProf. V.H. Sonawane
1:30 PM 2:30 PM 1:00 Lunch
2:30 PM 3:00 PM 0:30Archaeology, Geophysics and Cultural Heritage Management of
Sites of Buddhist Pilgrimage within South Asia
Prof. Robin Coningham
Prof. K Krishnan
3:00 PM 3:30 PM 0:20 Panel discussion and Q&A on Session 4 Panel Discussion
3:30 PM 3:40 PM 0:10 Break
Detailed Schedule | Day 2: 19th May 2022
Time Duration Activities / Session Speaker
3:40 PM to 5:00 PM 1:20Session 5: Gujarat and the World (Maritime and Cultural
Exchange)4 Speakers
3:40 PM 4:00 PM 3:40 PMVadnagar and its Sailing Networks: Maritime links and
Communities
Prof. Himanshu Prabha
Ray
4:00 PM 4:20 PM 4:00 PMEarly Historic to Ethnography Beads from Gujarat: A case
study at VadnagarProf. Alok Kumar Kanungo
4:20 PM 4:40 PM 4:20 PM
4:40 PM 5:00 PM 4:40 PM Panel discussion and Q&A on Session 5 Panel Discussion
5:00 PM 5:15 PM 0:15 Tea Break
5:15 PM 5:45 PM 0:30 Poster Exhibition by Students
5:45 PM 7:30 PM 1:45 Break
7:30 PM 9:30 PM 2:00 Cultural Programme and Dinner
Detailed Schedule | Day 3: 20th May 2022
Time Duration Activities / Session Speaker
9:30 AM 9:35 AM 0:05 Arrival of Dignitaries at Mahatma Mandir ,Gandhinagar
9:35 AM 9:45 AM 0:10 brief about the day's schedule & activities
9:45 AM to 11:40 PM 1:55Session 6: Global perspectives on development of
Archaeological Museums7 Speakers
9:45 AM 10:05 AM 0:20 An International Overview of Archaeological Site and Museum
InterpretationDr. Nick Merriman
10:05 AM 10:25 AM 0:20 Conservation Approaches to excavated brick Structures and
Architecture in Archaeological Contexts
Shri Tapan
Bhattacharya
10:25 AM 10:45 AM 0:20Recreating & Promoting Heritage Conservations and
Archaeological InterpretationMr. Ratish Nanda
10:45 AM 11:00 AM 0:15 Tea Break
11:00 AM 11:20 AM 0:20
Living heritage, Tourism and Sustainable Development,
Business strategies for heritage organizations, Designing
visitor experiences
Prof. Ioannis Poulios
11:40 AM 12:00 PM 0:20 Summary session by Prof. Vasant Shinde Prof. Vasant Shinde
12:00 PM 12:45 PM 0:45Plenary Session on Key Strategies for development of
Vadnagar as International destination
Detailed Schedule | Day 3: 20th May 2022
Time Duration Activities / Session Speaker
12:45 PM 1:15 PM 0:30 MoU signing with University/Institutes
1:15 PM 1:30 PM 0:15Felicitation of Speakers, Dignitaries and Student participants and
Concluding Ceremony
1:30 PM 2:30 PM 1:15 Lunch
2:30 PM 3:30 PM 1:00 Break
3:30 PM 3:40 PM 0:10 Prepare towards heading to Vadnagar
3:40 PM 5:00 PM 1:20 Travel from Gandhinagar to Vadnagar
5:00 PM 5:30 PM 0:30 Tea Break
5:30 PM 7:00 PM 1:30Visit to Vadnagar excavation site (also Kirti Toran, Hatkeshwar
Temple, Buddhist Stupas and other attractions)
7:00 PM 7:15 PM 0:15 Travel from site to Tana Riri/Toran Hotel
7:15 PM 8:45 PM 1:30 Cultural Performance and Dinner arrangements at Vadnagar
8:45 PM 10:15 PM 1:30 Travel from Vadnagar to Gandhinagar