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South Asian Collection: Asian Collections at the Library of Congress

Event Videos

This page is an overview of recorded events and lectures pertaining to South Asia at the Library of Congress. All event videos, including those featuring authors, world leaders, entertainers, scholars, and sports legends, are available in the Library's collection of event videos.

These event videos were presented by the Asian Division, or co-presented by the Asian Division and other divisions at the Library of Congress, such as the African and Middle Eastern Division or Geography and Map Division.

  • African Elites in India – October 14, 2010
    Author Kenneth X. Robbins discusses his book, a series of snapshots, in the form of essays by specialists in the history numismatics, architecture, and art history of South Asia.

  • Being Indian, Being Israeli – March 31, 2010
    Israelis of Indian descent continue to live on the periphery, where they were settled by the state of Israel between the 1950s and 1970s. The story of Indian migration, acculturation and identity in Israel is the subject of a new book by Maina Chawla Singh titled "Being Indian, Being Israeli: Migration, Ethnicity and Gender in the Jewish Homeland." Maina Chawla Singh discusses her book at a lecture at the Library of Congress. This event is sponsored by the Asian Division, the Asian Division Friends Society and the Library of Congress Hebrew Language table in cooperation with the Embassy of India.

  • A Tour of the Lost Kingdom: Sikkim – March 13, 2010
    Sikkim was an independent kingdom in the Himalayas ruled by a hereditary line of kings (Chogyal) from the 17th century until it became a British protectorate, then an Indian protectorate in 1950. This 90-minute program will feature a photographic presentation with comments by two special speakers: Her Majesty Hope Cooke, former Queen of Sikkim, and photographer Alice Kandell.

  • The Women Who Kept the Songs from India to Israel: The Musical Heritage of Cochin – April 7, 2008
    For centuries Jewish women along India's Malabar Coast filled songbooks with Jewish-themed music sung in Malayam at weddings, community celebrations and rituals. The subsequent influx of Jews from other nations splintered the Jews of Cochin (the present day port city of Kochi, India) and caused many to emigrate, principally to Israel. With them went a rich musical heritage that might have been lost to posterity but for the recent efforts of a team of researchers. In this program efforts to preserve the music of the Cochin region are discussed.

  • Sikh Conference: Portraits of Courage - June 18, 2009
    Sen. Ben Cardin kicked off the Library's two-day conference on the Sikh culture, "Taking Heritage to the 21st Century." The conference was sponsored by the Kaur Foundation under the auspices of the Library's Asian Division and Asian Division Friends Society.

  • Sikh Conference: Achievements of Extraordinary Sikh Women in Art – June 18, 2009
    The Library's Sikh conference continued with a session on "Achievements of Extraordinary Sikh Women in Art." The event was sponsored by the Kaur Foundation under the auspices of the Library's Asian Division and Asian Division Friends Society.

  • Sikh Conference: Book Reception and Cultural Program – June 18, 2009
    A cultural program celebrating the Sikh culture culminated the first day of the conference, which was sponsored by the Kaur Foundation under the auspices of the Library's Asian Division and Asian Division Friends Society.

  • Rajput Maharajas Conference (Afternoon) – October 17, 2008
    Rajput maharajas have ruled hundreds of places throughout northern India, not just Rajasthan. The Rathor clan of Rajputs, headed by the Maharaja of Jodhpur, ruled states in Central India (Alirajpur, Jhabua, Jobat, Ratlam, Sailana, Sitamau), Eastern States Agency (Seraikela), Rajasthan (Bikaner, Jodhpur, Kishangarh, Kushalgarh), and Western India (Idar, Malpur). The speakers include the son and grand-daughter of the Maharaja of Dhrangadhra, who heads the Jhala clan of Rajputs. Jhalas ruled states in Western India (Chuda, Halvad-Dhrangadhra, Limbdi, Laktar, Limbdi, Sayla, Wadhwan,and Wankaner) and in Rajasthan (Jhalawar) and were also in Central India. The program also includes talks dealing with Maharaja Gaj Singh II and Maharaja Ganga Singh, two of the greatest Rajputs of the 20th century. The conference reveals why the romantic image of the Rajputs seduced both the tourists of today and a British political agent almost 200 years ago. The current controversy over a Bollywood film about a Rajput princess was also addressed.

  • Rajput Maharajas Conference (Morning) – October 17, 2008
    Rajput maharajas have ruled hundreds of places throughout northern India, not just Rajasthan. The Rathor clan of Rajputs, headed by the Maharaja of Jodhpur, ruled states in Central India (Alirajpur, Jhabua, Jobat, Ratlam, Sailana, Sitamau), Eastern States Agency (Seraikela), Rajasthan (Bikaner, Jodhpur, Kishangarh, Kushalgarh), and Western India (Idar, Malpur). The speakers include the son and grand-daughter of the Maharaja of Dhrangadhra, who heads the Jhala clan of Rajputs. Jhalas ruled states in Western India (Chuda, Halvad-Dhrangadhra, Limbdi, Laktar, Limbdi, Sayla, Wadhwan,and Wankaner) and in Rajasthan (Jhalawar) and were also in Central India. The program also includes talks dealing with Maharaja Gaj Singh II and Maharaja Ganga Singh, two of the greatest Rajputs of the 20th century. The conference reveals why the romantic image of the Rajputs seduced both the tourists of today and a British political agent almost 200 years ago. The current controversy over a Bollywood film about a Rajput princess was also addressed.

