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Letters by Armenian Genocide Eyewitnesses Should be Published in Several Languages

31 December 11:03

A wreath was laid on behalf of RA Third President Serzh Sargsyan in the Yerablur Military Pantheon

31 December 10:55

Israel and the Occupied Territories: Obliteration of health care system in northern Gaza puts civilians at grave risk

30 December 23:51

605 repatriates participated in workshops and awareness-raising sessions

30 December 19:22

Karen Grigoryan scored 9 points out of 13 at the World Rapid Chess Championship 2024 and shared the 4th-9th places

30 December 14:01

In the upcoming year, the Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs will carry forward its mission with a range of new program initiatives. Zareh Sinanyan

30 December 13:27

As we approach the New Year, I’m happy that the bonds between the people of the United States and Armenia, are stronger than ever. Kristina Kvien

30 December 13:14

Creating a Pan-Armenian Structure for National Survival Now Is Imperative

30 December 12:00

“Artsakh Preservation Front” Public Organization Established in the USA

30 December 10:27

Political struggle and regime change. «ACNIS»

29 December 22:00

Washington Responds to Aliyev’s Accusations of Arming Armenia

28 December 22:49

JAMnews. What do U.S. sanctions against Georgian Dream leader Bidzina Ivanishvili mean?

28 December 19:20

Tina Chakarian: Advancing Armenian Art on the Global Stage at the Venice Biennale

27 December 15:15

Sainte-Croix, The Armenian Catholic Cathedral of France: Preserving the Legacy

27 December 10:27

Yerevan has been featured in the renowned Italian publication Viaggi del Corriere della Sera

26 December 12:17

Amundi-Acba remains committed to supporting Armenia’s economic progress

26 December 11:58

Galaxy Group of Companies marks 2024 with a Leadership Meeting and Awards Ceremony

26 December 11:41

TUMO isn’t just a place where art meets technology. It’s a place where potential meets opportunity, where will meets way, where kids from different worlds sit side by side. Serj Tankian

26 December 10:38

Armenia is emerging as a must-visit destination with a rich cultural tapestry and awe-inspiring landscapes

25 December 21:49

Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs and Keron Development Foundation Partner to Strengthen Diaspora Engagement through iGorts Program

25 December 13:00

Aliyevs Own Many Buildings in London Valued at Hundreds of Millions of Dollars

25 December 10:16

Everything is destroyed, we need a complete, permanent and final reconstruction and the return of the Lebanese from abroad. Former Lebanese Minister

24 December 14:59

Three families who recently relocated from Aleppo to Armenia visited the Repatriation and Integration Center

24 December 14:20

RA NA Council convenes extraordinary sitting

24 December 14:05

Zvartnots recognized as a “Great Place to Work” by the prestigious GPTW

24 December 10:24

The 12th Khachaturian International Festival Concludes

23 December 18:59

Ucom’s Renovated Sales and Service Center in Yerevan Mall Reopens

23 December 17:05

Armenian Artists in Germany Unite around Parajanov Anniversary

22 December 20:27

Truth And Accountability League (TAAL) Condemns the California Democratic Party (CADEM) for Artsakh Genocide Denial, Revisionism, Whitewashing, and For Politicizing the Suffering of Armenians

22 December 15:03

Vicken Bayramian: The Dynamic Dilemma between Certainties and Illusions

21 December 22:47

Armenian President extends condolences over car-ramming attack in Magdeburg

21 December 19:49

Women and Leadership: Shushan Harutyunyan, Co-Founder of AxelMondrian, Hosts Charity Breakfast

21 December 16:33

The Union of Journalists of Armenia strongly condemns the unbridled behavior of the ruling political force and its affiliates towards the media

20 December 23:13

Prospects and Challenges in Armenia–Azerbaijan Peace Talks

20 December 20:00

Economic growth slowed to 4.2 percent (yoy) in October, due largely to a slowdown in services

20 December 19:09

Viva – the main partner of the State Award for Global Investment in High Technologies for 14 years

20 December 18:47

Michael Sukkar MP Sponsors Armenian Political Prisoner Bako Sahakyan

20 December 15:33

There are a number of issues where the interests of the Republic of Armenia and the United States strategically align, one of them being peace in the South Caucasus. Ambassador Makunts

20 December 12:06

The consultations culminated in the signing of the Armenia-Greece bilateral and Armenia-Greece-Cyprus trilateral defence cooperation programs for 2025, which include dozens of events in numerous spheres of the vital activity of the Armed Forces

