Belmont Citizen-Herald
May 31 2009
NAASR to host illustrated talk on Armenians in India Thursday
By National Association for Armenian Studies and Research Center
Sun May 31, 2009, 09:16 AM EDT
Belmont, Mass. –
Dr. Omar Khalidi of the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will give an illustrated
lecture entitled `Three Centuries of Armenian Heritage in India,’ at 8
p.m. on Thursday, June 4, at the National Association for Armenian
Studies and Research (NAASR) Center, 395 Concord Ave. in Belmont. This
lecture is the second talk given in memory of Arshag Merguerian
(1926-2005), architect and an active member and friend of NAASR for
nearly fifty years. The expenses for the lecture will be covered by
funds contributed to NAASR in Merguerian’s memory.
Though Armenians were in India from early times, the Armenian presence
in India is well-documented from the 16th century, after the
establishment of the important mercantile community in New Julfa in
Persia. The community grew in size and importance in the 17th and 18th
centuries, with many Armenians rising to positions of prominence, and
publishing and the arts thrived.
Dr. Khalidi’s lecture will give an overview of India’s Armenian
diaspora, its churches, cemeteries, and related art, in such locations
as Kolkata (Calcutta), Bombay, Delhi, Agra, Surat, Hyderabad, Madras,
Dhaka (in modern Bangladesh), and elsewhere.
Dr. Omar Khalidi has a Ph.D. in Islamic Studies from the University of
Wales. Born and raised in Hyderabad, he is the author of several books
and articles on art and architecture and Indian politics and history,
including `Approaches to Mosque Design in North America’ and Muslims
in Indian Economy. He was invited by the Armenian Church in Calcutta
for its 300th anniversary celebration in November 2008.
Admission to the event is free (donations appreciated). The NAASR
Center is located in Belmont opposite the First Armenian Church and
next to the U.S. Post Office. Parking is available around the building
and in adjacent areas. The lecture will begin promptly at 8 p.m.
More information about the lecture is available by calling
617-489-1610, faxing 617-484-1759, e-mailing [email protected], or writing
to NAASR, 395 Concord Ave., Belmont, MA 02478.
ws_calendar/x1175994622/NAASR-to-host-illustrated- talk-on-Armenians-in-India-Thursday
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
