India and Tibet in relation to Nepal are neighbouring areas of allied culture. Indeed, what we are concerned with in these trans-Himalayan and cis-Himalayan areas is not the study of a culture, but of cultures. Even within the limits of a single valley would be found varieties of human type, embracing diverse cultures and indicating divergency of origin.
The impact of comingling is discernible in the domain of social structure, language, literature and also in the field of religion, myth and folklore. In this book, the author has drawn our attention to the culture contact down the ages between India and Nepal focusing mainly on linguistic and literary configuration. He has not failed to remind us that every culture has its own distinctiveness which cannot exactly be translated in another cultural language.
Professor Jahar Sen completed this study as a Fellow of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study at Shimla in 1989 and subsequently revised it for publication. Its purpose is to draw the contours of cultural contact between India and Nepal, a theme of wide interest for the people of India. It is also a subject of some practical importance. The author has paid special attention to linguistic and literary configuration, and he has presented his findings in a lively manner so that the general reader as well as the scholar can find this fascinating book of immense interest to him.
A seminat on A Sourcebook of Ancient India and Asian Civilization' was held from 13 September to 19 September 1970 at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla, convened at the instance of the Union Ministry of Education and Youth Services. A statement was issued at the concluding session of the seminar. It incorporated major divergent views of the participants, some of which are relevant for our purpose. They suggested that in the proposed source book culture contact down the ages between India and other parts of the world should be studied methodically. Some participants strongly argued that Asian contacts which had shaped India as well as Indian contacts that had shaped certain Asian countries should be discussed in detail. Many participants stressed the common underlying pattern in social and cultural traditions and in arts and crafts of various Asian countries. As instances, special mention was made of the striking common features in dance movements, folk drama, music and speech in certain forms of drama, puppet style, musical modes and the motifs and styles in architecture, sculpture and painting
The plan of the proposed source book, as far as I know, has not yet materialized. But, as a Fellow of the Institute and also as a student of Asian history and culture, I have always kept in mind the sugges-tions mentioned above. The study of culture contact between India and Nepal is in consonance with the theme, 'Indian Civilization in the Context of Asian Neighbours' which is one of the most important areas of study of the IIAS. My modest aim is to draw a brief sketch of culture contact between India and Nepal through the ages focusing mainly on linguistic and literary configuration.
It is impossible to estimate the great contribution of the IIAS to the completion of this project. To all Fellows who have enlightened me with sharp comments and insights and to all members of the staff including the Director, the Secretary and the Librarian, my debt is enormous and I express my profound gratitude.
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