NEW DELHI — On July 23, the Embassy of Armenia in India, in collaboration with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and India and the Permanent Delegation of Armenia to UNESCO, organized a side event exhibition titled “Art that Reinstates Friendship: Ajanta Revisited in Armenia” on the margins of the 46th Session of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee, taking place for the first time in New Delhi.
During his welcome address at the event, which showcased replicas of the Ajanta cave murals painted by the esteemed Armenian artist Sarkis Khachadourian, Ambassador of Armenia to India Vahagn Afyan noted that the roots of the project go back to the meeting between the foreign ministers in Yerevan in 2021.
In his speech, Aram Hakobyan, the Permanent Delegate of Armenia to UNESCO, thanked the Government of India for organizing the Session of the World Heritage Committee and for the support to holding the exhibition. He emphasized that cultural heritage serves as a bridge uniting peoples, regardless of geographical distance, language or religion.
India’s Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, Ambassador Vishal V. Sharma, delivered a keynote address in which he highlighted the significance of the ancient and ongoing cultural and educational exchanges between Armenia and India, as well as their dynamically evolving bilateral relations.
The event was attended by heads of diplomatic missions accredited in India and UNESCO, diplomats, and representatives of the Armenian community in India.
Satenik Chookaszyan, head of the Department of decorative and applied arts at the National Gallery of Armenia, provided insights into the activities and works of the Armenian artist in India.
The Armenian pavilion, featured on the sidelines the 46th Session of the World Heritage Committee, displays replicas of Khachadourian’s paintings and will remain open until the end of the session.
