Autobiography of India: Brand Bharat (5 Vol. Set) Made In India, Roots In India, Unique To India, Lead From India & Future From India [1-5, 1 ed.]

Table of contents :
Vol. 1: Made In India
Dedication
Benedictory Note
About Bharath Gyan
About the Authors
About Autobiography of India
Preface
Made in India
Acknowledgements
Part 1: Once Upon A Time – A Golden Age
Bharat, A Brand of Splendour For Millennia
Olden Golden Days - 5100 Years Ago and Before
A Land of Prosperity
Prosperous Merchants
Measure of Wealth
Golden Olden Days
Highest Degree of Prosperity 300 BCE
Greek Statement, English Affirmation
Greek Records of 300 BCE
What Hiuen Tsang Sang in 600 CE
Records from the East
Corroborations on Ground Today
Endowed with Wealth and Knowledge
The Ruthless Plunders from 1000 CE
Attracting Plunderers and Marauders
Description of Mathura and Raid on Mathura
Wealth of Delhi
Noteworthy
A Brand Worth Millions in 1200 CE
A Land of Millions Image
Prosperity Beyond Belief
India Before the British Rule in 1600 CE
World’s Richest, Most Urbanized Country
Land of Abundance
Richer Than Egypt
Plenty were in Plenty
Golden Age Under the Mahratta
Charting India’s Progress in 1980s
A Stirring Remark
The Stunning Report About India
Further Independent Affirmation
Consistent Performance Over More Than 2 Millennia
Softly Wielding Power
Part 2: Bharat - A Brand
Brand Bharat
Brand India
King of Wisdom
Jawabe Hind – The Cutting Edge of India
Hindsa – Strength in Indian Numbers
Al Hend – Precious India
Hindus and Hindustan
Hindian
Hinduan
Hindu, Hinduism Came To Be
Hindustan
Europe’s Tryst With India
Arabs, the Face of India to Europe
Europe’s Direct Contact With India
From Trade to Raid
Part 3: Made In India
Wootz Steel
Wootz - New Name, But Old Steel
Popularity of Indian Wootz Steel
Old Was Not Gold But Steel
Old Town With A Steely Past
Kodumanal – Old Town, New Finds
A Mature Town, A Mature Industry
Corroborating Steel
Ideally Located
Large Sized
Richly Endowed
A Connect, Strong as Steel
Monopoly – The Secret in Tutty
Cotton and Textiles
0100 BCE – Attractive Indian Cotton
1300s CE – Covered with Indian Cotton Shawl
1580s CE – Addiction to Indian Cotton
1680s – Still Unable to Desist Indian Cotton
1800s – Preferred by the East Too
1980s – Still weaving its magic over the World
Caught up with Cotton
Discovery of Cotton
First to Grow Cotton
Herodotus on Cotton, in Historia
World’s Earliest Cotton
Cotton Country
The Cotton Brand
Indigo – The Royal Blue
Indigo – That which came from India
Stages in the Indigo Extraction Process
A Simple Process But Compounded Results
First Chemical Synthesis
Mad after Madder – The Red Dye
Anti Bacterial
Red Coat
The Dying Red Dye Slaves
Coromandel Red or Colcothar
Colcothar From Kolkotta
Colours and Dyes
Land of Colours
Festival of Colours
Obsessed with Incense
Agarbatti – India’s Obsession With Incense
Many A Intrigue Surrounding Oud
Curry to the West
Curry to the East
Curry from the South
Curry, The Hot Brand of India
Cheroot
Rolling times with Suruttu
Dindy Cheroot
Ode to Cheroot
Top Prizes
A Fiery Style
Diamonds, A Forever Brand
No Diamonds in Europe During 1st Century CE
Pearls Precious Till 1600s
Precious Diamonds
Heera Panna
Journey of Diamonds to Europe
Diamonds Outshine All
Diamond, Vajra - Hard Core Wealth
The Golcondas
Golconda – Source of Wealth
Carat from Ratti-The Small Measure
The Big Stones of India
Plunder of Diamonds
Travel of The Regent
Koh-i-Noor – Ruling the Destiny of Rulers
India’s Adamant Diamonds In Greek Records Too
Diamonds Used In India From Who Knows When
Formalized Diamond Trade In India
A Crystal Clear Evidence Of An Advanced Civilization
Dazzled by Diamonds
Diamond, an offering of India
Diamonds Are Forever – An Indian Brand
Just a Spoon Full Of Sugar
India’s Sugarcane History
Farming Sugarcane with a Brand
Crystalizing India’s Sugar History
Extracting the Sugar From the Cane
India’s Long Link With This Cane
Home of Sugarcane Acknowledged
From Sweet Salt to Sugar
Condensed Story of The Sugar Crystal
Baharat – Old Spice
Bharat – The Spice Land
Turkey – World’s Exchange Node
Turkey – The Gateway to Spice
India – Hot and Spicy
History of Spices
Common Man’s Common Spices in India
Dhaniya, Coriander
Jeera, Cumin
Saunf, Fennel
Methi, Fenugreek
Adrak, Ginger
Haldi, Turmeric
Spicy Names, Juicy Brains
Spices – Food and Medicine
Indian Trade and Navigation
Trade Facts and Artifacts
Indian Ship Sizes
Archaeological Ratifications
Lothal – A Model Port
Dwaraka – a Gateway of India
Unparalleled Indian Sea Farers
India’s Naval Activity
Exporting Ships Besides Exporting Using Ships
Trade and Navigation
Navigation and Shipbuilding
The British Naval Advantage
Seaworthy and Noteworthy Indian ships
Indian Ship Yards – Excelling by all yardsticks
Indian Craftsmanship in Ship Building
Growth of Sea Power
Power Behind Sea Power
Sea Battles from 1600s
Masterstroke of the British
The Great Indian Advantage
Indian Naval Prowess – A Double Edged Sword for India
Four IS Formidable
America or India? – Not a Hard Choice
Indian Ships Steered World History
HMS Drake
HMS Minden
HMS Cornwallis
Seaworthy and Noteworthy
The East Indiamen – Who or What Were They?
A Sound Course?
Shipping, The Flagship Brand of Bharat
Part 4: The Winds of Change
History of Shipping, Ship building and Trade
A 5000 year old Indian Practice
A Towering Similarity
Dhows from India – Lifeline of Arabia
The Changeover from Need to Greed
Lordship for Britain
Indian Shipping - Better for the British
A Windfall For Britain
Necessity – The Mother Of Inventions
Capital – The Nourisher of Inventions
A Game Changing Era
Indian Sea Power - The Anchor for British Naval Power
Hardship for Indians
Indian ships – A  competition for British ships
Overseas Trade Destroyed
Mariners Destroyed
Yards Destroyed
Industry Destroyed
Deliberate Destruction
The Indian Sea Scape
Elegy on the Death of Indian Shipping Industry
Revival of Indian Shipping
Many Ripples
The First Wave
The Wave of Success
Courage, Enterprise and Forethought
Wave After Wave Of Indian Shipping Industry
Direction from Bharat
Sea the Route to India’s Prosperity
Trade Secrets
A Brand Leader
Epilogue
Vol. 2: Roots In India
Dedication
Benedictory Note
About Bharath Gyan
About the Authors
About Autobiography of India
Preface
Roots in India
Foreword-1
Acknowledgements
Part 1: Rooted In India
Buddhism
Bamiyan – Gateway to the Land of the Buddha
Buddhism in South and East Asia
Zen Buddhism
Zero
Due To Zero
No Zero in Roman Numerals
Introduction of Zero into Europe
The Incomprehensible Zero
Zero – A Sign of Confusion
Profound Sign of zero
No Zero in Roman Calendar
Early Evidences Of A Written Zero
The Journey of Zero
Zero, A Place Holder For Everything
Nothing went from India
Infinity – The Unfathomable Endlessness
Source of Infinity
Representing Infinity
Infinity – A Wholesome, Poorna Definition
Infinity – A Wholesome Appreciation
Journey of Infinity
Staal’s Stark Statement
Numerals – India’s Counting Contribution
The Great Indian Impact
Of Indian Origin
Numerals Come Back a Full Circle
A Land of Measures and Metrics
Decimal – The Scale of 10
Expression from Units to Highest
Unique Expressions
Metric System
Nothing, but a Contrasting Image
Algebra
Bija Ganitham
Bija Ganitham to Algebra
Algorithm
Geometry
360 Degrees - Going Around in Circles!
Chakra and Circle
360 Degrees from 1 x 360 days
360 Degrees from 360 pairs of Offsprings
360 Degrees from 4 x 90 names
360 Degrees from 12x30 days
360 Degrees from 360 Sunrises
Summing All the Angles
The Story of Pi (∏)
The Most Valuable Ratio
PI - The Paridhi-Vyasa Sambandhana
Circular Shapes For Usage
Circular Structures that Towered
Circular Sky to Map
Circular Seas to Navigate
The Formulation of Pi
Birth of Pi
Birth of the notion of Pi
Birth of the name Pi
Journey of Pi
Pi – A Perimeter Around the World
Trigonometry
Trijya, The Basis for Trigonometry
From Jya to Sine
Sine – A Good Sign
Calculus – Its Origins
Calculus – The Science of Calculating
Another Dimension to Calculus – Challenges to Calculating
Calculus – The Indian Answer
Calculus From Indian Theology
Study of Calculus in India
Calculus - the Basis
Meru – Mathematical Pyramids
A Common Name
The Indian base to Pyramids
Indian Pyramids, Meru
Meru in Literature and Culture
Meru, Joining Body and Mind in Yoga
Meru in Worship
The Golden Triangle of Meru
Meru Prastara in Sastra
Fibonacci’s Sequence in Maths
A Golden Ratio
Yantra – The Zenith of Pyramids, The Meru
Golden Ratio – Basis of Divine Art
A Geometric Progression of Divine Art
A Common Pattern
Meru Prastara - A Divine Arrangement
Yantra – The Geomtery in Nature
Understanding Pyramids
Missing the Connect
Joining the Worlds
Meru, The Summit of Human Thought
Maths - Securing Communication & Civilization
Modern Cryptography – Science of Encoding
Encoding Love
Encoding War
Encoding Worship
Encoding Knowledge
Encoding Harmony / Music
Encoded Metres
Encoding Immortality
An Expression of Mathematics
From Mathematics to Ethics
Maths, Ganitham - A Heavy Subject
Travel of Mathematics from India to Europe
Need for Indian Mathematics
An Underestimated Contribution
An Untraced Contribution
A Witness Even After 400 Centuries
Mathematics – A Resounding Contribution from India
Intellect and Imagination
A Designated Space for Intellect
Indian “Math” and Greek “Mathematica”
Phonetic and Semantic Similarity in Mathematics
Crest of the Peacock – Intellect In Sway
Music – A Mix of Maths, Mood and Melody
A Song In The Lips
Thus Evolved Prose
Soon Came Poetry
Evolution of Music
Similar Music, Similar Notes
Do Re Mi – The European Notes
A Noteworthy Question
India’s Music Tradition
Saptaswara – Origins in Nature
An Age Old Structuring
The Influence of Sama Gana
Saman to Psalm
The Profundity in the Indian Notes
An Undeniable Inference
The Concluding Note
IST – Indian Standard Time / Prime Meridian
GMT - Greenwich Meridian Time
Keeping Time With Meridians
Meridian – The Midday
Why Greenwich?
Past Prime Meridians
Ujjain – Prime Meridian of The Ancient World
Maha Kaleshwara Temple – An ancient Observatory?
Significance of Ujjain
The Cardinal Points on Earth
Implications of a Prime Meridian
Tracing Ujjain’s History
Ujjain – The Timekeeper
Tracing the Timeline for World’s Timeline
The Ancient Date Line
Knowledge Share
A Joke
An Irony
Khaki
Pyjama
Dressing Tips from Tipu
A Pyjama Wardrobe
Pyjama Fashion
Umbrella
A Shady Contraption
Shampoo
Rocketry
From where, when, how?
Rocket Force
The Rocket Centre
The Rocket Havoc
A Crashing Defeat
British Interest
Father and Son Duo
Congreve Rockets
Fireworks -  Works for Display
Tips from Tipu
Resounding Voices
Rockets Go Way Back in India
A Scathing Acknowledgement
A Long Trail
Part 2: Started In India
Chess
A Sindhi Legend
Arabic Acknowledgement
The Persian Connect
Losing Limbs in Chess Than In War
Chess Travels Further West to Europe
Chess In a Cipher by Vedanta Desika
Antiquity of Chess
Games of War Strategy
Games of Chance
The Croatian Coat Of Truth
Chess Goes to China
The Black and White Fact
Spread of Chess From India
Board Games
Pachisi – A Precursor to Ludo
Vice from Dice
Morals Through Dice
Board Games Travel
Board Games - Etched in Time
Club Sports
Snooker
Carrom – A Precursor To Snooker And Billiards
Cards
Shuttlecock – Badminton
Polo
History of Polo
Invention of Polo
1400 BCE - Pana
34 BCE
1210 CE
1500s CE
Brits take to Polo
Polo develops Team Spirit
Polo Pierces A Hole Into Aryan Myth
Contact Sports
Karate
Jujutsu
The Roots
Parent Form Still Alive
Martial Arts in India
India’s Hand In Martial Arts
Stadium
Indian Stadia – Rangabhoomi
Sports Stadia of Dholavira
Convergence of literature, tradition and archaeology
Precursor to Greek and Roman stadia
Sports - A Long Time Entertainer
Epilogue
Vol. 3: Unique To India
Dedication
Benedictory Note
About Bharath Gyan
About the Authors
About Autobiography of India
Preface
Icons of India
unique to India
Acknowledgements
Part 1: Style
Namaste
A Heart Felt Salutation
A Yogic Expression
Namaste – a Human as well as Divine Expression
“Such” A Sign of Homage
Variations in Levels
Variations in the Word
Variations in Style
Athithi Devo Bhava – A Welcoming Smile
Atithi – A Divine Guest
Atithi - An Unannounced Guest
Welcomed the Africans
Europeans
A Land That Welcomes Visitors
India - A Safe Haven Brand
The Welcoming Signs of India
Poorna Kumbha – A Harbinger of Prosperity and Purity
Mango Leaves - Transmitting Auspiciousness
A Reception or A Receptacle?
Toran – Welcoming Good Energies
Symbolic Torans in Art
Bindi - The Identifying Mark
Pooja Mark and Beyond
Bindi Seen All Around India
A Dot, But a Wide Spread Culture
Sari, Dhoti, Angavastram
The Uncut and the Unstitched
Angavastram
Cotton and Culture in a Cloth
Vegetarianism
1/3rd Indians - Vegetarians by Choice
Dharma
A Unique Concept and Word
Meaning of Dharma
Dharma – Not Just for Humans
Dharma – Not Just for Earthlings
Dharma – The Innate Character of Character
Dharma – A Relationship, A Role
Karma
Indian Sense of Karma
Overlooked Side of Karma
Karma, A Binding Act
Part 2: Sights
God and Idols
Temples
Need of the Divine or Need for the Divine?
Temples And The Art of Preserving Arts
Temples And The Spring of Fertility
The Not So Obvious
Ratio – Constant Across Times, Across India
For us to divine
Temples - Convergence Of the Divergent
Part 3: Symbols
National Symbols of India
Emblem of India
National Flag
Lotus – The National Flower
Lotus – Life Bond
Lotus – Knowledge Connect
Lotus’ Profound Message
Mango – The National Fruit
Tiger – The National Animal
Peacock – National Bird
Veena – The National Musical Instrument
National Anthem
Jai Hind – The Nation’s Cry
Jai Hind, A Firm Call
Symbolic Representation of India
OM
Swastika
Good or Evil?
World Wide Usage
In S.E.Asia
Unravelling the Swastika
Plane of Swastika
The Swirling Universe
Swirling Swastika – A Universal Symbol
Swastika and Auspiciousness
Part 4: Features
Tanks of Prosperity
1017 CE – Al Biruni writes about India
326 BCE – Megasthenes writes about India
1600 CE – British write about India
200 Years Ago - 9 Lakh Water Bodies
A Unique Feat
A Unique Brand
The Brand Steps Down
Ganga
From Ganga Sagar to Bay of Bengal
Krishna Brands Ganga
In Rome’s Fountain
On Maps
Monsoon Rains -  Varsha, Varsha, Varsha
Monsoon - Indian Rains
Varsha – Varsha - Varsha
Rains Every Year
Rains During Ramayana times
Rains And Battle
Bharathvarsha - The Land Branded By Rains
The Himalayas
The Dividing Range
The Abode of Snow That Bodes Well
Home to Yathis and Yetis
Towering Peaks
Mt.Everest - From 8848 Metres Tall to a Mere 6 Feet Height
The Peaks Speak
Himalaya – The Sibling of India
Epilogue
Vol. 4: Leads From India
Dedication
Benedictory Note
About Bharath Gyan
About the Authors
About Autobiography of India
Preface
Thought Leadership From India
Seeking Seers
Many Migrants
Slaves and Scholars
Travelling Monks
Tireless Traders
Slain Soldiers
Planted Peasants
Persevering Pioneers
Proficient Professionals
Guiding Gurus
All Men Great and Small
Leads From India
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Part 1: Led To India
A Land of Learning
The Arabic Quest
The Chinese Quest
The Greek Quest
Takshasila- The 1st International University of the World
Nalanda – Another International University
Other International Universities
Knowledge Centre
The Robust Education System
Part 2: Led By India
Samskrt – A Basis for Western Thought
Samskrt Studies in Europe
An Element of Wonder
Veda, the Fountainhead
Samskrt thought a foundation
Dara Shikoh – Du Perron Route
Samskrt – A Basis for World Tongue
Vocabulary
Idioms and Phrases
Modern System of Education from Madras
Taken from Madras
Egmore Goes to England
Key Take Aways By Bell
Universities in England
Non Violent System of India
Acknowledgement Due
Lancasterian System of Instruction
Given Back to India
Rhyme and Reason
Avvaiyar’s Aathichudi – Tamil classic rhymes
Hindi Rhymes
Veda – Source of Rhyme and Rhythm
Land of Morals and Rhymes
Fables and Values
Children’s Fascination for Animals
Pasu Pakshi Katha – Animal Fables of India
The Journey of Fables from India
Fables – A Fabulous Brand of India
Kamasutra
Kissing – A Secret On the Lips
A Blame Game
Kissing – Not a World Affair
Tracing the First Kiss
Historical Kisses
Technique of Kissing
Etymology of Kiss
Speaking the Language of Love
Kiss - A Single Act With Many Messages
Kiss – A Brand Not to Be Missed
Rhinoplasty -  India’s Answer to Shaming
Surpanaka’s Shaming
Sepoys’ Shaming
The First Rhinoplasty Of The West
Ayurveda – The Lifeline of India
Surgeon - Practicing Medicine With Knife
Physician - Practicing Medicine With Plants
Counsellors - Practicing Medicine With Words
Varieties Of Ayurveda
Tracing The Legacy Of Ayurveda
A Subtle But Gross Contrast
Ayurveda – The Knowledge Of Life
Many Firsts
Breathing
Hridayam – A Heart Stopper
Twin birth
Medicine along with Buddhism
Ayurveda to China
Ayurveda in Thailand
Ayurveda in Central Asia
Ayurveda – Treated as a Brand of India
Inoculation In India
Inoculation in India
Invocation with Inoculation
The Western Invention
Inoculation Seen as Intervention
Inoculation Indoctrinated Into Medicine
Horse Breeding
Salihotra – A Horse Poet
Salihotra’s Legacy
Horses in India 5100 years ago
Topsy Turvy
Ahimsa – Might is Not Right
The British Might In Early 1900s
Turning Topsy Turvy
The Ironic Weapon
What is this Ahimsa?
Ahimsa Rahasya – Secret of Ahimsa
Solidarity Movement, Poland
Non Co-operation in South Africa
Martin Luther King in America
A Place for the Oppressed to Express
Statue of Mahatma Gandhi – 21st Century Global Icon for Ahimsa
Recurrent effectiveness of Ahimsa
Isms
Ahimsa for Future?
Soft Power, the New Age Paradigm
Ahimsa, where Right is Left
Ahimsa  – Non violent, Not Passive
Khadi – A Soft Tool of Ahimsa
To Bear and Brand in Our Mind
Yoga, A Universal Brand From Bharat
The Roots
The Practice
Yoga Travels World Over
World Yoga Day
Philosophy
Spirituality
The Essence of Spirituality
Striking A Balance
From the Land of Thinkers, Guru and Masters
An Unbalanced War
Spiritual Weapons
Ever Relevant – An Art, A Practice, A Technology
The Transcending Spirit
Part 3: Who Led India?
Guru
A Long Lineage
Untraceable Knowledge
Why did India Need Gurus?
Famous Personages, Famous Guru
Guru – The Conscience Keepers of Society
Heavy with Benevolence and Wisdom
The Guiding Gurus
Foremost Guru
Fine Levels in Guru
Guru Parampara – An Over 7100 Year Old Tradition
India’s Beautiful Tree
The Brand Called Bharat
A Wave of Brands
In Medieval Ages Otherwise
Epilogue
Vol. 5: Future From India
Dedication
Benedictory Note
About Bharath Gyan
About the Authors
About Autobiography of India
Preface
A Giving Civilization
A Mindful, Mind Exercise
Future From India
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Part 1: Divergent Images
Upto 1800s CE – A Land of Many Treasures
A Land By Many Images
But One Identity
1900 CE – A Mystical India
2000 CE – A Slum India
How India Lost Its Shining Brand
Accounts of Witnesses To The Loss
Poverty stereotyped
3 Waves of Plunder
Part 2: Focus, India
India - A Brand of Resilience
Land of Inexhaustible Wealth
Land With Inherent Capacity
Internal Mobilization Of Resources
Resilient India
Unbranding The Slum India Image
Making, The Indian Way
Make In India
The Scaled Up, Hyped Up Models of Today
Caught in a Swirl
Looking Back to Re-learn
We Must Have Done Something Good
Something Good To EMULATE
The ECO-ECO Mindset
Ethos of the Indigenous ECO-ECO Mindset of India
Economically Viable, Ecologically Friendly
Ecologically Viable, Economically Friendly
Which Eco to Choose?
Why not both, Economically and Ecologically Viable?
or even better
Making Contrasts
The Killing Dyeing Industry
Ironing out Differences in Iron and Steel Making
BIG Vs Small
A Lopsided Global Model
The BIG Message in Small Measures
Intensive Vs Extensive
Footprint and Foodprint of Elephants
The Voracious Greed of Humans
Extensive Instead of Intensive
Small Yet Elephantine
A Small But Widespread Secret
A Cue from the Indian Q & Q Brand
Actually Small But Virtually Big
Bigger And Bigger For Smaller And Smaller
Blending Big and Small
Rebranding Small Scale As Extensive
Moving from Centralism to Decentralism
Decentralism
Extensive Manufacture Vs Intensive Manufacture
Aggregation for trade Vs Aggregation for production
Local End to End Production Vs Global Linear Assembly
Horizontal Range Vs Vertical Scale
Mitigating Risk to Industry
Priority to Ecology over Economy
Success Records From The Past
The Indian Way- The Way Forward
EXIIM – Extensive, Indigenous, Industrial Model
A Convergence Of Economy And Ecology
Roots Of India’s Exiim
5Ts
India’s Millennia Old Norms
The 5T Principles
Tradition
Technology
Trade
Talent
Truth
Essence of Brand Bharat - A “Leading” Brand
A Thought Leader
Giving What Is Sought
Brand Rebuilding
Part 3: Awaken The Mind
Race Of The World
Renaissance
Post Renaissance
Travel Era – A Reconnaissance Era
Trade Era – A Raid Era
Navigation Era – A Colonizing Era
Industrialization Era – An Automation Era
Investment Era – A Capitalizing Era
Computational Era – A Crunching Era
Communication Era – A Far Reaching Era
Information Era – A Socializing Era
Knowledge Era – An Aggregating Era
Mind Era – A Transcending Era
Steering Mind In Futuristic Science
Futuristic Science
A Cornucopia of Mind based Knowledgebase
A Long Understanding of the mind
Concept of a Mind Leader
Indian View of Evolution – Mind and Form
On Mind Powers Of Ancient Indians
Veda – A Mind Engineering Marvel By Itself
Balanced Use Of Gross And Subtle Power
Availability of Literature
Power To Develop Mind Power
So Much Scope
Age of Indian Ideas - Now
Sandhi, A Window of Transition
At a Cusp, Sandhi
Contributions Thus Far
ToMorrow – What Will It Be?
An Open Book With An Open Mind
Offering Indian Thought To Shape Thinking
India’s Thinking Process
De Bono’s Lateral Thinking With 6 Hats
India’s Thinking In 6 Ways
The 39 Thinking Tools
By The Mind, In The Mind, For The Mind
From Mind Era To Space Era
A Space Age Calendar
A Space Age Teleportation System
A Space Age, Age Defier
Mind Matters
A Jumping Mind
Taming The Monkey With An Elephant
Power Of The Elephant
Mati, The Mind Power
Mind Vs Matter
An Eternal Fight
The Mind Continuum - Brahman
2 Modes Of Existence - Dvidha
5 Levels Of Needs  - Motivational Theory
5 Layers Of Existence – Panchakosha Model
Scaling The Peak – Layer By Layer
Mental or Fundamental
Physiological And Psychological
Closed Vs Open
True Vs Perceived
Mind Vs Space – Brahma And Brahman
Brahman And Braahmanaa
Jnana And Karma
Science Vs Technology
The Mind Science Triad
Body And Mind – A Tango
Fundamental Difference Between West and East
Difference in Mindset
West Consumes East
Mind Science Vs Physical Science
Modern Vs Western
The Trend
The Reverse Flow
Steadfastness
A Remix
A Lead To Follow
Part 4: Know Your Strength
Offer Based On Own Strengths Than Other’s Constraints
Putting into Perspective
In Retrospect
An Introspection
A Prospect
Becoming Mindful
Rebrand from Inquisitive To Innovative
Historical Inquisitive Nature
Need For Indigenized Innovativeness
Never Dull, Only A Lull
Part 5: Shift Your Stand
Bharat – Built On A Different Paradigm
The Striking Difference
Indian Paradigms
The Integrated View
One World Family
The Brief Message
Need for Paradigm Shift
Bharat Paradigms
Bharat – To Lead Paradigm Shifts
Break Stereotype of Old is Outdated
Shift Paradigms To Shift Leadership
Shifting Paradigms, Layer By Layer
Paradigm Shifts At Ground Level
From Artificially Synthesized To Nature Given – The Next Natural Step
From Non-Vegetarianism To Vegetarianism – The Next Meal
From Chemical To Natural Farming – The Next Field
From Take All To Share 1/3 rd - The Next Ratio
From Damming To Diverting Waters – The Next Path To Follow
From Raw Materials To Finished Product – The Next Set Of Exports
From Power Shortage To Surplus – The Next In Empowering
From Curbing To Cleansing Pollution – The Next Clean Act
From Intensive To Extensive – The Next In Making
Fundamentals Of The Fundamental Level
Boldly Go Where No Machine Can Go
For Goodness Sake
Shifting Paradigms At A Social Level
A Cascading Effect
From Centralism To Decentralism – The Next Core Philosophy
From Centralized To Decentralized – The Next Governing Decision
From Gender Equality To Gender Complementary – The Next Balance
From Man To Woman Centric Society – The Next Pivot
From Nuclear To Joint Family – The Next Family Circle
From Population Burden To Capital – The Next Capital Asset
From Borrowing To Saving Society – The Next Fine Nuance Of Finance
From Poverty Eradication To Prosperity Generation – The Next Strategy
From Urban To Rural Centric Planning – The Next Outreach Plan
Paradigm Shifts To Align The Mind
From Exercise To Yoga – The Next Work In
From Hard Skills To Soft Skills – The Next Skillset
From English To Samskrt – The Next Language Of Science
From Global To Local And Seasonal – The Next Menu
From Fast Food To Fine Food - The Next Dining Style
From Globally Western To Indigenously Modern – The Next Trend
Paradigm Shifts In Science, Knowledge and Awareness
From Gross To Subtle – The Next Leap In Science
From AFTER To BEFORE Creation - The Next Beginning
From Puranics To Genetics - The Next Application To Stem Forth
From Ritual To Spiritual – The Next Act
From Closed Ip To Open Mind – The Next Door To Be Opened
Culmination of All Paradigm Shifts
Need For A Silicon - Silica Connect
From Existence To Ecosistence – The Next Stable State
From Taking To Giving – A Shift We Owe
Brand Offerings From India For Future
Setting Direction
Offering Solace To Humanity
Sky Is The Limit
Rising Above Earth
Rising Minds
The Brand Wagon Of India - Then And Future
Part 6: Lead Again, India
Bharat – A Sustaining Brand
Bharata – Relishers Of “Bha”
Lead Through Leadership
India of the Future
India Of The Past – A Green And Grey Matter
Bharat was Hard as Metal and Soft as Petal
A Mature Civilization Then
A Ripening India Now
India’s Soft Power
India Of The Future - A Steel and Gold Matter
Epilogue
India, A Giving Civilization
No Ill-Will
Give She Will, Again

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Table of Contents   Dedication   Benedictory Note   About Bharath Gyan   About the Authors   About Autobiography of India   Preface     Made in India   Acknowledgements

PART 1 - ONCE UPON A TIME – A GOLDEN AGE   Bharat, A Brand of Splendour For Millennia   Olden Golden Days - 5100 Years Ago and Before     A Land of Prosperity     Prosperous Merchants     Measure of Wealth     Golden Olden Days   Highest Degree of Prosperity 300 BCE     Greek Statement, English Affirmation     Greek Records of 300 BCE   What Hiuen Tsang Sang in 600 CE     Records from the East     Corroborations on Ground Today     Endowed with Wealth and Knowledge   The Ruthless Plunders from 1000 CE     Attracting Plunderers and Marauders     Description of Mathura and Raid on Mathura     Wealth of Delhi     Noteworthy   A Brand Worth Millions in 1200 CE     A Land of Millions Image     Prosperity Beyond Belief   India Before the British Rule in 1600 CE     World’s Richest, Most Urbanized Country     Land of Abundance     Richer Than Egypt

    Plenty were in Plenty     Golden Age Under the Mahratta   Charting India’s Progress in 1980s     A Stirring Remark     The Stunning Report About India     Further Independent Affirmation     Consistent Performance Over More Than 2 Millennia     Softly Wielding Power

PART 2 - BHARAT - A BRAND   Brand Bharat   Brand India   King of Wisdom   Jawabe Hind – The Cutting Edge of India   Hindsa – Strength in Indian Numbers   Al Hend – Precious India   Hindus and Hindustan     Hindian     Hinduan     Hindu, Hinduism Came To Be     Hindustan   Europe’s Tryst With India     Arabs, the Face of India to Europe     Europe’s Direct Contact With India     From Trade to Raid

PART 3 - MADE IN INDIA   Wootz Steel     Wootz - New Name, But Old Steel     Popularity of Indian Wootz Steel   Old Was Not Gold But Steel   Old Town With A Steely Past     Kodumanal – Old Town, New Finds     A Mature Town, A Mature Industry     Corroborating Steel     Ideally Located     Large Sized     Richly Endowed     A Connect, Strong as Steel

  Monopoly – The Secret in Tutty   Cotton and Textiles     0100 BCE – Attractive Indian Cotton     1300s CE – Covered with Indian Cotton Shawl   1580s CE – Addiction to Indian Cotton     1680s – Still Unable to Desist Indian Cotton     1800s – Preferred by the East Too     1980s – Still weaving its magic over the World     Caught up with Cotton     Discovery of Cotton     First to Grow Cotton     Herodotus on Cotton, in Historia     World’s Earliest Cotton     Cotton Country     The Cotton Brand   Indigo – The Royal Blue     Indigo – That which came from India     Stages in the Indigo Extraction Process     A Simple Process But Compounded Results     First Chemical Synthesis   Mad after Madder – The Red Dye     Anti Bacterial     Red Coat     The Dying Red Dye Slaves   Coromandel Red or Colcothar     Colcothar From Kolkotta   Colours and Dyes     Land of Colours     Festival of Colours   Obsessed with Incense     Agarbatti – India’s Obsession With Incense     Many A Intrigue Surrounding Oud     Curry to the West     Curry to the East     Curry from the South     Curry, The Hot Brand of India   Cheroot     Rolling times with Suruttu     Dindy Cheroot

    Ode to Cheroot     Top Prizes     A Fiery Style   Diamonds, A Forever Brand     No Diamonds in Europe During 1st Century CE     Pearls Precious Till 1600s     Precious Diamonds     Heera Panna     Journey of Diamonds to Europe     Diamonds Outshine All     Diamond, Vajra - Hard Core Wealth     The Golcondas     Golconda – Source of Wealth     Carat from Ratti-The Small Measure     The Big Stones of India     Plunder of Diamonds     Travel of The Regent     Koh-i-Noor – Ruling the Destiny of Rulers     India’s Adamant Diamonds In Greek Records Too     Diamonds Used In India From Who Knows When     Formalized Diamond Trade In India     A Crystal Clear Evidence Of An Advanced Civilization     Dazzled by Diamonds     Diamond, an offering of India     Diamonds Are Forever – An Indian Brand   Just a Spoon Full Of Sugar     India’s Sugarcane History     Farming Sugarcane with a Brand     Crystalizing India’s Sugar History     Extracting the Sugar From the Cane     India’s Long Link With This Cane     Home of Sugarcane Acknowledged     From Sweet Salt to Sugar     Condensed Story of The Sugar Crystal   Baharat – Old Spice     Bharat – The Spice Land     Turkey – World’s Exchange Node     Turkey – The Gateway to Spice     India – Hot and Spicy

    History of Spices     Common Man’s Common Spices in India     Dhaniya, Coriander     Jeera, Cumin     Saunf, Fennel     Methi, Fenugreek     Adrak, Ginger     Haldi, Turmeric     Spicy Names, Juicy Brains     Spices – Food and Medicine   Indian Trade and Navigation     Trade Facts and Artifacts     Indian Ship Sizes     Archaeological Ratifications     Lothal – A Model Port     Dwaraka – a Gateway of India     Unparalleled Indian Sea Farers     India’s Naval Activity   Exporting Ships Besides Exporting Using Ships     Trade and Navigation     Navigation and Shipbuilding     The British Naval Advantage     Seaworthy and Noteworthy Indian ships     Indian Ship Yards – Excelling by all yardsticks     Indian Craftsmanship in Ship Building     Growth of Sea Power     Power Behind Sea Power     Sea Battles from 1600s     Masterstroke of the British     The Great Indian Advantage     Indian Naval Prowess – A Double Edged Sword for India     Four IS Formidable     America or India? – Not a Hard Choice   Indian Ships Steered World History     HMS Drake     HMS Minden     HMS Cornwallis     Seaworthy and Noteworthy     The East Indiamen – Who or What Were They?

