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        Eminent personalities from various fields gathered together for the foundation stone-laying ceremony of Bharathmuni Foundation for Asian Culture (BFAC) here yesterday.

        Apart from those from Guardian of Ethics, diplomats of various countries, administrators, patrons of arts, cultural organisers, eminent artistes from the field of dance, music, folk arts, theatre, film and television, scholars and media personalities placed stone casket containing nine gems to mark the foundation-laying function of the BFAC.

        Among those who took part in the function include Ragini Gupta, Consul, Cultural Affairs, US Consulate General, Chennai, P M Amza, Deputy High Commissioner, Sri Lankan High Commission, Chennai, K J Kumar, Honorary Consul, Consulate of the Republic of Indonesia, Chennai, V Raman, Honorary Consul, Consulate of the Republic of Mauritius, Chennai, C Ravichandran, Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Chennai, Dr J Radhakrishnan, additional secretary, Finance Department, government of Tamilnadu, M Murali of Krishna Sweets, R Seshasayee, managing director, Ashok Leyland, Deborah Thyagarajan of Dakshina Chitra, Dr Mrs Y G Parthasarathy, chairman, Bharat Kalachar, S Ramjhi of Isai Mazhalai, theatre and film persnalities including A V M Saravanan, Manorama, Bhanupriya, Crazy Mohan, S Janaki, Kathadi Ramamurthy, Y G Mahendra, Maadhu Balaji, S P Muthuraman, Mohan V Raman, Sachu, ARS.

        The BFAC would come up at Pattipulam Village, East Coast Road.

        According to Dr Padma Subrahmanyam, managing trustee and member of the trust board, BFAC, it is basically a Pan-Asian Research Centre on performing arts. Five acres of land were allotted for this by the government of Tamilnadu at Pattipulam village (eight kilometer from Mahabalipuram).

        'It will have a memorial for Bharathamuni, whose Natya Sastra has influenced the entire Asian continent, thus explaining common cutural codes. It will create an awareness about the age-old mutual influences particularly in the field of performing arts'. BFAC is envisaged to be an 'Asian Cultural Corridor' for artistes and philosophers to interact and inspire Asia march into the future without losing its oriental values.

        The complex would comprise Bharathamuni Museum of Asian Performing Arts, Kanchi Mahaswami Library, Elango Adigal Conference Hall, Abhinavagupta Auditorium, Bharathamuni Memorial with 108 dance sculptures of Natya Sastra and administrative and other blocks named after ancient Asian authorities of performing arts like Zemi of Japan.

        The goal of BFAC is to revitalise an awareness about the civilisational unity of fostering human harmony based on ethical aesthetics.