What could be better than beginning the new academic year with a tour to rejuvenate the mind?
A one-day cultural tour Amritapravas was organized for faculty members at the Bengaluru Campus by the Vedanta Club of the Department of Cultural Education on July 21, 2012.
Over forty faculty members participated. The sites selected for the tour were Veda Vijnana Gurukulam and Pyramid Valley located on the outskirts of Bengaluru.
Veda Vijnana Gurukulam is a novel educational institution that seeks to impart the vast treasure of Vedic knowledge to the younger generations. The institution aims to cultivate a social-outlook and spiritual insights in youth.
The Pyramid Valley is home to the world’s largest Meditational Pyramid. Nestled in a tranquil space, Pyramid Valley helps one connect with the pure bliss inherent in Mother Nature.
“We chose these two spots because we wanted an opportunity to reacquaint ourselves with India’s heritage and culture. All great monuments of India stand testimony to her cultural, architectural, traditional and religious legacies,” stated Mr. V. Shankar Kumaran of the Department of Cultural Education, who helped facilitate the trip.
At the first stop, the Amrita faculty enjoyed an interactive session on Science and Spirituality with Vidvan Ramachandra G. Bhat, Founder of Veda Vijnana Gurukulam. The session provided insights into the relationship between the two modes of cognition, one rational-scientific and the other intuitive-spiritual.
“The session helped us understand that the two subsystems of cognition can be integrated so that a progressive development of knowledge occurs,” stated Mr. Shankar.
At the next stop, the Pyramid Valley, in addition to taking the advantage of meditating in Mother Nature, faculty members attended a talk by Prof. Prasanth, Coordinator, who discussed ways to overcome emotions such as anger, hate, fear and other negativities.
“The purpose of our tour was to enhance our understanding of our culture and heritage. Another important aim was to provide faculty the chance to interact with scholars and researchers in this field,” shared Mr. Shankar.
“We are planning to conduct similar programs during semester breaks, both for teaching as well as non-teaching staff, and students,” he added.
October 19, 2012
School of Engineering, Bengaluru
