WELCOME ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT, ROCK ART SOCIETY OF INDIA
R. C. Agrawal
Dear friends,
I, on behalf of Rock Art Society of India and personally, heartily welcome you in the 23rd RASI Congress, 22-24 February 2019 in the capital city of Lord Mahakala. It is also the city of the great king Vikramaditya and the great poet Kalidas. It has also been the city where late Dr V. S. Wakankar, the great rock art scientist and archaeologist, lived. Dr Wakankar was the great soul who laid the foundation of the scientific Rock Art discipline in India. The discovery of many rock art sites, Stone Age sites, Chalcolithic and Historic sites, especially in Madhya Pradesh goes to his credit. His famous discovery, the complex of painted rock shelters of Bhimbetka in Rata-Pani Wild Life Sanctuary, about 45 km south of Bhopal, is now the only rock art site in India which was conferred the status of the World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2003. He was a very popular archaeologist with multidimensional and highly charismatic personality. Among us he was popularly known as ‘Dada’. His only mission of life was to establish the glory of India in the world through rock art, archaeology and Indian culture. He did every effort to achieve this goal up to the last breath of life and trained his students accordingly.
The present RASI Conference has kindly been hosted by Wakankar Sanskriti Anveshana Nyas, Ujjain as a part of the celebrations of the birth centenary of Dr V. S. Wakankar. We have gathered here to carry forward the mission of Dr Wakankar to establish rock art studies on scientific grounds which can open up the new grounds for the cultural development and prosperity of India. With the blessings of Lord Mahakala we will be able to achieve this goal. I wish you will enjoy the academic feast to be offered in the conference and also your stay in this beautiful and affectionate city of Ujjain.
I again welcome you all in the 23rd RASI Congress, Ujjain 2019.
Prof. R. C. Agrawal
President, Rock Art Society of India
Email: rcagrawal1997@gmail.com
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