 Early Times Report
JAMMU, July 18: Under the dynamic leadership of Vice Chancellor Prof. Sanjeev Jain, the Centre for Comparative Religions and Civilizations (CCRC) at the Central University of Jammu (CUJ) organized its weekly "Thursday Mind Meet" on the thought-provoking theme: "The Relevance of Pilgrimage Centres of Jammu and Kashmir."
The session was graced by esteemed academician Prof. Lalit Gupta from the University of Jammu as the expert speaker. He was warmly welcomed by Prof. Vandana Sharma, Dean of Languages; Prof. A. K. Nanda, Dean of Social Sciences; and Prof. Niranjna Bhandari, Director, CCRC. In her introductory remarks, Prof. Vandana Sharma introduced the concept of the Thursday Mind Meet to the audience and the guest speaker, highlighting it as a vibrant weekly platform curated by students of various departments of the University to engage in intellectual exchange and contemporary discourse.
Delivering his keynote address, Prof. Lalit Gupta provided an in-depth overview of the pilgrimage sites in Jammu and Kashmir. He shed light on their historical origins, cultural significance, preservation efforts, and their evolving role in the future landscape of tourism and spiritual heritage in the region.
The panel discussion, moderated by Dr. Ajay Kumar Singh, featured insightful presentations by MA student Aman, and Ph.D. scholars Deewanshu and Narrottam. They collectively emphasized the vital role of religious tourism in the socio-economic development of the region. The speakers asserted that pilgrimage tourism not only strengthens the economy of Jammu and Kashmir but also generates extensive employment opportunities for local communities. The session concluded with an engaging question-and-answer segment, reflecting the deep interest of the attendees in the topic.
Dr. G. V. Snigdha Raj, Assistant Professor, CCRC, efficiently convened the programme. The event witnessed the participation of several faculty members, including Dr. Arvind Rituraj, Dr. Vikas Singh, Dr. Amita Gupta, Dr. Ashwani Kumar (CCRC), and Dr. Anooj Bhadu and Dr. Vishal from the Department of Economics.
Students and research scholars including Rohit, Naresh, Sunil, Progati, Manish Bharti, Dr. Narender, and Prabhakar, along with a large number of attendees from different departments, enthusiastically participated in the academic meet, making it a grand success. |