    A Sound Course?     Shipping, The Flagship Brand of Bharat

PART 4 - THE WINDS OF CHANGE   History of Shipping, Ship building and Trade     A 5000 year old Indian Practice     A Towering Similarity     Dhows from India – Lifeline of Arabia     The Changeover from Need to Greed   Lordship for Britain     Indian Shipping - Better for the British     A Windfall For Britain     Necessity – The Mother Of Inventions     Capital – The Nourisher of Inventions     A Game Changing Era     Indian Sea Power - The Anchor for British Naval Power   Hardship for Indians     Indian ships – A  competition for British ships     Overseas Trade Destroyed     Mariners Destroyed     Yards Destroyed     Industry Destroyed     Deliberate Destruction     The Indian Sea Scape     Elegy on the Death of Indian Shipping Industry   Revival of Indian Shipping     Many Ripples     The First Wave     The Wave of Success     Courage, Enterprise and Forethought     Wave After Wave Of Indian Shipping Industry   Direction from Bharat     Sea the Route to India’s Prosperity     Trade Secrets     A Brand Leader   Epilogue

Autobiography of India BRAND BHARAT Vol 1 MADE IN INDIA D.K.HARI D.K.HEMA HARI BHARATH GYAN SERIES Bridging Worlds Thru Knowledge Experience The Knowledge Of India

Original title :  Brand Bharat - Vol 1 - Made In India First Edition : September 2017 ISBN - 978-93-85254-69-7 Copyrights 2017 © Bharath Gyan & Sri Sri Publications Trust All rights reserved. Editing, Illustrations, Graphics & Layout : Virendra Singh Thakur, Rahul Kaimal, Manjunath Fattepur, C.Jeyakar and Pooja Bhatia - Bharath Gyan Studio Published by : Sri Sri Publications Trust Art of Living International Centre 21st km, Kanakapura Road, P.O. Udayapura, Bangalore - 560082. INDIA Email: [email protected] Website: www.sattvastore.com Toll Free : 1800-258-8888 No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher. Printed In India by

Dedication This entire series, “Autobiography of India”, is dedicated to Aditya and Varun, our twin, 5 year old nephews, representatives of the future generations, to whom we want to leave behind this legacy – knowledge about their civilization and its ethos. Aditya is a name for the Divine Sun and Varun is a name for the Divine Rain. Aditya and Varun are constant reminders of how blessed this land, Bharatavarsha is, to receive bountiful rain and shine consistently. Rain and Shine are what our ancestors had leveraged ingeniously to make this a long-lasting, prosperous civilization. They were a role model for millennia! Aditya and Varun seem to convey this message from the Sun and the Rains.

Leverage us, your rain and shine, To stay Prosperous and Fine, For generations in line All the way through time!

We can see a Rainbow, Indradhanush, only when Rain and Shine come together! Rainbow seen from the Art of Living, Bengaluru, Photo Courtesy - Sameer Mehta

Benedictory Note

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Founder, The Art of Living

India is the cradle of humanity and knowledge of all kinds flourished holistically here from time immemorial. Science and Spirituality were never in conflict in this country and that is why Her ancient wisdom is timeless. India scaled the peaks of philosophical thought and art while also being a land of abundant prosperity for centuries. Most Indians are not familiar with the brilliance that existed here and attracted attention from Europe, West Asia and South East Asia across times. DK Hari and Hema Hari have put in years of research to uncover India’s ancient legacy, which is presented in this series called ‘Autobiography of India’. I am happy at their efforts to revive unknown and unique aspects of our history. My blessings and best wishes for all their noble endeavors. 9 September 2017 Bengaluru, India

About Bharath Gyan

Bharath Gyan is an endeavour to bridge old and new worlds by repurposing knowledge from the past, for the present and future, so that it can be experienced and applied. Indian knowledge, her ethos and global ties are of special focus in this interdisciplinary and rational, civilizational study. Bharath Gyan presents a wholistic perspective of India in a manner appealing to the modern mind. Bharath Gyan has been collating specific, scientific knowledge of India, using ancient knowledge sources as well as modern scientific tools and methods. The knowledge of the Indian civilization is available scattered in various forms – books, manuscripts, oral tradition amongst scholars, various art forms, customs and traditions of the land. The current generation is faced with a barrier while reaching out to this knowledge due to the limited access to such sources. The ancient languages, the style of expression used and their approach to the subjects which differ from the present way of expression, pose a challenge too. In Bharath Gyan, as part of our quest for the specific scientific knowledge and practices of the civilization, we have come across many stories, ideas, views, theories, factual events and statements.

With the help of traditional scholars with a modern bent of mind and modern scientists open to traditional knowledge systems, we have endeavoured to carefully sift through all this data, with an inquisitive, rational, logical and scientific mind to understand the knowledge from a fresh interdisciplinary perspective. The outcome of this analysis is the compilation of Bharath Gyan. Over 15 years, spanning across 108 subjects, the independent facts and data collated, self validate and corroborate each other beautifully in this compilation, as pieces of a jigsaw. Bharath Gyan, is a knowledge foundation that brings this knowledge out through engaging mediums, so that it can be easily understood and enjoyed by all, across the world. The objective is to present this knowledge and wisdom, from a present day perspective, with relevance to current topics of interest and tribulations faced by India as well as the world. Besides filling the readers with wonder at the not-so-commonly known facets of our ancient civilization, it is hoped that this knowledge and approach of the ancients will kindle or aid future research for the benefit of science and mankind. Can we make the past converge with the present for the future? Ours is perhaps not the first effort in this direction, neither should it be the last … Encouraged by His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Bharath Gyan - Art of Living is an initiative to take this compiled knowledge to the community at large. Our website www.bharathgyan.com provides more insights into our activities.

About the Authors

Authors, D.K.Hari and D.K.Hema Hari

D.K.Hari and D.K.Hema Hari are founders of Bharath Gyan, a civilizational study initiative to compile and present the knowledge of India, its traditions, its culture, its global ties - in short, its ethos, from an Indian perspective. The Hari couple have travelled extensively to over 30 countries and visited museums, expositions and other attractions worldwide to understand those civilizations, their culture and knowledge. It was this exposure that motivated this husband-wife duo of management and IT professionals to turn into research collators and conceptualize “Bharath Gyan” as an endeavour to fill the void in the showcasing of the knowledge, practices and culture of the Indian civilization across the millennia. They collate information on the knowledge in India through the ages and disseminate it for suitable appreciation and application. Their method to collating this knowledge is purely driven by questioning. Allowing questioning to lead thought and search, has yielded this collection, which is again presented through questions and answers, using multimedia technology for effective sharing of information and grasp. With factual content on 108 different subjects on the state of knowledge in India, its traditions and its sustainable practices compiled over 15 years of

dedicated research, the Hari couple have evolved into subject matter experts on the overall understanding of India across ages from over 8000 years ago to the present. They have given a few hundred lectures across India and the globe, to wide audiences ranging from the research community, to educational institutions, to Corporates, social organizations and in various conferences on technology, management, history, tradition, culture and religion. Based on their research, they have authored till date, 22 books and produced 5 documentaries as well as many short films that span a wide spectrum of disciplines, such as: Creation -  Srishti Vignana (a book on the science of Creation from Indian thought) A trilogy on Historicity of Rama º  Historical Rama º  Ramayana In Lanka º  Ayodhya – War and Peace A trilogy on Historical Krishna º  Dating of Krishna º  Footprints of Krishna º  Facets of Krishna

•  You Turn India (on the secret behind the  prosperity of India for millennia)

•   Indo-Japan A Connect Over Millennia (on the ties that these 2 ancient civilizations have shared across the times)

•   Telugu Talli – Her Unknown Side - Facets of Telugu Culture and Prosperity

•  Understanding Shiva (a book that explains the Shiva Tattva)

•    2012 – The Real Story (that shows the connect between the Indian and ancient America)

•    Triple

Eclipse 2009 (that presents an intriguing side to the phenomenon of 3 eclipses occurring back to back within a month in the decade between 2009 to 2019)

•  Historical Rama (Film in English, Hindi, Tamil and Kannada) •  Creation – Srishti Vignyana (Film in English and Tamil) •  Understanding Shiva (Film in English) •  Wonders of Indian Astronomy (Film in English). They have started penning a monumental series called the “Autobiography of India” comprising of many multi-volume titles, of which, 2 titles have been published. Brand Bharat (A 5 volume title about how India was a Brand for many things in the past and how it can position itself as a Brand in future too) º  Made in India º  Roots in India º  Unique to India º  Leads from India º  Future from India Breaking The Myths (A 4 volume title about the various myths that have shrouded people’s perception of India and what the reality is.) º  About Identity º  About Society º  About Prosperity º  About Ability They are active on social media too.

About Autobiography of India Autobiography of India. Why this name for a book? How can a country write an autobiography? How can one person or in this case, two individuals write the autobiography of a nation? To clarify, we all know that a biography of a person is written by another, after studying the activities, experiences and the turning events in the life of this person. In the case of a person’s autobiography, one pens one’s own thoughts, views and experiences. Now, in the case of a nation, a country, a civilization, they are looked at, as living entities too. Don’t we refer to India as a mother and don’t the Germans refer to their land as a fatherland? A nation lives, experiences and grows through its people. The people of a nation, form the family of the nation, its children. In that sense, when we, the children of this nation, this country, this civilization, write about our family, our ancestors, our society, our nation, our country, our civilization, we are but, writing our own Autobiography, as well as that of our nation, India. Autobiography of India is not separate from our legacy. And, we are fortunate to have such a long legacy. But, it is so long and continuous, that we are going to have to narrate it in themes, to keep the continuity going across ethos and time. Autobiography of India thus, is developing into a series of themes and a wonderful experience. Further, each of the themes in this series too, has had to be arranged as a multi-volume book, keeping in mind the ease of handling and reading, by

one and all. Autobiography of India, as a series, is thus an endless endeavour. For, we are narrating the story of how we have come to be what we are today, going as far back in time as our collective knowledge will allow us to, in order to see what our ancestors had done, to see us safely into, thus far in time – i.e. their future. But, what is the value of this journey, if we cannot bring back leads from them, on how to live in our future so that, someday our progeny too will proudly travel down memory lane to reach upto us. Autobiography of India, the story of this living civilization, will continue beyond our lives, as the next generation starts to live and write, from where we leave off. Hopefully what they add to the story then, will be success stories based on our learnings and from where we would have left off.

Preface At the time of Independence in 1947, the two big business houses of India then were the TATA and Birla. Their names were synonymous with business then. These names continue to be synonymous to mean “big business” even today. These are Indian brands that are of the present or the near past. What is interesting is that such images and brands of India have existed in many spheres through the ages. Most of them, we are not aware of now. That does not mean that they did not exist or that they did not create a brand image, brand value for India among world citizens. Some are brands of goods that went from India, world over. Some are brands that were the image of India, for the world. These brands of yore created openings, not just in the field of trade but also in the very spread of thought and thought process. This is something that India can be rightfully proud of. For, it is thought process that shapes the evolution of thought, sciences, practices and lifestyle, which in turn, have a bearing on the pace of evolution of mankind. There are so many aspects for which India, i.e. Bharat was known the world over that Brand Bharat which speaks of how India was known to the rest of the world, had to be compiled as a multi volume compendium. Brand Bharat in the Autobiography of India series from the Bharath Gyan collection therefore comprises 5 volumes as on date – Vol 1, Made in India Vol 2, Roots in India Vol 3, Unique to India Vol 4, Leads from India

Vol 5, Future from India.

MADE IN INDIA Any land is known to its near neighbours and to the lands further away by the products that are made and exported by them. Along with these products, through the tales of traders, other aspects of the land such as its practices, views, thoughts, philosophies are also made known. But for all this, the basic point is trade and the traders who trade in them. For this trade to happen, that land must have products which are coveted by other lands. For this demand, the products should be of high quality, should be unique and have a regular supply to meet market needs. For this, the land should be a sustainable production unit, across generations. This in turn means that the civilization should be knowledgeable, skilled and farsighted enough to follow sustainable practices of industries. India was all this and more. What were the products that were made in India? The one thing that readily comes to mind is spice. But we will find that it was only one among the many. What were these many? What influence did they have on the other lands? How did they generate the copious wealth for India, the land that produced them? How did they make India a brand leader for exotic goods?

Acknowledgements We have been singularly fortunate to have been born in this land of ancient wisdom and seers. We owe a lot to our parents who have brought us into this world and provided us with the right education, upbringing and guidance. The values and traditions of this ancient civilization inculcated in us by our family and teachers are what have formed the basis for our work at Bharath Gyan. We are indebted to our family and friends for their continued support and encouragement in our endeavour. Having embarked on our quest, many scholars, thinkers and students of the knowledge of India have come forward and helped us in our collation of the Bharath Gyan knowledgebase. Some have helped by offering data, while some others, through their questions that made us think and look for the data. Many traditional scholars have patiently tolerated our inquisitiveness and have laboriously searched and retrieved from the ancient texts, the data we had requested of them and explained the same to us in simple layman terms. Without their mastery over old and new, their knowledge, their mind-set and support, this bridge from the ancient to the present day would never have been built. Then faced with the task of dissemination, many friends and experts have come forward to help review our works and take it to stages of production. We owe a lot to their support without which our compilation could not have seen the light of the day. We are indebted to His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar for the faith reposed in us and our work and for offering us a platform, to share the knowledgebase we have collated, with the community at large. We would be failing in our character, if we do not acknowledge more importantly, the unseen forces which have connected us up with these right sources of information and noble people just in time, just as we were

looking for the information and help. The list is therefore very long and words fail us to thank everyone sufficiently. Hence we take refuge in the all encompassing words of the 18th century Indian poet Saint Thyagaraja – Entharo Mahanu Bhavulu Anthariki Vanadanamulu There are many noble persons as well as ancestors (behind this work) and we salute them all.

PART 1 - ONCE UPON A TIME – A GOLDEN AGE

Bharat, A Brand of Splendour For Millennia That India had been a land of magnificence and opulence, becomes obvious to locals and visitors to India through the archaeological structures of Harappa – Mohenjodaro, the ports of Lothal, Dwaraka, Poompuhar, intricate and ingenious water harnessing systems across the land, some even ornate too ruins of exquisite monuments strewn all over India, large and grand temples and palaces the arts and the crafts embellishing these structures, the copious amount of literature with elevated thoughts and wisdom, all of which reek of a land with unabated prosperity through the many millennia. Nowhere do we see signs of an impoverished economy in the past. This is the image of India, Bharat, which the world was familiar with and had got accustomed to. India was like the proverbial land with a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

A Pot of Gold at the end of a Rainbow – An English Metaphor for Untold Treasure

What were the individual aspects of India that had caught the attention of the global eyes? What did the Indians do to draw world attention? Do we have records for the same?

Olden Golden Days - 5100 Years Ago and Before A LAND OF PROSPERITY The Veda are the oldest known texts of the world. They comprise of verses composed by Rishi, Seers many millennia ago. They and the Purana, the legends of India, were last compiled into the form they are currently known by, in 3100 BCE i.e.about 5100 years ago. Many of the verses refer to the river Sarasvati and the verdant lands around it. The two historical epics of India, itihasa, are the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. These are historical accounts of India by Indians themselves who were contemporaneous to that period. The events of the Ramayana can be dated to 5114 BCE and those of the Mahabharata to 3067 BCE. These over 5000 year old texts - the Veda, Purana, Ramayana, Mahabharata and other Purana, all consistently speak of India, as a land of prosperity. This is corroborated onsite by the Harappa – Mohenjodaro civilizations and the 2600 other archaeological sites that dot the Sindhu – Sarasvati belt, referred to as the Indus Valley today, in the northwest of India.

PROSPEROUS MERCHANTS The well known publication, Reader’s Digest, in its book, “The Vanished Civilization”, observes on the prosperity of the Vedic and Indus Valley people.

This analysis of Readers Digest highlights two facts: 1.  That the Indus merchants were prosperous. 2.  That they were culturally and intellectually sophisticated in their practices.

MEASURE OF WEALTH The Sangam texts of southern part of India, comprise of a collection of poems spread across three eras, Sangam 1, 2 and 3. The first two Sangam eras have not been conclusively dated yet. But suffice it to say that they would be of similar period to the Purana. These texts contain mention of the terms Shanka Nidhi and Padma Nidhi. Later day depictions of Shanka Nidhi and Padma Nidhi as divinities guarding the doorway of the temple of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth can also be found in many temples of India.

  

Source – Entrance to the shrine of Goddess Perundevi, a form of Lakshmi, in Varadaraja Swamy Temple, Kanchipuram

Varadaraja Swamy temple foreground, Kanchipuram, a more than 1000 year old temple.

Textual depictions of Goddess Lakshmi in various Samskrt literatures also depict Shanka Nidhi and Padma Nidhi as 2 of the 8 Ashtadikpala, i.e. 8 direction guarding divinities for Goddess Lakshmi.

Elsewhere, in mathematical treatises in Samskrt, we see mathematical quantification for the term Shanka and Padma. Shanka is 1013  and Padma is 1012. The term Nidhi in Samskrt denotes wealth, fund. Shanka Nidhi and Padma Nidhi are thus terms that denote measures of wealth and their association with Goddess Lakshmi, the divinity for material prosperity corroborates this. A society that used such terms to indicate measure of wealth, obviously must have been prosperous too.

GOLDEN OLDEN DAYS Description of a wealthy society in these literature and terms for measure of wealth, corroborate one another and in turn show that the land of India, was civilized, cultured and prosperous 5000 years ago and before. There was so much wealth in India then ….

Highest Degree of Prosperity 300 BCE GREEK STATEMENT, ENGLISH AFFIRMATION

A depiction of the Sapta Sindhu valley, densely populated by 1500 cities

Mountstuart Elphinstone (1777–1859)

This is what Mountstuart Elphinstone, a Scottish Statesman and historian of British India, who later became the Governor of Bombay and authored a number of books on India and Afghanistan has recorded in his book “History of India.”

GREEK RECORDS OF 300 BCE

Aristoboulos

The records of the Greeks go back to 326 BCE when they had marched upto India under Alexander of Macedonia. In particular, Aristoboulos, the Greek writer, who had visited India, the region of the Indus basin to be more specific, during the time of Alexander, writes that when he was despatched into the country on matters of business,

he saw a tract of land which contained more than a thousand cities with their dependent villages.  The Greeks thus speak of 1000s of flourishing cities between Hydaspes and Hyphases. Hydaspes and Hyphasis was what they called the rivers of the Sapta Sindhu, the rivers that water the modern day state of Punjab in North West India. Hydaspes refers to the river Jhelum and Hyphasis was their name for the river Beas. So, even in 300 BCE, this land continued to be a densely populated, prosperous land as borne out by the Greek records. There was so much population in India then too ….

What Hiuen Tsang Sang in 600 CE RECORDS FROM THE EAST 900 years later, we find records of another visitor to this land. This time, it is from the east. The visitor was Xuang Zang, also known as Hiuen Tsang, a scholar from China.

Hiuen Tsang

Hiuen Tsang came to India in 630 CE, in search of knowledge. He was hosted by the court of Emperor Harshavardhana. He travelled through parts of India and stayed in Nalanda University to learn the scriptures of India.

He later returned to China with these manuscripts. Even after his return to China, he continued to maintain relations with India for further knowledge. He describes Nalanda as a sprawling campus with,

He further describes the campus as,

Hieun Tsang in one of the tall towers of Nalanda – An Artist Impression

CORROBORATIONS ON GROUND TODAY The ruins excavated at Nalanda present a corroborating picture.

D.K.Hari in front of the foundation of one of the multistorey buildings Shows many small rooms for the students, a huge quadrangle and wide pathways

One of the Towers of Nalanda with decorated walls

Plan of the Excavated Remains of Nalanda, showing many such buildings

Ruins of Nalanda – Aerial View

ENDOWED WITH WEALTH AND KNOWLEDGE Hiuen Tsang’s accounts were not untrue. Nalanda indeed was so large in size and knowledge. Not only large, it was also financially secure. The villages around it were prosperous too to be able to look after it. The kingdom was wealthy too to be able to give 100 villages as endowment for Nalanda. India was prosperous as there were many such kingdoms and centres of learning supported by these kingdoms. Hiuen Tsang in his records of 630 CE, had sung the prosperity of the kingdom of Emperor Harshavardhana, the prosperity of other kingdoms of India and the munificent donations given by king and people for education and knowledge. All this speaks not only of India’s prosperity but also the state of advancement and culture of the civilization 1500 years ago and beyond. There was so much knowledge in India then …

The Ruthless Plunders from 1000 CE ATTRACTING PLUNDERERS AND MARAUDERS The prosperity of India, the trade and tales of India had spread far and wide. Some looked towards India with awe, some with a desire to emulate, some with a desire to just usurp it all. From about 900 CE to 1739 CE, i.e. from the times of Mahmud invading Sind to the times of Nadir Shah of Persia pillaging Delhi, the plains of northern India have been ransacked repeatedly by invaders from the near west who took away with them riches and people from India. From their own chronicled records of what they looted, we get a glimpse of what India looked like then. The wealth of Sind, that of Punjab, that of Somnath, that of Mathura, Delhi and many other regions of India, which were looted, show how much this land had accumulated then, through sustainable industries and industrious trade.

DESCRIPTION OF MATHURA AND RAID ON MATHURA

Ancient city of Mathura - An artist impression

From the notes of Al Biruni, Chronicler of Mahmud of Ghazni who visited India in 1017 CE

Muhmud of Ghazni invaded India 17 times between 1001 CE and 1024 CE and carried back as enormous booty, 6.5 tons of Gold and 50000 war prisoners, who were sold as slaves in his country.

Regions of India ransacked by Mahmud of Ghazni

WEALTH OF DELHI The troops of Nadir Shah unleashed a 57day general massacre on Delhi in 1739 CE, which was probably the most prosperous city of the world then. They took back as spoils of war, treasures assessed at Rupees 70 Crores of

those days’ value, along with priceless artefacts such as the Peacock throne and the Kohinoor Diamond, currently on exhibit at the Tower of London.

NOTEWORTHY It is to be noted that about 700 years after Mahmud of Ghazni ransacked and took away wealth from the plains of north India, the same region was pillaged again by Nadir Shah who also decamped with similar amounts of loot. If it took Nadir Shah 57 days to pillage Delhi, then one can imagine the amount of wealth that had been regenerated in that part of India once again. It goes to show that the prosperity of India was not a flash in the pan. It was systemic. It was a well honed art, science and culture. Still, there was so much plundered from India then. That, there was so much plundered from India then implies there was so much treasure in India then ...

A Brand Worth Millions in 1200 CE A LAND OF MILLIONS IMAGE Marco Polo was an Italian visitor who travelled to India in 1290 CE. After covering much of Asia, he reached the coast of Malabar in India and then returned to Venice. What he saw during his travels, have been recorded in the book “Travels of Marco Polo”.

Route Taken by Marco Polo

Marco Polo was astounded by the state of prosperity he saw in India. He describes it as the richest land he had ever seen during his travels. An exhilarated Marco Polo, on his return to Europe described India as a land with,

He was so much in awe of what he had seen in India that everything for him in India was abundant and in millions. So much so that, he himself, in the process, got branded as “Marco Mille”, Mille being the Latin word for Million. His work created an image of India, fabulous in wealth and splendour, rich in terms of millions.

PROSPERITY BEYOND BELIEF Europe was just coming out of 1000 years of the Dark Ages which was full of violence and bloodshed. Due to this no development had been possible for over a millennium, across many generations. For them, that a land India could be so prosperous was beyond belief. “Travels of Marco Polo” became a bestseller in Europe of those days and Marco Polo’s account of India dominated the minds of the Europeans for the next few centuries to come. India became a brand worth Millions. There was millions of just everything, in India then …

India Before the British Rule in 1600 CE WORLD’S RICHEST, MOST URBANIZED COUNTRY Fernand Barudel (1902 to 1985), a French historian with an interdisciplinary approach to studying history, remarked in his work “A History of Civilizations”,

LAND OF ABUNDANCE Jean – Baptiste Tavernier, a French traveller who visited India six times, between 1640 – 1667, writes in his book,

RICHER THAN EGYPT Francois Bernier, who visited Bengal between 1656 and 1668 CE and wrote the book “Travels in the Mogul Empire”. He described Bengal as,

This observation of Francois Bernier about Bengal, is corroborated by M.Manouchi, a Venetian.

PLENTY WERE IN PLENTY

M.Manouchi

Manouchi was no mere traveller who had come to India to trade or learn about the country.  M.Manouchi was a physician at the court of Shah Jahan and lived with the Emperor for 40 years. Attached to Price Dara Shikoh, he had access to the original Persian chronicles in the library of the Moghul

Emperor and based on these he chronicled the History of the Mogul Dynasty, all the way from its foundation by Temurlane to Aurangazeb. Manouchi writes,

This richness reverberated in 1900s and continues to echo even today, in the phrase, “Sonar Bangla” meaning the Golden Bengal, a land of plenty and affluence.

GOLDEN AGE UNDER THE MAHRATTA Anquetil Du Perron, a French orientalist and linguist, who had visited India and stayed here for 7 years between 1755 and 1761, quotes a traveller he had met,

Anquetil Du Perron – A rare sketch from Public Domain

There was so much abundance, in India then …

Charting India’s Progress in 1980s A STIRRING REMARK In the 1970s and 1980s, a prominent economic historian by name Paul Bairoch, who specialized in global economic history, after studying 150 years of world economy, through his works, put forth the point of view that Europe and Americas became economic power houses only in the last 200 and 100 years respectively. Prior to that, the giant of the world economy was India for over 2000 years and that it had enjoyed better living conditions than Europe till 1800s. This stirred the hornet’s nest in the economic forums of the developed world for, the popularly held belief was that Europe had been the economic power house all through history. There was disbelief among the members that India could have contributed substantially to the world GDP from the remote past to recent past. With the hope of proving Paul Bairoch wrong, OECD, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, encouraged Angus Maddison, a British economist to research into this further in 1983. 

THE STUNNING REPORT ABOUT INDIA Angus Maddison ingeniously traced the economic history of the world across 2000 years starting from 1CE. He focussed especially on the rich and the lagging regions of the world, the reasons for their richness and poverty respectively and influence of each on the other’s economy.

Prof.Angus Maddison, Author of The World Economy: A Millennial Perspective

While there were some variations between the reports of Paul Bairoch and Angus Maddison, the data put forth by Angus Maddison, published by OECD, also showed India to have been the economic giant of the world for 2000 years. It stunned the world with century after century of data, revealing an interesting tale by themselves.

India way above in the list for 1000 years from 1 CE

India still way above in the list even 400 years ago

India ruling the Globe even 200 years ago

United Kingdom catching up and overtaking British India in late 1800s

India lagging behind in early 1900s and slowly climbing back in late 1900s

Leave alone history of 150 years, it could no longer be denied that for over 2000 years, India had indeed been the leading economy of the world and dominated the trade scene, with China coming second, between 1CE and 1700 CE. The data put forth by Angus Maddison can be summarized as shown.

Graph of Indian Rank in comparison with Rank of Britain

FURTHER INDEPENDENT AFFIRMATION These reports were further corroborated by the facts that 2000 years ago, with its surplus exports to Egypt and earnings in Gold as returns, India was making Roman Egypt bankrupt of its

gold reserves – Records of the Economic History of GrecoRoman World the Indian Merchant Navy, had possessed a fleet strength of 40,000 ships during Akbar’s reign and 34,000 ships before the British took over India - the historical records of the Indian Merchant Navy between 1493 and 1930 India had absorbed 14 per cent of world gold production, meaning that it had earned that much export surplus for five centuries continuously - The 1934-35 Annual report of Bank of International Settlements [BIS].

CONSISTENT PERFORMANCE OVER MORE THAN 2 MILLENNIA As per Angus Maddison’s report, if in 1CE itself, India’s share of world GDP was 30%, it implies that could have happened only in 2 ways: it would have either risen to that number steadily over the preceding few millennia or it may have declined from an even higher value over the preceding few millennia. In either case, it means even prior to 1CE India was enjoying a high degree of prosperity. The world could no longer deny that India had been one of the most prosperous civilizations of the world consistently from 2000 years ago and more.

Impressions of India across times based on recordings and research studies

Sadly, this fact has been kept away from Indians themselves for over 3 decades now. But better late than never. For, even a glimpse of this past economic position of India is convincing enough to invoke confidence among the Indians, in their ancestors’ model of industrial and trade practices.

SOFTLY WIELDING POWER With so much of economic power, India must naturally also have been a political power centre of the world. Going through the political history of India, we find that India chose to exercise her power not politically but culturally. India chose to enrich herself as well as enrich the lives of the people and places she came in contact with. This is evident from the remark of Hu Shih, the former Chinese Ambassador to USA.

Hu Shih – Former Chinese Ambassador to USA

In history, while most nations of the world have chosen to colonize and plunder other lands, India chose to share her culture with other civilizations and set herself the motto,

The root Krin means “to do”, Vishwa is world and Arya means noble. India was the home land of the noble, the Arya and set out to share her nobility, Audarya with others. India shared her thought and knowledge with the world, from which had stemmed her nobility, her culture, her prosperity and her sustenance. India was the world’s brand ambassador for nobility. But what did they make, to gain so much of everything? What was made in India i.e.Bharat to make it a world brand?

PART 2 - BHARAT - A BRAND

Brand Bharat Why is this land called Bharat? The word Bharat is a Samskrt word that can be split as

•  Bha – meaning light, enlightenment, knowledge like in the word Bhaskara for the Sun.

•    Rata –

denotes one who is a connoisseur, one who relishes, appreciates, like in the name Rati for the beautiful consort of Kama, the Indian divinity for love and desire.

Bharat is the land where people relish knowledge, where people are connoisseurs of knowledge. Many in this land came to be called Bharat. This is how the people of this land saw themselves, as knowledge seekers. This is how the world saw them. A progressive name and brand indeed!

Brand India Today this land is more popular as India to the world. The first article in the Indian constitution too, opens with the phrase, “India, that is Bharat …”. Further west, in Arabia, Egypt and central Asia, India is known as Hind. Indians too sometimes refer to their land as Hindustan. Why these different names for this land?

Sindhu River in Northwest of India

The root of this name lies in the Sindhu River, flowing in the northwest of India. The Persians referred to the land on the other side of this Sindhu River as Hind because in the Persian language the ‘Sa’ syllable is interchangeable with ‘Ha’. As this name travelled further west into Europe and Greece, the ‘Ha’ in the Hind became silent and the name became Ind, Inde, India. The Sindhu River also came to be called Indus and the early civilization that had lived here, the Indus Valley civilization. Hind, Inde, India are all names given by others to this land. Names, that branded this land by its geography. But for the locals, this land was Bharat, Bharatvarsha, a brand based on the character of the people of this land and this is how this land was looked at, irrespective of its name. Every individual needs an identity to be referred by, both by themselves and by others.

Since we are discussing this in the English language, let us take the case of the English. The identity of the English people and their language, comes from the fact that when people migrated from mainland Europe to the island of Britain, they happened to stop by an area in the Baltic shore called Anglis. It is from this journey and stop over that this group got the name Anglo, Anglis and finally English.

Roman Empire at the time of Emperor Hadrian, who ruled between 117 and 138 CE

Similarly, our ancestors had created an identity for themselves and their land. It was an identity based on their desire for knowledge and the knowledge that seemed  to come naturally to them. It was an identity that went by the name “Bharat” meaning relishers of knowledge and the land got the name Bharatvarsha, the land where it rained knowledge and where knowledge reigned. Outsiders though sought to give them another identity. An identity based on the region where they lived. Thus came the name India and Indians from

Sind, Hind and Inde. Bharat and India may be 2 names, but they stand for one soul in one body individually and for one soul across one land, as a civilization. Even though known as India, for the world, this land was still a land of knowledge and wisdom. Bharat or India, was a brand for a land of wisdom then. These are the names, identity and brand we have inherited from our ancestors as part of our legacy, our heritage. Have we inherited their desire and aptitude for knowledge too? Will Bharat, i.e. India, continue as a brand for knowledge and wisdom for now and the future too?

King of Wisdom According to the Chinese, India’s close neighbours, there are 5 kings of the world - implying 5 supreme, unmatched peoples in the world. An ancient Chinese proverb expresses this in no uncertain terms. This proverb seems to be an astute analysis of Indians, as people of knowledge, by the Chinese. It is because this land of Bharat, India, had nurtured sciences and knowledge consistently through the land, through the ages, that China had looked to India as a land of knowledge. It is commendable that an equally ancient civilization, the Chinese, considered the land of India to be a land of sciences. This in turn substantiates well, the meaning of the name Bharat, the name of this land, as the land where people relish knowledge.

