AMU faculty presents paper at an international conference
ALIGARH : Dr. M. Nazrul Bari, Centre of Advanced Study, Department of History, Aligarh Muslim University attended a three-day international conference on ‘History, Art, Archaeology and Culture’ organized by the Himachal Pradesh State Museum, Shimla, and presented a research article titled, “Characterisation of Deer in Early Indian Art (An Archaeo-Literary Analysis)”.
Dr. Bari observed that animals of different varieties have been an integral part of human life since time immemorial and the oldest evidence of a special association between human beings and deer, beyond hunting is found at a tomb of the Musterian period of the middle Palaeolithic age found in Qafzeh (Israel).
He traced the religious representation of deer in ancient literature related to the faith of the Brahmanical, Buddhist, and Jaina religions in ancient India. In the ancient Indian text hunting of this animal finds its mention including its association with many gods and goddesses and the same is also reflected in paintings and sculptures.