India’s ancient centres of learning hold lessons for the future: LG Sinha

Invoking the shared scholarly legacy of Nalanda and Kashmir’s ancient Sharda Peeth, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday urged the younger generation to rediscover India’s knowledge traditions and transform them into a modern intellectual project for a developed India. Platforms such as the Srinagar-Nalanda Dialogue are crucial for preserving India’s cultural heritage, fostering intellectual exchange and promoting the country’s civilisational values on the global stage, he stressed.

Sinha was addressing the Srinagar-Nalanda Dialogue organised by the Ministry of Tourism, Department of Culture, J&K, Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA), National School of Drama and Nava Nalanda Mahavihara University.

Advertisement

He said that our goal is to revive our great inheritances of knowledge and spirituality, strengthen India’s civilizational traditions, and shape a future-oriented education that connects our youth to both the past and modern tech.

“Together, the scholars of Jammu & Kashmir and Nalanda shaped one of the world’s oldest living civilisations. This heritage is our guiding light. The Srinagar–Nalanda Dialogue is our opportunity to carry that light forward with wisdom, courage, and a new vision for Viksit Bharat,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

The Lieutenant Governor called for strengthening India’s soft power and promotion of cultural diplomacy. “Centuries ago, India’s knowledge unified the globe. Today, we can be the bridge the world needs. The world is watching. Let us lead with confidence and compassion,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

The Lieutenant Governor said that youth have inherited a rich legacy of languages, beliefs, artistic traditions, philosophical schools, and varied ways of life. He said this diversity is our greatest strength.

“From Bihar to Jammu and Kashmir, from the temples of Tamil Nadu to the monasteries of Ladakh, from the ghats of Kashi to the valleys of Kashmir, each region preserves its distinct cultural identity and rhythm of life. Our shared aim should be to weave these diversities into a harmonious unity that enriches the nation’s collective consciousness,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

He observed that Indian civilisation has always been defined by its centres of knowledge. Nalanda, Takshashila, Vikramashila, and many others were hubs of global intellectual exchange, attracting travellers from China, Korea, Java, Persia, and West Asia.

“Nalanda is a living intellectual cosmos of its time. It is a seat of critical thinking and curiosity where thousands of scholars in the past engaged deeply with logic, grammar, medicine, mathematics, philosophy, religion, and the arts. Likewise, Jammu and Kashmir was the unique Sharda Peeth of learning, drawing people from afar for instruction across disciplines from mathematics to music.”

He said that our ancient towns are living learning centres and cities such as Nalanda, Srinagar, Jammu, Purmandal, Varanasi, Hampi, Sanchi, Madurai, Puri, and Thanjavur carry centuries of experience and knowledge.