HINDU DEITIES AND SANSKRIT IN JAPAN

Most people are not aware that at least a score of Hindu deities are very actively worshipped in Japan. In fact, there are hundreds of shrines to Saraswati alone. There are innumerable representations of Lakshmi, Indra, Brahma, Ganesha, Garuda and other deities. In fact, even deities practically forgotten in India, such as Vayu and Varuna, are still worshipped in Japan.  Join this lecture and short film screening to learn more.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Benoy K Behl is a film-maker, art-historian and photographer who is known for his tireless and prolific output of work over the past 47 years. He has taken over 53,000 photographs of Asian monuments and art heritage and made 146 documentaries which are regularly screened at major cultural institutions worldwide. His photographic exhibitions have been warmly received in 74 countries around the world. These have been inaugurated by ministers of the governments of various countries, ambassadors, archbishops, HH the Dalai Lama and others dignitaries. He holds the Limca Book Record for being the most travelled photographer and art historian.

Since 2005, every year and again, we would like to ask for your participation in one of the most challenging and gracious deeds, the nominations for the Salome De Decker Award.  Why challenging?.... because the award is presented each year to one and only FOM volunteer who quietly and positively contributes time and skills to FOM and models our values :  teamwork, respect, giving freely and growing through service to others. 

To know more about the Salome de Decker Award and the past years winners, please see the FOM web page About Us/Salome de Decker Award 

To submit your nomination, please, ONLY use this form "Call for the SdD Nominations 2023".  You can nominate two persons maximum.  The deadline is Thursday, March 30,2023, 6 pm.  

Who can qualify for the award?  All three conditions should apply:

1. A member, who actively volunteered for the FOM for a minimum of 12 months;

2. A volunteer, whose contributions are viewed as valuable in terms of quantity and quality; and 

3. a volunteer who does not hold a leadership positions in FOM for the past year, e.g. a Council members, MAC leaders, Co-heads of Training, Co-heads of Research, etc

Please, include brief and clear explanation to back up the qualification for the award of your candidate(s)

While we realise how difficult it is to name only one or two candidates, the true value of this award is to symbolically recognise all volunteers’ contribution to the FOM.  The winner will be announced at the Annual Volunteer Appreciation event 2023 and on the FOM  webpage of the Salome de Decker Award. 

Thank you!

It's time to check your FOM profile! Especially if you are an active docent or activity volunteer, please take a moment to log in to the FOM website and update your profile with any new information.

Did you receive a volunteer service pin or award at the last VAM? Perhaps you completed docent training at a new museum, heritage institution or walking trail this year? Have you recently accepted or completed a leadership position? These are all things we'd like to know! We look at your profile to see if you qualify for an invitation, an award or a service pin at next year's volunteer appreciation events. If it's not there, then we won't know! You can even update your skills and interests.

How do you update your profile?

Go to the FOM website. "Sign In" through the red box in the upper right hand corner. On your personal profile page, you can edit your profile, edit your volunteer history, change your password, etc. While you are there, make a mental note as to when your yearly dues expire. If it is before the 2023 Volunteer Appreciation event on 25 April 2023, remember you must renew your membership at least a month before the date to qualify to receive an invitation. Furthermore, you must be an active member to guide and to participate in FOM members-only events.

You won't want to miss a thing in 2023. It is FOM's 45th and PASSAGE magazine's 15th anniversaries. Get ready to celebrate!