The eastern India remained the cradle of civilisation through the centuries and bequeathed major religions to the world. The art activities of the region are as old as the days of Ashoka and Gautam Buddha but the extant remains are few and un-noticed. Some pioneering works have un-earthed Nalanda, Paharpur and Vikramshila and the major sites such as Bodhgaya have received attention but the studies and research in the aspects of Art and Architecture of Eastern India and Bangladesh, which remained one cultural entity for many thousand years, are neglected. International Centre for Studies of Bengal Arts, Dhaka has initiated regular holding of International Congress since 1995 that has started major researches in the field. Presently experts from ten countries are involved in the research activities about the art and architecture of eastern India and Bangladesh and are regularly bringing forward the hidden treasures and unknown aspects of the region.

This Sixth International Congress 2005 being held in Jharkhand would open up new areas of research in the studies of art and architecture of Eastern India. It will prove to be a great opportunity for a new state like Jharkhand to bring on the centre stage, in presence of many internationally known experts of the eastern art, its Hindu/ Buddhist heritage of the Gupta and Pala period, Islamic heritage of Sultanate period as well as archaeological heritage of the industrious activities of its tribal inhabitants. The proper research and documentation of the lesser-known but very important sites such as Chandraketugarh, Maluti, Rajmahal, Parasnath, etc. will greatly affect the tourism in the region.