Chinese view of the world

Jawabe Hind – The Cutting Edge of India While spices continue to linger in the minds of people as a brand of India, the more popular commodity from Bharat in olden days was actually steel steel swords. Indian steel swords were in great demand all over the west. For one, India was rich in iron and more importantly, Indians had mastered the technique of fine steel making. Indian steel was mainly imported by many lands for weaponry. It was a prestige for the Arabs to use Indian swords to fight. They were so proud of these swords, which could chop off the enemy’s head in a single slash that such an act was infact applauded by the phrase “Jawabe Hind”, meaning an Indian answer.  Alternatively, it was also called Muhannad, Indian steel sword. Muhannad and its variations such as Mohand, Mohannad etc. today are popular Muslim names world over. This name symbolizes those with an urge to travel and explore, perhaps coming from its associations with travel to India in the past. In the words of the Arab scholar, Idrisi who lived between 1099 and 1166 CE,

Muhammad al-Idrisi

Another popular name for this Indian steel in Arabic and Persian was Hundwany, meaning Indian. This word Hundwany went on to become Ondanique as the writings of Marco Polo on Indian steel became popular in Europe. Ondanique steel was used in swords and mirrors. Onda came from Unda in Latin which means “wave”. The Indian swords did indeed have a wavy design on the blades. The word Ondanique then gave way to the Spanish word Allinde, Alinde – i.e. Al Inde, meaning that which came from Inde. Al is an Arabic honorific,

for Spain was under Arabic rule then. Alinde first stood for steel and then steel mirrors and soon came to mean any metallic foil used in making glass mirrors such as Quicksilver.

Hindsa – Strength in Indian Numbers If it was Indian steel swords that had caught the fancy of the brawny in the Arab world, it was Indian mathematics that had caught the fancy of the brainy in the same Arab world. Numbers, numerals from India and mathematics came to be called Handasa in the Arabic world. By their own admission, many Arabic thinkers have acknowledged how Arabs learnt numerals, geometry and methods of calculation from the Indians. Abd al Rahman ibn Khaldun Abd al Rahman ibn Khaldun was an Islamic thinker and writer well versed in Arabic literature, theology, historiography, jurisprudence and philosophy. Ibn Khaldun was born in Tunisia in 1332 CE, held high government posts in Granada, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt and died in Cairo in 1406 CE. He was such a diplomat that he had held successful negotiations with some of the most feared tyrants of those times such as Pedro the Curel of Spain and Timurlane of Persia who had conquered from Turkey to Russia including upto Delhi. Thus we see that, Ibn Khaldun was a very erudite and well respected scholar in the Islamic world. His magnum opus was Muqqadimah which was an introduction to the history of the Arabs and Berbers. This was translated into English by Charles Issawi as “An Arab Philosophy of History”.

In this work, Ibn Khaldun states very clearly that,

156 Hegira is the year 776 CE as per Gregorian calendar.

Coming from a well-respected scholar cum government official, this observation cannot be anything but a well researched statement. Also, coming from someone who was so steeped into Islamic ways, this acknowledgement cannot be anything but true account of the fact. Mahmud ibn qaid al Amuni Saraf ad din al Meqi  Mahmud ibn qaid al Amuni Saraf ad din al Meqi another Islamic mathematician who lived in 1172 CE, authored a work which he called, “Fi’l handasa wa’l argam al hindi” meaning Indian Geometry and figures. Argam means figures, numbers, al hindi means from Hind and handasa means Geometry. The very title itself draws a clear picture of the Geometry from India. Said Andalusi Said Andalusi was an Islamic mathematician, astronomer, historian and philosopher of science and thought from Spain, from around 1070 CE. Though he lived in Andalusia in Spain, Said Andalusi was an Arabic scholar. Andalusia was a colony of the Arabs then.

Andalucia in Spain

“Tabqat al Umam” is a world renowned text of the medieval world, authored by Said Andalusi. According to this text, around 771 CE, Indian numerals, number system and texts in Mathematics such as Surya Siddhanta and those authored by Indian mathematicians and astronomers such as Aryabhatta and Brahmagupta, reached the courts of Baghdad, where they were translated into Arabic. Under the name Sindhind, they became popular all over the Muslim world, including Spain, as texts of mathematics and astronomy. From Spain, it travelled further into Europe, where it was translated into Latin in 1126 CE and brought about a new wave of thinking in the study of mathematics and sciences in the Christian world. It soon replaced the cumbersome Roman numerals and came to be called Arab numerals.

But for the Arabs themselves, it continued to stay Hindsa meaning numerals, mathematics from Hind, India.

Al Hend – Precious India

Al Hend, the precious one, one who is very valuable. Many girls in Persia, Arabia and surrounding areas in the world today, are named Hend. For Persia and Arabia, we have seen how the the land of India was called Hind. The things most useful for them in those days, also came from Hind, such as Hindsa (mathematics), Hundwany (fine, strong steel and swords) and more as we shall see. The word, the name “Hind” therefore came to denote a precious land and precious things. As a natural extension, daughters, who are by nature precious, were also lovingly given the name “Hind” or “Hend”, to denote a strong woman as well as the precious one. A classic case is the names of the some of prominent women of the royal family of the Arab world.

Sheikha Hend Faisal Khaled

Khaled Al Qassemi, Sharjah born, member of the royal family of Qatar

Courtesy - 2014 International Women’s Conference, Art of Living, Bangalore,India

Sheikha Dr.Hind Al Qassimi, member of the royal family of Sharjah, U.A.E A prominent business leader, also active in Women Empowerment Courtesy – Qatar Tourism’s Editorial on Qatar International Business Women Forum, Dec 2014

Hind, India, was precious brand for the Arabic and Persian world. What were the things that went from India, which made this land precious for the Arabs? What a beautiful sentiment! What a strong bond it must have been then!

Hindus and Hindustan If Hind, Hindi, Al Hend, Hindsa, Muhannad are all synonymous with India, then can Hindu be far behind?

HINDIAN

Isami, Medieval Historian, 1350 CE

The historian Isami was the first to name the people of India in medieval writings. He wrote how in the Arab and Persian worlds, the word for the people of India was Hindian. Hindians were people of India irrespective of the religion they followed.

HINDUAN He however listed another name for those Indians who did not follow the Islamic religion. This group of people he referred to as Hinduan. This description by Isami, of Hinduan, as a group identified by religion, is perhaps the first reference of the Hindu as a people of a religion. Hinduans were those who lived in Hind, India and followed any other religion other than Islam. The different religions being followed in India then,

•  Shaivam (Shiva worship) •  Shaktam (Worship of Shakti) •  Vaishnavam (worship of Vishnu) •  Sauram (Sun worship) •  Ganapathyam (worship of Ganapathy) •  Kaumaram (Worship of Kartikeya) •  Jainism •  Buddhism etc. were all clumped together under one religious umbrella – as a non- Islamic religion.

HINDU, HINDUISM CAME TO BE The classification as Hinduan helped the Christian missionaries to identify the Indians practicing the native, indigenous religions. In 1829, the word “Hindu”, “Hindoo” was first coined by Christian missionaries, to give an encompassing identity to these peoples, hitherto referred to as “Heathens” by them. And, the religions of all these “Hindus” became one common religion called Hindusim.

Christian missionaries at work in India

A Portrait titled “Mr. Ward Baptizing a Hindoo in the Ganges at Serampore” by William Carey (1761-1834), a forerunner among Evangelists in India, with Mr Ward as his colleague

Richard King, in his work Orientalism and Religion, writes “Hindu, infact came into the provenance among westerners only in the eighteenth century.”

Since then however, Hindu and Hindusim are terms that have come to stay as a brand for the way of life of the native Indians and their local, indigenous religions.

HINDUSTAN The land of the Hindus became Hindustan. Stan in Samskrt means place, region. In a way, the name Hindustan is a term that came into usage after the term Hind, Hindian, Hinduan and Hindi came into vogue. The name used earlier, which continues to be prevalent, in lands farther west, such as Egypt, Turkey, regions in and around the earlier Persian empire like Azerbaijan, is just “Hind” for India. Hindustan soon came to be used commonly by the Indians themselves. Ironically, when we see the present political boundary of India, we see most of the path of the Indus River cutting through Pakistan. As a tongue in cheek comment, going by the origins of the word Hind, which is Hindustan and which is Baki-stan? Baki in Hindi means

“remaining”. Over the last few centuries, with all these references by outsiders, the word “Hindu” and “Hinduism” have become a brand of India. That this civilization had sustained prosperity for millennia and has been at times the source and at other times, the source of inspiration for world orders in religion, sciences, philosophy, sports, music, trade, industrial practices and lifestyle, is in itself a long standing proof that the tenets represented by the words Hindu or Hinduism have been around from time immemorial. The surviving nature of this civilization also indicates that at the same time, these precepts are relevant enough to be pertinent to each generation of this civilization irrespective of their practicing religion. Let us look at some brands of India, which resulted out of the sustained practices of these native Indians.

Europe’s Tryst With India ARABS, THE FACE OF INDIA TO EUROPE Post the conquest of Persia and other parts of Asia Minor by Alexander of Macedonia, new trade routes running across Asia, into Europe sprouted up. It was a link that went across Central and West Asia, to cross over into Europe via Turkey. The Arabs and the Persians ruled this land based trade link between the East and Europe for over a millennium. Western Turkey, was part of the Byzantine Roman Empire then with Constantinople as its capital. Constantinople kept feeding Europe with all things bright, beautiful, beneficial and brainy from the East. Europe was complacent to just consume them and leave the exploring and discovering to the Arabs and the Persians.

EUROPE’S DIRECT CONTACT WITH INDIA In 1453 CE, the Turks captured Constantinople. It came to be renamed as Istanbul and the trade routes to Europe from the East, fell into the hands of these Turks. As a result, the trade between Europe and the East, was throttled. The Europeans therefore started looking for a sea route to reach India.

Constantinople / Istanbul – The Trade Link Between Europe and Asia

A few who were adventurous, took to the seas to make a mark and fortunes, but did not succeed in turning east at the tip of Africa. This gave this tip, the name Cape of Good Hope, for, if they did cross this tip, it meant they were just across from India. Notable among the next set of adventurers, were Christopher Columbus from Spain and Vasco da Gama from Portugal, who set sail on the ships Santa Maria and Sao Gabriel respectively, considered the largest ships of Europe in those days.

A painting of Vasco da Gama and his ship Sao Gabriel - Ernesto Casanova (1880)

The European continent was slowly coming out of 1000 years of dark ages then, in the 1400s. They had just learnt that the world was round.

Dark Ages in Europe. Mayhem everywhere. No Science. No Development – A painting depicting Dark Ages.

Christopher Colombus’ Circumnavigation

In 1492, Christopher Columbus, therefore decided to go westwards from Spain, to circumnavigate the globe and reach India in the East. Europe then, did not know of any land beyond the Canary Islands, which lies to the northwest of Africa. It was the farthest land in their maps then.

Columbus’s plan to circumnavigate the globe westwards from Spain to reach India in the East

When Christopher Columbus encountered the first land mass, after sailing westwards beyond Canary Islands, he thought he had gone around the globe and reached India. Until his death, he firmly believed this land to be India and the people living there to be Indians.

Christopher Columbus landing in the Caribbean Islands

It was discovered only later that this land was a group of islands, which came to be called collectively as the West Indies – India in the West. It was the Italian navigator Amerigo Vespucci who went further west to land on the mainland continent, which came to be called America, by the Europeans, in his honour. The people however continued to be called Indians, Red Indians though, as they were fair. A misnomer, which has continued for a very long time.

Red Indians of America, a misnomer that has stuck

This important discovery for Europe however signed the death warrant for the rich civilization already living on this “new found land”. Their entire civilization was soon looted, colonized and culture wiped out, within a few centuries. But they still had not found India.

Vasco da Gama Comes to India

In 1497 CE, Vasco da Gama from Portugal, came eastwards, searching for India. From his records we learn that, he came sailing upto Cape of Good Hope where he found Indian ships several times larger than his, plying between East Africa and India.

Vasco da Gama sailing to Cape of Good Hope in South Africa and then on to India amidst large Indian ships

These ships led Vasco Da Gama across the Indian Ocean to the West coast of India and Vasco da Gama thus set foot on Indian soil at Kozhikode or Calicut in present day Kerala.

Vasco da Gama setting foot on Indian soil at Kozhikode (Calicut), navigated from Africa, by an Indian naval merchant - An artist impression

Vasco da Gama went down in history as the person who found the sea route to India. The fact is, it was a discovery but only for the Europeans though. For, we see that Indians were already plying ships much larger then Vasco da Gama’s, in these seas. Vasco da Gama’s journey though, opened the floodgates to India and the lands further east, for Europe. They started descending upon the Indian

subcontinent in hordes as they now had direct access to the production centres, technologies and raw materials as well as the wealth of India, accumulated over millennia.

FROM TRADE TO RAID The progression of European colonization of India and its neighbours is a tale of how a few men have literally changed the world. It first started as trade. Then was overtaken by greed and raid. Soon everything was upturned by plunder. Lastly, all crafts were quashed, branded as blunders. From all this conquered wealth, raw materials and markets, was however born a new era in Europe - the era of industrial revolution of Europe.

Industrial Revolution of England

What were the products of India that had captivated Europe so much that they were desperate to find a sea route to India against all odds? A move, that ended up making India a political captive of Europe for the next few centuries though and an idealogical captive even today! What was made in India then? The answer lies in the question, “What were the large Indian ships encountered by Vasco da Gama doing, plying in large numbers, in the large Indian ocean, flanked by many prosperous lands all around?”

Lands which touched each other through trade and culture over the Indian Ocean that touches them

PART 3 - MADE IN INDIA

Wootz Steel WOOTZ - NEW NAME, BUT OLD STEEL When the Europeans started trading directly with India, in the 1600s, they went to the foundries of the Coromandel and Malabar coasts to procure Indian steel.

The Coromandel and Malabar Coasts of India

In these foundries, the process of smelting steel was called Urukku in Tamil and Malayalam, and Ukku in Telugu and Kannada. These words morphed into the word “Wootz”, on the European tongue. Wootz steel or Seric steel, as it is also known as today, is a high carbon steel made by a special process for over 24 hours, of allowing 1.2% and more of carbon to be absorbed by the steel as against much less than 1% in common steel.

Wootz Steel in Making

Thus was born a new name, a new brand for this same age old, fine, strong steel from India that had silenced many an enemy in the hands of the Arabs and Persians as the famous Damascus swords.

For the next few hundred years, it was Wootz steel that reigned supreme in Europe.

POPULARITY OF INDIAN WOOTZ STEEL Damascus Swords and Sabres The famed Damascus swords of Sultan Saladin of Egypt and Syria, were made from Indian steel.  

These swords were called Damascus because of the watery designs, which were the speciality on these swords. The word Damas in Arabic means watery, wavy. The 6th century Arabic poet, Aus b Hajr writes that “it was as though a trail of small black ants had trekked all over the steel when it was still soft”.

      

Damascus was a port of Mesapotamia, now Syria. It was a major trade hub for trade.

Damascus – a trade hub of West Asia, an ancient painting

The steel swords from India made their way to Damascus where they were in great demand due to the repeated wars in that region. The world renowned Persian sabres are traced to iron pellets that came from India, to the region of Golconda, in the land of the Telugus. The Teling swords of the Telugus, thus went a long way in establishing Bharat, India or Hind as a land of very fine, high grade, cutting edge steel.

     Teling Swords

Gradually, it was steel that started going from India with the Arab tribes having learnt how to make swords. The western world got to learn of them as Damascus Swords when the Crusaders went to Jerusalem and encountered the Saracens, the name by which Europeans referred to the nomadic Arab tribes between Syria and Arabia then.

Crusaders and Saracens in Conference – An Illustration This frontispiece portrays Muslims in 1270 approaching French knights, stationed near Tunis, to request baptism. While they talked, the Muslim army launched a surprise attack against the Christians Source - Chronicles of the Crusades: Being Contemporary Narratives of the Crusade of Richard Coeur De Lion ... and of the Crusade of St. Louis, by Henry G. Bohn. 1848.

Sir Walter Scott’s “The Talisman” –  Locking Indian Steel in Literature The superiority of the Damascus sword has been captured for posterity in the English work “The Talisman”, a novel based on historical facts of the

Crusades, by Sir.Walter Scott.

       Sir Walter Scott aznd The Talisman

The Talisman is a fictional work based on the historical third Crusade that took place around 1187 CE. The story contains a narration of the encounter between King Richard, the Lion Hearted and Sultan Salahuddin or Saladin. While Richard breaks a steel bar into two with a slash from his sword Oblivion, Saladin offers to slash a cushion and a wisp of silk using his Damascus Sword. On this occasion, Richard is quoted as saying that even the famed sword Excalibur of King Arthur, could not cut through something like silk which offers no resistance. This narration shows how deeply the quality of the Damascus or Indian steel was ingrained in the minds of the English, that it got etched in their classical literature too.

The encounter between Richard the Lion Heart and Saladin - few lines from “The Talisman”

Saladin cutting a loosely hanging veil of silk into 2 with his Damascus Sword – An illustration

The Damascus swords were thus held in high esteem, not only for their toughness and their resistance to shattering, but also for their sharp and resilient edge which was capable of cutting even through soft materials that offered no resistance, such as silk or a feather in midair.

A Secret, Till Date For many centuries, the technique of making these swords and sabres were not known beyond the blacksmiths of India and a few Arabs. The Arab world kept it a secret from Europe, either of out of intent or out of ignorance of the process themselves. By the time the crusades were over, the world had moved on to firearms and the demand for these swords died in the Arab world and along with it, the skills for making them. Nobody ever thought of tracing the skill all the way to its homeland India.

Europe came in contact with Indian steel, the real backbone of the Damascus sword, only when they came to India.

The Ant Trail on Damascus Swords The world since the last few centuries has been trying to duplicate or better the Damascus or Wootz steel. Dr. Jeffrey Wadsworth and Dr. Oleg D. Sherby as part of their Stanford University study, Dr. Nickel, curator of the Arms and Armor Division of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York are among many others, the world over. What comes to light from their studies is that, Most of the Damascus swords and sabres were made from Indian Wootz steel. They gained their strength and sharp edge after they were hammered and then ground. They gained their characteristic curvature shape due to being hammered mainly on one side. The strength and the watery marks in the Damascus swords were a result of a high carbon content in the Wootz steel gained due to the technique of smelting in crucibles containing cakes of porous iron plus wood or charcoal to enrich it in carbon. The distinct characteristic of Wootz steel was that it was malleable when heated, yet extraordinarily tough when cooled. Wootz steel was smelted at temperatures as high as 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit. After being held at that temperature for days, it was cooled to room temperature over a day or so. During this time, it was forged and hammered at relatively low temperature about 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit to shape it. The blades were then reheated to similar temperatures and cooled rapidly, to allow carbides to form and give strength to the sword, but not brittleness.

The Damask, watery patterns were the result of the large carbide grains.

No Trail of the Damascus Swords or Wootz Steel The famed Damascus swords were thus what they were, due to the Indian Wootz steel in them and the technique of heating, forging, reheating and cooling, which allowed them to be malleable yet strong, not brittle. The word Damas has today evolved into a world renowned brand for Arabic jewellery. The Damascus swords and the Wootz steel of Bharat that they actually represented, however are hardly remembered.

Wootz Steel, Not Only in the West But Also East Other swords known for more fineness and strength, are the Samurai Swords of Japan and the Malay Kris. This resulted from the million layers of steel in the blade acquired due to hammering a bar to double its length and then folding it as much as 32 times over. These blades were similar to the Damascus in style. The Samurai swords gained popularity and finesse mainly around 1180 CE.

An Ancient Samurai Sword

Given this similarity, the time window and the fact that continuous direct trade between India and the lands further East had existed for millennia, one can conclude that these swords too must have had Indian Wootz steel in their blood.

Michael Faraday’s Experiments Using Wootz Steel Who was Michael Faraday and what was his connection to Indian steel? Michael Faraday an English scientist who made significant contributions to the fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry. Electromagnetic induction, one of the key principles behind power generation is one of his important discoveries. When Michael Faraday wanted the best steel for the filaments in his experiments, he insisted on the fine and tractable Wootz steel from India.

Michael Faraday seeks out Wootz Steel for his experiments

Michael Faraday Experiments on Wootz Steel

Michael Faraday, himself, being the son of a blacksmith sought to replicate the production of Wootz steel along with J. Stodart, a cutler. They however had incorrectly concluded that silica and aluminum content were the key factors for giving Wootz steel its distinctive properties. They were therefore unsuccessful in replicating this steel and Wootz continued to remain a secret.

Britannia Tubular Bridge The best bridges of England had Wootz steel imported for its construction, such as the Brittania Tubular Bridge over the Menai straits in UK.

The Menai Tubular Bridge in UK under construction with Indian Wootz Steel

The Brittania Tubular Bridge at Menai Straits UK, today

No wonder, for the British, when they came directly in contact with the steel foundries and iron ore of India, it was like they had hit a gold mine. Indian steel was a steal. A brand worth brandishing!

Old Was Not Gold But Steel Alexander II was the son of King Philip of Macedonia, which is a part of Greece today. In 336 BCE, Alexander set out to conquer Persia when he was barely 25 years old. King Darius III of Persia with all his strength could not resist Alexander’s army for long. He was finally defeated by Alexander and the wealth of Persia came into the hands of Alexander. Along with this came two Damascus swords made of Indian steel. Alexander’s victory over Persia and the kingdoms enroute, earned this Macedonian king the name “Alexander the Great”. When this Alexander the Great turned back for Greece from the banks of the Indus River, the gift he desired to take back with him was 100 talents of Indian steel. Talents is a Greek measure similar to the local word Tola used in India today for weighing precious metals. Alexander did not ask for Gold or Silver or any other precious gems. All he wanted was steel, the likes of which he had held in his hand, as the Damascus sword of the Persians. The likes of steel which he had not seen before!

Alexander Receiving Steel From Pururava (Porus) – An Artist’s Impression

That was the fame of the steel from India. That was the product of years of metallurgical expertise that the people from Bharat had cultivated over millennia. Steel was thus, truly a brand of Bharat. It was a souvenir worth taking back. From when were the Indians smelting steel?

Old Town With A Steely Past KODUMANAL – OLD TOWN, NEW FINDS 40 kms from Erode in Tamil Nadu is a place called Kodumanal.

Kodumanal near Erode, Coimbatore

Important Ancient South Indian Ports, Towns & Rivers

Literally translated, Kodu in Tamil means that which gives, bestows. Manal means sand. Kodumanal literally translates to the connotation “sands that bestow wealth”. Indeed the region around Kodumanal is famous for graphite and various kinds of semi precious raw materials that Kodumanal is mentioned as a flourishing industrial township in Sangam literature. It is referred in the work Pathitruppatthu as “Kodumanam”. Manam means fragrance, smell. Kodumanam means that which emanates good fragrance. Manam as fragrance also has a connotation of spirit, character. Kodumanam thus also refers to that which has a character of giving, that which emanates the smell of success. Kodumanam is referred to in the Tamil Sangam literature in the context of being a town famous for its gems, jewellery and steel. The physical evidences come in the form of ancient furnaces, smithy and lapidary wares (gem and jewellery) which have been discovered in Kodumanal.

A MATURE TOWN, A MATURE INDUSTRY

In all these excavations, archaeological artefacts have been got intact, in full, with regards to not just iron but also steel making and various other industries. Excavations yielded uncovered open furnaces where iron was converted into steel at temperatures of more than 1,200 degrees Celsius, crucibles which were used to smelt the iron ore, many pipes which were used to blow and many more artifacts to show that it was not just a one off furnace but a mature industrial township with many such foundries. Bits of swords were found which, on analysis, were found to contain spheroidal graphite phase and forge welding of high-carbon cutting edge on a low carbon steel. This gave the sword anti- rusting properties, the likes that have been found in the Iron pillars of Delhi, Kollur near Mangalore and so on. Many beads of semi precious stones available locally as well as lapis lazuli from far off Afghanistan, were recovered from this site. There were smoky quartz, agate, beryl and amethyst in various stages of manufacture as well as conches and carnelian beads, etched and plain. Kodumanal was verily the Gem cutting site of the world in those days. Pieces of cotton as well as spindles were discovered showing it to be a textile town too. The archaeological finds reveal that Kodumanal was a mature industrial site even about 2500 years ago.

An Iron Bloom excavated at Kodumanal

CORROBORATING STEEL 2500 years ago is well before the period when Alexander came upto India. The dating of Kodumanal to 300 BCE and before, tallies with the records that Alexander asked for and took Wootz Steel from India on his return. It is a point worth noting that all these artifacts were uncovered at a layer which was dated to about 2500 years ago. If 2500 years ago this township had achieved such maturity as well as trade links, it must mean that this town and its people had already been engaged in these crafts atleast a millennium or so before.

IDEALLY LOCATED The Noyyal river which starts from beyond Coimbatore in the Western Ghats and flows through Tirupur and joins the Kaveri as a tributary, flows just

about 100 metres away from this archaeological site.

The Noyyal River near Kodumanal. A rocky river.

There was thus, a continuous supply of water for this flourishing industrial belt. Noyyal however was not a river used for shipping the trade goods as it has a rocky river bed. Trade happened all along its river banks. Kodumanal has been an industrial belt of Tamil Nadu from then to now. Salem, close to Erode is still famous for steel today known as Salem steel. The Noyyal unfortunately is a mere trickle today due to damming and other interference with its flow.

Noyyal, often running dry in present times

The word Noyyal means “fine sand”. Noi, Noy means fine particles. Aru means river in Tamil. “R” getting corrupted to “L” is a common known occurrence. This name too tallies with the name Kodumanal, “the bestowing sands”, for the major industrial town by this river in those times.

LARGE SIZED Kodumanal site has been excavated 14 times in the last 25 years. That means it is a large area to have been excavated so many times over and still found to yield finds. The only other site to be excavated 14 times in India, is Dholavira in Gujarat. This shows the size and importance of Kodumanal in Indian archaeology as well as industry.

Kodumanal Excavation Sites

RICHLY ENDOWED This region also has revealed hundreds of menhirs, all huge, 10 feet tall, showing that there was both prosperity and valour in that region. For, menhir is a memory stone. It is an erected memorial and such memorials are erected only when the people concerned are wealthy, valorous.

      Tall Menhirs at Kodumanal and nearby areas

A CONNECT, STRONG AS STEEL A North-South Connect In the etchings on the potsherds are found Prakrit names such as Visaki, Tissan, Sumana etc. which are typical North Indian names.

A Tamil-Brahmi Script Inscription from a Big Pot with words Samban Sumanan presumably that of son and father. Source – K.Rajan, Professor of History, Pondicherry University

These names reveal that Iron, Steel and Beads from South of India were making their way across to the North, North West of India, while people, their names and wealth were making their way down South in exchange. This shows a clear north-south connect from 2500 years ago.

An OverSeas Connect Kodumanal lies on the ancient trade route connecting the eastern parts of the Chera Kingdom like Karur, with the trade ports of the Chera kingdom on the west coast of India such as Musiri (Muziris as known to western world) also known as Pattnam. This was part of the overall trade route linking India’s eastern port of Poompuhar and Western port of Muziris, both of which flourished and have found mention in Sangam literature.

This made it possible for the produce from Kodumanal to reach the Arab world and the ports of Persia, Mesopotamia and others such as Damascus, with which Musiri had a flourishing sea trade.

No wonder Alexander knew what to ask for, when he came in contact with India, as he had passed through these lands during his conquest. Further, beads from Kodumanal have been discovered in Berenike in Egypt and this trade dates back to 3rd century BCE, i.e. 2300 years ago, as reported by Peter Francis in his work on Early Maritime Trade in the Indian Ocean. The importance of Kodumanal and Muziris in world trade can be gathered from the maps of Ptolemy and Peutinger which highlight Muziris from among the other towns of India. It is also called Muziris Emporium meaning a trade point where Roman merchants had lived.

Section of Ptolemy’s map showing India &  Muziris

Section of Peutinger’s map showing Muziris.

In Peutinger’s map, Pattnam is also highlighted separately as Pattinae. Many present day researchers have clarified that the temple labelled Templ. Augufti

in this map is not a temple for Augustine, but a Roman way of denoting a temple for Rishi Agastya, revered predominantly in South India.

Peutinger’s Map of South India

The bonds of connect from Kodumanal, across India and outside, for trade, knowledge and culture exchanges were as strong as steel millennia ago and for millennia.

Why Kodumanal? Why have we singled out Kodumanal while speaking on Steel? While there are many references to the demand and supply of high quality steel from India, there is a keen urge to know “where it was produced and how did it travel overseas?”. From among the many industrial scale production centres of ancient India, Kodumanal happens to be a large, mature industrial centre with established sea trade links with the West and East. The British too, on their arrival in India, made a beeline for the coast of Malabar and Coromandel for steel. Kodumanal along with many other such production centres was one of the prime suppliers of quality steel for the world 2500 years ago.

But with time and tide, India’s fame for its brand of steel today lies buried in the fine sands of Kodumanal, “the town of bestowing sands”, by the banks of Noyyal, “the fine sand river”.

Monopoly – The Secret in Tutty The world today is singing the glory of Zinc. It has woken up to the benefits of Zinc in maintaining one’s health. An oxide form of Zinc, Tutty or Calamine is commonly used as a soothing lotion for rashes and other skin ailments. This Zinc with its multifarious uses today, is said to have been discovered in 1746 CE in Europe. But let us look at the other word for Zinc – Tutty. It is an English word, whose origin can be traced to Totamu or Tutenag in China, which in turn can be traced to Tuttanagam of India of many millennia ago. How did Tuttanagam from India get rediscovered as Zinc in 1746 CE? Zinc is a metal which melts at a high temperature of 907 degree centigrade and soon at 1000 degree centigrade it vapourizes as well. It is a challenge to catch the molten metal before it can vapourize. It was therefore very difficult for the rest of the world to extract Zinc, whereas India had mastered this skill using an indigenous and innovative technique and had held a monopoly in its extraction and trade until the 1500s CE. The key was in inverting the furnace – heating at the top and collection at the bottom.

Adhah Patana Yantra, A Zinc Furnace

Zinc Smelting Furnace and Cooling Chamber

Zinc was manufactured under the local name Tuttanagam in many villages of India using an innovative downward distillation process. The furnace had well designed holes at its bottom so that as and when the ore melted, the molten metal could drip into cooling flasks kept below the furnace, thus preventing it from vapourizing. The cooling retorts were brinjal shaped. It was only in 1552 CE, in the Ming dynasty period, that the Chinese took this technology from India and started exporting Zinc to Europe in 1700s, under the name Totamu or Tutenag.

Zinc Technology Travels to China from India in 1550 CE and from thereon to Europe in 1753 CE

Only after the visit of William Champion from Bristol in England, to China in 1740 CE, Zinc smelting technology went to Europe. The first Zinc smelting furnace was established in Europe by Champion, in 1743 CE. In English Zinc is more popularly known as Tutty after Totamu or Tutenag. The word Zinc came from the Germans. In Persian too, it is called Tutiya.

         William Champion and First Zinc Smelting Furnace in Bristol

Until then the production of metallic Zinc in Europe was unknown. India i.e Bharat had held the monopoly for millennia.

Zinc ware from Deccan Region of India

Zawar in Rajasthan, witnessed large scale production of Zinc in the 13th century CE, i.e. atleast 3 centuries before China started producing Zinc, which resulted in hills of slag in Zawar.

Zawar in Rajasthan, India

The hills in Zawar resulting from centuries and millennia of slag from the Zinc Furnaces

Site of an old Zinc Mine in Zawar, preserved as a heritage site

The mines of Zawar in Rajasthan carbon dated to 3rd / 4th century BCE and the hills of slag, still stand testimony to this manufacturing and trade monopoly of Bharat going back atleast by 2000 years. It should now sink in, that Zinc was indeed a brand that India had an absolute monopoly over, for atleast a couple of millennia.

Cotton and Textiles From the statements of Marco Polo and many other Europeans, right from the 13th century, we find that India over thousands of years had been exporting textiles along with metals such as iron, steel, zinc, dyes such as indigo, spices as well as science and spiritual knowledge world over.

0100 BCE – ATTRACTIVE INDIAN COTTON While in India, commoners wore cotton cloth, in Europe, between 1st century BCE and 1st century CE, it was seen as a luxury item. The rich of Europe wore cotton clothes, as only they could afford them. For, cotton cloth was imported from India.

       Indian Commoner in fine cotton and European Aristocracy in Indian Cotton

Clothes from India were very popular amongst the Roman women for their attractive prints and sheer fineness. They were popular for the quality of Cotton, Weaving, Prints and Dyes,

and they held this monopoly for over 2000 years. Infact, the very word “muslin” comes from Masuli, from the name Masulipatnam for the port in the Coromandel Coast, from where cotton was exported to Europe and elsewhere. This port is still a vibrant town in India, alternatively called Machilipatnam. Gaius Plinius Secundus also known as Pliny the Elder, the Roman writer who lived between 23 CE and 79 CE, in his work Naturalis Historia, writes about how these clothes were so bright and fine that all modesty was thrown to the winds in Rome.

     Pliny the Elder and Naturalis Historia

He describes that the ladies of Rome paraded themselves wearing such sheer muslin that they became the cynosure of all eyes. The transparency of their attire, even through the many folded muslin from India, caused a lot of flutter amongst the men and Pliny writes that moral degradation started setting in. Moreover, all this was coming at a great cost to Rome, for in return for its Indigo and these prints, India was earning pearls and gold from Rome and Rome was thus losing its wealth to India.

Cicerio, the Roman orator in the Roman Senate in 1st century BCE, gives an account of about 20 million gold coins being sent to India every year to bedeck Roman ladies in Indian clothes.

Cicerio, the Roman Orator speaking in the Roman Senate in 1st Century BCE – A Painting

All this cumulatively led to Rome banning import of Indian muslin around the 1st century CE. Perhaps it must have been the world’s first trade ban.

1300S CE – COVERED WITH INDIAN COTTON SHAWL The place is Beypore, near Kozhikode, Calicut in Kerala, on the banks of the river Chaliyar, where it joins the Arabian Sea on the West coast of India. Ibn Batuta the Moroccan explorer, on his way to China, visited India in 1345 CE. Entering India from the North West, he visited Delhi and then made his way down the Western coast of India. Arriving in what is called present day Kerala, he made note of the heavy trade that was taking place from this coast of India in spices and textiles among others.

