The annual Tulsi Jayanti awards were presented at Harvard University’s Sanders Theatre, marking the first time the ceremony was held outside India since the programme began in Gujarat in 2010.
Eight awards were presented to nine recipients for their contributions to scholarship, spirituality, community service and the study or preservation of traditions connected with Goswami Tulsidas and the Ramcharitmanas.
University of California, Berkeley professors Sally J. Sutherland Goldman and Robert Goldman jointly received a Valmiki Award. Other recipients included scholars associated with Osaka University, Columbia University, the University of Texas at Austin and Harvard University.
The ceremony formed part of spiritual leader Morari Bapu’s nine-day Ram Katha, titled Manas Guru Prasad, scheduled at Harvard from August 15 to 23. A three-day academic discussion was also held from August 16 to 18.
Holding the awards in the United States highlighted the international reach of Indian literary and spiritual traditions and their continued study at universities outside India.