20 December 11:30

Ben Cardin and Greg Meeks introduced concurrent resolutions to protect the rights of Syria’s religious & ethnic communities

20 December 11:06

Yerevan Declaration of the 8th Ministerial Meeting of the Ancient Civilizations Forum

19 December 22:27

The position of Armenia on unblocking regional transport communication with full respect for state sovereignty, territorial integrity and principles of equality and reciprocity was stressed. Ararat Mirzoyan

19 December 22:00

If Azerbaijan doesn’t have intentions to attack Armenia the likelihood of escalation in the region is zero – PM Pashinyan responds to Aliyev

19 December 20:13

Armenia is committed to constructive and efficient cooperation within the BSEC to advance peace and stability in the Black Sea Region and beyond. Ararat Mirzoyan

19 December 20:00

Ambassador Eric De Muynck mentioned that members of the Armenian community in Belgium are planning visits to Armenia next year

19 December 17:50

Senators Peters And Cassidy Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Calling For Sanctions Against Azerbaijan For Perpetrating Ethnic Cleansing

19 December 12:30

The exhibition dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Sergey Parajanov was opened in Pétange, Luxembourg

19 December 11:09

Day newsfeed

India-Armenia Relations Celebrated at the 46th Session of the UNESCO WHC 2024

July 27,2024 19:01

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The Armenian exhibition at UNESCO’s 46th Session of the WHC in Delhi is over, ambassador and dignitaries from several countries visited the Armenian exhibition and Armenia pavilion.

Arunansh B. Goswami

Delegate of Armenia at UNESCO’s 46th session of the World Heritage Committee Meeting
India, Delhi

India is a civilizational state with marvellous monuments, narrating the glorious Indian saga across the length and breath of this phenomenally diverse country. It is a matter of great joy for Indians that our country is for the first time hosting Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The author of this article participated in the same as a delegate on the invitation of the Armenian embassy in New Delhi. While inaugurating the session, Honourable Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi said, “It is India’s clarion call to the world to come together to promote each others’ heritage and amplify the spirit of human welfare, encourage tourism, and create more job opportunities through the 46th World Heritage Committee meeting.” The Government of India is indeed committed not just to preserving India’s own heritage but also to appreciating and helping preserve the heritage of other nations, which is a manifestation of Indians’ belief in “Vishwababdhutva.”

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India-Armenia Relations

Author of this article explaining Egyptian delegation about the life and legacy of Sarkis Kachadourian. Image Credit: Embassy of the Republic of Armenia.

ndia and Armenia have millennia-old relations, and in order to make esteemed participants in the session more aware of the same, an exhibition titled “Art that Reinstates Friendship: Ajanta Revisited in Armenia” was organised on the margins of the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee, curated by head of the department of Decorative-Applied Art at National Gallery of Armenia,

Dr. Satenik Chookaszian, and assisted by officers of the Armenian embassy in Delhi along with this author. An Armenian pavilion has also been installed at the Bharat Mandapam. The idea for this exhibition came up when India’s Foreign Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar saw the “Ajanta in Armenia” collection of paintings of the Ajanta caves by noted Armenian artist Sarkis Khachaturian at the National Gallery of Armenia in Yerevan, and thanks to the initiative of Republic of Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and His Excellency the ambassador of Armenia to India, Mr. Vahagn Afyan, this exhibition was organised.

Author of this article explaining the ambassador of Georgia about the life and legacy of Sarkis Kachadourian. Image Credit: Embassy of the Republic of Armenia.

The exhibition was attended by Chairperson of the World Heritage Committee, Mr. Vishal Sharma, Permanent Delegate of Armenia to the UNESCO, Mr. Aram Hakobyan, Ambassador of Georgia to India, and Georgia’s permanent representative to ESCAP. His Excellency Vakhtang Jaoshvili, Chairman of the Preservation and Documentation of Antiquities Sector, Supreme Council of Antiquities, of the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Dr. Hisham Elleithy, and several other dignitaries from Eastern Europe, Russian Federation, Kazakhstan and Switzerland. Dr. Chookaszian and this author got an opportunity to make visitors aware about the life and legacy of the great Armenian artist Sarkis Kachadourian, who played an important role in preserving Indian heritage.

Chairperson of WHC, Mr. Sharma, mentioned in his address that India-Armenia relations are very strong and historic, but most people are not aware of them. “It is important that people are made aware of India-Armenia relations using several international forums.” Mr. Sharma mentioned that Armenian people migrated to India when Queen Semiramis invaded India (for the information of readers, we learn about the legendary queen of Assyria and founder of Babylon Semiramis from Greek, Armenian, and Jewish sources; she invaded India, according to Greek author Ctesias of Cnidus).