At Beypore in Kerala, he was taken in by the soft cotton fabric that was woven here. It was worn here as an upper cloth and called Shali, a word that came from Selai in Tamil for the upper garment. Beypore is a port located on the estuary of River Chaliyar. Was the river called Chaliyar because of Shali or was it the other way round? Ibn Batuta recorded this Beypore as Ash Shaliyat since Shali was being woven and traded heavily from this town. This town was obviously not called Beypore then in 1300s. From this name Shaliyat, came the words, the French châle, Spanish chal, Italian scialle, Russian shal, German  and English Shawl  and the list goes on. The fact that so many languages decided to give this piece of cloth a name that was both original to the place where it came from and had the local flavour of the foreign land, shows that Selai, Shali or this piece of cloth as well as its name, fame and style, had reached far and wide. This soft cotton, woven fabric, Shali, for draping around the chest and shoulders soon became a Shawl and a raging fashion which covers the people of the world to this day. Traditional attire of the Malayalis from Kerala, includes 2 pieces of soft cloth. One is used to cover the body from waist below and the other as an upper cloth called by various names such as Shali, Chelai, Torttamundu, Neriyathu (that which is to be tightly tied) etc. Kerala is famous even today for its Malayali Mundus or soft cotton waist wraps, towels.

Cicerio, the Roman Orator speaking in the Roman Senate in 1st Century BCE – A Painting

What is further interesting to note is that, the clans that wove these fabric are even today called Saliga, Saliya, Chaliyan, Sali, Sale, Sal or its variants, from the Samskrt word Jallika for the Spider which weaves a web. The river therefore, along which the Saliya, Saliga, Sali were settled and practiced their trade came to be called Chali Aru or Chaliyar of Kerala. Aru means river. This was what Ibn Batuta had observed in 1350s. It was an observation which led the world to start covering themselves with shawls from India.

1580s CE – Addiction to Indian Cotton Around 1500s, addiction to Indian textiles could continue to be seen in France. The textiles from India were called Indienne then and a number of units were set up in Europe to imitate Indienne. Imitation is the best form of showing acceptance of the value of the original. There was such an addiction to Indian prints in Europe -  in Italy, in Netherlands, in Spain, in Germany and in France, that in Marseilles of France, Frederick William I banned Indienne in 1580 CE. Heavy fines were imposed on those wearing Indienne including corporal punishment. Police ripped off the printed dresses from the backs of the offending women walking in the streets. Stocks of garments were destroyed. This was very similar to the Swadeshi movement we had in India during the struggle for freedom from the British. This ban was a European Swadeshi movement of 1580s.

Punished for wearing Indienne in France in 1580 CE

1680S – STILL UNABLE TO DESIST INDIAN COTTON Despite all these bans, in the Dutch East India Company records of the year 1680, we find that one of the major exports from the old ports of the Coromandel, Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh in India, was cotton. As per these records, in a 5 year period between 1684 and 1689 CE, the Dutch had exported from the port of Machilipatnam, 1,12,00000, i.e., 1 crore, 12 lakh pieces of cotton textiles to their colonies and other parts of Europe for trade. In textile industry, “Piece” is a unit of measurement like “ream”. One crore is the Indian term for 10 million.

If a single company were to buy 1 crore 12 lakh Pieces of cotton in 5 years, then one can imagine the overall volume of trade and therefore the overall quantity of production of cotton goods, not only for foreign exports, but for local consumption too, in every village, in the hinterland of the ports of India from where these goods were exported.

1800S – PREFERRED BY THE EAST TOO Looking eastwards, the Edo period is the time window between 1603 and 1868 when Japan was under the rule of the  Tokugawa Shogunate  and the country’s 300 regional  Daimyo. The Edo period was known for its strict social order, economic growth, flourish of arts and culture, environmental protection and at the same time insulation of Japan from foreigners or a selective foreign policy. The Edo period came to an end when the Meiji Era started in 1868. During the Edo period, Indian cotton went to Japan as Sarasa.

Go-Tenjo Ikat Indian Sarasa Chintz Homespun Cotton Dyed In Indigo And Madder, Handwoven, Hand-Painted In Coromandel Coast Of India For The Japanese Market, 17c/18c – Courtesy Private collection, Horyu-ji, Nara

If, even during this strict Edo period, Japan had kept its doors open for India and Indian cotton, it goes to show the strength in the simple cotton thread from India and the strong bond it had woven between these two lands.

1980S – STILL WEAVING ITS MAGIC OVER THE WORLD Come 1980s, Indian textile industry saw a boost in its exports again, post independence. In a world where the British had lost much of their Empire and stranglehold, the textile industry of India started flourishing once again.

The spinning wheels turned around to come a full circle once again. Textiles from the mills of England and Europe started became more expensive than the ones being produced from India and other erstwhile colonies of the British. Soon, India started rising as a garment exports leader and “Made In India” became a household label in different parts of the world.

CAUGHT UP WITH COTTON There is no doubt from all these records that the world since the last 2000 years has been caught up with cotton from India. Light and fluffy, yet collectively it has outweighed many of the other goods exported from India and also earned great riches for India.

DISCOVERY OF COTTON It is widely believed that before man started to wear cotton or woven fabric, he would have just worn bark, leaves and animal hides as a sheath. The first person who recognized the cotton plant and grew cotton plants in an organized way not only wove a fabric for mankind to wear but also wove into mankind’s lifestyle a want that would only keep growing further and further to surpass from being a basic need to becoming a fashion statement.

FIRST TO GROW COTTON The Veda recognize this person as Rishi Grusthayudha and states that he grew cotton plants and drew cotton thread from them. He drew about ten measures from each plant. This shows that it was not random growing and plucking but planned quantified harvesting.

HERODOTUS ON COTTON, IN HISTORIA This is further highlighted when we read in contrast what the Greek historian, Herodatus in 400 BCE writes in his book Historia. Referring to the cotton plants grown in India, he writes, “In India there are plants that produce sheep’s wool”.

This statement of Herodotus exemplifies the fact that the Greek then did not know of cotton plants and were probably still dependent on barks and animal produce for clothing. The very word “fabric” comes from the root word “fibre” meaning thread, yarn or strings, denoting that “fabric” is that which is woven from threads as against clothing readily obtained from sheaths or skins, be it animal skin or tree skin, i.e. bark.

 

Herodotus is considered as the father of History in Europe and the subject of History is derived from his book Historia. For him, to make this statement on cotton, is significant. Cotton was referred to as “wool that grew on plants” for a long time by the Greeks. It is believed that it was Pliny the Elder who gave it the name “cotton” after the fruit Mala Cotonea that grew in Crete. For India, it was karpasa, kapas, pinja, panju and so on.

WORLD’S EARLIEST COTTON Organic substances such as cotton fibres do not last very long and disintegrate in soil, which is why, millennia old samples of cloth, paper,

wood etc. are few and far. However, if in luck, some pieces which were in tight contact with highly corrosive metals such as copper, iron etc. instead of disintegrating get mineralized due to the corrosion of the metal wherein their organic substance gets replaced by mineral salts. They then get preserved and can tell a timeless story. One such site is Mehergarh in Balochistan, part of ancient India and the sample in question comprises of fibres of cotton found mineralized in copper beads by the side of the wrist of a skeleton. This is borne out in the research paper “First Evidence of Cotton at Neolithic Mehrgarh, Pakistan:Analysis of Mineralized Fibres from a Copper Bead” by Christophe Moulherat, Margareta Tengberg, Jerome F. Haquet and Benoıt Mille for the “Journal of Archaeological Science (2002), 29,  1393–1401”

Location of Mehergarh

This is the oldest physical sample of cotton of the world, as the sample has been traced to 7th Millennium BCE, i.e. 9000 years ago.

The Grave where the skeleton with the copper beads lying next to it, was found, Photo Source  - ©M.A.I., C. Jarrige

The Copper Bead With Mineralized Cotton Fibre, Photo Source – © C2RMF, D. Bagault,

Reflected-light micrography of the mineralized cotton fibres (X200), Photo Source - © C2RMF, C. Moulherat

Detailed and exhaustive studies as well as comparisons have proven that these beadlike shapes are fibres of cotton. Not only that, these fibres are from mature and ripe cotton seeds and over and above all, the fibres have been extracted using a refined process indicating maturity in cotton cultivation and fibre extraction 9000 years ago itself. There have been other samples of cotton excavated from other sites around the world but these date more towards 3rd and 2nd Millennium BCE. The one other close contender is the sample of fibres and impressions of a woven cotton fabric found at Dhuweila in eastern Jordan, dating to around 4th Millennium BCE. However ecological conditions have ruled out its local produce and the sample has been traced back to India. This single thread of a 9000 year old cotton bears out many more startling discoveries –

•   Of Agriculture - the fact that right from 7

Millennium BCE, this region has shown signs of continued cultivation, of agriculture and pastoral farms th

•   Of Trade - the fact that Indians were not only cultivating cotton but were also exporting cotton to Jordan or the West, as early as 4th Millennium BCE or 6000 years ago

•   Of Metallurgy - the fact that these Indians knew to mine and mould metals such as copper, for, the copper beads in which this mineralized sample of cotton fibres were found, had been roll pressed around a rod and then cut and filed into beads.

COTTON COUNTRY Man learning to grow cotton plants, drawing cotton yarn from them, weaving a fabric out of that yarn and wearing them, is a major step in the culture of a civilization. Stitching these fabrics into clothes and later designer wear, are but the natural next steps. Considering the many indigenous varieties of cotton in India, which have come a long way in time, such as

•  Jayadhar cotton from Karnataka, •  Karunkanni from Tamil Nadu, •  Kala cotton from Bhuj, •  Ponduru cotton from Andhra region, •  Punasa cotton from Rajasthan and •   fine Comilla cotton from North East India, a cotton so fine, that many metres of it could be fitted into a match box, one can see that India had not only learnt to clothe her people with plant fibre, but had also tweaked them to develop varieties based on local soil and climes to suit different needs and tastes. It is left for us to pick up the strings from where they were left off before industrialization and modernization severed these strains and strands.

While “Indian cotton” was a brand, it was not just one type of cotton. There were multiple local variants. Each port of India was exporting the local variety of cotton that grew in its hinterland.

Cotton Exports to West One of the varieties of cotton cloth from India, that was popular in Europe, is what is now known as “gossamer cotton”. This was then, known in Latin as “Nebulla Venti”. It was called so, because the cloth was so soft that it was equated with woven clouds. Herodotus, referring to this cloth, marvels at its fineness, in his works. Cotton fabrics cast a spell, not only on the West but the East as well.

Cotton Exports to East Zhou Qufei or Chou Chu-fei, was a Chinese Government official who lived between 1135 and 1189 CE, during the Song dynasty of China. In his only work available today, “Ling-wai tai-ta : Sensational Information From Beyond the Ranges”, written in 1163 CE, based on data collected while serving as an official, Zhou Qufei refers to the Chola kingdom of India as Zhu-nian. He describes the trade and maritime influence of the Chola, a Tamil dynasty from South India, whose empire then stretched all across the East Coast of India and South East Asia.

The Ling-Wai Tai-Ta, published as a book in Chinese in 1900

Indo-S.E.Asia and Asia Trade Routes During Chola Reign (10th Century CE)

Sea Route Between India and rest of Asia, Silapakorn Museum, Bangkok

In particular, Zhou Qufei refers to the Vengi kingdom, which was part of the Chola Empire and was popular with the Chinese and the Arabs for texile exports. Vengi in present times is that part of the Andhra region, which includes the port of Machilipatnam or Masulipatnam from where textiles and many other commodities were exported in large volumes. This was in the 11th and 12th century CE, about 1000 years ago.

Textile exports from Vengi / Machilipatnam continued even during the colonial rule in the 17th century about 400 years ago, as we have already seen.

THE COTTON BRAND While the world today may hanker after global brands of designer wear, India clearly held the brand for cotton itself, along with its associated dyes, prints, weaves, machinery and tailoring industries for millennia. Textiles from India indeed have a long thread of antiquity as claimed by ancient, medieval and modern texts.

Indigo – The Royal Blue Ever wondered why the brand colour of Bharat, India, is the colour blue? Ever wondered why the chakra, wheel, in the Indian national flag is blue in colour?

For much of the world, the colour blue came from the Lapis Lazuli stone or certain insects. But these dyes had limited application as well as availability. Whereas, India, at the same time, was exporting cotton, yarn, woven textiles and dyed fabrics as well, especially in various shades of blue, purples, violet to black - colours that the west could not produce in large quantities. Consequently, they were more expensive. Purple and blues were therefore restricted to royalty alone and came to be associated with royalty such as blue blood for royal lineage, purple coloured robes for royals etc.

INDIGO – THAT WHICH CAME FROM INDIA

India on the other hand was not only exporting cloth dyed in shades of blue but also the blue dye itself. India ruled the trade of blue dye across globe so much so that the colour blue was called Indigo, that which came from India. While most other civilizations had also attained skills in extracting natural dyes, blue was a colour that had eluded most civilizations. Whereas India had attained mastery in extraction of Neel, Neelam, the blue dye, in various shades from light blue to black, from a plant called locally as Neeli in Hindi, Nili Chettu in Telugu or Avuri Chedi in Tamil or Indigofera as per Botanical classification. Unlike most vegetable dyes which can be used directly in their raw form, the Neelam plant leaves need to be processed to get the colour blue. Yield, quantity and colour of this vegetable dye, is directly proportional to the control of the acidity of the extract from the plant and Indians had become experts in the intricate process of extracting this blue Indigo dye from the Neelam plant. For many centuries and millennia, the juice from the Neeli, Neelam plant, had been extracted, processed into the blue indigo dye, shaped into cakes and exported far and wide from this land.

Neelam Plant

STAGES IN THE INDIGO EXTRACTION PROCESS Crushing Indigo comes from a colourless substance called indican which is found in the Indigofera plants. As indican is soluble in water, the first step is to crush the leaves, to enable indican to dissolve in water easily.

Fermenting The crushed leaves are then steeped in water and allowed to ferment. Indican dissolves in water and change is brought about by bacterial action during fermentation. Indican changes into a glucoside called indoxyl due to hydrolysis. Simultaneously, much gas is produced due to the presence of enzymes from the unfermented leaves, which produce acids. If left unchecked, it is detrimental to the indoxyl produced.

Boiling The indoxyl has to be oxidized to produce indigotin, which gives the blue colour. The yield, quantity and colour of indigo produced, is directly proportional to controlling the acidity of the fermented extract. It should be slightly acidic. But the acidity can increase rapidly and if left unchecked, it can lead to loss of colour. For this, the fermented extract was boiled, balancing the acidity and alkalinity, which is a challenge With boiling, the light green colour of the fermenting extract turned blackish blue.

Beating Another method to add Oxygen was by lengthy and vigorous beating of the fermenting liquid. This converts the indoxyl into  indigotin (C8HSNO), which eventually becomes the insoluble blue pigment and indiglucin (3C6H10O6),

A Process followed even today

Filtering The indigotin is insoluble in water and hence settles down in the Vat. It is then filtered out.

Drying

The filtered indigotin is scraped and dried.

Shaping The dried indigotin precipitates into cake form and can be preserved for years. In the cake form, it is easy for transporting too .

A SIMPLE PROCESS BUT COMPOUNDED RESULTS The total process from start to finish took 10 days. The Indian chemists were producing different shades of blue to black for various types of yarn, from cotton to silk. Their dye was therefore in demand world over. Blue dye extraction in India can be traced back to 2000 BCE and before. It was a widely practiced industry all along the Coromandel Coast of India, the Gujarat coast, Bihar, the Gangetic plains and many other parts of India.

Prominent Centres of Indigo Dye Extraction in India

The travel of Indigo dye to other parts of the wold from India is evidenced by:

•   Ikat fabric in Indigo blue found in a Pharoah’s tomb in Fostat near Cairo, Egypt Dyed fabric wrapped around a vase in Harappa dating back to 5000 years ago

Large clay dye vats discovered at the ancient trading port of Lothal References in the Bible to Indian dyes The continuing tradition of Ajrak prints seen in Barmer in Rajasthan, Kutch in Gujarat, Sindh in Pakistan and nearby regions. Ajrak prints are geometric patterned, blockprints, in red, blue and black. The word Ajrak comes from the common Arabic word Azrak for blue, similar to Azure in English for a shade of blue which come from the Arabic source alLazaward or Persian Lazhuward for the mineral, stone Lapis Lazuli. A piece of fabric in Indigo blue found in a Pharoah’s tomb in Fostat provides the connecting thread between these dyes and fabric from India and the Arab traders, from many millennia ago. For, Fostat near Cairo, was the capital of Arabs in Egypt and these prints were popular with the Arab traders who used to take it to Fostat, which is how they got their Arabic name Ajrak which continues to this day. This was an age old industry and the Indians’ understanding of this colour blue can be seen in the word that is commonly used for dark. Dark, in Samskrt, Hindi is often referred to as Neel, showing the ancients’ understanding of how deeper variations of blue produce the effect of dark or black. Neeleh, Nil is also another word for blue, Indigo in Arabic.

FIRST CHEMICAL SYNTHESIS The first time this colour was made outside India, was through artificial synthesis, a chemical process using inorganic ingredients. It was not a natural plant dye that was produced. Adolf von Bayer of Germany was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1905 CE, for his research into the composition of this dye so that it could be produced synthetically.

Adolf von Bayer

Nobel Prize

While awarding this prize, the Nobel committee cited that

A graphic illustration of what Adolf von Bayer’s Nobel Award could have looked like

Alas, no such recognition has come the way of the simple villagers who had mastered this intricate art of extracting it naturally, village after village if this land. These simple villagers, with their fine skills in Chemistry had succeeded in putting India on the world trade map for the colour blue. Indigo dye also went eastwards to Japan and China, from the Coromandel Coast and Bengal, through Chinese and Okinawa traders. Indigo came to be known as Ai-zome in Japan and gave the famous blue shade that Japanese art is renowned world over for today. It is to be noted that the word Ai-zome closely resembles Azarak, the word for Indigo in the language of the Arab traders, who took Indigo from India to many parts of the world, including S.E Asia and East Asia.

 

Renowned Blue and White Art from Japan

Colour blue thus became synonymous with India and earned the name Indigo blue after the land from which it came. Indigo blue has since been branded as the colour of India, from India, for the world at large.

Mad after Madder – The Red Dye Similarly yet another plant dye that grew popular with the world, was the red dye, Indian Madder. Indian Madder was extracted from the root of plant called Manjishta, Manjit, Majith, Manditta, Manjitti, Sevvelli, Tamaralli etc. as well as from the chaya ver or the root, veru that gave colour chayam which was also called Imburol / Inbooral in Tamil or Siddha Medicine and Chitraval in folk languages such as in Maharashtra. This root also has medicinal properties and was used to cure various ailments such as asthma, skin and blood disorders etc.

  

The red dye extracted from the root bark of these plants, botanically known as Rubia Cordifolia L. (Manjishta) and Oldenlandia umbellata (Chaya Veru), was used to impart a red colour to cotton, wool and silk fabrics.

Madder has been used as a colorant for dyeing textiles since ancient times in India, Persia, and Egypt. Manjishta was used by the sanyasis, hermits of India to dye their cloth as saffron colour, also known as Kashayam. A piece of purple coloured cotton cloth, dating back to 3rd Millennium BCE, i.e. 5000 years ago, recovered from the Mohenjodaro archaeological site of ancient India on chemical analysis revealed the use of madder, in its dyeing. The colour red was important in cloth, textiles, dyeing, as it was not only red but a range of colours, when mixed with, starting from shades of violet and purple to orange and red - literally, the entire spectrum of the rainbow. This natural, vegetable, root dye, was used not only for textile dyeing and printing but also for painting, both general walls and floors as well as for artistic needs.

ANTI BACTERIAL

Madder in Rangoli, Kolam

Due to its medicinal properties, Madder has also been used in traditional medicine for its antibacterial properties. Which is why, we see its usage in

Rangoli, Kolam, the art of decorating the front of houses. The porch of houses would be smeared with dried cow dung, another antibacterial substance. On this surface, a layer of madder would be applied and then white rice powder was used to draw lines and designs on it as contrast. The cowdung and madder kept infections at bay while the rice powder kept the front porch decorated as well served as food for other smaller insects. So many purposes served by this one act. This was probably one of the reasons why the Rishi and saints of yore chose this colour for clothes. Dipping in madder dye was making them more hygienic.

RED COAT

British Redcoats – An Officer and A Private from the 40th Regiment of Foot, 1812 – a painting by Capt. R.H.Raymond Smythies, 1894

Red Coat is the term used to refer to the British Army as they wore bright red uniforms. The history of the Red Coat also spells the history of the doom of Madder, the natural red dye wearing which, many European  soldiers have died in the troublesome 1700s and 1800s. It is a dye, which has also stained many a hand and heart, which have bled in the same red.

Types of old infantry uniforms of the British army. 1750–1835

Army uniforms in much of Europe, especially Britain, before 1600s were a shade of dull grey until they came across the Indigo dye from India, after which they also started wearing blue coats. By the late 1600s and early 1700s when the Dutch colonized parts of South India and Sri Lanka, the local red dye, Chaya root dye or Madder industry was exploited by the Dutch for economical gains.

THE DYING RED DYE SLAVES The Chaya ver grew in abundance on the  Coromandel Coast  in  India, Malabar Coast of India and in Jaffna, in northern Sri Lanka, specifically in the island of Mannar, as well. It was a large coastal area, where the tropical climate of the coast played an important role for its growth, extraction and export.

A dedicated community called the Veru Kuthi or Pallar, grew around this dye industry. The people who extracted this dye were enslaved into bonded labour and exploited by the Dutch to keep the dye trade going.

  Flag and Coins of the Dutch East India Company

The Dutch also started cultivating its local variety of Madder called Rubia Tinctorum and England started importing the dye from Holland for its textiles, especially the uniforms for its army since this Red Coat was bright and stood out in a battlefield. Records place this import at a cost of 300 thousand pounds per year during the 1800s.

Dutch Officers who fought during the Russian Campaign of Napoleon in 1812 as the Red Lancers of the French Imperial Guard, ca. 1900 - a pen and ink work by W.C. Staring

A Dutchman in Red as part of Napolean’s Red Lancers A Dutchman as Light horse lancer from the 2nd Regiment (Red Lancers) of the Imperial Guard, part of the Grande Armée in Russian Campaign of Napolean in 1812. An illustration by Bellange from the book Histoire de Napoleon, by P.M. Laurent de L`Ardeche, 1843

The French also imported this dye via Turkey for their military cloth, called “Turkey Red”.

French Military- Guard Horse Chasseurs [Chasseur-a-cheval de la Garde] in parade uniforms A painting by Rousellot.

Seeing the potential in this trade as well as the applications of this dye, madder cultivation spread across Europe, in particular, to Spain, France and Italy. The Indian Madder from Rubia Cordifolia  L or from Oldenlandia umbellata, Chaya-ver, native to India and Southeast Asia, however, was superior to the Madder from Rubia Tinctorum as the Indian Madder gave fast colours and prints which did not fade. The red colour came from the organic compounds Alizarin and Purpurin which the Germans, Carl Graebe and Carl Liebermann discovered how to synthesize chemically in the year 1868. Soon the natural Madder dye was replaced by chemical equivalents as the chemical dyes circumvented the laborious manual process of gathering the roots and their extraction. The chemical red colours found their way across the world including back to India.

The Indian roots of this red, root dye, which had passed from the East into the Western world through Turkey, the trade hub and had therefore also come to be called “Turkey Red”, have eventually faded away from world memory.

Coromandel Red or Colcothar A village in Japan is called Fukiya Bengara. This lies in the Okayama prefecture and belongs to the Edo period, between 1600s to 1868. This village is visited by tourists as it is famed for its traditional houses painted uniformly in a burnt orange red colour. The same burnt orange red colours were also found in Jomon tombs in Japan.

Burnt Red Houses in Fukiya Bengara Village in Japan

A closer examination of the history behind this village, the burnt red colour of its houses and its name, reveals a lesser known history of India’s colourful past.

Colcothar – Red Dye

One of the popular chemical pigments used for red, is known as Colcothar. Colcothar, is a red dye that is produced from Iron Oxide.

The word colcothar, in the western world is traced to come from old Spanish word “colcothar” which in turn is traced to the Arabic word “qulqutar”. It is presumed that this word could probably be a modification of the Greek word “chalkanthos” or “chalcanthite” from the Greek words chalkos  and  anthos, meaning copper flower. But, chalcanthite is a rich blue/green coloured water-soluble sulphate mineral CuSO4·5H2O. So, the word “colcothar” for a burnt red could not have come from the Greek “chalkanthos” which is a blue green colour.

COLCOTHAR FROM KOLKOTTA This pigment “colcothar”, we find is also referred to as Coromandel Red or Indian Red. What stares us blatantly in the face, is the fact that this colour, called Coromandel Red, was produced in large quantities in the hinterland of the Coromandel Coast and exported in large volumes from Bengal. We all know that the name Kolkotta for the capital city of present day Bengal in India comes from the name Kali Ghat, meaning the river banks by which stood the ancient Kali temple. Kali Ghat became Kolkotta. It is highly probable therefore that this is what would have given this colour the name “colcothar” meaning that which came from “Kolkotta”. This is where the Japanese village Fukiya Bengara helps in confirming this history of Colcothar or Coromadel red. The burnt orange or peach red colour of the houses in Fukiya Bengara, as per the history of this village, originally came from a pigment that had initially come from Bengal. Hence it was called Bengara in Japan. Bengara is the Portuguese pronunciation of Bengal. The Portuguese after setting base in India had travelled upto Japan and conquered some parts of Japan in 1600s. This pigment and its name perhaps went along with them or maybe even earlier. The Japanese, especially from the village of Fukiya learnt this process of producing this red Bengara pigment and set up industries there to produce Bengara, which gave this village its name Fukiya Bengara.

It will be pertinent to note that India, in particular, the entire Coromandel Coast stretching from Bengal to the South of India was already famous for export of plant dyes, especially blue called Indigo, red called Indian Madder and yellow called Indian Yellow.

The Coromandel Coast of India

This Coromandel Coast, also became famous for export of this chemically produced red. No wonder then, that this popular red pigment acquired the name Colcothar, Coromandel Red or Indian red and even Bengara as the Japanese had rightfully called it.

Colours and Dyes India has been synonymous with colours. While in many parts of the world colours are associated more with Nature, in India, colours are associated more with man and man made artifacts.

LAND OF COLOURS India from millennia, has been known for its colourful clothes, colourful prints, colourful arts, crafts, jewellery and in recent times even colourful buildings.

FESTIVAL OF COLOURS One of the most ancient display of colours has been the festival of Ranga Panchami, now celebrated as Holi, played by smearing or spraying coloured powders and waters on each other to celebrate the oncoming of Spring. This festival can be traced back to the times of Krishna, i.e. around 5100 years ago.

Krishna Playing Holi – A Popular Painting Depiction

Looking back at the trade history of India, we find that one of the prominent exports from India has been dyes such as Indigo blue, red, yellow, black and so on. Indian textiles with these colours and prints have been popular the world over, as records show, right from 1st century BCE till date. Where did India get all this colours to use? The common sources of colours in India, depending on the usage, were semi precious stones of different colours for art and craft, flowers and plants for textiles, paints, food and cosmetics. They were Natural Dyes extracted from Nature. The primary colours in Nature are Red, Yellow and Blue. All other colours and shades are only a derivative of a mix of these primary colours in varying proportions such as,

•  Green from Blue and Yellow •  Violet from Blue and Red •  Orange from Red and Yellow.

All the colours in the visible spectrum can be seen in Nature but finding direct sources in Nature for all these colours, for applying directly and that too in large quantities, with desired qualities, is a challenge. What the ancient Indians had mastered was the technique of identifying indirect but abundant sources that grew naturally in their local climate and topography, which when processed could yield the primary colours,

which then could be mixed in varying proportions to obtain the entire spectrum of colours which then could be applied suitably on different mediums to create myriad colourful forms. We see this in the manner in which Madder, red dye was identified from the roots of plants with green and yellow flowers, treated suitably to extract shades of red used to dye fabric and other materials such as walls.

Yellow flowered Rubia cordifolia Plant

We see this in the manner in which Indigo, blue dye, was identified from green leaves of purple flowered, Neelam plants, processed suitably to extract various shades of blue colour for dyeing fabric and many other materials.

Neelam Plant

We see this in the manner in which Indian Yellow, was identified from the stigma, filament of the blue saffron flowers, the roots of turmeric plants, flowers of Delphinium Semibarbatum or Zalil or Delphinium Sulphureum, commonly called Larkspur or isparak in India and processed suitably to extract shades of yellow for use as dye.  We see this in the manner in which Indians derived Yellow. Yellow has been a colour recorded from atleast over 5 millennia. Krishna’s favourite attire is described as Pithambara, a yellow drape. The Samskrt word Pitha means yellow. Ambara means drape, cover. The word for bile juices, which are yellow green in colour, is Pitta, one of the body humors in Ayurveda. The visibly yellow roots of turmeric plants and the yellow flowers of Delphinium Semibarbatum or Delphinium Zalil or Delphinium Sulphureum as it is botanically known, growing in the Himalayan slopes of northwest India, commonly known as Larkspur or isparak in India were a source of yellow. The brown Areca Nut or Betel Nut, known as Catechu, Cutch or Katha in Hindi also yielded yellow to olive browns. It is however, indeed amazing, how Indians also derived shades of yellow to orange, from the stigma, filament of the blue saffron flowers or rind of the red pomegranate fruit.

Blue Saffron Fields in Himalayan slopes of Kashmir, India

A Pitambara (Yellow) Dhoti dyed with Larkspur, woven in Varanasi, India in 1851 CE Courtesy – Artifact 771-1852  at Victoria and Albert Museum, UK

How did they see these colours in these sources, which were often visibly unrelated to these colours? That India has had a significant role in colouring the world is evident from the names of some of the popular dyes. Blue The very word Indigo for blue dye denotes its origins in India.

Red The Greeks called madder erythrodanus or erythrodani meaning that which gives red. The root erythro in these words, means red. It is used commonly in our daily lives such as in

•   erythrosine which is a red, food colour, used in medicines and processed coloured foods,

•  erythrocytes for the red blood cells found in our body and so on. The prefix erythro in any word means it has something to do with red and comes from the Greek word eruthros for red. The English word “red” is traced to this Greek / Latin word eruthros / erythro which has been further traced to the root “reudh” in the Indo European group of languages. This word erythro indeed shares its roots with the Indian words for red which is rohita, rakta, rudhira, roudhra and so on. Infact “seeing red” is a phrase for being angry as one’s face turns red then. The cave paintings at Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh, which go back by more than 30000 years, distinctly show the use of the colour red. Not just red, these cave paintings also show use of colours such as yellow and green too. What is remarkable is that these paintings and their colours have withstood millennia of weathering, including the iceages, without fading even though memories have faded. The Indians’ familiarity with colours, the process of extracting them from Nature, giving a name for them in their language, all point to a knowhow of dealing with colours that goes way back in time.

Bhimbetka Cave Painting, Depicting the scene of a ceremony with horses, horse riders and horses covered with decorative cloth

While many civilizations have demonstrated the knowledge and use of colours in their art, there is a lot which is unique, singular and praiseworthy about the association of Indians with colours and dyes. 1.    Their knowledge of the various colours and names for them which have formed the roots for these colours in many of the modern day languages such as English, French. 2.    Their knowledge of where they are present in Nature in abundance, in an extractable form. 3.  Their process of extracting them and applying the right dyes for the right medium. 4.  The fast and unfading nature of their colours.

5.  Use of dyes on fabric – cotton, wool and silk, for coluring and printing, due to which they became popular with the western world for clothing. 6.    Large scale production of natural dyes from abundantly available resources, for local use, trade and exports as against extraction of small quantities from rare and animal sources for niche use such as art, as seen in Europe. Until 1600s, besides dyes that were imported, colour for Europe, came predominantly from rare and hard to obtain local sources such as shells, insects, certain exotic plants and flowers which, with little need for processing, produced rich colours but in limited amounts. Hence they were expensive and confined to the use of mainly nobles and royalty. Around 1600s Europe came in direct contact with India which was supplying it with fine merchandise of printed textiles, dyes and cloth. Europe then got easy access to fabric, dyes and sources of dyes due to direct trade with India. With subsequent colonization of India and other tropical lands of S.E.Asia, Africa and America, printed and coloured cloth as well as dyes became common in Europe. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, when Europe was faced with the fear of losing access to these sources as well as the amount of labour needed for processing these natural dyes, it drove them to research into the components of these natural dyes and discover ways to synthesize them chemically, artificially. Alizarin for red was first synthesized, followed by Indigo for blue and the rest followed. Natural dyes, world over, were soon replaced by these synthetic dyes, which were cheaper, being less labour intensive. The Natural dye trade of India as a result, died naturally. After having been dominated by Germany and other European countries for more than a century, the Global Dyestuff industry is now shifting to Asia. Today India is slowly growing to be one of the leading suppliers in the largely chemically dominated world of dyestuffs along with China, Korea and Japan.

While today, India celebrates with colours, there is little appreciation or celebration for her age old connection with colour dyes and the fact that India had left an indelible imprint of colours on the face of the world for millennia.  Very few are aware that colour dyes were once a vibrant and colourful brand of India.

Obsessed with Incense If India’s riot of colours made it a brand for dyes, then in a sense, incense from India has been a brand for fragrances. Agar or Oud, Sandalwood, Jasmine, Musk, Saffron have all been time immemorial fragrances that have at times tantalized, at times soothened and at times elevated spirits of the Indians and people all over the world across times. Of these, Agar/Oud fragrance which comes from the heartwood of the Agar trees, has been regarded priceless by the world community. Agar is an evergreen tree which mainly grows in the tropical climate of India and neighbouring lands of the tropics upto Indonesia. Interestingly, Oud or Agar is a fragrance that is obtained when the heartwood of the Agar tree is attacked by a fungal infection and gives out a resin, which gets embedded in the heartwood. The infected portion of the tree trunk becomes darker in colour and it is these portions which give out the most exotic smell in the world, when burnt.

