Amitabh Bachchan is patron of Oxford Hindu centre

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan and Karan Singh, president of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, have joined the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies (OCHS) as its patrons.

As a 'Recognised Independent Centre' of the University of Oxford, the principal aim of OCHS is the study of Hindu culture, religion, languages, literature, philosophy, history, arts and society, in all periods and in all parts of the world. All Hindu traditions are included.

Mr Bachchan, 69, who visited the centre in May 2011 and delivered the Distinguished Ford Lecture, said the OCHS is "a sure means of enhancing the study and propagation of Hindu Culture, resulting in better understanding."

He was invited to join OCHS as a patron by its governor, Lord Dholakia, who said the actor's presence on the Patron Council "would underline the contribution of the arts to the development of Indian culture and thought through the centuries."

Karan Singh, MP, spoke at the OCHS in May 2011 on the relevance of Indian thought in the modern world.

The OCHS Patrons Council comprises distinguished honorary members who have made a significant contribution in public service and to public discourse.

Patrons support the Centre by publicly aligning themselves with the goal of developing the study of Indian thought and culture at the highest levels of academia.

The OCHS was founded in 1997 as the world's first academy of its kind for the study of Hindu culture. Since its inception the Centre has attracted scholars and students, launched educational projects, and opened up the field of Hindu Studies for an international audience.

OCHS provides academic programmes including lectures, seminars, and conferences. It also publishes the Journal of Hindu Studies with Oxford University Press and a Hindu Studies book series with Routledge.