Kamal Kumar Biswas.TOD.Balurghat
A scholarly workshop examining the importance of sculptures as primary sources for studying the history of early medieval India was held at the auditorium of Balurghat B.Ed. College (Autonomous) on Thursday. The event was organized by Balurghat B.Ed. College in collaboration with the Itihas Anusandhan Parishad,D.Dinajpur.
The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Ranjushree Ghosh, former Senior Academic Fellow at the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), New Delhi. The program also witnessed the presence of several distinguished guests, including Dr. Ashis Das, former principal of Balurghat College; Haripada Saha, former teacher of Balurghat High School; poet and social worker Bishwanath Laha; Sanghita Sarkar, executive member of Itihas Anusandhan Parishad; Soumit Das, headmaster of Nalanda Vidyapith; Narayan Bhattacharya, former headmaster of Fatepur Balupada High School; as well as Sangeet Kumar Deb, Ajay Shankar Ghosh, and Dr. Sourav Kundu.
The program began with a ceremonial welcome in which students of Balurghat B.Ed. College greeted the guests with traditional sandalwood marks on the forehead. The inaugural song was performed by Soma Das, the college’s music teacher. Dr. Ranjushree Ghosh was then felicitated with a shawl and bouquet before the formal commencement of the workshop with the lighting of a ceremonial lamp.
In her keynote speech, Dr. Ghosh spoke at length about the role of sculptures and iconographic remains as vital primary sources in reconstructing the history of early medieval India. She particularly emphasized the archaeological richness of the ancient Varendra region, where numerous sculptures and relics have been discovered. According to her, these artifacts provide valuable insights into the social life, religious practices, cultural expressions, and artistic traditions of the period, making them indispensable to historical research.
Dr. Ashis Das delivered the welcome address, after which several speakers contributed to discussions that enriched the academic tone of the workshop. The event concluded with a closing address by Haripada Saha.The entire program was moderated by Suraj Das, joint secretary of the Itihas Anusandhan Parishad.Organizers expressed optimism that such initiatives would encourage deeper research into the history and archaeology of the ancient Varendra region and open new avenues for scholarly exploration.
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