         Starting with being burnt as wood chips during rituals, to being used as an essential oil, Attar, Agar/Oud is one of the most expensive but the most essential ingredient in fine perfumes the world over, prized for its unique sensual aroma. Agar wood is also used is Ayurveda medicines to treat many conditions and has also been used world over as an aphrodisiac. Oud used to be used, mainly by the Arabs and extremely rich in the West. In recent times, it has become the base for highend brands of perfumes in the West. But for Indians, this is a fragrance they have all grown up with and live with, in their daily lives, even today. Any visitor to India cannot ignore, but inhale the wisps of Agar fragrance wafting through the air from somewhere or the other, as the wind blows. These statements will puzzle many a young Indian today. What is this Agar which is supposed to be so common in India?

AGARBATTI – INDIA’S OBSESSION WITH INCENSE

Indians will readily relate to Agar when the word Agarbatti is mentioned. Agarbatti is the word for incense sticks in India, since incense sticks originally were made from Agar wood. Batti means a wick. Agarbatti is a wick of Agar wood which is burnt to give fragrance. The name Agar for this tree and Agarbatti can be traced to the Samskrt word aguru for this tree. The word Guru in Samskrt means that which is weighty, heavy. Aguru means light weighted, not heavy. The Agar tree wood is indeed soft, light weighted but strong and durable. Also Gara in Samskrt means poisonous fluid. Agar, Agaru thus is a name for a tree that oozes out poisonous resin and Agarvarthi was the word used for incense stick from Agar as varthi means a wick, that which is rolled, that which denotes a roll or wrap around something. Varthi also means a mix of different substances that is used as an ointment, lotion or cosmetic. All of these denote an incense stick, which is a stick coated with a paste of various perfumes and woodchips. This Agarvarthi over time became

Agarbatti. Dhoop and Sambhrani were further forms of these incense sticks.

The tribals had harvested Agar sustainably from these precious trees for millennia, to leave behind a legacy for us. Sadly though, greedy poachers

and short visioned people in the trade, in the last couple of centuries, today have made this a flourishing industry at the cost of cruelty to the trees by indiscriminately exposing these trees to the fungus and by chopping these trees for their wood. Typically, it is the 50 year old, mature trees that give out the best resin in a slow process and hence the best aroma. Today, in the name of industry, young, immature trees are brutally nailed to create artificial wounds or injected with bottles of chemicals, to artificially trigger the defence mechanism of the tree, in order to create the resin fast.

MANY A INTRIGUE SURROUNDING OUD Agar travelled to the East – China and Japan, through Buddhism, which as it evolved, adopted rituals and offerings. Burning of incense became an essential ritual in Buddhism too. Incense has a propensity to facilitate meditation. This Agar when it reached the Arab world, got the name Oud by which this scent became popular in the West. In Arabic languages, Oud means a rod or stick. Due to the incense stick form in which Agar became known to the Arabic world, Agar wood and Agar resin also ended up being referred to as Oud / Oudh / Audh. Funnily, due to the strong connection between the southern coast and the Arab world through trade, this name has traced its way back to South India where Agarbatti is commonly called Oudubatti / Ouduvatti / Uudhubatti instead, even though the Agar tree in these parts is called Agil. The Aloe tree mentioned in the Old Testament is identified with Aquilaria malaccensis commonly known as the eaglewood tree which is native to India.  The Aloe tree was brought by Adam from Eden. It was planted where he and Eve settled and came to be called the Shoot of Paradise or Paradise Wood. It is worth noting how even though Latin and Samskrt are considered to come from the Indo-European language family, the Latin, botanical name for this tree Aquilaria seems to be related to the Tamil word, Agil.

It is a matter of intrigue how the word “Odour” for smell in English seems phonetically and semantically close to the word “Oud” for this fragrant wood. Yet another matter of intrigue is how the word Oud for twig, rod/stick is again phonetically and semantically close to the word “wood”. The Arabs also called their stringed musical instrument as Oud. Oud was made of wood and was played with a small piece of wooden chip. This Oud is regarded as the precursor to the European Lute with the very word Lute having morphed from the name “Al Oud” for this instrument. The Oud instrument has alternating dark and light bands of wood, much like the fungal infected, aromatic Agar / Oud tree whose heartwood takes on light and dark tones.

Agar Wood pieces

Could it be that the fragrant Agar/Oud wood also made its way to Arabia to form the wood for the “Al Oud” so that not only did the musician fill the chamber with strains of melody but also wafts of fragrance with his strumming on an Oud made of Oud wood? Will be well worth a probe! Nevertheless, every Agarbatti and the twirling fragrant smoke emanating will stand as an exotic, aromatic brand of Bharat. One can say that the use of agar / oud wood for fragrance is as old as the art of perfumery itself.

Curry – A Hot Brand of India

Curry, the popular dish in menus world over, comes from the South Indian word Kari. India is a land of spices. Spices have always been used in making delicious food. While spices are grown all over India, it is the Malabar region from which maximum export of spices from Arabia and from thereon to Europe took place for a couple of millennia. In the languages around that region, both Malayalam and Tamil, the word for vegetables is Kaikari or Karikai.  The colloquial word for raw meat is also Kari.

Kaikari - Vegetables

Kari - Meat

It is but a natural extension that the word Kari was added as a suffix to the name of different vegetables or meats, to denote spiced up preparations of the same.

CURRY TO THE WEST From there, any spiced up dish, of any vegetable or meat, with Indian spices, with a distinct Indian flavour and aroma, came to be called Curry by the British and soon the word became a signature flavour of India. Curry also found a place in the English lexicon to denote a spiced gravy preparation with vegetables or meat. The Indian diaspora that has fanned out all over the world in the last couple of centuries has taken with them their spices, their flavours, their curry

foods. An Indian’s house, an Indian’s kitchen is distinct in far away lands with its curry aroma.

Aroma of Indian food wafting down the streets in foreign lands – An Artist Illustration

Today, Curry Rice has become a standard, accepted dish in most menus in the West.

CURRY TO THE EAST This Curry Rice when it travelled eastwards to Japan along with the British during 1800s, it took over Japan by storm. As karē raisu, it soon became popular in restaurants and supermarkets and with adaptation to suit Japanese palette, it became so widely consumed that it has almost gained the status of being called Japan’s national dish.

Japanese Karē Raisu

Further, during 1915, this karē raisu took on another form of Indian Karri when Rash Behari Bose, a leader of the Indian Independence Movement, looking for a place to hide from the British, was given shelter in Japan. Rash Behari Bose in turn, married a Japanese lady and over time created grounds for an Indo-Japanese connect, that went beyond formalities into friendship.

Rash Behari Bose with wife Toshiko – Courtesy Shinjuku Nakamuraya Website

The lady whom Rash Behari Bose married, was Toshiko, the daughter of Aizo Soma, the founder of Shinjuku Nakamuraya, a very old, traditional Japanese restaurant in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Rash Behari Bose, a good cook himself, passed on some authentic Indian recipes to this family giving rise to the variant called Indo Karii, popular ever since, to this day. It is pronounced Karii to emphasize its Indian origin and real Indian style of cooking, as against the Japanese Kareh, which was an Anglo-Indian version of the Indian curry. Rash Behari Bose also came to be known as Bose of Nakamuraya after this restaurant, Shinjuku Nakamuraya, which flourishes as a popular chain in Japan today. Nakamuraya Curry is a brand of Curry Rice in Japan today.

CURRY FROM THE SOUTH

Curry or Kari from the Tamil land did not have to curry favour to become the hot favourite of the world. It instead lent its name to the English idion “Curry favour” meaning to gain attention by soaking someone with flattery, since curries are preparations where vegetables or meat, soak in spiced gravies. It will be interesting to note that the word for spicy, hot is Kara in Japanese which is the same as in the Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada languages of India. There are different words for varying degrees of hot and spicy such as

•  Amakuchi for mild or “sweet mouth”, kuchi means mouth •  Chuukara for medium spicy •  Karakuchi for spicy or “hot mouth” and •  Gekikara for extremely spicy.

The Kanji for Kara

CURRY, THE HOT BRAND OF INDIA So, east or west, curry is the best. Curry is indeed a hot and spicy brand of India. You can take an Indian out of India but you cannot take the Curry out of an Indian’s cooking.

Cheroot Cheroot is a world famous cigar. They were referred to as Cheroot or more specifically, as the Trichinopolly Cheroot and the Dindy Cheroot.

ROLLING TIMES WITH SURUTTU

The word Cheroot comes from the Tamil word Suruttu, meaning to roll, for, these cigars were rolled up tobacco leaves. The suruttu has been the traditional cigar of the land whose origins go back to Uraiyur, the erstwhile capital of the Chola kingdom. When the British took control of this land and were known locally as Sahibs, they started smoking rooms for these cigars whose fire and smoke soon became world famous. Seeing the sudden liking for the Cheroot worldover, Spencers, the trading giant of the colonial Madras, started exporting these to the British officers in different colonies, to their home country England and to the Americas, which within decades gained it worldwide popularity. The Cheroot was rivalled only by the other famous brand the Havana cigars.

DINDY CHEROOT One of the British officers, Eugene Oakshot started a tobacco plantation near Dindugal and started promoting it as the Dindy Cheroot.

ODE TO CHEROOT

So passionate were the Cheroot smokers that one of them Richard Pereira, even wrote an ode to the Cheroot.

Wenlock another faithful Cheroot smoker, wrote

It is interesting to note the adjective “modern” given to South India, which in present times has the brand of being traditional and orthodox.

TOP PRIZES Spencers cashing in on the popularity of the Cheroot brought in variants such as Little Randolph, Gold Mohur, Flor de Spencer, Torpedo, which repeatedly won prizes in cigar competitions all over the world.

A FIERY STYLE Winston Churchill, for all his disdain for India, savoured his Cheroot. Many a photographs of his shows him with his Cheroot between his lips.

Cheroot smoking as a vogue travelled all the way upto Hollywood too. The Cheroot was not just a style statement, but a statement of aristocracy of the 18s and 1900s. With the health hazard of tobacco getting highlighted, Cheroot has been now consigned to the ash. While Havana in Cuba had established its brand for world’s best cigars, the Cheroot established its own brand following and left a smoking trail of the brand of India.

Diamonds, A Forever Brand Among all the precious gem stones known today, diamond is the most precious.

Diamonds, most precious amongst gems

The largest diamond mines of the world today, are in South Africa. Until the discovery of diamonds in Brazil, in 1725, India was the only supplier of diamonds to the world.

NO DIAMONDS IN EUROPE DURING 1ST CENTURY CE The fact that Europe did not know about diamonds during Biblical times becomes evident from the Biblical verses.

The New Jerusalem The Book of Revelation by John, which is a book of the New Testament and which is dated to the 1st century CE, in verses 21:9 to 27 describes the New Jerusalem that was revealed to John. There are many debates in the Christian community as to whether these verses are literal descriptions of a physical place or a spiritual manner of expression. But what stands out for our study of the civilization of those times, is the listing of what was considered precious by the Europeans then.

Verses 21:19, 20, 21 describe the city as follows.

In these verses, we see that diamond does not figure anywhere in the list of precious gems for the foundation stones.

Pearly Gates of Heaven Many are aware of the Christian idea of the “Pearly Gates of Heaven” which are supposed to be guarded by Saint Peter. The origin for this idea lies in Book of Revelation verse 21:21. Verse 21 likens each gate of the New Jerusalem to a pearl, indicating how pearls were more precious than these gems used for the foundation stone, with gold finally paving the streets.

The Last Judgement - Blessed at the gate to heaven (Paradise) with St. Peter Source – A Painting by artist Hans Memling between 1467 – 1471, National Museum, Gdansk

Painting of the Pearly Gates of Heaven Source - Internet

Unaware of Diamonds From these verses, it is evident that Europe did not know about diamonds during 1st century CE and that Pearl was indeed the most precious gem for that civilization. A fact, which was also confirmed by the Roman Orator Cicerio in the Roman senate in 1st century BCE, where, as we have seen, he lamented that Rome was losing all its precious pearls and gold to pay India for its fine muslin cotton.

PEARLS PRECIOUS TILL 1600S In Europe, till the 1600s, it was pearls that continued to reign as the most precious, whereas diamonds were at a lowly 18th slot in the pecking order of value. No wonder then, that it could not figure in the list of the first 12 precious gems for the foundation stones of the New Jerusalem.

Pearl then, symbolized beauty and power, among the aristocrats.

Pearls Vs Diamonds in Europe in 1650 CE – Pearl at number 1 and Diamonds at number 18

PRECIOUS DIAMONDS In contrast, in India, from time immemorial, diamonds have always held the No.1 slot. Diamond has been the most precious amongst gems. The premier mines, excavating diamonds in India, were the Golconda mines of the Deccan and the Panna mines in Madhya Pradesh.

Diamond Mines in India

HEERA PANNA Diamonds are known as Heera in the Hindi language. The Heera, diamonds from Panna were so popular among people that many legends abound on Heera Panna. People have been named Heera and Panna. There are books and short stories on Heera Panna. In recent times, even films, shopping complexes have been named “Heera Panna”.

JOURNEY OF DIAMONDS TO EUROPE Having heard tales of diamonds in India, a French jeweller by name, John Baptiste Tavernier visited India 6 times from 1650 CE, to collect a variety of diamonds and take them back to Europe. He introduced them at the court of King Louis XIV of France, in 1669.

John Baptiste Tavernier as a traveller wearing a Mughal dress A Portrait from his Les Six Voyages, published in 1679

“The Six Voyages of John Baptista Tavernier, A Noble Man of France now living, through Turky Into Persia and the EastIndies” and an illustration from this book published in English in 1678

Tavernier procured diamonds from the mines of Golconda and other parts of India and sold them to various kings and courts of Europe. He made a diamond “bazuband”, bracelet worn in the upper part of the arm, for King Louis XIV, who spent equivalent of $75 million in those days’ value, for the diamonds procured from India.

King Louis XIV of France -A portrait by Hyacinthe Rigaud in 1701

The diamond studded bazuband made for King Loius XIV of France By Jean–Baptiste Tavernier, the French traveller, 1650 CE

DIAMONDS OUTSHINE ALL This gave diamond a royal status. The courtiers started to adorn them and thus diamonds became a fashion statement in Versailles.

Palace of Versailles – renowned for its grandeur, gardens and musical fountains

From 1669 CE, diamond became the most precious stone in Europe and soon climbed up the pecking order to become number Uno. Since then, diamond has stayed at the top. Why has diamond stayed at the top ever since? Why had the Indians given it the top place? It is for its Rarity, Clarity, Brilliance, Sparkle and Hardness, that diamond outshines all other gems. Indians have regarded it so since time immemorial and given it the pride of place. This dawned on Europe, only after 1670 CE. 

DIAMOND, VAJRA - HARD CORE WEALTH Diamonds are called Vajra in Samskrt or the variant, Vairam in South Indian languages. Vajra means “indestructible”.  The hardness of a substance is indicated by its ranking on the Mohs Scale.

Mohs scale – Diamond at top of hierarchy as most hard material

Tha hardness of diamonds can be gauged from the comparative ranking of the hardness of other commonly considered hard materials, on this Mohs scale. Diamond is the hardest known material on earth ranking no.10, the maximum on the Mohs scale. A diamond can be cut only by another diamond. Diamonds are therefore popularly used in cutting tools. The hard nature of a diamond is however overshadowed by its size, brilliance and clarity, which largely determine its value today. In diamonds, besides the sparkle and brilliance, which come from the cut of the diamond, the most prized qualities are the clarity and purity.

Mohs scale – Showing Common Materials Used Daily

THE GOLCONDAS The Golconda diamonds stood apart for their size and crystal clear purity.

Transparent, crystal clear Golconda diamond

Purity in Golconda Diamonds Most diamonds have traces of Nitrogen in them, which gives them a yellowish tinge and they are called Type I. The Golconda diamonds were called Type II. Even in this category, they were classified as Type IIa, as they did not have any Nitrogen and were therefore pure, crystal clear and colourless. Even those with some tinge of pink or blue or gray, were classified as Type IIb as they got their colour from elements such as Boron and were free of Nitrogen, which is considered an impurity in diamonds. This made the Golconda diamonds, the purest diamonds of the world. Due to this purity, unlike Type I diamonds, they allowed Ultraviolet rays and visible light to pass through them and this gave them a clear, transparent nature. They were so clear and transparent that they looked like ice cubes. They gave an effect of water running through the gem. They were large in size too. They were weighed in units of rati where 1 rati was 7/8th  of a Carat. One of the stones from this region, the Great Mogul, is recorded to have weighed equivalent of 787 Carats. Even today, only 2% of the world’s diamonds are considered to be of Type II. The Golconda diamonds were by far the best with such clarity and translucency.

Some of the famed diamonds of the world came from Golconda.

View From Golconda Fort Ruins In 1902 – A file photograph

GOLCONDA – SOURCE OF WEALTH

Diamond trade from Golconda flourished during the time of the Kakatiya dynasty, who established the famous Golconda fort in 975 CE. Diamonds were mined from the region in and around Golconda, then cut and traded from there. The fortress city of Golconda was the market city for diamond trade and gems sold there came to be called Golcondas. Golconda became synonymous with diamonds for Europe. By 1880s, the Golconda diamonds had gained so much popularity for their size, weight and quality, that they became a coveted brand of diamonds, so much so that, the word “Golconda” became synonymous for best quality diamonds. Soon, Golconda became a generic term to denote a rich mine or source of immense wealth too. The Golcondas also earned immense wealth for India.

CARAT FROM RATTI-THE SMALL MEASURE Carat is the unit to measure weight of diamonds today. It comes from the Italian word carato or Greek word Keration, traceable to the Arabic qirat, for the carob seed. Qirat means horn. Carob seeds have a small horn like protrusion. All carob seeds are more or less of the same weight and hence could be used as a light weight measure for measuring small and light items such as gemstones.

Carob Seeds and Pod

This concept of using carob seeds to measure gemstones is also traceable to India for, the traditional Indian measure for diamonds was Ratti where Ratti is also a seed.

Ratti seed is generally red with a black dot. They are also called Gunja in Samskrt and Gurivinta in some of the South Indian languages.

Ratti Seed

They are closely associated with Krishna temples in Kerala tradition. These days, they are popularly used as the eye of Ganesha clay idols.

Ratti, Gunja seed for eyes of Ganesha Idol

Ratti seeds were used in Ayurveda to fix and measure minute quantities of gold, other heavy metals and potent herbs. 1 Ratti = 121.5 mg (as per Ayurveda standards)

Elsewhere 1 Ratti = 182.25 mg is used. 1 Carat = 200 mg (i.e 0.6 Ratti or 0.9 Ratti depending on usage) Using Ratti seed or in some cases, the real diamond itself, as the eye of idols, has been a practice of the land. It was these diamonds, from many an idol, that were gorged and taken away.

THE BIG STONES OF INDIA Most of the legendary diamonds of today were mined in India and owned by different kings and temples of India till the 1700s. Marco Polo, the Italian adventurer who visited India in 1295 CE, documenting what he saw and learnt during his visit to India, writes, “the bigger diamond stones went to the various Indian kings and the great Khan. The smaller and refused stones were sent to Europe, from the port of Guntur District.” It was only much later, during the colonization of India, that most of these big diamonds were prized away to Europe and America. Once Europe realized the indestructibility of the diamond and its true value, these diamonds were plundered one after the other from India and taken away to Europe.

PLUNDER OF DIAMONDS Many were the diamonds that were plundered from India. Only a very few,yes, just a very few, can be named and traced today.

World’s Prized Diamonds – Where They Came From in India

TRAVEL OF THE REGENT The “Regent” is one of the most beautiful diamonds of the world. Weighing over 140 carats, it is in the Louvre Museum of Paris, today.

In late 1600s, when it was taken from the coast of Andhra, India, it weighed 410 carats, about 3 times its present size. An English sea captain stole it and sold it to an Iranian trader. The Iranian trader then sold it in 1702 to Sir Thomas Pitt who was a Chief Administrator then, of the Telugu region. From him, the “Regent” diamond or “Pitt” diamond as it is also known, reached Paris and was sold to Queen Marie Antoinette, the infamous queen of the French Revolution, who is remembered for her remark that added fuel to the revolution – “If they don’t have bread, let them have cakes.”

Queen Marie Antoinette of France

KOH-I-NOOR – RULING THE DESTINY OF RULERS

Koh-i-Noor

Of all the diamonds of the world, the Koh-i-Noor diamond is by far the most famous. A Golconda classified diamond, whose origins are lost in the mists of time, Koh-i-Noor today occupies the pride of place on the British crown, tucked away in the Tower of London. Koh-i-Noor is a diamond with a strong character. Mesmerizing all those who set their eyes on her, this historic, prized diamond in her long history has travelled all over the world and been possessed by many rulers. She is known to have travelled back and forth within India and between India, Persia, Afghan, changing hands from one ruler to another. Some of the well known kings to have held her include,

•  the Kakatiyas to whom she can be traced back so far, •  Allaudin Khilji, •  Raja Vikramaditya of Gwalior, •  the early Mughals,  Babur and Humayun,  •  the Shah of Iran, Shah Tehmasp

•   the Nizam Shah and Qutb Shah dynasties of Ahmednagar and Golconda,

•   the later Mughals from Shah Jahan onwards upto Muhammad Shah Rangila,

•    Nadir Shah of Persia, who gave her the Persian name Koh-iNoor meaning “Mountain of Light”

•    the

Afghan General Ahmad Shah Abdali (Durrani) and from thereon to his successors upto Shah Shuja

•   the Sher-e-Punjab, Maharaja Ranjit Singh and from thereon to his successors upto Maharaja Duleep Singh

Partial to Women However in all this journey, Koh-i-Noor was never bought or sold but changed hands only due to inheritance or as a token of gift or due to extortion, looting,  trickery and treachery. Infact, it was only after reaching Persia, that she acquired the name Koh-iNoor, meaning “Mountain of Light” in Persian. Stories abound on how Koh-i-Noor changed the destinies of those who possessed her, for the worse, unfortunately, unless they were women. In this travel of Koh-i-Noor and the travails of all those she lived with, Maharaja Duleep Singh was the last Indian king to have possessed this diamond. Maharaja Duleep Singh, one of the first freedom fighters of India against the British, was eventually tricked into parting with the Koh-i-Noor under the Treaty of Lahore dated March 29, 1849. The Sikh Kingdom of Punjab, was annexed and merged with the British India dominions under this treaty. Duleep Singh was deposed, his treasury which comprised of the Koh-i-Noor, the Darya-i-Noor (Sea of Light) and Timur’s Ruby among other valuables, passed on to the hands of the British and finally reached Queen Victoria in

England.  They were exhibited at the Great Exhibition held in London in 1851.

Koh-i-Noor diamond, first exhibited in London in 1851

The diamond, which originally weighed 186 Carats was cut down to 108 Carats by the Queen and set in the Queen’s crown. Since then worn with care, only by all successive Queens, Koh-i-Noor continues to stay in the possession of the British Royalty, locked away in the Tower of London.

A file photo of Queen Elizabeth I wearing the Koh-i-Noor

Even though Koh-i-Noor has been with the British crown, she is still referred to as an Indian diamond, as the “Star of India”.  Koh-i-Noor, “the mountain of light” that she is, acts as a beacon, casting light on the diamond trade of India. Like this, thousands of famous diamonds have travelled out of India. Hundreds of them have left behind traces of their travel and travails. Koh-i-

Noor and Regent are just two among them to be retold here.

INDIA’S ADAMANT DIAMONDS IN GREEK RECORDS TOO Not only were diamonds used in India from ancient times, but they had also made their way to other ancient civilizations, going by the records of the Greek. Diamond is called “a diamond”, as this English word has its roots in the Greek word adamas, meaning “indestructible”. This Greek word adamas has also given rise to another English word – “adamant”. Interestingly the word for adamancy in the Tamil language, one of the oldest languages of the world, is also “adam”. Did diamond get its name from adamas or did the word adamas come into usage due to the hard, indestructible quality of the diamond?

Pliny Pliny in his work Naturalis Historiae, in 77 CE records, “Most large precious stones are of Indian origin.” Pliny calls them Adamas from India.

       Pliny of Rome, The Author of Naturalis Historiae in 77 CE

Ptolemy Ptolemy in 140 CE mentions about diamond mining in India by the Adamas River. Adamas River was how the Greeks referred to the Krishna River in South India, as a stretch of over 300km along this river, has been the scene of intense diamond mining activity since millennia.

Ptolemy

DIAMONDS USED IN INDIA FROM WHO KNOWS WHEN Indians have been cherishing and enjoying Diamonds since millennia and they were sourced from their very own land.

Valued In Arthasastra – 4th Century BCE One of the earliest evidences of the importance given to Diamonds and their mining in India can be gathered from Arthasastra, a treatise on Governance, Administration, Law, Politics, Strategy, Defence and so on, by one of India’s renowned statesmen of the 4th century BCE, known popularly as Kautilya and Chanakya.  In this work, Chanakya, while dealing with various aspects of governance of a kingdom, dwells at length on the practice of trade, treasury, revenue collection, taxes, tolls, manufacture and supervision of various commodities. Diamonds find a specific mention among this list as a precious commodity for trade, treasury, savings and adornment in 4th century BCE itself.

The value of Diamond and the importance given to it can be gathered from Kautilya’s following advice.

On Diamond As An Item Mined In India

On Locations Where Diamonds Were Found In India

Most of these sources were in the Southern part of India based on discussions elsewhere in the book.

On Quality of Diamonds

There was a clear distinction between pearls, rubies, corals, gems (called Mani) and also Kacamani, cut glass crystals and many other varieties. Kautilya lists the names of many of these varieties including names for the jewellery items and designs crafted using them.

On Regulation in Mining

On Diamond Experts

On Weighing Diamonds

FORMALIZED DIAMOND TRADE IN INDIA On Concept of Trade and Distribution

This point indicates that goods could not be sold at the point of manufacture. It implies that there was an extensive distribution system in place and going and purchasing directly at source would cause imbalance in the pricing of the same. Licences had to be obtained from the King for trading in various commodities, especially the valuable ones such as gold, silver, diamonds etc. Punishments for those trading without licences were usually in the form of fines. They were more severe in case of foreigners found to be doing such illegal trade.

On Tolls and Duties To Be Levied On Trade

On Additional Revenue – Cess Tax

This additional revenue was only collected from traders, manufacturers and farmers who cultivated on fertile, rain-fed lands. Other farmers, those who worked as labour in constructions, mining and other services, those who lived at the border of the kingdom, tribals and Brahmins were exempted from such tax and were on the contrary supported out of these taxes.

A CRYSTAL CLEAR EVIDENCE OF AN ADVANCED CIVILIZATION The formulations of all these laws, rules, taxes and practices go to show how Diamond was a popularly traded commodity from India, how there was a well-defined framework for the same and how it was also valuable as an item for the state treasury as well as for adornment by public. Arthasastra was produced around 336 BCE, the same time when Alexander the Macedonian had invaded and retreated from the North Western parts of India.  This work is at the same time so detailed as well as visionary that it has become a must read in all Business schools within India as well as outside. So much for the writings of the colonial historians, that India became civilized due to the visit of the Greeks. For, such a profound framework for governance of a land, especially based on indigenous Indian ethos as well as knowledge of the geography of entire India and overseas, could not have

come about, without it having been practiced by generations of governments before Kautilya.

DAZZLED BY DIAMONDS It is only from the 1700s as we have seen, that Europe and other parts of the world have been taken in by the dazzle of diamonds. Great mines have been discovered world over, great fortunes have been made, great markets have evolved such as Antwerp in Belgium and great brands have emerged such as De Beers, Kimberly and so many more like that. Even though India produces barely 0.1% of the diamonds in the world today, India consumes about 85 to 90% by volume of world production. In the last few decades, diamond processing, setting and trade has also shifted to India, especially western part of India and India has come to be regarded as one of the key centres of diamond trade again. The diamond industry of India has grown in leaps and bounds since the 1980s. The volume and value of the diamond business in the country has increased four times since and as a result India has now become the Global King of Diamonds once again, even though the diamonds are mined elsewhere in the world today. Diamonds have come back a full circle.

DIAMOND, AN OFFERING OF INDIA Due to their uniqueness, their dazzle, their hardness and their indestructibility, diamonds were used in tools and in jewellery for adornment. Diamonds held value for Indians and were hence treated as a form of savings in the family, through generations, in India. It was these qualities, the core properties of the diamond, that the Indians were aware of, from very early times and had therefore aptly named it Vajra, the indestructable.  All the ancient lores of India, Veda, the Purana, the epics, other legends and folk lore, speak of diamonds, its characteristics and stories around them. In contrast, Europe learnt of diamonds and its value, only in the late 1600s, just over 300 years ago.

Diamonds are an Indian product, the merit of which Indians had recognized and to which they had ascribed value. But, for Indians giving it this value, the world would not have known or learnt to value diamonds.  Identifying diamonds as the most precious, long lasting product and using them as a tool of savings, has been one more of the valuable offerings of the Indian civilization to the world.

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER – AN INDIAN BRAND Diamonds as a concept of fashion, a philosophy of savings, a product of beauty, a statement of wealth and a priceless way to commemorate relationships or events by etching them for forever in time, reflects the brilliant clarity of Indian wisdom and practice. While the world may celebrate in various ways with various brands of diamonds, the diamond itself is a hard core brand of India and will stay so forever. Brand among Brands indeed!

Just a Spoon Full Of Sugar From diamond crystals to Sugar crystals!

Have we ever paused to think about the origins of the small, white crystals we consume first thing every morning, without which life would never be as sweet? Yes, as sweet as Sugar! Across the world, Sugar is one of the most indispensable ingredient in daily food. But how did the world uniformly come to depend on these white crystals for adding sweetness to taste? One of the most common form of Sugar comes from Sugarcane which is native to South and Southeast Asia. Sugarcanes have been growing in India till as far back as memory can go. It is found in almost all literature and in records of almost all visitors to India from 3000 years ago.

INDIA’S SUGARCANE HISTORY The Ikshu and Ikshvaku Connect The Samskrt word for sugarcane is Ikshu.

It is interesting that one of the oldest dynasties of India, the Surya Vamsa, solar dynasty, which gave rise to luminaries such as Rama, Dasaratha, Aja, Raghu, Dilipa, Bhagiratha, Sagara, Harishchandra, Prthu  and many more, was called the Ikshvaku dynasty after one its very early kings, Ikshvaku. This lineage starts from Kashyapa and his wife Aditi. Kashyapa is regarded as the father figure of those times, a few generations after whom, comes the famous king Ikshvaku.

A Sweet Lineage The king Ikshvaku was probably the first to extract juice from sugarcane and the Ikshvaku lineage continued the practice for generations which is why this lineage got its name and fame. Down this lineage, when Trishanku, was the king, a Rishi, seer scientist, Maharishi Vishwamitra, farmed it scientifically to grow a large garden of sugarcane. This garden due to the scale, beauty and its sweet produce, was referred to as a paradise. 

Rishi Vishwamitra and King Trishanku, pioneering Sugarcane cultivation

Valmiki Ramayana mentions sugarcane during Rama’s time.

Rama, the events of Ramayana and Valmiki can be dated to around 5114 BCE, which implies that even 7000 years ago, sugarcane was known and cultivated by the people of India.

In Jain Tradition In the Jain tradition too, the first Tirthankara, Lord Rishabhdev, known as AdiNatha is also referred to as Ikshvaku. Rishabhdev earned the name Ikshvaku as he could extract sugar from sugarcane. He also broke a year long fast with sugarcane juice. As Jain records go, Bhagavan Rishabh Dev went on a fast to show His disciples, how to lead an ascetic’s life by eating only what is given in alms. Unfortunately, wherever He went seeking alms, He only received jewels and other non edible items. This went on for close to 400 days. He finally landed up in a sugarcane farm belonging to His great grandson Shreyans, near Hastinapura, the famed kingdom ruled by the Pandava after the Mahabharata war, 5100 years ago. It was here that he was received with sugar cane juice and He thus ended His fast after more than a year.

1st Jain Tirthankara, Bhagavan Rishabhdev or Adinatha breaking fast with Sugarcane Juice

This legend thus speaks of sugarcane cultivation and extraction of sugarcane juice during Bhagavan Rishabh Dev’s times.

During Sangam Times In the Sangam literature, Purananooru, in verse 99, the elderly poetess Avvaiyar praises Adhiyamaan  Nedumaan Anji, the local chieftain of Thagadur, which is traceable to Dharmapuri of present day Tamil Nadu. She extols the virtues of his lineage by saying how Adhiyamaan’s ancestors were the ones who had introduced Sugarcane to the people.

A portion from a mural depicting a scene from Adhiyamaan’s times Shows people carrying sugarcane, Karumbu

Interaction between Avvaiyar and King Adhiyaman depicted in sculpture

The last of the 3 Sangam periods can be traced from 3000 BCE to 1 BCE. This shows that the knowledge and practice of growing sugarcane existed 5000 years ago and had come down then from earlier times. Interestingly, Adhiyaman was one of the prominent Chera kings. The Chera dynasty ruled parts of Tamil Nadu today known as Coimbatore, Erode, Salem and the region around. These regions happen to also be the sugarcane growing belt of Tamil Nadu today. So Avvaiyar was not off the mark when she was extolling the contributions of Adhiyaman’s ancestors. She was stating a ground fact which must have been sweet music to the ears of King Adhiyaman then.

In Panini’s Text Panini, the Samskrt Grammarian was the 1st Grammarian the world has ever known and is still considered to be the best. He was born in Afghanistan, then a part of Bharat.

According to Yudhishtra Mimasaka, Panini lived 2900 years before Vikram Era started in 56 BCE which means Panini would have lived around 2956 BCE, i.e. close to Mahabharata period, about 5100 years ago.  Panini wrote,

We find the corroboration for Panini’s statement in the further examination of this land Gaur. Gour is a region in Bengal including some parts of Bangladesh. It is alternatively also called Gaud, Gauda. Infact it was Gaur and Vanga which formed the major part of what is today known as Bengal and Bangladesh. Vanga became Banga, Bangla and Bengal in English. The Indian national anthem however still refers to this geographic region as “Vanga” only. One of the prominent regions of Gaur used to be Pundrakshetra or Pundravardhan which is referred to as Pundra Bardhan today. The word Pundra denotes white, pale. Gaur / Gaud also means pale as in Gauri, the fair one. The place Pundrakshetra used to be a belt where a species of sugarcane called Punda was extensively cultivated. This species was called Punda meaning white as this variety of sugarcane was tall, white, soft, juicy and thick which yielded good molasses and soft jaggery. This land was therefore alternatively called Pundadesa, meaning land of Punda. This history of Punda tallies with the fact that Panini, over millennia ago, had hailed Gaur, which included Pundravardhan as the land of Gur, Jaggery.

