Cognishift.org Excellence Awards- The God of Deserted Memories Book & Art Exhibition, Lalit Kala Akademi, Ministry of Culture, India, Chennai 2025
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Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], May 21: Cognishift.org held the Indo-Armenian-French Art & Literary Confluence, "The God of Deserted Memories," 11-17 May 2025 at the Lalit Kala Akademi, Chennai. Curated by Dr Prashant Madanmohan (Dr Leander) and Armenian impressionist artist Mari Poghosyan, this landmark festival united the legacies of India, Armenia and France through 42 original paintings based on the book - Dr Prashant Madanmohan's 500-page philosophical novel, The God of Deserted Memories, which soared to #2 on Amazon India's Literary Criticism bestseller list.
Drawing over 500 visitors--institutional delegations, diplomats and members of the media--the week-long Confluence explored how art and literature serve as vigilant guardians of collective memory under the guiding principle of "Yaadhum Oore Yaavarum Kelir" ("All the world is my family, every one a kin").
Festival Highlights
A distinguished cross-disciplinary dais--Kalaimamani Trotsky Marudu; Sahitya Akademi awardee art critic Indran Rajendran; former TN DGP S.K. Dogra; Addl. DCGI (Rtd.) Dr C.S. Deva Prasad; UN correspondent Dr Prakash M. Swamy; screenwriter-director Thiru Brindha Sarathy; Lalit Kala Akademi Secretary Sovan Kumar; Dr M. Pattazhagan, Tamil poet-writer Manohari Madan; Auditor G. Madanmohan; Educator Shruthilaya --under the patronage of French Veena Maestro Chevalier.Raghunath Manet -followed by panel discussions, keynote speeches, artist walkthroughs, debates, musical performances, book readings ,poetry recitals. Reminiscier Fellowships were conferred on Dr Prashant Madanmohan and Mari Poghosyan by the Cognishift cultural council. French Deputy Consul-General Christophe Bramoulle hailed the festival as "art capturing the essence of three cultures," while Dr Ani Yeremyan of the Armenian Embassy lauded Cognishift.org for "a remarkable initiative uniting our nations."
Launch of the Cognishift Excellence Awards
Cognishift Excellence Awards Initiative was inaugurated with its Annual Monalisa D'Amour Awards to honor exceptional women writers, poets and artists. Tamil poet-author Mrs Manohari Madan, received the Monalisa D'Amour Award 2025 for her romantic verses, translated into French, English and Armenian published by Cognishift.org. The book was first unveiled in the presence of French Deputy Consul-General. Nominations for all category awards are now open at cognishift.org/awards.
Voices from The God of Deserted Memories
* Kalaimamani Trotsky Marudu: "Art and words have connected three nations in the spirit of Yaadhum Oore Yaavarum Kelir. The book made me emotional--the paintings and the words reminded me of memories I had forgotten. The book also brings out the contributions of Armenians to Chennai."
* Thiru Indran Rajendran: "Mari's lotus-pond paintings recall Claude Monet--her portrait of Raghunath Manet is both lifelike and innovative. This book and these paintings unite global cultures toward world peace. Mari's 'Thiruvalluvar on the Kaveri banks' is timeless, speaking through silence."
* Shri S.K. Dogra: "Had I not known Dr Prashant is an orthopaedician, I'd have thought him a professor of literature or philosophy--he spoke with such depth and mastery. Through his book, Dr Leander resurrects silent memories and reminds us of what we have lost."
* Mari Poghosyan: "Art is the only language I trust to tell the truth about memory. Monuments belong to all of us--echoes of a shared humanity."
* Dr Prashant Madanmohan: "We must remember our roots so we can embrace diversity and evolve together. The world is a synergy of cultures; what we remember shapes us, what we forget haunts us."
* Dr Prakash M. Swamy: "A stirring meditation on memory, this book urges us to remember--and its polished prose truly deserves a Pulitzer."
* Thiru Brindha Sarathy: "Dr Prashant has written inspirational books on many figures; Mari's stunning monuments--especially her Indian depictions--show how art can unite us all."
* Mrs Manohari Madan: "The God of Deserted Memories reminds us that neglecting people, love or duty leaves us hollow--its texts and paintings urge us to reclaim what we've forsaken."
* Ms Shruthilaya M.: "This book treats memories as living forces, honoring multiple truths across cultures; Dr Leander's soulful journeys and Mari's vivid portraits invite us to rediscover ourselves."
About the Curators
* Dr Prashant Madanmohan - Orthopaedic surgeon, philosopher-author and founder of Cognishift.org, exploring intersections of medicine, memory, art and intellect. His novel The God of Deserted Memories offers a sweeping philosophical odyssey through three civilizations.
* Mari Poghosyan - Armenian impressionist whose vivid canvases transform cultural grief into color. Exhibited in Yerevan and Chennai, she champions art as a universal language of healing and remembrance.
About Cognishift.org
Cognishift.org is a Chennai-based platform uniting art, literature, memory, philosophy and personal and professional growth through original publications, a curated bookshop, transformative learning courses and seminars, its flagship magazine Cognishift Insider, a virtual Armenian museum and an immersive art studio. By curating events, publishing original works and recognizing creative excellence via the Cognishift Excellence Awards, Cognishift.org amplifies diverse voices and contributes to thought leadership. For more information, visit www.cognishift.org.
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