India’s Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar will inaugurate the 17th World Sanskrit Conference to be held at Vancouver, Canada from 9th July to 13th July, 2018.

More than 500 scholars and delegates from over 40 countries will be participating in this conference and exchange their knowledge by presenting papers on various subjects followed by discussions from amongst the members.

There will be a special panel discussion on over a dozen topics like; History & Education of Women in Vedic Literature; Sanskrit Buddhist Manuscripts; Mimamsa Beyond the Yagasala; The Yuktidipika Forging a Place for Sankhya; Introducing Bhagavata Purana Commentaries; Research on the Gargiyajyotisa.

Over 500 papers on various themes are likely to be presented during the 5-day conference.

The purpose of this conference is to promote, preserve and practice the Sanskrit language all over the world by the people.

The World Sanskrit Conference is being held in various countries across the globe once in every three years and so far it has been held thrice in India.

Besides the Minister, 10 scholars and two officers are part of the Indian delegation participating in the 17th World Sanskrit Conference.

As India rises in global prominence, there is now, more than ever, a need to engage seriously with its remarkable intellectual and cultural heritage as expressed in the classical language of Sanskrit, lest it be lost in the rising tide of development and modernization. Held once every three years, the World Sanskrit Conference (WSC) is the premier forum where professional Sanskrit scholars, students, and specialists meet to share new ideas, strengthen international networks, and promote the public appreciation of Sanskrit learning and culture.

Three special sections are sure to have wide appeal: Sanskrit and the Panjab, Sanskrit and Indo-Persian Culture, and Yoga and ĀyurvedaThere will be two gala events to enhance the public appreciation of Sanskrit learning and culture: a major public lecture on yoga by the celebrated scholar and practitioner, Sir James Mallinson, as well as a landmark performance at the Chan Centre by Nepathya, who will perform Kutiyattam, an intricate and mesmerizing 1,000-year-old form of Sanskrit dance theatre that continues to survive in the South Indian state of Kerala.