This tradition of using molasses in sweet continues to this day, with Joynagara Moa, a sweet prepared using special variety of scented rice, molasses (nalen gur), jaggery and flavouring spices such as cardamom, being a sweet favourite with millions of Indians spread world over. Only today, the molasses and jaggery come from date palms instead of sugarcane since the river called the Adi Ganga, which used to flow through this region to join Bay of Bengal till 500 years ago, has now moved away. It was this Adi Ganga which had made this region fertile for sugarcane. Bulk of Pundravardhan lies in Bangladesh today with the nearby town called Bogra, which is one of the major trading centres of Northern Bangladesh. Coincidentally, of the 5 main types of sugarcane grown in India traditionally, as listed by the British in the Dictionary of Economic Products of India by Sir. George Watt in 1889, one of the varieties is also called Bhonga, Bhongdya, etc. which is a white and red streaked sugarcane. It is hard to miss the phonetic similarity in the names Bhonga, Bhongdya and Bogra besides the fact that they are all related to Sugarcane.

Govinda Bhita Temple from 6th century CE, at Mahasthan, erstwhile Pundravardhan near Bogra, Bangladesh Courtesy - Britannica

A Dutch Angle Another interesting aspect that comes with the name Punda is the fact that when the Dutch took over parts of Caribbean such as Curacao, they established sugar cane, cotton and tobacco plantations there and and soon Curacao developed into a centre for Dutch slave trade. Its main district Willemstad became a flourishing port city designed and fortified for trade and the heart of this district was named Punda.  This name is today translated as “The Point” from the Dutch “de Punt”, but seeing the history of Punda in Bengal, the Dutch colonisation of India and their planting sugarcane in Punda and using it as a trade centre, only goes to strengthen the case for how sugar went from India to Europe along with its various names. A city which was a centre for trade would naturally bear a reference as “The Point”.

Punda in Curacao, Caribbean – Courtesy KLM

Incidentally, one of the words commonly heard in Curacao is Dushi, which means sweet, nice. Perhaps, it is a remnant from its sugary sweet days.

In Veda In Rig Veda and Atharva Veda, the king Ikshvaku and the process of extracting sugar from sugarcane, Ikshu is discussed. In Rig Veda and Atharva Veda, the king Ikshvaku and the word Ikshu for sugarcane are connected.

Farming Sugarcane From Over 8000 years ago We know that Rama was born on 10th January 5114 BCE, which places his birth 7100 years ago. Trishanku was atleast 24 generations before Rama and Ikshvaku another 30 and more generations before Trishanku. This places the antiquity of sugarcane, sugarcane farming and sugar processing to about 60 generations before Rama’s times which is 5100 BCE.  This places it further 2000 years back, to probably around 7000 BCE or thereabouts.

FARMING SUGARCANE WITH A BRAND We have a name Ikshvaku, for the king who first started harnessing sugar from sugarcane. We have a name Ikshvaku kula, for the lineage of people who were involved in cultivation of this crop. We have a name for the Rishi, Vishwamitra, the seer scientist, who developed the science to cultivate it. Did sugarcane get the name Ikshu from this Ikshvaku? or, Did Ikshavku earn his name due to association with Ikshu, sugarcane? There is an underlying connect, that cannot be ignored.

CRYSTALIZING INDIA’S SUGAR HISTORY But today, a few, even in India, believe sugar to have come from China. There are however, ‘somethings’ from the modern world itself that point to India having been the source of sugar. “Something About Sugar”, written by George M. Rolph in 1917, tracing the history and production of sugar, traces the first Chinese record of sugar, to manuscripts dating to 8th century BCE which themselves mention that China was introduced to sugar by India.

According to further Chinese records, China sent missions to India in 647 CE, to learn the technique of refining sugar. During Emperor Harsha’s rule between 606 to 647 CE, envoys from India went to Tang China to teach China how to cultivate sugarcane since the Chinese Tang Emperor Taizong who ruled between 626 and 649 CE, was keen to grow sugarcane in China. This one gesture of Emperor Harsha itself speaks sweetly and vociferously for the Indian nature to share its knowledge with the world. For, even at the cost of losing its monopoly and trade, India was willing to help its fellow world family. The first sugar plantations of China thus came up only around 7th century CE. Looking westwards, sugarcane first reached Europe around 323 BCE. Alexander’s defeated troops, on their return home, took sugarcane from India with them. Enroute, the troops spread sugarcane through Persia and West Asia. They called this a “honey bearing reed” and called it Sakkharon in Greek. Sakkharon finds mention by Discoredes in 56 CE. Europe seems to have forgotten this honey bearing reed, until the Arabs took this sweet secret once again, from Persia to Spain around late 600s CE, when they conquered Spain.

Sugarcane trade was one of the major outcomes of the Dark Ages and the Crusades. The Crusaders who came into contact with Asia Minor and West Asia where Sugarcane was being cultivated and sugar produced became addicted to sugar. They established trade connections between Venice and these lands to route sugar to Europa via Italy. Sugar literally flowed through Venice the way water did.

A Map of Venice by Piri Reis, the famed Ottoman Admiral, Geographer and Cartographer (1465 – 1553), who authored Kitab-i-Bahriye meaning the Book of the Sea. Shows Venice which was a Republic between 9th and 18th century, with its citadels guarding the approach from Sea and Land.

After starting as trade centres for sugar in Europe, Venice and Sicily soon became production centres too, once they leant how to grow sugarcane in the warm southern Italy and nearby islands. But that production was miniscule in comparison to what was needed to feed Europe’s now growing sweet tooth.

Extraction of Sugar in Siciliy, 1584

Sugar production in Venice

Trade in sugar made the merchants of Venice and the Crusaders rich, until the Turks captured Constantinople and disrupted this trade, which eventually died out in these regions due to neglect. Sugarcane needs a moist, warm climate with fair intervals of dry, hot weather with plenty of water for irrigation. Europe in desperate need for sugar, started colonizing the regions in the tropical belt, which enjoyed such weather and used them to produce sugar for its consumption. For starters, Canary Islands, off the northwest coast of Africa was colonized by Spain and sugar plantations grown there. Once Christopher Columbus discovered West Indies for Europe in 1492 CE, sugarcane was transported there to be grown there for Europe’s growing sweet tooth. Soon, wherever such climate could be found, the Europeans made sure they colonized such regions and started sugar plantations. Their joy ofcourse knew no bounds when Vasco da Gama managed to successfully sail to India around Africa and Europe now had access to the source of Sugar.

They went on to perpetuate slavery, indentured labour and migration of people across colonies such as, mainly from India to,

•  Mauritius and other Indian Ocean Islands, •  Fiji and other Pacific islands, •  West Indies and the Caribbean, •  S.E Asia, •  East Africa, •  Natal and so on. Where sugarcane is grown today, one can be sure to find people of Indian origin there. But life for them was bitter. Not sweet as the sugar they were cultivating there, as indentured labourers. Infact the term “Coolie” in the English vocabulary came into vogue to denote such indentured labourers from India. Coolie was a system adopted after slavery was abolished in the British Empire around 1807. Coolies were different from slaves, in that, Coolies were paid a salary, though below the norms and Coolies could leave after their contractual term which rarely happened as these terms usually were extended. The word Coolie is traced etymologically to the Tamil word Kuli which means wages. The term “Coolie” was attached to Indians and Chinese who were taken to work on the colonies of the Europeans. While Chinese predominantly ended up working in the Americas and especially on infrastructure building works, Indians ended up working in plantations world over, of not just Sugarcane but also cotton and such other tropical based crops.

Newly arrived Indian Coolies in Trinidad in 1845

Indian indentured labourers in 1870s at Guyana Sugarcane Plantations

Ironically, it is a historical trend that seems to be reflected in the trend of development today seen in the 2 countries as well. Guyana was earlier called Demerara or Damra, the name by which one of the premier varieties of sugar is called today. Today ironically, most of the Demerara sugar comes from Mauritius.

         Demerara Sugar – a specialty raw sugar with a rich aroma, crunchy texture and mild molasses flavour

Based on records maintained in these colonies, over 240,000 Indians were taken to Guyana alone over just 75 years to work as labourers. Imagine the number of Indians who would have been taken as indentured labourers to all plantations across the world, across 200 years.

  Sugarcane Plantation with labourers from Africa

These Indians were paralleled only by African slaves who were enslaved and transported by the millions. For, by then, Europe, which was sailing along

the African coasts, on each of its journey to and fro India, had encountered the Africans who turned out to be much taller, stronger and indefatigable than the moderately built Indians. Europeans fought wars to control sugar trade, as sugar meant power. For, sugar was expensive in Europe and those who traded in sugar became wealthy. To retain their trade monopoly in sugar, sugar from India which was a higher grade sugar, was exported to Europe and in its stead, sugar which by then had started to be produced in Egypt and China was imported into India by the Europeans. This made Cheeni come into India from China and stayed back as the colloquial name for sugar in India. This sugar was white due to a bleaching process Egypt had discovered and later came to be regarded as a superior sugar. It is only now that the world is waking up to the ill effects of white sugar and seeking to reverse to the unbleached, brown sugars that were used by India. In India, sugarcane juice was processed in many ways to yield different forms of sugar. A crystal form called Khanda eventually became popular as Candy in English, Qand in Arabic and Kan Di in China. Infact, Khandavaprastha was the name of the kingdom ruled by the Pandava before the Mahabharata war and this region was then and is even today a sugarcane rich land. The corroboration of sugarcane being cultivated in this region, lies in the story of the 1st Jain Tirthankar Rishabh Dev who broke his year long fast with sugarcane juice at a sugarcane farm near Hastinapura, kingdom ruled by the Pandava after the Mahabharata war, 5100 years ago. Another form of larger crystals is called Misri and interestingly it is called Mi Sha Li in China, meaning “sweet pebble glassy,”, i.e.pebble sized crystalline sweet. Jaggery, a brown intermediary form is another form of sugar which was more commonly used in India. It is called Gur, Gud in the north of India and

variations of the word vellam in the south. The word “jaggery” in English is a variation of the Samskrt word sharkara. An intermediary product between jaggery and sugar is called khandsari in northern India. Also called Naattu Sakkarai in Tamil, khandsari is a form of unrefined, raw sugar, which is rich in vitamins and minerals. It is different from brown sugar and is a stage much before that of brown sugar.

Khandsari , Naattu Sakarai (Tamil), Jaggery Powder, Unrefined raw sugar

From unrefined raw sugar (Khandsari) to refined pure white sugar (Cheeni)

EXTRACTING THE SUGAR FROM THE CANE

From Sugar cane to Juice, an extract of the sweetness

Sugar cane juice boiling till it finally thickens and can be set using moulds as Gur, Jaggery

Gur, Jaggery set by different moulds

  Jaggery further boiled, poured on tray, cooled and scraped to produce Khandsari, Jaggery Powder

Gur (Jaggery), Jaggery Syrup, Jaggery Powder (Khandsari)

Further boiling, concentration and levels of refining using chemicals yields unrefined brown sugar to pure white crystal sugar

Further boiling and crystallization yields Rock Candy (Misri) to Diamond Candy

INDIA’S LONG LINK WITH THIS CANE It is interesting to note that the region from Meerut in Western Uttar Pradesh to Kurukshetra and beyond in Haryana, within which lay the erstwhile Khandavaprastha, is a sugarcane belt indeed, even to this day. When one travels through this region by land and air, we see endless sugarcane fields, molasses factories and the smoke that arises from their

chimneys.

A photograph of an old fashioned Sugar Press in India, dated 1905 Courtesy of Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries.

In 1350 CE, about 700 years ago too, when Ibn Batuta, the Persian traveller visited these regions, he found this region abounding in sugarcane fields, which he has mentioned in his chronicles.

The Persians included sugar in their Pharmacopia as they found it to have beneficial effects on health. This has been found to hold good for the various forms of unbleached sugar in use in India, which retain much of the minerals and nutrients as against bleached white sugar. It was only after Europe discovered how to make Beet Sugar from Beetroot in the 19th century, that sugar became affordable for all and the stranglehold of this trade slowly loosened, strengthened by the world war turmoils and eventual fall of colonialism. Thus India has been the home for sugar from time immemorial. India’s tryst with sugarcane and sugar goes way back by many millennia.

A graphical depiction of the history of sugar showing its spread gradually from east to west.

HOME OF SUGARCANE ACKNOWLEDGED Indigenous Strains The British during their administration of India compiled volumes on Economic products from India. Saccharum or Sugar is one which has been discussed at length – both because it was important for trade and also because the British had done extensive research on the various varieties of sugarcane, the various techniques of growing them and the various qualities of sugar, jaggery or molasses that they could extract from them. This page, an extract from this Dictionary dating back to 1889, shows how, after all their study, they had to conclude that India was the native home of

sugarcane, given the different series of sugarcane species available in India.

“India possesses a sufficiently comprehensive series of indigenous forms of canes” – An extract from the Dictionary “Products of India” dating back to 1889, Pg 57

Tracing the Original Strain

Dr.Janaki Ammal, 1933 – Photo Source – Public Domain

One step further than the British effort of establishing India as the native home of Sugarcane and identifying the indigenous strains of Sugarcane from India, is the research finding that pinpointed the original species of Sugarcane from India. All thanks to the many pioneering feats achieved by a modest lady from Kerala called Janaki Ammal. Not known to many today, is Janaki Ammal, born in 1897 at Tellichery, Kerala (now Thallassery) to a sub Judge of the then Madras Presidency, Dewan Bahadur EK Krishnan. Janaki Ammal grew up to be a botanist and cytogenetist. Opting to stay single, she devoted her life to the pursuit of science to the extent of pursuing a Masters and later, a Ph.D from the University of Masachussettes, USA, in those days, becoming India’s first woman to obtain a doctorate in Botany. Her research back in India, on the geographical distribution of sugarcane in India, revealed that the variety of sugarcane called Saccharum Spontaneum had first originated in India. She also brought out a new breed of high yielding and sweeter sugarcane based on Saccharum Officianarum variety from Papua New Guinea. For all these tremendous feats and dedication, she was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1977. So, not only did Janaki Ammal establish Saccharum Spontaneum as the native, original species of sugarcane in India, she also made the sugarcane varieties and the sugar of India sweeter. No amount of sweet words can convey the gratitude of the sugar industry and the sweet toothed people of India towards this sweet looking lady from Kerala.

FROM SWEET SALT TO SUGAR The name “sugar” for this “sweet salt” as it was referred to in Europe, comes from Sharkara which means gravel like, sand like. Sharkara became

•  Shaker in Persian •  Al-Sukkar in Arabic •  Azzuker, Azucar in Spanish

•  Saccharum in Latin •  Zucchero in Italian •  Zucker in German •  Sucre in French and •  Sugar in English.

The journey of Sharkara to Sugar

Even in present times, India ranks among the top 5 producers of sugar for the world but Brazil tops the list in sugar exports. Much of India’s sugar is consumed by its billion and over strong population with a sweet tooth itself.

CONDENSED STORY OF THE SUGAR CRYSTAL This rather long history of Sugar can be condensed as,

•  Sugarcane was cultivated in India initially, from millennia. •  Sugarcane went to Greece with Alexander in 323 BCE but did not make much inroads in Europe then.

•   Sugarcane cultivation technology went from India to China and Arabia only around 7th century CE.

•  The Arabs took it further into West Asia and the Northern coast of Africa.

•    Sugarcane

cultivation went into Europe once again, from West Asia during the Crusades.

•   Sugarcane Cultivation and Sugar Production first started in Sicily and Venice in 1584 CE.

•   There was a huge demand for sugar in Europe in the 16

century. In England especially for making rum, as rest of Europe used more of wine from grapes. th

•  Columbus took sugar to New World (West Indies) in 1493 CE. •    In 16 and 17 century Sugarcane plantations grew in large th

th

numbers in Tahiti, Brazil and Jamaica.

•    Plantations

were run with slaves from Africa and indentured labourers from India. For example, records show how the number of African slaves in Jamaica went up from 3000 in 1655 to 300,000 in 1800s.

•   Sugarcane Plantations based on slavery soon spread to the entire Caribbean which came to be called “Sugar Islands” ,

•    British

ships picked up Slaves from Africa, sold them to the plantations in Americas / Caribbean and took back Sugar to England.

•    Not

only Sugar but slave trade also became a source of great wealth for England in the 17th and 18th centuries.

•   Sugar continues to be a popular, wealth generating commodity of the world today with Sugar playing a significant role in both internal and international policies as well as politics of many countries including India.

I ndia has been savouring this sugar undisturbed for 8000 years, from 7000 BCE to 600 CE, till 1700 CE and there on, to this day.

T his sweet commodity from India though, has played a not so sweet role in changing the demography and geo-politics of the world.

I t has left behind a bitter taste in history. S ugar has been a sweet but unsung brand of India, as the world would like to wipe out the bitter memories associated with Sugar. But India could do well with converting these bitter memories into sweet links by connecting back with its lost kith and kin, the Indian diaspora, spread the world over along with Sugar and acknowledge all the hardships they have undertaken to keep the brand, India and Sugar alive all over the world. After sugar, come spice and all that’s nice!

Baharat – Old Spice BHARAT – THE SPICE LAND Many world over, including Indians, associate the word “spices” with India. India is today synonymous with spicy food. No doubt there are many lands to the east of India that are equally rich in spices. Then why has this image of India lingered till date, not only in memory but in the tongue as well?

TURKEY – WORLD’S EXCHANGE NODE Turkey is located at the meeting point of the 2 continents – Europe and Asia. It was also the interface between two great ancient civilizations, GrecoRoman and Persian, each of which in turn were connected with further civilizations to their west and east respectively. Greco-Roman to the rest of Europe and Persia to Arabia, China, Egypt, India and rest of S.E.Asia. Turkey thus was the central point, of all that was exchanged between the different civilizations, so much so that, it came to divide the perspective of the world into the Eastern and the Western half, based on what lay to its left and right respectively. Turkey literally became the world’s junction for culture, knowledge, trade. It became the focal point where various trade routes converged  and diverged, such as the silk route, spice route, tin route and so on.

Turkey – Central Trade Exchange Between East and West

They would converge from civilizations to its east, which were rich in various produce and then diverge into civilizations to its west, creating an awareness and demand for these exotic produce there.

Thus, Turkey, especially Constantinople as Istanbul was known then, had evolved into a trading hub where most of the exchange between the East and the West took place.

TURKEY – THE GATEWAY TO SPICE One of the commodities that India traded in heavily, was spices. India also being the first land to be encountered in the Orient, by the Europeans, India came to be the face for spices. Spices from the east became such a hit with Europe and central Asia, that Turkey ended up having spice shops which came to be called “Baharat” to denote that these spices came from Bharat i.e. India. The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Spices which flavoured food thus became more popular than other more valuable commodities that India had traded in, so much so that, this memory, the trade and the brand continues to linger to this day.

A Baharat – Spice Shop in Spice Market, Istanbul, Turkey

But why were spices called Baharat? Should they not have been called Malabar as this is the coast known for spices?

INDIA – HOT AND SPICY There is an erroneous feeling that spices grew and were traded only from the Malabar Coast of India. If we explore the local cuisines of different regions of India, it will become clear that different spices have been grown across the geographic expanse of India and have been traded from all the regions of India.

North – Saffron in Kashmir

Kashmir has been known for its priceless saffron. Infact, among all the saffron in the world, the Kashmiri Saffron fetches the maximum price every year. The reason is three fold. Saffron comes from the stigma of the saffron flower botanically called Crocus Sativus. Saffron is much sought after, for it adds colour, flavour as well as aroma to the food besides having other medicinal benefits. However not all varieties of Saffron are endowed with these 3 qualities. It is the saffron from Kashmir

which is found to possess all these 3 qualities in a wholesome measure and is therefore priced highest. Saffron is called Kesar in India, after the colour Kesar, which is a reddish orange. Saffron is also known by names such as Kumkuma after the colour Kumkum which is red or names starting with the word Pita, such as Pitika, Pitaka after the colour Pita which is golden yellow. It is also called Kashmira as it grows abundantly in Kashmir. Zaffaran is the Persian name which morphed into saffron. The word Kesar for Saffron is apt from many dimensions. 1.   The word Kesar denotes the colour reddish, yellowish, golden orange. It is the colour that Saffron imparts to anything to which it is added. A natural name for this spice. 2.  The word Kesar also has the connotation of a king. This comes from the association of the king of animals, lion with the word Kesari due to its orange colour and thick mane, also called Keshara. Saffron is indeed the king of spices. 3.  Saffron in appearance looks like entangled strands of orange, red hair, like the mane of a lion. Hence the name Keshara for Saffron too, for, kesh means hair, mane. 4.  As it is, Saffron is an expensive spice. Kesar from Kashmir is the most expensive for its 3 qualities of colour, flavor and aroma, not usually found all together in other strains. Hence Kesar is associated with food of the royalty, Kesari. Another reason for this fitting name.

Kesari and Hanuman The colour Kesar has been popular in India, especially in connection with idols of Hanuman for the father of Hanuman was Kesari, a Vanara chief. Hanuman is also called as Kesari Nandana meaning son of a king, chief. Did this spice, the most royal one, get its name from Kesar for king or did King get the title Kesari, since only he could afford this exclusive spice?

Kesari and Kaizer Interestingly, the word for king in the German language is also Kaizer.

East – Panch Phoran in Bengal Panch Phoran literally means 5 to temper. Bengali food is tempered typically with 5 common spices of

•  Saunf , Fennel •  Rai, Mustard, •  Kalonji, Blackseed or Nigella seeds, •  Methi, Fenugreek, •  Jeera, Cumin / Caraway seeds

This implies that these spices must be easily accessible to the Bengalis.

South – The Podis of the Tamils and Andhra Podi means powder. Southern part of India, basically, a rice eating region, has various Podis in its cuisine which are different permutations of spices and herbs, greens and lentils. The flavours of South Indian cuisine vary vastly from that of the north, even though some of the basic spices are the same. The reason lies in the permutation, the proportion, the preparation.  Southern India is famous for its use of a plant based dried latex called Asafoetida, known as Perunkayam, kayam or Hing in different parts of India and nicknamed Devil’s Dung or Devil’s Powder in English. A tiny pinch of this Perunkayam added to the common spices,

•  Mendiyam, Methi, (Fenugreek), •  Dhaniya, (Coriander), •  Jeera, (Cumin), •  Milagai (Red Chilli), •  Milagu, Marich (Pepper corns) and •  Karuvepalai, Curry leaves, gives South Indian food its punch.

All of these are spices, which grow in hot, tropical and even dry areas climatic conditions, which are typical in the South. Therefore, they seem to have become the base for most South Indian recipes such as Sambar, Rasam, Curries, Chutneys and the likes.

West – Pepper, Cardamom and Exotic spices from Kerala and Karnataka Kerala and Karnataka which abound with hilly regions with cool climes due to the Sahayadri range that runs along its coast, is home to many exotic and distinctly flavouring spices such as

•  Marich, Pepper •  Eladi, Elaichi, Cardamom •  Kasturi, Katuk, Ambrette or Musk Mallow seeds •  Jaiphal, Nutmeg •  Javitri, Mace.

In today’s world, we have Stock Exchanges, Diamond Exchanges (Bourses) etc. to trade in stock, diamonds and such others. Kochi, Cochin in Kerala was famous till recently, a couple of decades ago, for its Pepper Exchange and Spice Exchange. Spice was wealth for the West. Nutmeg and Mace especially, used to be traded in shiploads as they caught the fancy of Europe’s affluent class. Infact, Nutmeg and Mace, even till as recent as 1800s, was so expensive, that sailors who landed in Europe with these spice ships were made to undergo a full body, strip search before they would be let off their duties onboard, to ensure that they did not steal any of these spices. Even 2 to 3 seeds of Nutmeg were sufficient to buy acres of prime real estate in London. In the medieval times, it was Kochi and Calicut, which were the big centres of Spice trade. During Roman times, there was another city called Muziris (Musiri), called Shingly in Hebrew, which used to be the Spice trade centre of the Malabar. All these spices went to create many a tasteful recipe, which had another important and locally available base – a big nut, Coconut, which again

abounds in plenty in the coasts of this region.

Spicy All Over This shows that spices were grown and traded from all over India, with each region specializing in different spices. No wonder that spices were collectively called Baharat by Turkey, thus implying that entire India was associated with spices and not any one region alone. Bharat and hence Baharat, became so synonymous with spices, that spices from all over the world which landed up in Turkey, for exchange, came to be clubbed under the name Baharat. How did India become known for its spices and cuisine?

HISTORY OF SPICES Spices and herbs have formed the basic ingredient of every kind of Indian cuisine. Spices and herbs, native to various lands have grown in their respective regions too. So what is special about the spices from India? More than the spices alone, it is the detailed knowledge about the goods, the bads and the association of each spice with the cure of various ailments, from common to severe, that gave spices from India the leading edge. The detailed and sophisticated understanding of spices and the wonders they can do, can be traced back to the works of Ayurveda, whose practice in the very least, can be traced back to atleast 5000 years ago, leaving no doubts of its antiquity and and usage in India. They have been leveraged for

•  enhancing culinary flavour •  acting as a first step home remedy for common ailments •   incorporating as an essential ingredient in formal treatment of severe diseases too.

Their properties and directions for use from suitable perspectives, have therefore figured in

•  cookery texts of India such as Paka Sastra, Paka means to cook •    medical encyclopaedias of India, the Ayurvedic Nighantus, as well as

•    grandma’s

home cooking and remedies passed on orally and through tradition. With students from world over, coming to Indian universities such as Taksha Shila to learn Ayurveda, the knowledge, usage as well as thirst for these spices and the remedies they can bring about, spread to the east and west. This led to Turkey first becoming the Gateway to spices from India and after Turkey fell to the Turks, it culminated finally in the search for the sea route to India, by Columbus, Vasco da Gama and the others. The rest is history.

COMMON MAN’S COMMON SPICES IN INDIA Of all the spices and herbs, those grown uniformly and used all across India for cooking, home remedy as well as prescriptive medicines, include Coriander (Dhaniya, Kustumburi), Cumin (Jeera, Jeeraka), Fennel (Saunf, Karambha, Shatavari), Fenugreek (Methi, Mendiyam, Methika) Turmeric (Haldi, Manjal, Haridra) and Ginger (Shringavera, Ardraka ). Many of these are commonly found and native to many other parts of the world. It is the knowledge of how and when to use these, that makes India the grandmother of these spices.

DHANIYA, CORIANDER

Used in both seed and leaf form, Coriander has been a popular and basic spice in Indian cuisine as well as medicine, from a very long time. The popular name for Coriander across India is Dhaniya and minor variants of this word. This comes from the Samskrt root Dhani for this plant, which again comes from Dhana meaning seed. Dhani also means to house or that which bears something. A Dhaniya seed indeed sets a very good example for this meaning. Like every other seed, it is housing the plant to be born. Not only this, but Coriander / Dhaniya seeds are one of the fast germinating seeds too. Even when just sprinkled on the soil after a light rub, the seeds quickly germinate and the coriander plant grows rapidly once again. Dhaniya is a spice whose seeds constantly keep reminding us, of the nature and the power of seeds to sprout.

The History of Coriander In India, besides the common name Dhaniya, Coriander in Samskrt is also called Kustumburi for the plant and Kustumburu for the seeds. This name can be seen as a base in the name for Coriander in the different regions of India. Kothamalli in Tamil, Kusube in Kannda, Kusumba in Oriya,

•  Kothumbir and variants in North India.

It can also be seen in the names for coriander in other parts of the world too. Ketumbar and variants in S.E.Asia Ketoembar in Dutch, picked up from colonies in Asia Coriandrum in Latin similar to Kottambar in Kerala, India Koriannon, Korion in Old Greek Koriandro, Kolianthro in Greek Kolendro, Kalendro in Lithuania and nearby regions

•  Cilantro in Spanish and then Mexican and in America Kustumburi also shares the sound Kus with Kusbar in Hebrew Kuzbara in Arabic Gashnish, Kishnets, Kashnish, Kinz etc. across Russia and Central Asia It is interesting that the Coriander is called by different but similar sounding names, the world over. In all these names, one can gradually see a link emerging.

Roots of the Name Kustumburi It is interesting to note the meaningful manner in which the ancient Indians had named this herb and spice. The root Kus in Kustumburi means “to gnaw”. Kus also modifies into Kush in words such as Kushta for leprosy, for the manner in which parts of the limbs and body appear to have been gnawed by the disease bug. Leprosy in Samskrt is called Kushta Rog. Rog means disease.  In Ayurveda, Kustumburi or Coriander, besides its usage in treating cough, colds, digestive disorders and so on, also forms an important ingredient in the herbal treatment for Leprosy rashes.

The Link to Coriander Becomes Stronger The story becomes even more interesting from here on.

Many explain away the term Koriander as having come from Greek Kori meaning bug, because the smell of the leaves when crushed, for some, seems like that of the woodbug. The same smell however has been relished as a must include flavor by many across the world and even in Greece too. The connect with the word Kori for bug, is correct indeed, but from a different perspective. Leprosy in Hindustani, a language grown out of the amalgam of Samskrt, Persian, Arabic and other local dialects, is called Kor(r with a d sound like Kod) and a Leper is called a Kori (Kodi). Kori - ander therefore seems a natural, ‘another’ name for something that treats the Kori. It is common knowledge that the sounds of the consonants “r”, “t”,  “l”, “d” typically get interchanged, as words move from tongue to tongue. It is also a fact that Arabs, with knowledge of Hindustani, formed an important link between India and Greece, Persia and nearby lands to the West. This could explain how Kustumburi, Coriander, a word with the root kus meaning to gnaw like a bug, a herb that treated Kushta, Leprosy rashes in India, a herb that is a very effective anti-bacterial (i.e. fights bugs) came to be called by various names ranging from Kothambir, Kothamalli, Ketumbar, Koriander, Kolandro, Cilantro on one side and Kuzbar, Kishnet, Gashnish on the other side, where we see a similarity with the Kus sound. Incidentally, Leprosy in Russia is called Prokaza, a word that again has the kus sound . What is interesting to note is how, in all these languages, the morphed word still has a connect with leprosy, bacteria and bug in sound, meaning and action of this wonder herb.

Leprosy as a disease, is commonly prevalent in tropical lands such as India. It finds mention in various Purana, ancient legends going back beyond the times of Rama, i.e. 7100 years ago. For instance, Nala, an ancestor of Rama was inflicted with leprosy. In later times, the transformation of the naive prince, Prince Siddhartha to the divine Gautama Buddha, was triggered by the sight of a leper who was lying by the way side. It is therefore natural that the medicine to cure it, in the form of Kustumburi, should have also been known and prevalent in India from millennia. Other ancient civilizations such as the Egyptian civilization is known to have used Coriander as evidenced by the discovery of Coriander seeds in an Egyptian tomb dating back over 2000 years ago. Coriander seeds seemed to have been used for Mummification. But naturally, since they seem to keep the bugs away. Coriander has found use in Greek, Mediterranean and Turkish cuisine too for flavouring, preserving meat and other such food related use. Coriander is popular in many other cuisines world over too and for different reasons. The use that has seeded its name though, comes from how Indians had treated themselves with the simple Kustumburi / Kustumburu seeds and thereby had treated Coriander from many millennia.

JEERA, CUMIN

Cumin known as Jeera forms another important spice ingredient of an Indian meal, uniformly, all over India. It gets its name Jeera from Jeeraka, Jeerana meaning to digest. This spice helps restore good digestion and is used to cure digestive disorders. India today, is the largest producer of Cumin, producing 70% of the world Cumin production. But India also has a strong digestive power as far as Cumin is concerned. India consumes 90% of its own production. This means that India is consuming 90% of 70% of world Cumin production. That is, 63% of Cumin produced in the world today, goes into the stomach of Indians alone. Hard to digest is it not? But it goes to show the importance India has placed on this seemingly unimportant spice from ages.

SAUNF, FENNEL Known commonly as Saunf in India, Fennel in Samskrt is known as Karambha or Shatavari. Shatavari means that which bears a hundred. Shata stands for hundred. Vari means to bear. A connection in sound too for “v” and ‘b” are interchangeable sounds in different tongues. So, “vari”, “bari” and “bear”, bear a link. The divinity in Tirupati, Lord Venkatesha is also known as Srivari for He bears Lakshmi known as Sri, in His heart. The Fennel plant bears hundreds of little flowers when in bloom. Hence, the common name Saunf too, for Sau means hundred in Hindi and Fennel is a spice that grows naturally in the north of India.

Fennel growing regions in India

The word Karambha though reveals how this plant was intimately known to India and leveraged for its medicinal properties. The word Karambha means that which is mixed. Hence the popular South Indian dish which is a gruel of cooked rice with an assortment of vegetables is called Kadamaba or Kadambam, since “r” and “d” are also often interchangeably used. But why call Fennel Karamabha? What is so mixed up in Fennel? Ayurveda has used Fennel as a common denominator digestive for all types of body humours namely Vata (air), Pita (bile) and Kapha (Phlegm). This is

because Fennel is a very effective digestive that suits almost everyone’s constitution without causing any adverse effects. Ayurveda describes Fennel as acting on various kind of tissues

•  Rasa - Lymph and Mucous •  Rakta – Blood •  Mamsa – Muscle •  Majja – Bone Marrow and Nerves. Fennel is thus used for treating digestive disorders, to nervous disorders, to muscular disorders, to mental disorders. Its use today though, has been commonly understood and limited, to just a simple digestive. In a roasted form it can be found on the tables of all Indian restaurants as a mouth freshener and an “after mint”. It is one herb, that can deliver a hundred fold benefits. A true Shatavari indeed! It is a mixed, multipurpose medicine.A Karambha. What a deep rooted understanding of the herb! What a solid knowledge of the human body! What a beautiful name! No one can ever say “Afterall, what is in a name? ” ever again.

