Spiritual leader Morari Bapu has begun a nine-day Ram Katha at Harvard University, bringing the teachings of the Ramayan to one of the world’s most renowned academic institutions.
Nearly 1,000 people filled the historic Memorial Hall for the opening of the Katha, being held from 15 to 23 August 2026. The gathering marks Morari Bapu’s 982nd Ram Katha and has attracted devotees, storytellers and scholars from around the world.
The setting carries particular symbolism. Harvard’s motto, “Veritas” — Truth, echoes one of the central principles of Bapu’s lifelong message of Truth, Love and Compassion. For more than six decades, he has travelled across the world sharing the teachings of the Ramcharitmanas and presenting them as values relevant across faiths, cultures and generations.
The spiritual gathering is being accompanied by a significant academic programme, “The Living Ramayana,” bringing together more than 50 scholars from the United States, Europe, India and Japan to examine the Ramayan’s history, aesthetics, interpretations and cultural influence.
Harvard academics participating include Diana Eck, Professor of Comparative Religion and Indian Studies, and Scholars from institutions including the University of California, Berkeley, Osaka University, Wellesley College, Oberlin College, the University of Iowa and Leiden University are also taking part.
More than 50 kathakaars and reciters from India and other parts of the world are joining Morari Bapu during the week, giving the event the character of a global gathering of storytellers and traditions rather than a single spiritual discourse.
The programme will also commemorate Tulsi Jayanti on 19 August, honouring poet-saint Goswami Tulsidas, whose Ramcharitmanas forms the foundation of Morari Bapu’s Kathas.
Opening the gathering, Lord Dolar Popat, a member of the House of Lords and a long-standing follower of Morari Bapu, described the occasion as “history in the making”.
“It is an extraordinary privilege to be here today at this amazing institution, Memorial Hall, Harvard University, in the presence of my Guru, Morari Bapu,” he said.
Lord Popat highlighted the universal character of Bapu’s message, saying his Kathas welcomed “people of all faiths and all backgrounds, from every continent of the world”.
“Your teachings of Truth, Love and Compassion are universal values that have shaped my life, my family’s lives and so many others,” he added.
The Harvard Katha follows ‘Manas Vishwavidyalay’ at Cambridge University in August 2024, hosted by the Popat family and attended by then British prime minister Rishi Sunak. Speaking on that occasion, Sunak reflected on his Hindu faith and said the principles of Truth, Love and Compassion were more relevant than ever.
The Harvard gathering continues that journey, taking the Ramayan into another globally influential centre of learning while creating a dialogue between spiritual tradition and academic inquiry.
People from different faiths and backgrounds are attending the Katha, with prasad being served throughout the nine-day programme — reinforcing Morari Bapu’s enduring message that Truth, Love and Compassion transcend religious, national and cultural boundaries.
