Shri S.C. Jamir, Hon’ble Governor of Odisha will inaugurate the 2-days event as the Chief Guest. H.E. Shri Esala Weerakoon, High Commissioner-Designate of Sri Lanka in India will grace the occasion as the Guest of Honour. Shri Ashok Chandra Panda, Hon’ble Minister of Tourism & Culture and Shri Debi Prasad Mishra, Hon’ble Minister for Industries, Government of Odisha will also be present in the inaugural session as Guests of Honour.
The focus of the aforesaid academic-cum-business seminar will be to develop awareness and activate an age-old relationship between Sri Lanka and India through fresh initiatives in the field of education, art, culture, Buddhist pilgrimage, tourism, skill developments, joint ventures and commerce.
The 2-days long seminar will comprise of six sessions of diversified subjects like (1) Retracing Shared history (2) Buddhism: Reviving a Common Heritage (3) Development of Tourism and the Buddhist Circuit (4) Joint Ventures and Economic Co-operation (5) Educational Opportunities & Collaborations (6) Cultural Exchanges
Scholars and representatives from prominent Universities and Institutions such as South Asian University, New Delhi; University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka; University of Colombo, Sri Lanka; Utkal University, Bhubaneswar; Ravenshaw University,Cuttack; Odisha Institute for Maritime and South East Asian Studies (OIMSEAS); Utkal Chambers of Commerce & Industry (UCCI); Department of Tourism & Culture, Govt of Odisha; National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Department of Handicraft,Handloom & Textile, Govt of Odisha; Delhi Institute of Heritage Research and Management and National Institute of Oceanography, Goa will enrich the sessions through their expertise.
The seminar will be followed by a 3-days orientation of the Sri Lankan delegates with the heritage of ancient Kalinga. The scholars will get a first-hand experience of the rich Maritime and Buddhist legacy of Eastern India when they will be visiting the Odisha State Maritime Museum at Cuttack and the Buddhist circuit of Ratnagiri-Udayagiri-Lalitgiri (known as the Diamond Triangle). The delegates will also visit the architectural marvels of ancient Kalinga like Konark Sun Temple, Mukteswar Temple and the Rajarani Temple.