METHI, FENUGREEK

Methi is yet another example of India’s deep understanding of spices and their close connection with the human body. Methi is the common name for Fenugreek in India. It is known as Methika in Samskrt and Vendiyam or Mendiyam in Tamil. Methika, Methi, are derived from Mith, which has the connotation of pairing, twinning, balancing, altercating etc. Mith thus denotes appropriateness. Mithuna is the word for the Gemini twins constellation. And, twins, specifically the Ashwini twins, are symbolic of Ayurveda. They signify the twinning concept of food and exercise in Ayurveda. Hitha Ahara Mitha Ayasa.

Favourite Food, Moderate Exercise.

Mitha Ahara Hitha Ayasa.

Moderate Food, Favourable Exercise.

These verses advise that if one eats in abandon, then one must put in sufficient exercise. On the contrary, if one eats only sufficient enough, then one must put in only appropriate exercise. This has been a clear simple guide to good health in India as advised by the Rishi, Seer from over 5 Millenia ago.

Ashwini Twins Idols – At the entrance of the Hindu Mission Hospital in Tambaram, Chennai

Mitha, in this advice from the Ashwini twins, brings in a notion of judicious judgement. Similarly, Methi, Methika from Mith, denotes the use of Fenugreek in balancing the metabolism of the body. Methi in Ayurveda, has been used as an agent that balances the body’s intake of food and expenditure of energy with the generation of hormones, energy and fat. It is an agent which makes the body judiciously arrive at its own judgement of balance, based on how the owner of the body is treating it. What a beautiful way to twin

•  human with a plant •  science with symbolism •  language with the function of a spice! What more evidence does one need to accept the wisdom and ways of the wise ancients?

What more evidence does one need to showcase how the ancient Indians had understood spices?

ADRAK, GINGER

What is an Indian gravy, curry or masala, without ginger? Similarly, what is an Ayurvedic medicine without Shunti, ginger? Ginger, popularly called Adrak in northern India, Inji in Tamil or Soonth, Shunti across India, has been one of the main roots that has spiced many an Indian dish from generations. These are names that ginger has gained from Ardraka or Shunti mainly. But how did this root spice get its English name “ginger”? This word too is traced back to another Samskrt word for ginger, Shringavera. The clue lies in the Tamil word Inji for ginger. The Tamil Inji, its Pali agnate Singivera and Samskrt Shringavera went to Greece and became the Greek word Zingiberis. When this root and word went further west into Europe from Greece, it became Giniber in Latin finally ending up as Gingifer and Ginger in English.

But how old could this spice and this knowledge be? Right during the days of the historic events of Ramayana, i.e. 7100 years ago, in 5100 BCE, the place, the wharf from where Rama crossed the Ganga River with the help of the boatman Guha, was called Shringavera Pura. It means a place of Shringavera. May have been that this city was popular for Shringavera or ginger in those times.

Map showing regions in India, where Ginger is grown. Shringaverapura lies in the state of UttarPradesh, which is one of the Ginger growing regions indeed.

The name Shringavera comes from Shringa meaning horn. Ginger is a rhizome, which seems to have horns protruding in various directions. Also when Ginger is kept as is, even in normal room conditions, it starts to sprout shoots which resemble horns, like that of a rhinoceros. Ver means root in Tamil. Ginger grows underground.

Shringavera is a natural name for this naturally sprouting herb of India, whose medicinal value in digestion and various other functions of the human body, had been well understood by the ancient Indians and therefore incorporated judiciously in everyday diet. Close to 85% of world’s ginger production today, comes from Asia, with India and China topping the list at 23 and 24 percent respectively. No wonder then that Ginger would have figured as one of the top exports from India over ages and Shringavera, Ginger would have truly blown the trumpet, horn in this case, as a brand of India. 

HALDI, TURMERIC

If Ginger is native to India, can its cousin Turmeric be far behind?

Turmeric, a leading spice from India

If there is one spice that the world has acknowledged India for, it is Turmeric. If there is one spice that is being researched maximum, the world over, it is Turmeric. If there is one herb that the pharma industry has acknowledged and accepted, it is Turmeric. If there is one word that comes to mind for yellow, besides Lemon, in India, it is Turmeric.

Uses of Turmeric Called Haldi popularly in the north and Manjal in Tamil and associated languages in the South of India, Turmeric or Haridra as it is called in Samskrt has been accorded a stature and usage far beyond a mere spice in India and the world over. Turmeric has been used as a natural yellow dye for yarn, clothes and other medium for millennia. Turmeric finds use as a food colouring agent. Turmeric is used for religious rituals. Turmeric is the basic ingredient of Kumkum, the powder that is adorned as a Bindi on the forehead. Turmeric is used extensively in home remedies and Ayurvedic medicines for its anti-bacterial, anti-septic, anit-inflammatory properties. Turmeric has been found by recent research to have applicability in various grave diseases, ranging from Alzheimer to Cancer and many others.  It is used to alleviate skin disorders, relieve rheumatism and arthritis conditions as well, as act as a cosmetic and beauty aid.

A New Fad or an Old Wisdom? Are these qualities and aspects of Turmeric, finds of the various researches undertaken on Turmeric in recent times or did the ancients

in India really know about these medicinal properties of Turmeric? The tradition of using Turmeric and Sandalwood paste to beautify women especially before weddings, using Turmeric poultices as a home remedy since time immemorial, to bring down inflammation of joints or wounds using Turmeric powder in milk to cure inflamed throats and the mandatory usage of Turmeric in day to day cooking are sure signs that India had known of the medicinal properties  of Turmeric and had benefitted from them. All these go to show that ancient Indians were indeed in the know about the medicinal properties of Turmeric.

Golden Yellow Turmeric – Driving Away Ills The best evidence for the fact that Indians knew the value of Turmeric, which is why they considered it auspicious lies in the name Haridra for Turmeric. One of the meanings of the word Hari is Yellow. The root syllable for Dra denotes movement. Dra means to hasten something away, wish it away, run, go etc. Dra is an agnate of the English word “drive”. So Haridra literally means “to drive away something yellow”. But what is yellow that needs to be driven away? It is Jaundice or Hepatitis, the liver condition that causes the body to become yellow in advanced stages. Given the tropical climate and the 3 to 4 months of heavy rains in India, India is a land that is prone to water borne diseases such as Jaundice, which sometimes can prove to be lethal. Turmeric continues to be used in Ayurveda as a natural Liver detoxifier and to treat Hepatitis, Liver and Gall bladder disorders. Modern medicine is yet to look in this direction.

Haridra, that which drives the yellow away, was thus, a very apt name given to Turmeric and a name given knowingly. It literally drove away all ills.

The Auspicious Haldi Hence, that which could drive away ills, save someone from the deadly yellow Jaundice disease could be nothing but auspicious, Mangal. No wonder, Turmeric has been accorded the status of an auspicious ingredient in India. Turmeric is also called Mangala in Samskrt from which has come Manjal for Turmeric and the colour yellow, in Tamil and Malayalam. No auspicious event, ceremony in India, is complete without the presence and distribution of Haldi-Kumkum or Manjal-Kumkumam, i.e. Turmeric and Kumkum.

No Doubts. No Greys. Just Golden Yellow. This should make it clear that ancient Indians were totally in the know of the medicinal properties of Turmeric as well as the other spices that grew on their land and what all uses they could be put to. But, time has morphed the word Haridra into Haldi and thus literally driven away its connection with Hari (yellow) in name, memory and practice. The reason for Turmeric’s name, now only lives in Ayurveda and in the memories of a few. Still, India today, ranks number one in the list of Turmeric producing, consuming and exporting nations of the world. About 80% of the world’s Turmeric is grown in India and close to 60% of the world’s exports of Turmeric comes from India and mostly from a few regions in India alone.

Turmeric Growing Regions in India

While the world is world is waking up to the wonders of Turmeric, this Haridra, with its golden yellow colour, had been and continues to be a golden brand of India. 

SPICY NAMES, JUICY BRAINS Spices are an example of India’s deep understanding of Botany

•   the close connection of plants, fruits, herbs, spices etc. with the human body and

•   the scientificity in the vocabulary of Samskrt and other Indian languages. The reflection of this understanding can be seen in the carefully selected names for the spices in India. This would not have come about, if these spices had been imported into India and were foreign to India. They would then have taken on names which would have been variants of their foreign names. The fact that these spices in India have names in Samskrt and local languages, that closely reflect their functioning in the body, reveals not only India’s expertise in dealing with these spices and herbs but also the fact that the cultivation of these plants and their applications are original to India. The fact that the names for many of these spices across the world, sound similar to their names in India, also indicates how this knowledge, sometimes along with the cultivation of the spice could have spread to other parts of the world.

SPICES – FOOD AND MEDICINE Spices as Food India, a vast land with varying climates and topological conditions, had understood that flora and fauna adapt locally to Nature. So, if man had to live in harmony with Nature, then humans too had to adapt to Nature and eat and live on what Nature offered locally. If plants could survive the local conditions, then eating such plant- based food would help safeguard humans too, against disease conditions that could arise out of the same local conditions. The combination of vegetables, fruits, nuts, herbs and spices that grew locally thus gave rise to the various cuisines of India, which became a tradition, a culture and a knowledgebase. The tempered use of spices for taste and aroma is extensively dealt with in the Paka Shastra, the culinary text of ancient India, with many local variants for local cuisine. Paka means to cook and Shastra is science.

Focus of the Paka Shastra text was to bring out flavours and enhance taste of food using spices and other ingredients. So much so that, cooking was regarded as a culinary art, with the legendary king Nala regarded as the Supreme chef. A common way to praise a good cook in India is to equate him/her with Nala.

Spice – More Medicine Than Food At the same time, there was another text in the field of Ayurveda, called Bhavaprakasha Nighantu, which dealt with the medicinal qualities of all the spices and herbs and how, they ought to be administered. Since India was a renowned centre for Ayurveda and attracted students of medicine from world over, as these Ayurveda graduates went back to their  own lands, they took back along with the knowledge of Ayurveda, these spices and recipes as well since food was not separate from treatment regimen in Ayurveda. Word and taste of Indian cuisines and spices thus spread worldwide. India has been a land where the use of spices has been approached from both perspectives. As food. As Medicine. Infact for Indians, food was medicine, contrary to how medicine has become food today. No wonder, Hippocrates, the wise Greek philosopher, the father of medicine in the Western world, had this to say about the practice of medicine.

A statement which rings true even today, where millennia strong therapies based on herbs and spices have been rather harshly, rather quickly judged as

being an alternative form of therapy. In its stead, relatively newly invented, chemical based therapies have come to stay as the mainstay form, instead of being the other way round. Can the brand Baharat from Bharat lead the way in changing this opinion around?

Indian Trade and Navigation TRADE FACTS AND ARTIFACTS We have seen the startling facts revealed by the studies of world economic historians on the global economics from 1CE to 2000 CE. We have seen how India alone accounted for 25% to 33% of world trade, consistently for close to 1700 years. This could not have come about by trading in just spices alone. Also, for trading in spices, India would not have needed large ships of the likes that escorted Vasco da Gama to India, across the Indian Ocean and Arabian Seas. Bulk of the trade, proof of which lie in Roman and Arabic records as we have seen, came from what we can term as the Big 5 – 1.  Steel 2.  Zinc 3.  Cotton 4.  Indigo 5.  Sugar and Spices besides others.

Spices were by far the lightest of the goods traded. Obviously to trade in such bulky, heavy goods and that too in mid seas across oceans, Indians would have needed large ships. Did they have really such large ships?

INDIAN SHIP SIZES Vasco da Gama’s Ratification The ratification for this comes from Vasco da Gama’s logs. Vasco da Gama reached India sailing around Africa in 1497 and is credited with having found the sea route to India. But Vasco da Gama, had written in his logs, how, he had travelled down in the Atlantic Ocean from Cape Verde to Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.

Then, when faced with the daunting challenge of having to travel in the Indian Ocean waters towards India, he saw large Indian ships travelling back to India from the East Coast of Africa. It was in the midst of these Indian ships that Vasco da Gama found the courage to travel mid seas to India.

Route taken by Vasco da Gama to reach India from Portugal

A sketch in the book “A Journal of the First Voyage of Vasco da Gama (1497 – 1499)” from a painting made by order of Jorge Cabral, Portuguese Governor in India, in 1549 – 1550.

Vasco da Gama landing on shores of India navigated by an Indian sea trader

He was guided by these ships to the Malabar coast of India and landed in Kozhikode, later called Calicut by the colonial writers. There, he paid his respects to the local king referred to as Samuthirai, meaning one who is king of the seas. Samudra is seas and Rai or Raja is king. This word Samuthirai was corrupted by the Portuguese to Zamorin and is still used in the history books of the land. The same history books which credit Vasco da Gama with having discovered the sea route to India. What is missed out is that, Vasco da Gama had indeed found the sea route to India, but for the Europeans.

Indians had been plying these seas much earlier, to be able to guide him to India.

Vasco da Gama offering his respects to the Samuthirai of Kozhikode (Zamorin of Calicut) – an illustration

Ratification by Indian Shastra Back home, the Indian texts Nav Shastra, which go back by few thousand years, describe the ships of India by name, size and features.

A chart showing the comparative sizes of ancient Indian ships and the largest ships of Europe

This confirms that what Vasco da Gama had observed and logged was not untrue.  Indians had really been sailing the seas with large ships.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL RATIFICATIONS After the discovery of Mohenjodaro and Harappa in 1800s and many more ancient sites subsequently, the western world was forced to acknowledge that ancient India, from over 5000 years ago, had attained high levels of sophistication in town planning and civil engineering.

The evidence of trade and harbours from similar periods coupled with this fact of civil engineering and town planning capabilities also anchors India’s navigational prowess from over 5000 years. Further proof that they had been trading with the civilizations and the ports of West Asia, since 5000 years ago, can be found in the similarity of anchors and other artefacts found at Lothal, Dwaraka and other ancient ports of India and those found in the ports dotting the coast of Arabia, Sumeria, Mesopotomia and Phoenicia.

LOTHAL – A MODEL PORT Lothal was an inland port built at the estuary of a river – the place where the river Sabarmati, a distributary of the then flowing river Sarasvati, met the Arabian Sea. Thus it could serve as both a sea faring port as well as a harbour for inland traffic to carry the goods between the port and the hinterland. The port area housed warehouses to stock goods, markets for displaying wares for trade as well as administrative and some resting quarters.

DWARAKA – A GATEWAY OF INDIA The very name Dwaraka for the foremost ancient port of India, which sank over 5100 years go and lies undersea today, means Gateway. Dwaraka was the gateway to India for trade. Built by the legendary Yadava, Krishna and his people, who can be dated to 3100 BCE, gives this port an antiquity of 5100 years. The people of Dwaraka had innovated the technique of cutting through natural rock and using it to serve the purposes of a harbour such as berthing, very early, around 5000 years ago as evidenced in the neighbouring port of Lothal too. Two rock-cut slipways of varying width extending from the beach to the intertidal zone were discovered in Dwaraka, which in the opinion of marine archaeologists could have been designed for launching boats of different sizes.

Lothal Port in its hey days - an artist’s impression

An artist impression of the Dwaraka port city based on literature and undersea marine archaeological finds

The Dwaraka harbour can be summarized as,

1.  earliest evidence of a harbour created by modifying natural rock 2.    pathways capable of accommodating only smaller boats from the mouth of the river to the sea 3.  heavy anchors in the seabed that could have been used only by large ocean going ships. This could only mean that the Dwaraka harbour was so designed that large ships would berth at the sea and smaller cargo ships or boats would ferry the goods between the ship and the shore. A well thought out design indeed for a city and harbour of yore! These well designed, stone cut harbours of India, which were copied by the Phoenicians, acknowledged as the pioneer sea farers of the world by Europe, stand as rock solid proofs for the navigational prowess, civil engineering skills and trade power of the ancient Indians from over 5000 years ago, times parallel to the Phoenician era.

UNPARALLELED INDIAN SEA FARERS Since then, while the ancient West Asian civilizations went under, one by one, the Indian civilization continued and its prowess in navigation also continued until the 1700s, establishing it as a naval giant for many millennia.

Sailing To the West Dr.John Fryer who travelled to Calicut during his voyage to India between 1672 and 1681 CE, wrote about his first impressions of the Calicut port.

What Dr.Fryer was conveying was the sea trade route from India all the way to Europe which had sustained trade between India and Arabia, Egypt, Persia, Turkey, Greece and Rome - for millennia.

A 16th century panorama of Calicut, on the Malabar Coast - by Georg Braun and Franz Hogenbergs in the atlas Civitates orbis terrarum, 1572

Sailing To the East The foray of the Indians in the seas to the East of India can be gained from literary records of India as well as rock inscriptions of South East Asia. There are many descriptions of the overseas conquests of South East Asia by the father and son duo of Raja Raja Chola and Rajendra Chola of South India.  Between the 2 of them and their immediate predecessors and successors, they had dominated the maritime activity of the eastern seas for 200 years between 850 CE and 1088 CE. Infact stories of their times boast that they were crossing the Bay of Bengal so often that it seemed more like a large lake to them.

INDIA’S NAVAL ACTIVITY Situated in the tropics, with warm oceans around it through the year and a coast line stretching over 8500 kms, from Sind in the west to Bangladesh in the east, the naval activity of India spanned at the very minimum from East coast of Africa to the South East Asian islands and beyond, even to the West coast of Americas. Robert Heine Geldern and Gordon F.Ekholm, anthropologists studying the civilizations of ancient Americas, in the Selected Papers of the XXIX International Congress of Americanists, state -

This is just one among the many evidences that show that Indians had indeed navigated to the coast of America by going eastwards over the Pacific Ocean. In comparison, European naval activity, till about 1400s, was limited to the Mediterranean Sea and the east coast of the Atlantic Ocean.

Naval activity area of Europe and India

Antiquity of maritime activity over 5100 years, long coasts, stretch across seas and oceans,  the range and bulk of products dealt in, the huge size of the ships, the vast number of ships, all these cumulatively, made India the navigational giant that rode the oceans of the world for millennia.

Exporting Ships Besides Exporting Using Ships TRADE AND NAVIGATION Where is trade without navigation? Trade and navigation go hand in hand, with navigation leading trade. Along with trade over the seas with Egypt, Damascus, Tyre, Mesopotamia, Arabia, Dilmun (modern Bahrain-Oman), navigation too had flourished in India for millennia.

NAVIGATION AND SHIPBUILDING But where is navigation without skillful ship building?

European Observations on Indian Ships Nicole Dei Conti in 1420 CE writes about his admiration for Indian skill in ship building,

F.Baltazar Salvyus, a Frenchman from 1811 CE similarly says,

These observations of Europeans spanning 400 years, between 1400  and 1800 CE, shows that for a stretch of 400 crucial years in world economics and history, during the Renaissance period in Europe, the West Asian civilizations and Europe had looked upto India as a navigational giant. India had dominated the waters of the world and the global trade scenario for millennia with her well crafted ships, huge volume of trade and with “Nav” the very word for sea travel. As a result, ship building was a flourishing industry of India for millennia with India being regarded as one of the largest ship building centres of the world. 

THE BRITISH NAVAL ADVANTAGE The observations of Europeans about Indian ships, were in a way, a lament, at the growing power of the British as a Naval force. A growth they gained with the addition of India to their Empire. For, once they landed on Indian soil and saw the wealth in India as well as the prowess of Indians in ship building, the astute British went about ensuring that they not only added wealth to their coffers but ships to their fleet as well.

SEAWORTHY AND NOTEWORTHY INDIAN SHIPS

India had been building seaworthy and noteworthy ships not only for her own traders but for the sailors of the world too.

Flotilla for the retreating Alexander in 326 BCE Greek accounts of Alexander commissioning the building of an entire flotilla in India, to carry back his retreating armies to Macedonia via the Gulf of Persia, can be regarded as one of the early accounts of ships being built in India for foreigners. As per the records of the Greek Arrian, 1800 ships totally, formed the fleet, headed by Nearchus, Alexander’s loyal friend. They were ships of war, trade, horse transport, provision carriers etc in this fleet which sailed down the Indus, into the Arabian Sea and into the Gulf of Persia.

A 1500 tonner in 1600s CE from India In 1612, Sir. H.Middleton, saw at Surat,

Corroboration comes from a record of the capture of a vessel called Reheni which had a tonnage of 1500 tonnes, by the Portuguese, from Gogha near Surat.

Gogha near Surat

The Maratha Navy

Statue of Kanhoji Angre in Alibag, Maharashtra

Even as recent as in the 17th century, during and after Chhatrapati Shivaji’s reign, more than 300 ships of over 300 tonnage were built by Shivaji’s men. The Naval force that the Marathas created under the able leadership of Kanhoji Angre, helped guard the Konkan coast for nearly a century and kept the colonial powers at bay. The colonial powers could only function as minor trading posts in the Konkan coast. They become powers in this region only after they managed to defeat the Naval forces of the Marathas because by then they had started acquiring appropriate naval strength from other parts of India that they had gained control over.

INDIAN SHIP YARDS – EXCELLING BY ALL YARDSTICKS Sought after by the Chinese in 1400s Indian shipbuilding technologies were studied and acquired by the famed Chinese Admiral Zheng He, who sent his famous chronicler and interpreter Ma Huan, to Bengal’s ship building yards, during the Ming dynasty, in early 15th century (1400-1410 CE). With 27000 merchants and sailors, 317 armed ships, full with goods, Admiral Zheng He, was on his way to establish a “sea silk route” to Europe from China, based on the sea route oft traversed by the Indian and Arabic traders. Zheng He’s ships were repaired at the Chittagong and Kerala yards during the 1400s.  Between the years 1405 and 1433, Zheng He is recorded to have touched the Malabar Coast, 7 times.

Zheng He’s route and map

The Chinese fishing nets, one of the popular tourist sights of Cochin today, stand as a testimony of Zheng He’s visit to the Malabar Coast. But nothing is

said about Cochin’s ancient shipping yards which had drawn Zheng He to Cochin in the first place.

Chinese fishing nets, Cochin

Traditional Shipbuilding Yards of India

Major Ship Building Centres of India as recorded by the Europeans

Kalyan, Bhivandi, Mumbai, Cochin along the Western coast and Narsapurpeta, near Masulipatnam in Andhra, Chittagong, Chinsura and Hooghly in Bengal along the Eastern Coast were recorded by the Europeans as some of the major ship building centres of India, building and supplying ships to

•  the East India Company, •  the Turkish Navy, •  the British Navy,

•  the Mughal Navy as well as to •  private merchants and •  royalty from across the world such as the Queen of Muscat. However, ship building was carried out with dexterity and ingenuity all along the coasts of India, across the millennia,

•   right from the times of Dwaraka, a major port in the west coast of India, 5100 years ago, to

•  Poompuhar and Pattinam, major ports in the South of India, 3000 years ago, to

•  Puri in the East coast of India 2000 years ago, to •   the modern dry docks in Bombay and Kolkotta, the times of the British in India, 300 years ago.

Major Ports of India for Millennia

Modern Dry Docks While these centres had been traditionally building ships from time immemorial, modern ship building in India, i.e. shipbuilding predominantly

for the British, is traced to the building of the first British ship outside Britain, in 1735 by the enterprising shipwrights of India, the Wadia brothers being the foremost - Lovji Nusserwanji Wadia and his brother Sorabji. Lovji Nusserwanji Wadia soon took over as the Master Shipwright in 1736 and was responsible for the building of the first dry dock of India in Bombay in 1750. This was soon followed in Kolkotta and other places and the Wadia Group became the defacto shipbuilding company of India.

A 1905 photo from the Bombay Harbour of the Government Dockyard which became operative in 1735

In 1775, Abraham Parsons, a Mariner and Merchant who had commanded many merchant vessels, reached the coast of Malabar. Parsons, a traveller, documented his travels through India and all that he saw, as a book “Travels in Asia and Africa”, published in 1808 CE. In this, Parsons commented that

Close to 400 ships were built in the Bombay shipyards alone. Credit for much of this shipbuilding from Bombay, during the 1700s, goes to the Parsi Wadia family and Jamshedji Wadia, master shipbuilders from Surat who built more than 400 ships across 11 generations.

INDIAN CRAFTSMANSHIP IN SHIP BUILDING Indian ship building was preferred for its better jointing technology and elimination of metal sheeting, as Indian ships were built of teak seasoned in partial vacuum and special oils for timber improvement.  The significance of using teak for building ships cannot be overstated. Anything said will still fall short. Even with all the metal technology available to us today, the average life of an iron ship is only 50 years. The average age of the oak ships used by the British and Europeans, earlier, was even lesser at 15 to 20 years.

Whereas, the teak ships of India had an average age of over 100 years and even today, more than 200 year old warships of the British Navy still stand tall like the HMS Trincomalee built in 1817, which in present times has been refurbished and hosts themed gatherings. HMS Trincomalee stands berthed at Hartlepool’s Maritime Experience in UK as part of the National Museum of the Royal Navy family of heritage warships today. Teak with the oils inherent in its wood, is resistant to marine wood borers. It is also stronger and bulkier as compared to oak.

HMS Trincomalee – A Painting Courtesy – Hartlepool berthed at Jackson Dock, within Hartlepool’s Maritime Experience

Even the waste wood chips of teak were found to be of value. Tar needed for coating the hull of the ship and rigging could be extracted from the waste chips of teak itself and was far superior to any other form of tar.

GROWTH OF SEA POWER It was the period between 1600s and 1900s. The quest for India had led Europe to not only find a way to come to India by sea, but also to learn that, lands such as the Caribbean  islands, the Americas with Brazil, South Africa and other lands of South, South East Asia and Australia, also existed on this earth besides Europe and Asia.

Suddenly the world had opened up for them to grab. It was a race now to see who could reach these lands first and stake their claim to the natural and manmade treasures these lands possessed, besides people and knowledge. Since most of these lands had to be reached by sea, prowess at sea became vital for deciding who would gain supremacy over the world. Spain, Portugal, France, Holland and Britain were the main contenders in this race. It was not enough to merely reach these lands, plunder and bring back wealth. Since everyone took the same route, it became essential now to ensure that the loot could be safely transported back home without losing it to thieves enroute. Piracy became the vogue and order of the day on these seas. Pirates would rob the merchants and oragnized pirates, those encouraged by the respective governments, would rob the pirates. Sea power would be the deciding factor.

POWER BEHIND SEA POWER Sea power was reduced to a question of, How many ships? How large were they? How durable were they? How expensive were they? How soon could they be made? How much of loot could they carry? How many of them were battleships? How many guns and ammunition did they carry? How many skilled hands to crew, navigate and fight?

SEA BATTLES FROM 1600S While there had been many a battles that had been fought in history using fleets, these fleets had only carried men and material. Not ammo.

Even if battles were fought on board ships, they were close, face to face combats, fought using swords and such other hand held weapons. The difference in the sea power starting with 1600s is that, by then the world had got exposed to firearms which meant that battles could be fought from a distance by firing from guns, canon and eventually by firing rockets themselves. Ability to ride on waters became the very breath of Europe. Sea power became the muscle power.

MASTERSTROKE OF THE BRITISH While the British came to India to trade and take a share of India’s wealth, it was the Indian teak, coupled with the ingenuity of Indian ship building design using this teak, that made the British turn their attention on Indian ship building instead. If we examine the history and geographical footprints of the British in India, they would all point to the then major ship building centres and ports of India.  The efforts of the British in India was primarily focussed on gaining control over

•  Chittagong •  Bengal, •  Surat, •  Bombay, •  Madras, •  Northern Circars (Andhra), all of which were famous Indian ship-building centres. Another focus was on securing raw material for building the ships, namely teak.

With the control of the shipbuilding yards of India and the teak of India and Burma, the British gained access to raw material, labour, expertise, yards and the seas to ply these ships in. It is this huge, industrial shipbuilding capacity that the British gained from India which gave their British Navy the power and significant edge. This has been aptly summed up by Lincoln Paine in his book based on his

study of the warships of the world.

THE GREAT INDIAN ADVANTAGE With the conquest over India, the British sea power grew by leaps and tides. They now had answers to all the questions.

How many ships?

Plenty. As many as there were teak trees in India.

How large were they?

How durable they?

Larger than the rest since Indians were experts at building large ships.

More than 100 years as compared were to 20 years of the rest build from oak, since Indian ships were built from Indian teak.

Cheapest, as they were built in How expensive were India at 1/4th cost of what it would they? take in England / Europe. Rapidly, due to access to many How soon could they skilled shipwrights and many be made? shipbuilding yards dotting the entire coast of India. How much of loot Plenty, as they were really large. could they carry? How many of them The pride of British Navy came were battleships? from Indian docks. No worries here as India supplied How many guns and Britain with the iron and steel for ammunition did they guns and canons, SaltPetre for the carry? ammunition as well as design and technology for the rockets. How many skilled From their growing colonies, hands to crew, with growing sea power, Britain navigate and fight? gained innumerable hands to the deck from India, South East Asia and Africa, to further strengthen their position as the foremost Sea Power of the world then.

INDIAN NAVAL PROWESS – A DOUBLE EDGED SWORD FOR INDIA Sinks India India’s shipping skills in a way, wrought her own downfall when, compelled by circumstances, India aided England in building her Sea Power. For, with this act, she was equipping those plundering her with bigger ships to carry away, more of her riches, speedily and easily.

Lifts Britain While British period in India has gone down in history for taking India down to poverty, sufficient has not been said explicitly about –

•    The

rise of the British Naval capability because of Indian shipping

•   Indian shipping being the mainstay of the British covetousness for India

•  Indian shipping anchoring the masterplan of the British conquest of India and the world

•  Indian shipping, the sails of which propelled India to the special status of being the “Jewel in the Crown” India’s Naval skills, which once upon a time, made her sail across the globe with flying colours, became her nemesis under the British, who exploited it to their advantage.

Indian Shipping Keels Over On the Heels of Unfair British Policies & Trade Practices

FOUR IS FORMIDABLE In the 19th and early 20th century, one of the oft uttered phrases was,

For, from the time of landing in India in early 1600s, within a matter of just 200 years, the British had established colonies across the world, across the seas, from the Far East to the Americas. The world was literally under British control.

Almost entire Earth dotted with British colonies

What is left unsaid is that, it was made possible for the British because of the formidable 4 IS 1.  Indian Ships 2.  Indian Sailors 3.  Indian Soldiers and 4.  Indian Shipwrights The big, important ships that the British had used to conquer the world were of Indian origin. India’s ships had served the British in more ways than one.

AMERICA OR INDIA? – NOT A HARD CHOICE No wonder that, in the face of revolts against British domination in both America and India, the British were willing to let go of America and keep India instead. It was not a hard choice for them to make, perhaps!

Indian Ships Steered World History Some of the turning points of world history have taken place onboard the ships built from Bombay’s docks.

HMS DRAKE One of the starting points is “Drake” the British ship which was built in Bombay’s docks in 1736. HMS Drake 1736, was the 8th ship to be called Drake in an overall line of 23 Drakes in the history of British Navy.  The superior nature of this ship gave the British an edge over France and Spain during the wars between 1736 and 1780, for control over the waters between America and Europe. This and many more ships were built from the Bombay dockyard by Indian shipwrights who came from Surat to Bombay. Prominent among them were the Wadia brothers who made history in India’s shipbuilding saga.

HMS MINDEN

HMS Minden, a painting Courtesy Royal Museums Greenwich, UK

A Warship Vs A Worship The British ship, HMS Minden, which had laid siege on Fort McHenry of Baltimore, USA, in 1814, was built by India’s Wadia family in the Duncan Dock at Bombay after the Royal Navy took over the Bombay Dockyard and added the Duncan Dock in 1811. Indian shipwrights continued to build ships from there under the technical leadership of the Wadias.

Francis Scott Key, Source - Portrait by Joseph Wood circa 1825, housed in Walters Art Museum

This British warship became the place of worship for the captive American lawyer Francis Scott Key, who, while watching the firing that went on through the night from the decks of HMS Minden, kept praying hard for the victory of the Americans. Star Spangled Banner On daybreak, when he saw the Fort still standing tall and the American flag still waving in the air, he put down his worship in the form of a poem which in future became the National Anthem of the United States of America “Star Spangled Banner”.

An 1814 broadside printing of the Defense of Fort McHenry, a poem that later became the national anthem of the United States In public domain, sourced from Maryland Historical Society

A Line of Battleship

HMS Minden was a Ganges Class “ship of the line” or “line of battleship” class of warship. These warships were huge ships, with multiple decks, broader at the bottom to hold canons and artillery. Each ship carried anywhere from 50 to 100 guns which could be fired from the sides of their lower decks.  HMS Minden had 74 guns. 74 Gun ship of the line were two deck warships first designed by the French and then penetrated into the English Royal Navy and soon became popular all across Europe.

HMS Minden like Ganges Class Ships of the Line, HMS Tremendous (in foreground) & HMS Hindostan in action against French frigate  La Canonnniere in 1806 Painting by Pierre-Julien Gilbert, Courtesy – Museum of the History of France

Line of Battle Such ships were designed for deploying in formations called “line of battle”, where such huge battleships of either fleet, would sail in a single file, alongside or past each other, maintaining a barrage of fire, at each other from their side, called the broadside. Such a line formation and firing from their broadside ensured that they did not have a ship from their own fleet in their line of fire.

A Line of Battle in action during the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801 Painting by Nicholas Pocock, Courtesy - National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Caird Collection

A Heavy Man-o-War Such battles were therefore won by the ships that could fire the maximum, for longer time, with longer reach and greater power. In other words, heavy ships that could house the most powerful of guns, hold maximum number of guns, carry the maximum ammunition, endure the maximum impact and carry maximum soldiers, won the war. Naturally these ships were the largest and most powerful ships of their time and were also called Man of War or Man-o-War. HMS Minden was one such Ship of the Line, one such Man-o-War.