Apart from Armenian migration to India during Semiramis’ time, Mr. Sharma also mentioned the early Indian settlement in Armenia established by two princes from Kannauj, Krishna and Ganesha. He mentioned several other connections between these two ancient civilisations turned nation-states and the welfare work India is doing in Armenia. After his address, Mr. Hakobyan and then the ambassador, Mr. Afyan, mentioned the importance of the exhibition.

Sarkis Kachadourian

Dr. Satenik Chookaszian head of the department of Decorative-Applied Art at National Gallery of Armenia.

Copies of several paintings of S. Kachadourian based on Ajanta frescoes were displayed in the exhibition. But who exactly was Kachadourian? He was born in the city of Malatia in Western Armenia and studied at Karini Sanasaryan School, the Institute of Fine Arts in Rome, and the School of Decorative Arts in Paris. He played a very important role in the preservation of Indian heritage. He visited Ajanta, Pudukottai, Badami, Kumatgi, and Bagh and organised a one-man exhibition at the Chicago Art Institute in January of 1943, titled “Mural Paintings from the Cave Temples of India in Replica by Sarkis Katchadourian.” His reproductions of the world-famous Ajanta mural paintings are acclaimed as masterpieces in this sphere. Select paintings of the Ajanta caves by him are now in the National Gallery of Armenia in Yerevan.

Diplomats of the Republic of Armenia. Image Credit: Embassy of the Republic of Armenia.

His first attempt at reconstruction of fresco paintings was the reconstruction of old Persian frescoes, or rather their remnants, which exist in the ruined palaces of Ala Kapy Chehel Saloon in Isfahan. Audre Godard, the Director of Archaeology in Iran, stated about him “How often have I seen him standing in motionless admiration in front of a fresco, almost destroyed, and then leaning forward and drawing away again, doing all he could to put into shape and form the paint and few traces left of the painters of Shah Abbas. Then would his face light up with a smile on discovering an invisible image, and he would take his brush. So, little by little, the features would acquire some shape and form, and the lines would be endowed with life, and out of these would appear the beautiful and the longivous youth, the tree, and the cup of oblivion so dear to the Persian poet’s heart.”

Team Armenia at UNESCO’s session. Image Credit: Embassy of Armenia in Delhi.

Bagh Cave paintings are said to be more or less contemporaneous with the Ajanta paintings and in beauty equally memorable. The Archaeological Department of Gwalior State, ruled by Maharaja Jiwajirao M. Scindia, did a great service to the preservation of Indian heritage by inviting Mr. Sarkis Katchadourian to visit the Bagh caves, providing him all facilities, and finally exhibiting the excellent reproductions at the Gujari Mahal, Gwalior Fort. When asked by the correspondent of the newspaper Jayaji Pratap in the year 1939, Kachadourian paid rich tribute to the splendid work done by Scindia’s Archaeological Department and held that from the point of view of panorama, boldness of conception, and depiction of emotions, the Bagh Frescoes surpassed all other mural paintings in India. Maharaja Jiwajirao M. Scindia himself attended his exhibition at the Gujari Mahal. From Ajanta to Bagh, he studied many frescoes in India, and his paintings still leave observers awe-struck.

Conclusion

Kachadourian worked in India even when he was unwell, displaying a phenomenal dedication to the cause of heritage preservation. An exhibition based on his works in India was much needed, and thanks to the efforts of the WHC session’s host country this year, India, and the embassy of Armenia, this became a reality. It is indeed very important now that the millennia-old connections between these two countries are studied more comprehensively. Both culturally and geopolitically, India and Armenia are coming closer. With the growing camaraderie between governments of Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Pakistan and their anti-India rhetoric on the Kashmir issue, the government of India is gradually realising the importance of faster strengthening of cultural and geopolitical relations with governments of Armenia, Greece, and the Republic of Cyprus. The author hopes this continues and both Indians and Armenians travel more often to each other’s countries; this will phenomenally help in strengthening people-to-people relations between India and Armenia.

Author: Arunansh B. Goswami, is a delegate of Armenia at UNESCO’s 46th session of the World Heritage Committee Meeting

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Categories: Culture, Diaspora

Tags: 46th Session of the UNESCO, Arunansh B. Goswami, India-Armenia Relations, Sarkis Kachadourian, UNESCO, UNESCO World Heritage Committee

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