RSS Takes India’s Civilisational Outreach To Central Asia With New ‘Manas-Mahabharata’ Centre

Published 10 July 2026 · local

RSS Takes India’s Civilisational Outreach To Central Asia With New ‘Manas-Mahabharata’ Centre Reported By, Edited By Last Updated: July 10, 2026, 08:09 IST The centre

RSS Takes India’s Civilisational Outreach To Central Asia With New ‘Manas-Mahabharata’ Centre Reported By, Edited By Last Updated: July 10, 2026, 08:09 IST The centre aims to institutionalise research on the shared civilisational traditions of India and Kyrgyzstan, with focus on the Mahabharata and the Kyrgyz national epic Manas Rapid Read The inauguration coincided with the signing of trilateral cooperation agreements between the Manas Academy, CSIR and seven leading Kyrgyz universities. (News18) India has expanded its civilisational diplomacy footprint in Central Asia with the inauguration of the International Centre for Civilizational Studies “Manas and Mahabharata" in Kyrgyzstan, bringing together governments, academia and cultural institutions to strengthen historical and strategic ties. The initiative also saw the unveiling of the first-ever Hindi translation of the Kyrgyz national epic Manas, marking a new chapter in India-Kyrgyz cultural engagement. In a significant step towards deepening India’s civilisational outreach in Central Asia, an Indian delegation led by RSS national executive member and Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh (national spokesperson) Sunil Ambekar inaugurated the International Centre for Civilizational Studies “Manas and Mahabharata" in Bishkek during a four-day visit to Kyrgyzstan from July 4 to 7.

Apart from inaugurating the India-Kyrgyz civilisational centre, Ambekar also unveiled first Hindi translation of ‘Manas’ unveiled. The centre, established by Kyrgyzstan’s Manas Academy in collaboration with New Delhi-based Centre for Studies of International Relations (CSIR), aims to institutionalise research on the shared civilisational traditions of India and Kyrgyzstan, with a particular focus on the Mahabharata and the Kyrgyz national epic Manas. The inauguration coincided with the signing of trilateral cooperation agreements between the Manas Academy, CSIR and seven leading Kyrgyz universities, expanding academic collaboration in civilizational studies, history, culture and humanitarian diplomacy. One of the biggest highlights of the visit was the release of the first-ever Hindi translation of the Kyrgyz epic Manas by noted scholars Prof Hem Chandra Pande and Prof Ramakant Dwivedi. Based on the Russian poetic rendition by Kyrgyz writer Mar Baizhiev, the translation brings together all three parts of the epic—Manas, Semetey and Seitek—for Indian readers. Addressing the gathering, Ambekar described the initiative as a historic milestone in India-Kyrgyz cultural relations, saying both civilisations are bound by shared human values reflected in their great epics.