'Manas and Mahabharata' Centre is inaugurated in Bishkek
BISHKEK: India and Kyrgyzstan have taken a significant step towards deepening their cultural, educational and scientific engagement with the inauguration of the International Centre for Civilizational Studies: “Manas and Mahabharata” in Bishkek.
The new centre has been established jointly by the New Delhi-based Centre for Studies of International Relations (CSIR) and the Manas National Academy of Kyrgyzstan. The inauguration also witnessed the signing of tripartite cooperation agreements between the Manas National Academy, CSIR and seven leading Kyrgyz universities, including KNU, BSU, AUCA and Ala-Too.
A major highlight of the event was the release of the first Hindi translation of the Kyrgyz epic ‘Manas’, bringing one of Kyrgyzstan’s most important literary and cultural traditions closer to Indian readers.
Member of the National Executive Committee and Head of Media and Communications at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Sunil Ambekar attended the inauguration as chief guest.
Addressing the gathering, Ambekar highlighted the longstanding cultural links and shared emphasis on human values between India and Kyrgyzstan. He drew a parallel between the civilisational importance of the Mahabharata in Indian culture and the place of Manas in Kyrgyz society, describing the latter as a cultural heritage preserved across generations.
Ambekar also praised the initiative of the National Academy of Manas and acknowledged the efforts of its president Professor Nazira Aaly Kyzy, Gulzat and the scholars involved in translating the epic into Hindi.
The Hindi translation of Manas was prepared by Professor Hem Chandra Pande and Professor Ramakant Dwivedi.
According to Professor Dwivedi, the Hindi version is based on the Russian poetic adaptation of the epic by Mar Baizhiev, People’s Writer of the Kyrgyz Republic. The translation encompasses all three sections of the epic — ‘Manas’, ‘Semetey’ and ‘Seitek’.
The translation is intended to introduce Indian readers to Kyrgyz literary heritage while encouraging greater academic and cultural exchanges between the two countries.
Dr Punit Gaur, Honorary Director of the CSIR Centre for Research in International Relations, said the new institution would provide a platform for expanding scientific, educational and cultural cooperation between India and Kyrgyzstan.
The centre will focus on comparative civilisational studies, epic traditions, history and culture, preservation of cultural heritage, intercultural dialogue and humanitarian diplomacy. It will also promote international scientific cooperation and support the training of emerging researchers.
Gaur said the initiative is aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposal for a “Civilizational Dialogue Forum” aimed at strengthening connections among Eurasian cultures.
Before the inauguration, the Indian delegation held a bilateral meeting with Oktyabr Kapalbayev, who heads the Strategic Planning and Reform Analysis Division of the Administration of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic.
The ceremony was subsequently attended by Kapalbayev, Durusbek Kozuev, Deputy Minister of Science, Higher Education and Innovation; Salkyn Sarnogoeva, Deputy Minister of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy; and Birender Singh Yadav, Ambassador of India to Kyrgyzstan.
The event also brought together political leaders, former ambassadors, scholars, renowned Manas reciters and students.
The Indian delegation included Professor Ramakant Dwivedi, Chairman of the India-Central Asia Foundation and Director of the MERI Centre for International Studies; Professor Hem Chandra Pande, linguist and former Director of the Centre for Russian Language and Literature at Jawaharlal Nehru University; and Dr Punit Gaur.
With the launch of the Manas and Mahabharata centre and the first Hindi translation of Manas, the initiative seeks to create a sustained academic platform for studying the two epic traditions while expanding India-Kyrgyzstan cooperation in culture, education, research and humanitarian diplomacy.
