Since 2016, the Dr. R C Dhere Center for Cultural Studies has been involved with various tasks to keep Indian culture and traditions alive while promoting the propagation of this knowledge to the next generation. This includes:
1: Samanvay: Since its inception, the center has been publishing an annual journal – ‘Samanvay’. It focuses on different research areas with which Dr. R C Dhere dealt in the long span of over six decades. So far, Samanvay has covered diverse topics such as culture and its various aspects, the rare and unpublished speeches delivered by Dr. Dhere, and the scholarly work done by progenitors of Dr. Dhere who have left in their wake a profound legacy in the field of humanities and social science.
2: Samyak: The center runs a study circle which brings young, aspiring students and budding researchers together. The sessions are held on the last weekend of every month,where eminent scholars from various diverse fields such as archaeology, Indology, folklore, Sanskrit, etc. deliver inspiring lectures. The special feature of this study circle is the open discussion that follows the speech. It provides an opportunity to the listeners to have an informal interaction with the speaker. This activity is being conducted on a regular basis since December 2017. The group that initially comprised 10-12 students has now grown into 30-40 members.
3: Seminars and Lectures: Organising seminars and lectures has been a major activity of the center. To commemorate the first death anniversary of Dr. Dhere, an eminent intellectual and senior journalist, Shri Vinay Hardikar, delivered a lecture series, in which he tried to highlight the interdisciplinary approach of Dr. Dhere’s seminal research. Further, in collaboration with Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune, the center organised a lecture of Dr. Ravi Korisettar, well-known archaeologist and the former head of the Archaeology Department, Dharwad University.
The center also conducted a two-day seminar on tribal literature in collaboration with Shaheer Sable Adhyasan, Mumbai University. Scholars from Maharashtra and Gujarat participated in this symposium.A national symposium on ‘Oral History and Oral Traditions – Potentials and Prospects, with special reference Maharashtra and Deccan Culture’ was conducted in collaboration with ICHR. Reputed scholars from the field of oral history presented the research papers in this two-day symposium.
4: Research Fellowship: The center has introduced a research fellowship for encouraging young students to traverse the path of research. The first fellow carried out her research on the festivals and rituals of tribal communities in Nandurbar district of Maharashtra – a subject that also focused on the underlying thread of environmental conservation. For the year 2019-20,a fellowship has been announced for candidates pursuing research in the field of cultural history.
