**Executive Summary**
The Ministry of Culture organized a two-day international conference titled ‘Cultural Interflow between India and Mongolia' through the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) in New Delhi, to celebrate seventy years of diplomatic relations. The conference, inaugurated on February 19, 2024, features presentations by 31 scholars and a special exhibition open to the public until February 25, 2024.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Conference Overview:**
* The conference title is "Cultural Interflow between India and Mongolia."
* It was organized by the Department of Brihattar Bharat and Area Studies of IGNCA.
* The event commemorates 70 years of diplomatic relations between India and Mongolia.
* **Event Details:**
* The conference features 31 scholars from India, Mongolia, the United States of America, France, and other countries.
* 75 research papers are being presented over two days.
* A special exhibition showcasing Mongolian culture is open to the public at IGNCA's Darshanam Gallery until February 25.
* **Key Speakers and Themes:**
* Union Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat emphasized the shared spiritual and cultural traditions.
* He highlighted exchanges in astronomy, calendrical sciences, medicine, literature, and philosophy.
* Secretary Vivek Agarwal noted the shared civilizational memory and cultural kinship.
* He mentioned cooperation in strategic sectors, including oil refinery project, defense, education, and manuscript preservation initiatives.
* Ambassador Ganbold Dambajav described India as Mongolia's spiritual neighbor.
* He noted the expansion of partnership.
* **Cultural and Historical Ties:**
* The conference serves as a platform to examine historical, cultural, and spiritual ties between the two countries.
* Areas of examination include archaeological links, religious and literary traditions, Sanskrit manuscripts, artistic exchanges, and shared material heritage.
* **Preservation Efforts:**
* Efforts are underway to document and preserve shared intangible heritage for multinational recognition at UNESCO under Project Mausam and Project Brihattar Bharat.
* Emphasis is placed on the preservation and digitization of the Mongolian Kangyur to strengthen civilizational dialogue and cultural diplomacy.
**Impact Analysis**
**Scholars from India, Mongolia, the United States of America, France, and other countries**
* **Impact:** Provides a platform to share research, discuss historical and cultural ties, and potentially collaborate on future projects.
* **Action Required:** Present research papers, engage in discussions, and explore opportunities for collaboration.
**Government of India (Ministry of Culture, IGNCA)**
* **Impact:** Reinforces diplomatic relations with Mongolia and promotes cultural exchange.
* **Action Required:** Continue supporting cultural initiatives, documenting shared heritage, and fostering partnerships.
**Mongolian Government**
* **Impact:** Strengthens ties with India and provides a platform to showcase Mongolian culture.
* **Action Required:** Participate in cultural exchange programs and work with India on preservation efforts.
**General Public**
* **Impact:** Opportunity to learn about Mongolian culture through the exhibition at IGNCA.
* **Action Required:** Visit the Darshanam Gallery at IGNCA before February 25 to view the exhibition.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Culture: The Indian government ministry responsible for the conference and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts.
Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA): Autonomous institution under the Ministry of Culture that organized the 'Cultural Interflow between India and Mongolia' conference.
Cultural Interflow between India and Mongolia: The name of the two-day international conference held to mark seventy years of diplomatic relations between India and Mongolia.
India: One of the main countries involved in the international conference, being regarded as a 'spiritual neighbor' to Mongolia.
Mongolia: One of the main countries involved in the international conference with focus on cultural and diplomatic relationship with India.
Ministry of Culture
“India is regarded in Mongolia as a sacred
geography and a ‘Spiritual Neighbor’”- Shri
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
Posted On: 19 FEB 2026 3:54PM by PIB Delhi
The two-day international conference titled ‘Cultural Interflow between India and Mongolia’,
organized by the Department of Brihattar Bharat and Area Studies of the Indira Gandhi National Centre
for the Arts (IGNCA), an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, to
mark seventy years of diplomatic relations between India and Mongolia, was inaugurated at the Samvet
Auditorium of IGNCA in New Delhi today.
A special exhibition showcasing visual representations of Mongolian culture was inaugurated on the
occasion and is open to the public at IGNCA’s Darshanam Gallery until 25 February. The conference
brings together 31 scholars from India, Mongolia, the United States of America, France, and other
countries, with 75 research papers being presented over two days.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Guest Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Shri Gajendra
Singh Shekhawat stated that the conference reflects the shared spiritual and cultural traditions between
India and Mongolia. He observed that exchanges between the two nations have extended beyond religion
to fields such as astronomy, calendrical sciences, medicine, literature, and philosophy. Referring to the
Mongolian Kangyur, he described it as a significant record of linguistic and philosophical scholarship and
emphasized that its preservation and digitization strengthen civilizational dialogue and cultural diplomacy.He recalled the Prime Minister’s reference to India as a ‘spiritual neighbor’ during his 2015 visit to
Mongolia and underlined that the conference marks seventy years of diplomatic relations and centuries of
civilizational bonds.
Shri Vivek Agarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Culture stated that India and Mongolia are shaping a
partnership grounded in shared civilizational memory and cultural kinship. He noted cooperation in
strategic sectors, including the oil refinery project, defense, education, and manuscript preservation
initiatives such as the dissemination of the Mongolian Kangyur. Under Project Mausam and Project
Brihattar Bharat, efforts are being made to document and preserve shared intangible heritage for
multinational recognition at UNESCO.
Ambassador Ganbold Dambajav described India as Mongolia’s spiritual neighbor and a key regional
partner. He highlighted Buddhism as a central shared value and referred to the preservation and translation
of classical Buddhist texts, including the Kangyur and Tengyur. He expressed appreciation for India’ssupport in their dissemination and noted the expanding partnership between the two countries.
The conference provides a platform for scholars to examine the historical, cultural, and spiritual ties
between India and Mongolia, including archaeological links, religious and literary traditions, Sanskrit
manuscripts in Mongolia, artistic exchanges, and shared material heritage.
*******
M Annadurai
(Release ID: 2230228) Visitor Counter : 918
Read this release in: Urdu , ही , Tamil