  • Patronage and Power: Women Movers and Shakers in the Indian Subcontinent - Panel IV: Women and Art – April 20, 2007
    Women in the Indian subcontinent are often associated with the smiling, singing and dancing actresses who appear in Bollywood films (Indian cinema). However, throughout history women in that region have played a significant role in the political, religious and cultural life of their society. The contributions of these women are the subject of a symposium titled "Patronage and Power: Women Movers and Shakers in the Indian Subcontinent," which was hosted by Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), the Library's Asian Division, the Asian Division Friends Society and the School of Advanced International Studies at The Johns Hopkins University. The symposium explored the role that women have played and continue to play in different sectors of South Asian society. Leading scholars addressed topics such as women and religion, Begums and Maharanis (female rulers and nobility), women leaders in India's independence struggle, and women and art. The event is made possible by the generous support of Walter and Mrinalini Andersen, Rama and Arun Deva, David Good of the Tata Group and Ranvir and Adarsh Trehan and the Trehan Foundation.

  • Patronage and Power: Women Movers and Shakers in the Indian Subcontinent - Panel III: Women Leaders in India's Independence Struggles – April 20, 2007
    Women in the Indian subcontinent are often associated with the smiling, singing and dancing actresses who appear in Bollywood films (Indian cinema). However, throughout history women in that region have played a significant role in the political, religious and cultural life of their society. The contributions of these women are the subject of a symposium titled "Patronage and Power: Women Movers and Shakers in the Indian Subcontinent," which was hosted by Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), the Library's Asian Division, the Asian Division Friends Society and the School of Advanced International Studies at The Johns Hopkins University. The symposium explored the role that women have played and continue to play in different sectors of South Asian society. Leading scholars addressed topics such as women and religion, Begums and Maharanis (female rulers and nobility), women leaders in India's independence struggle, and women and art. The event is made possible by the generous support of Walter and Mrinalini Andersen, Rama and Arun Deva, David Good of the Tata Group and Ranvir and Adarsh Trehan and the Trehan Foundation.

  • Patronage and Power: Women Movers and Shakers in the Indian Subcontinent - Panel II: Begums and Maharanis – April 20, 2007
    Women in the Indian subcontinent are often associated with the smiling, singing and dancing actresses who appear in Bollywood films (Indian cinema). However, throughout history women in that region have played a significant role in the political, religious and cultural life of their society. The contributions of these women are the subject of a symposium titled "Patronage and Power: Women Movers and Shakers in the Indian Subcontinent," which was hosted by Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), the Library's Asian Division, the Asian Division Friends Society and the School of Advanced International Studies at The Johns Hopkins University. The symposium explored the role that women have played and continue to play in different sectors of South Asian society. Leading scholars addressed topics such as women and religion, Begums and Maharanis (female rulers and nobility), women leaders in India's independence struggle, and women and art. The event is made possible by the generous support of Walter and Mrinalini Andersen, Rama and Arun Deva, David Good of the Tata Group and Ranvir and Adarsh Trehan and the Trehan Foundation.

  • Patronage and Power: Women Movers and Shakers in the Indian Subcontinent - Panel I: Women and Religion – April 20, 2007
    Women in the Indian subcontinent are often associated with the smiling, singing and dancing actresses who appear in Bollywood films (Indian cinema). However, throughout history women in that region have played a significant role in the political, religious and cultural life of their society. The contributions of these women are the subject of a symposium titled "Patronage and Power: Women Movers and Shakers in the Indian Subcontinent," which was hosted by Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), the Library's Asian Division, the Asian Division Friends Society and the School of Advanced International Studies at The Johns Hopkins University. The symposium explored the role that women have played and continue to play in different sectors of South Asian society. Leading scholars addressed topics such as women and religion, Begums and Maharanis (female rulers and nobility), women leaders in India's independence struggle, and women and art. The event is made possible by the generous support of Walter and Mrinalini Andersen, Rama and Arun Deva, David Good of the Tata Group and Ranvir and Adarsh Trehan and the Trehan Foundation.

The following event videos are part of the Benjamin A. Botkin Lecture Series, which is presented by the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress.

These event videos are presented by the Library of Congress Center for the Book, which also administers the Library's Poetry and Literature Center.

These event videos are part of the Homegrown Concert Series, which is presented by the Library's American Folklife Center.

These event videos are presented by the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress, which invites into residence top thinkers from around the world to distill wisdom from the rich resources of the Library and to foster mutually enriching relationships with lawmakers and other policy leaders.

These event videos are selections from the Library of Congress National Book Festival, an annual literary event that brings together best-selling authors and thousands of book fans for author talks, panel discussions, book signings, and other activities.

The African and Middle Eastern Division’s Persian Book Lecture Series was a series of lectures presented in conjunction with the Roshan Persian Studies Institute at the University of Maryland on the occasion of the Library’s 2014 exhibition, “A Thousand Years of the Persian Book.” A number of lectures in this series touched on the Persian book and literary traditions in South Asia.

The Library of Congress webinars are hosted on videoconferencing and online meeting platforms. They include workshops for educators, illustrated audio lectures, how-to guides to using services from the Library, subject-specific chat meetings and general question-and-answer sessions. They are often interactive, and in these instances, recordings of Library webinars may include comments, questions, and even presentations from attendees. Below is a list of the webinars featuring content related to South Asia at the Library of Congress.