An Amalgam of Size and Strategy HMS Minden was infact, the first of its kind in the English Royal Navy to be built outside England, in the newly built Duncan dockyard in Bombay. Such ships of the line were a fine amalgam of the Indian techniques of large ship building with the European strategy of sea battles, for, Indian large

ships came with a heavy trade oriented sea history and Europeans, with a war fought sea history.

Ships and Rockets HMS Minden was the warship from which, instead of firing guns, early rockets, modelled after Indian rockets, were fired by the British during their Battle for Fort McHenry at Baltimore in the USA in 1814. HMS Minden, weighing 1721 tons, with 74 rockets sailed the seas as an expression of India’s prowess in sea faring as well as rocketry - the ability of Indians to ride both water and the skies.

Distinguished Craftsmanship Both HMS Minden and the Bombay dockyard where it was built, were celebrated in history.

Extract from the Bombay Courier of June 23rd, 1810 - graphically set with Bombay Courier Masthead

A Hospital Ship After serving the Royal Navy in heavy duty action, HMS Minden served as a hospital ship in Hong Kong when the Royal Naval Hospital in Hong Kong was destroyed in a typhoon in 1840. Then from 1846 to 1861 HMS Minden served as a stores ship. Finally in 1861, HMS Minden became the first ship to be broken down in the ship breaking yard of Hong Kong, paving the way for the ship breaking industry there.

From Bombay to Hong Kong via UK and USA

HMS Minden thus not only paved the way for Bombay to become the most celebrated Dockyard but also paved the way for Hong Kong to become the most busy ship breaking yard too. From Bombay to Hong Kong, thus has been the long and eventful journey of HMS Minden.

Ship Breaking Yard of Hong Kong where HMS Minden was the 1st ship to be broken down

HMS CORNWALLIS

HMS Cornwallis, a Duncan class ship built in Bombay in 1813

HMS Cornwallis in action during the evacuation of Suvla in December 1915 Source – Photo by Ernest Brooks in Public Domain, Courtesy United Kingdom Government

The British ship, HMS Cornwallis, aboard which the Nanking Treaty, to mark the end of the first opium war, was signed between the British and the Chinese, was also built in Bombay by the Wadias.  With this treaty, Honk Kong became a part of the British empire and gave access to Shanghai and other ports of China for foreign trade.

SEAWORTHY AND NOTEWORTHY What is worth noting here is that, not only had Indian ships sailed the oceans to the east and west of India for trade, some of the world’s prestigious war ships of the world which had withstood many a fierce battle in the seas, all the way upto China in the east and America in the West and had come out triumphant, had come out of the docks of India, built by the dextrous hands of the Indians.

THE EAST INDIAMEN – WHO OR WHAT WERE THEY?

Besides the Ships of the Line, specifically built for the English Royal Navy, there were several large ships that were built in India and operated under charter or licence to many of the East India Companies such as that of the Danish, the Dutch, the English, the French, the Portuguese, the Swedes and other European trading powers, between the 17th and the 19th centuries. These were large ships, built of teak to carry both passengers and heavy goods. They used to be on charter for carrying heavy trade goods, armaments such as canons and at times were even painted to look and function like warships for their lessees. They typically had 2 to 3 decks and were more wide at the bottom than at the upper deck, to be able to carry more cargo and canons. They were varyingly called Man-of-war, Man-o-war, Merchantmen etc. instead of being referred to in the feminine gender which is typical for a ship, for, they were huge, heavy, heavily armed and also full of soldiers to guard the ships or to attack Portuguese or Spanish pirate ships. For the English East India Company, they used to ply between England, Cape of Good Hope, India (Bombay, Madras, Calcutta) and back to England or further onto China and from there back to England via Cape of Good Hope and Saint Helena islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, off Rio De Janerio. So these were sea worthy ships capable of plying in all oceans and in adverse weather conditions. There were hundreds of such ships that have made history as East Indiamen.

East Indiaman Repulse, 1870 Courtesy - National Maritime Museum, London

Much of Indo-China trade was carried out by the British, using these East Indiamen which were built using Indian shipbuilding techniques, from Indian teak and manned by Indians. The trade of the British in the eastern seas depended on the East Indiamen and the strength of their Naval fleet was strengthened by these East Indiamen.

The full-scale sailing replica of the Swedish East Indiaman Götheborg built in 2005

Some of these “East Indiamen” were built in India and some in Europe. But the fact remains that they were inspired by the shipwrights and the large ships of India. It was only when Iron and Steel making industry took off in England and the trend of traded goods changed from heavy armaments to lighter stuff that these Indiamen lost out to ships with smaller and faster design called Frigates which had a single deck to house armaments or goods, make them lighter and faster. But they were still no match for the heavy power of the East Indiamen, the Men-o-war. Until then and until the advent of steamerships, it was the East Indiamen and Men-o-War that ruled the seas in the name of the various European East India Companies.

A SOUND COURSE?

When Christopher Columbus and Vasco da Gama set sail in search of India, they set sail on the biggest ships of their times. What did they call such large ships? Nau!  The same as what ships are called in India. Nau in Portuguese and Nao in Spanish were large ships of 300 to 400 tonnage, which were built with 3 or 4 masts and had many sails, to make them balanced and worthy of sailing in the oceans. They were also called Carracks, Caravels. It is from this that some of the first large aeroplanes were called Caravelle for “large airships”, the way we have Airbus today. Interestingly Caravelle was the world’s first short / medium range jet airliner designed and built by the French in 1955. The same French, who had also designed the huge and hugely popular 74 gun ships of the line like HMS Minden.

Sud Aviation Caravelle of Swissair at Zürich Kloten Airport in 1961 Photo Courtesy - Peter Ehrbar

Nav-Nau-Nao-Navy Ever wondered at the phonetic and semantic similarity between The Portuguese Nau, the Spanish Nao, the English Naval, Navy and the word Nav for ships in India? Indian word Navgath and the English word ‘Navigation’ for travelling by sea?

Nav to Navy - Not just Phonetic but Semantic similarity too

Even the Biblical Noah’s Ark obviously seems to have phonetic similarity with the word Nav.

Noah’s Ark – An artist’s depiction

It was not only in words, but both in deed and act, Indians as we have seen, were for long, regarded as navigational giants of the world for millennia. From the very word Nav, to ship sizes and harbours, to produces and trade, to flair and dare, Indians were sea farers beyond compare.

SHIPPING, THE FLAGSHIP BRAND OF BHARAT While the English and European words for Navy, trace their roots etymologically to the Latin word Navis, the Indian Nav and Navgath have literally charted the way, both in word and deed, for Europe’s naval power today.

Nav and Navgath were verily a flagship brand of Bharat. Navigation was not only a flagship brand of Bharat but was the means by which the brand called “Bharat”, created waves world over.

PART 4 - THE WINDS OF CHANGE

History of Shipping, Ship building and Trade Since 3100 BCE to about 1650 CE, that is, for a period of about 4500 years and more, the Indians and the Arabs were traders of goods from India to Arab ports, which were transit points to take the goods further into Arabia and also to Persia, Phoenicia, Egypt, Mediterranean and Europe. Ships were the lifeline of this trade which encompassed a coastal arc in the Arabian Sea, then called the Sindhu Sagar, right from Egypt to Malabar including civilizations in between such as Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Mesopotomia, Sumeria, Phoenicia etc.

The Arc of Ancient Civilizations on the Arabian Sea which had trade relations

These ships were built in India as it was rich in teak wood, sal, mango wood etc.  needed for the hull of the ships cotton fabric needed for the sails coconut coir needed for the ropes

iron needed for anchors suitable in marine conditions sturdy designs for the ships craftsmen and shipwrights to build ships mathematics, astronomy, geography skilled navigators labourers to operate the ports high quality finished goods to trade merchants to trade among other things. The navigators were both Indians and people who belonged to the entire arc of the Sindhu Sagar. This was going on unabated for well over 4500 years. Imagine the number of ships built and plied then!

A 5000 YEAR OLD INDIAN PRACTICE Shipping from India, using large ocean going ships, has been going on unending, unabated, from pre-Indus Valley, pre-Mahabharata times. This is an archaeological fact, a literary, historical as well as cultural fact, the evidences for which can be found in Similar triangular anchors with holes, of similar stones, weights, design in Indus Valley ports and Phoenicia. Similarity in stone docks for berthing in Indian ports such as Lothal and Phoenicia. Similarity in design of the port with warehouses, citadels, towers etc. between Indian ports such as Khirsara, Lothal and Phoenician ports. Naming of the port town Dwaraka which means Gateway. Not one but many such millennia old ports, harbours being excavated along Indian coast – both east and west All the civilizations in the coastal arc of the Arabian Sea, Sindhu Sagar, showcasing what they call, their maritime heritage.

When Vasco da Gama came to Kozhikode, records speaking of how he requested the Samuthirai, for docking, shipping and trading rights, which the Samuthirai agreed to offer since Vasco da Gama was a guest. On his second trip to Kozhikode too, he was granted such rights by the subsequent Samuthirai (Zamorin) who had taken over. While the locals there were warm and welcoming, it was the Arab traders already stationed there, treated as the sons-in-law of the soil, Mappillais or Mopplahs, who opposed Vasco da Gama’s visit tooth and nail, for they felt threatened by this offer, which would diminish their trade. They regarded this act as one that was intruding on not just centuries old, but millennia old trade rights of theirs. Even the Epic of Gilgamesh, which talks of events that took place around 2700 BCE, atleast 4500 years ago, on a conservative estimate, talks of how Gilgamesh, the ruler of Uruk in Sumeria, looked to Lebanon for wood for building ships. Even then, Lebanon could only supply oak, cedar, cypress and such other lighter wood. If they needed strong and durable wood that could undertake long ocean voyages, then it had to be teak from India. Gilgamesh as per this Epic also travelled to Dilmun, an Arabic port that had grown into being the cross over point for the Indus Valley and Mesopotomian trade exchanges. Eventually Dilmun got absorbed into the larger Persian civilization. From buying boats made in India, slowly and steadily, the raw materials and skills needed for building ships were also taken across to these lands, where they became their traditional arts over time, with local improvisations to suit their local needs, taste and conditions. Thus started the Dhow building tradition of the  Middle East, which earlier used Shasha, an oar driven fishing boat that could accommodate 2 people, like a canoe, built of date palm sticks bound by a rope, for fishing, pearl diving and so on. It was these pearls that became the treasure of Europe due to Arab trade.

A Shasha – traditional fishing boat of Arabs made from midribs of palm leaf

For Arabia therefore, the teak boats from India were literally a great boon. For, they could now sail across all seas and trade. And trade was their lifeline, for theirs was a desert land which could not offer much by way of produce, until oil which had found use by then, was struck in the last century.

A TOWERING SIMILARITY

What do these pictures have in common? An architecture design, inspired by sails and the traditional boats used by Arabs, called Dhows, to showcase the Arabic history of shipping and trade using Dhows. Why do we see such a similar inspiration across the Middle East and why should Kozhikode in India also be inspired to have a Dhow shaped building? It is the connect from the past as well as in the present between Arabia and the coast of India, the fact that both have prospered because of ships built in India, which has formed the common inspiration for buildings across the Middle East and Kozhikode on the Malabar coast of India.

DHOWS FROM INDIA – LIFELINE OF ARABIA Dhows of Beypore Beypore, near Kozhikode, Calicut, is strategically located where River Chaliyar, i.e. Chali Aru, Aru meaning river, met the Arabian Sea. It is close to where Vasco da Gama landed in India. This Beypore, like many other small port towns all along the east and west coast of India, has been a centre for ship building from olden days to now. For big boats to small ships. The big boats of Beypore are called Uru in Malayalam or Dhow by the Arabs. Beypore has been a town of shipwrights who built the superior teak boats about which European travellers had much to rave and for which the Arab traders gave much to own. Beypore has been building ships for the Arabs, Sumerians and others world over.

A newly built Dhow being rolled out of a Beypore Shipbuilding Yard in recent times. Photo Courtesy – The Week – Manorama

If the artefacts excavated at Muziris as it is called today, Musiri along the Periyar river as described in old Tamil literature are anything to go by, then Beypore had been building ships for millennia prior to Vasco da Gama’s arrival in India. For, these artefacts from Muziris show a trade connect with Rome and Arabia going back by over 3000 years.

Beypore – A Millennia Old Port City Beypore was earlier called Vaypura or Vadaparappanad. Vay in Tamil, Malayalam means mouth, port. Pura, Puram in Tamil, Malayalam denotes city as well as side, for example Andapuram for inside. Vaypura thus was the name for the port side of the kingdom, a port city of the Parappanur kingdom on the Malabar Coast. Being the northern part of the kingdom, it also came to be called Vadaparappanad. Vada means northern direction in Tamil, Malayalam. Over time the “V” became “B” and Vaypura became Beypore even for the locals.

The Beypore and Arab Connection Beypore was easily accessible for the Arabs from the seas as well as both on their tongue as well as in meaning. The word Bey is also a Turkish word used as a suffix with the name of chieftains, royalty and in present times as a formal way of addressing. In Arabic, Persian it takes the form Bek, Beg etc. Women were addressed as Begum. From this perspective, Beypore for the Arabs, was the city (pur, pore) for the nobles, for, it was the chiefs and nobles from Arabia, who came here to buy ships or stay and oversee the trade between India and their lands. Similarly there is a town near Ankara in Turkey, called Beypazar, which was an important ancient city in Asia Minor and was the market for the chiefs of various tribes around Ankara, Turkey, a part of Anatolia. Since much of their trade, their living, took place using such Dhows, the Arabic world reveres its traditional boats and likes to showcase them as part of their tradition. Hence the waves, sails and Dhow inspired creations in the Middle Eastern world.

Indian Dhow to be Showcased at FIFA World Cup 2022

 

Qatar which is the host of the 2022 Football World Cup, plans to showcase this ancient trading culture, centred around Dhows by building the stadium itself, taking inspiration from the shape and lines of the Dhow. Since these boats were the specialized creations from the coast of India, Qatar has also ordered for a large traditional Dhow from Beypore to showcase its past and also set shipping and trade as direction for future.

THE CHANGEOVER FROM NEED TO GREED It is when the raw materials and technology for building the ocean worthy, teak ships started going across the Mediterranean coast to reach Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, France, Britain, that shipping for trade took on a different turn and became shipping for a voracious greed, leading to the colonization of the entire world by a few European powers.

Eventually this greed, power and rivalry among these colonizers, led to the breaking down of the trade and traditional ship building industry of all these age old maritime and trading civilizations. Demographies have since changed and so have the interests, industries, international status and economic state of these civilizations. A few shipwrights have stuck to their trade of ship building in India, Arabia and other coastal towns of these ancient civilizations. Thanks to them, this age old tradition of teak wood based shipbuilding is being kept alive. In India, the traditional trade of shipbuilding continues in small but ancient port towns along the coast of India, though on a much smaller scale. Dhows continue to be built here and sold to fishermen and small time traders along the coast of India as well as neighbouring lands.

Ports like Beypore continue to live as vestiges of the vibrant, old maritime prowess of India.

Lordship for Britain INDIAN SHIPPING - BETTER FOR THE BRITISH Nothing could have been more beneficial for the British than the discovery of the direct sea route to India and the access to better wood, better ship building techniques and better shipwrights of India, all of which gave Britain the supremacy over the seas and trade. It proved to be a supremacy, which yielded manifold gains to Britain.

A WINDFALL FOR BRITAIN The sequence of Britain’s gain started with their increasing ownership and throttling grip over India and other colonies. It went on to culminate in Britain making money from the resources of India and other colonies. For instance, starting with establishing the East India Company in 1600 with just £72000, to trade in India, Britain went on to systematically drain India, off her resources, for the next 350 years.

NECESSITY – THE MOTHER OF INVENTIONS From the 15th century onwards, Europe was coming out of the Dark Ages and scientific temper was building up, with more and more exposure to sciences, philosophies and produce from the eastern worlds. Discoveries were springing up inspired by this exposure and the resulting widening horizon of the mind.

Europe at the same time was also growing geopolitically in expanse, with colony after colony being added to the respective empires. Inventions were happening, inspired by the new form of needs arising out of having to transport, communicate, calculate, keep accounts, go on conquests, lead newer lifestyles. Thus came about some of the inventions of the modern world such as:

•  Steam Engine, locomotive •  Telephone •  Radio •  Electricity •  Electromagnetic radiation •  Machinery for weaving, printing, forging •  Automobiles •  Guns and Artillery •  Aeroplanes, Bombers •  Camera •  Calculators, Computers to name a few CAPITAL – THE NOURISHER OF INVENTIONS On one hand, Europe was brimming with ideas for inventions to meet her growing needs of having grown into a world power. On the other hand, monies and goods, beyond their dreams, were pouring in from the colonies, primarily India.

Europe was quick to marry these two developments to transform the ideas for inventions into applications and reality. These monies predominantly came from

•  High taxes collected in colonies through vile •  Treasures acquired through bribes and force •  Different forms of piracy on high seas •   Setting up plantations for cotton, sugarcane, rubber, opium, tea, coffee etc. across colonies

•  Trading in slaves and indentured labour for these plantations •   Trading in raw materials from the colonies such as cotton, iron ore, dyes, sugar, timber from teak and such other wood, raw materials for other needs etc.

•    Unequal

trade practices in trading of goods produced in the colonies such as textiles, iron and steel, metals and metallic objects, saltpetre i.e. gun powder etc. as well as speciality items such as silk, ivory, spices, leather, etc.

•  Forced sale of machine manufactured goods from their own land to the colonies at high margins or at prices higher than its cost in the colonies.

A GAME CHANGING ERA All these went on to spur the era called the Industrial Revolution Era. It was a revolution in the industries of Europe. It was a revolution, industrial in scale too. This era changed the face of the earth, permanently, for millennia to come. Nothing has been a bigger game changer for world economy and subsequent geopolitics, than the systematized drain of India and the colonies, by Europe.

While it was industrial revolution in Europe, it led to industrial devolution in India. As industrial growth was bolstered in Britain and rest of Europe, the relevant industries were undermined and reduced to dust in India and other colonies, by colonial state policies. Britain thus became one of the richest nations of the world.

INDIAN SEA POWER - THE ANCHOR FOR BRITISH NAVAL POWER From our earlier scrutiny of the growth of Britain, we see that the underlying factor that had enabled all this for Britain was the, Naval dare of the British, coming from an island nation Naval wares of the Indians in the form of ships, ship builders and raw materials for ships Naval access to India and SE Asia which enabled bypassing the land route via Turkey and threw open these lands as well as the natural resources rich, coastal Africa also for exploitation and expansion Naval prowess from the aggregation of all these factors favourable for the British. Britain soon superseded all other European nations to become the strongest Naval power and the largest, mightiest empire spread world over. Without all these enablers, Britain would have been lost at sea in the European race for riches. While all this gave Britain, lordship over India and the world, it only spelt more and more hardship for the Indians.

Hardship for Indians INDIAN SHIPS – A  COMPETITION FOR BRITISH SHIPS The increasing number of ships built in India and added to England’s fleet, was creating competition for the shipwrights of England, many of whom were losing business.

Remark of Dr.Taylor, a noted historian of 19th century, in his book “Ancient and Modern India”

OVERSEAS TRADE DESTROYED To safeguard the interests of the English shipwrights, Britain, after having gained supremacy over India and the world colonies, by enacting continuous laws, one after another, broke the back bone of the Indian shipping industry. On 29th January, 1789, the British published in the Calcutta Gazette, a prohibition for building Indian ships for overseas trading.

Calcutta Gazette from 1785 as an example

With this act, Indian overseas trade was decimated.

MARINERS DESTROYED Further more, in 1817, the British parliament introduced the Shipping Act, which ruled, No ship could employ Indian mariners which did not have 75% British mariners. No ship, even British, could enter London, which had not aboard, 3/4ths of its crew of British mariners. With this act, Indian mariners were made jobless.

YARDS DESTROYED East India Company, further issued orders on 1st August 1814 which, Forbade traders from ships built in India.

With this act, shipbuilding in India was quashed. With this act, Indian shipwrights, shipbuilders also became jobless. With this act, Indian shipyards started sinking towards decline and decay.

INDUSTRY DESTROYED Despite the opening of the Suez Canal, India’s shipping and trade industry, instead of seeing an increase in volume of trade, kept declining and was eventually snuffed out, due to the restrictive trade policies of the British. Besides crushing the shipping, ship building and trade industry of India, the British Protectionist Policies of 1800 CE destroyed what was left of Indian industry by way of killing manufacturing of textile, iron and steel and such other export worthy produces too. For instance, British manufactured goods were imported into India at 2.5% duty. Other Foreign goods (Dutch) were imported into India at 15% duty. Indian manufactured goods (Calico, Muslin, Iron etc.) were exported at 400% duty. How could Indian products, be priced competitively in overseas markets with such duties? How could Indians buy Indian goods at prices higher than British goods? How could Indian industry compete with such overheads? Better not to manufacture than to suffer losses!

DELIBERATE DESTRUCTION Indian manufacturing, trade and shipping was thus deliberately destroyed in the interests of Britain. As Mahatma Gandhi remarked,

By destroying India’s shipping, Britain had destroyed India’s industries and her trade. Not only did they rock India’s boat, but they broke her hull too!

THE INDIAN SEA SCAPE By the late 1800s and early 1900s, the British had firmly entrenched themselves in the Indian seas and ports.  No Indian could own ships. No Indian could ferry using ships. No Indian could trade using ships. No Indian manufactured goods could be traded using ships. The sea ports of India were literally sealed for any wholly Indian activity. The British controlled all. The British decided everything. So, on one side the British were draining Indian wealth. On the other side, they were also quashing Indian production, trade and enterprise, which meant India could no longer generate wealth. India was being squeezed from all sides, by the vicious, octopus like clasp of the British.

ELEGY ON THE DEATH OF INDIAN SHIPPING INDUSTRY All this, made Radhakamal Mukherjee, a leading thinker and social scientist of India, Professor of Economics and Sociology, Vice Chancellor of University of Lucknow, who lived between 1889 and 1968, lament,

Mahatma Gandhi also went on to say

Not only shipping, but Indian shipbuilding too had to collapse for British shipbuilding to soar.

Revival of Indian Shipping Without buckling down under such pressure, India, recalling its ethos of always being self-sufficient and self-reliant, embarked on a movement called Swadeshi, meaning “Be Indian, Buy Indian”. It was one of the first organized push towards “Make in India” against all odds, to counter the British monopoly then. But it was reinforced by the underlying spirit of Ahimsa.

MANY RIPPLES There were many attempts made to win back the seas from the British but they all met with the same fate of, being wiped out.  This made Sir Alfred Watson, editor of `The Statesman’ then in 1900, write,

THE FIRST WAVE

V.O.Chidambaram Pillai – A 140 year old file photo

The first tangible stir in this direction came from South India in the form of Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company, offering sailing services between Tuticorin in South India and Colombo in Ceylon. It was a wholly Indian owned company started by V.O.Chidambaram Pillai, a Tamil barrister, who lived between 1872 and 1936 and was a disciple of the freedom fighter, Bal Gangadhar Tilak. Known as VOC for short, he started this navigation company to revive Indian shipping industry, in direct competition to the British shipping services and monopoly of the seas. Starting with leasing ships, when the lease was cancelled due to pressure from the British, he went on to purchase 2 ships, S.S.Galia and S.S.Lavo, by raising funds from all across India. There literally ensued a tug of war between VOC’s shipping company and the British shipping company, with both lowering fares alternately to woo

passengers. At one point, the British even made the service free. Yet, when the Indians kept patronizing VOC’s services, as part of the Swadeshi spirit, the British charged VOC with sedition, stripped off his barrister license and sentenced him to 2 life terms, totalling 40 years. It was a Rigorous Imprisonment as meted out to a convict, where VOC was inhumanly, yoked to an oil press and made to toil in place of bulls, under the sun.

The prison cell that VOC occupied in Central Jail, Coimbatore

The Oil Press to which VOC was yoked during his period in prison

His life and struggles have been made immortal for this generation by the Tamil film “Kappal Otiya Tamizhan” meaning “The Tamil who sailed the Ship”, in which the legendary Tamil actor, Chevalier Sivaji Ganeshan played the role of VOC.

Veteran Tamil actor Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan as VOC toiling it out in prison, in the film

VOC’s arrest brought the attempt to revive Indian shipping, to a grinding halt. Such, was the punishment meted out to those, who tried to swim against the British tide. Similar was the story of the Bengal Steamship Company, started in 1907 by Jyotindranath Tagore, the brother of poet Rabindranath Tagore. Nevertheless, the spirit of fight did not abate. It was to surface once again a few years later and this time, it saw success.

THE WAVE OF SUCCESS Just as the Indian shipping industry was being snuffed out, with the British tightening their control of the sea routes and their monopolistic policies, there arrived on the scene, a man from Gujarat called Walchand Hirachand, in the month of April 1919. Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s message to the nation of developing selfreliance and self-sufficiency to be really independent, Walchand Hirachand

had embarked on a mission to develop enterprises that would make India self-reliant.

Statue of Walchand Hirachand near Hindustan Shipyard Ltd. (HSL)

In partnership with friend Narottam Morarji, Walchand Hirachand acquired S.S.Loyalty, a ship that had functioned as a hospital ship for Indian troops during World War I, from the Scindia king of Gwalior, Maharaja Madhav Rao. With this ship, they floated Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd. (SSNCL), a wholly Indian owned company, in 1919 to operate shipping services between India and Europe. Finally, in 1941, after many years of planning and efforting Walchand Hirachand setup Scindia Shipyard at Vishakapatnam. This shipyard later passed into the hands of the Government and now operates under the name Hindustan Shipyard Ltd. (HSL).

S.S.Loyalty – A File Photo

Modern history, including India, calls this the first indigenous shipyard of India. What has been forgotten are the innumerable, indigenous, Indian shipyards that had dotted the Indian coastline from millennia and produced many noteworthy ships for the traders of India and even for the British.

An aerial view of the Hindustan Shipyard in Vishakapatnam – courtesy HSL

The Vishakapatnam port was the 1st in the next generation of shipyards in India which infused fresh breath into Indian navigation and shipping industry. The first ship to be built in this yard was S.S Jala Usha in 1948 and true to its name Usha, meaning dawn, this yard and this ship marked the dawning of a new shipping era in India. 5th April 1919, the day on which S.S.Loyalty sailed to England as a wholly owned Indian ship of an Indian Navigation company, has since, come to be observed as the National Maritime Day. It is a day to honour this great builder of modern India - Walchand Hirachand, his dare, his enterprise, his

vision, the timeless skill of the shipwrights and craftsmen of India and above all, the Indian spirit of self-reliance.

COURAGE, ENTERPRISE AND FORETHOUGHT In 1940,  Sir Herbert Fitzherbert, a Flag Officer of the Indian Navy, in his broadcast talk in 1940, had remarked,

India with the courage, enterprise and forethought of leaders such as Walchand Hirachand had turned this round in just a year, in 1941 with the setup of Scindia Shipping or HSL. But there are still miles to sail ere we can hail that we have turned our ship around.

     Indian Government issues stamps to honour the brave efforts of these men who swam against the tide to revive Indian Shipping against the British might

WAVE AFTER WAVE OF INDIAN SHIPPING INDUSTRY Indian shipping industry has thus sailed across 4 main waves.

Veda Era of Shipping This was when Indian ships sailed the seas for trade, right from the times of the Veda to Pre-British times. This was when large, indigenous, ocean faring, ships were built to enable sea-trade from the long coastline of India to different parts of the world, right from Africa, Egypt, Arabia and Persian Gulf to the West and eastwards to South East Asia, China, Japan, Korea, Tahiti, all the way up to the west coast of America – Mexico, via the Pacific Ocean, Shanti Sagar as it was called then in India. This was also the era when Alexander marched upto the Sindhu in 326 BCE and the shipbuilders of the north western coast of India, along the Sindhu river, helped build ships for his army to sail back to Babylon. Spanning an astounding 4800 years and more, from atleast 3100 BCE (Veda / Dwaraka period) upto 1700s CE, it is perhaps the longest ever history of unabated, unchallenged, unequalled supremacy of shipbuilding and navigation in the world. This long era, actually built the brand image of India as a land rich with exotic treasures and technology to have sailed all across oceans.

Wadia Era of Shipping This was the early British days of 18th century when India built ships for the British and rest of the world too.  In a way, this era leveraged on the traditional shipbuilding skills of Indians who were already master shipwrights in their own right, all along the lengthy coastline of India. The Wadia brothers, who came from Surat to Bombay, were the ones who led the enterprising lot among these hereditary shipwrights to cater to the emerging shipping needs of the world then.

This wave turned out to be more advantageous for the British as it helped them grow their Navy and conquer the world. But it established India as the place for shipbuilding, until the British squashed this industry too.

Walchand Era of Shipping This was the wave of shipping that rose with great struggle, as a protest to tide over British suppression during the freedom struggle days. It was the time when, after the suppression of the flourishing Indian shipbuilding industry by the British, stalwarts such as Walchand Hirachand, V.O.Chidambaram Pillai and a few others started shipping transportation to defy British stranglehold on Indian transportation, exports and trade over the seas. It was the time when Britain literally controlled Indian seas. This wave, rather a ripple, took India away from building and using traditional wooden ships and set her in the direction taken by the rest of the world, which had switched to iron ships by then. Also, during this era India could only attempt to develop shipping for transport, let alone rebuild her shipbuilding industry.

Waiting Era of Shipping Where we will go next depends on the current 4th wave, where India is again being seen as an attractive location for building ships. Ship building is coming back as an industry on its own, but at a snail’s pace. If only India can convert its large workforce, long coastlines, availability of iron and steel and engineering skills into an advantage, India will be able to set the price for trading over the seas. India can ride the wave of success again.

Direction from Bharat SEA THE ROUTE TO INDIA’S PROSPERITY The large coastlines have not changed. The warm waters have not changed. Trade, from and to India, is only increasing by the year. Given these factors, navigation can well be one of the strengths of India in the near future, providing opportunities in harbour and shipbuilding, maintenance and scrapping, ship crewing, sea trade and sea travel besides Navy.

Indian Ocean Based Trade There have been many trade blocs in the last few decades – NATO, Warsaw Pact, EU, GCC, ASEAN, SAARC, G7, G10, G20, BRICS and so on. The next one to come up is likely to be  IOC – Indian Ocean Community.

The IOC Trade Bloc

The Indian Ocean Community or the coastal ports off the Indian Ocean are poised to reemerge as one of the future trade blocks of the emerging world. This was the trading arena for the last few millennia as we have already seen. This could well be the next big theatre of trade bloc. India with its geo positioning, economic might and navigational prowess could once again, well lead the way in this IOC. India can and needs to ride the wave of navigational possibilities once again to reclaim its lost eminence, its lost brand. It is time India sees that sea is the route for India’s prosperity.

TRADE SECRETS The seas are one of India’s great assets.

For, navigation is the route to trade and trade, is the route to prosperity. But in order to trade, one needs to produce. Produce not just goods, but also ships, ports and sailors to navigate and merchants to trade. Producing enough for local consumption will give self-sufficiency. Producing more than sufficient to trade with lands outside, is what will give wealth and prosperity. But producing less than sufficient and yet trading with lands outside, will only give poverty. It is nothing short of robbery.

A BRAND LEADER India that is Bharat, has been a self sufficient, self reliant, sustained land - a brand for navigation, trade, production and prosperity, as time and tide tell us. Time, India made waves with this brand. As we have seen, India has not been just an ancient civilization. It has been a leading, ancient civilization. Time, India took leadership to steer the world and herself, into a better place to live in, with the ways and values that Bharat has stood for, from millennia. That is the sign of a true Brand Leader.

Epilogue

Made in India in the Brand Bharat compendium, is all about making India and the world sit up and take notice of India’s hand in making world history with the products they had made in India - a fact that keeps slipping away from minds, that nobody remembers it, nobody speaks of it. It is all about making Indians feel great about their land and its resources, their ancestors and their skills, their civilization and its knowledge, all of which they have inherited as their heritage, their history and their ethos. It is to help them start taking pride in their role in the world of today. Bharat is a land of largeness. Marco Polo was not off the mark when he called this a land of Millions of people, Millions of fertile land, Millions of gold coins, Millions of precious gems. He forgot to add millions of skilled hands, millions of sharp minds, millions of good spirits and millions of kind hearts. All we need to do is to learn to harness them all well again, judiciously, along with the plentiful natural resources that this land is blessed with to recreate a heaven on earth, to keep the rainbow shining in the sky and a pot of gold where it touches the land on India.

When History meets Tradition and Tradition meets Science and Science meets Nature, Can we advance as truly mature peoples.

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Table of Contents   Dedication   Benedictory Note   About Bharath Gyan   About the Authors   About Autobiography of India   Preface     Roots in India   Foreword-1   Foreword-2   Acknowledgements

PART 1 - ROOTED IN INDIA   Buddhism     Bamiyan – Gateway to the Land of the Buddha     Buddhism in South and East Asia   Zen Buddhism   Zero     Due To Zero     No Zero in Roman Numerals     Introduction of Zero into Europe     The Incomprehensible Zero     Zero – A Sign of Confusion     Profound Sign of zero     No Zero in Roman Calendar     Early Evidences Of A Written Zero     The Journey of Zero     Zero, A Place Holder For Everything     Nothing went from India   Infinity – The Unfathomable Endlessness     Source of Infinity     Representing Infinity     Infinity – A Wholesome, Poorna Definition     Infinity – A Wholesome Appreciation     Journey of Infinity     Staal’s Stark Statement

  Numerals – India’s Counting Contribution     The Great Indian Impact     Of Indian Origin     Numerals Come Back a Full Circle   A Land of Measures and Metrics     Decimal – The Scale of 10     Expression from Units to Highest     Unique Expressions     Metric System     Nothing, but a Contrasting Image   Algebra     Bija Ganitham     Bija Ganitham to Algebra   Algorithm   Geometry   360 Degrees - Going Around in Circles!     Chakra and Circle     360 Degrees from 1 x 360 days     360 Degrees from 360 pairs of Offsprings          360 Degrees from 4 x 90 names     360 Degrees from 12x30 days     360 Degrees from 360 Sunrises     Summing All the Angles   The Story of Pi (∏)     The Most Valuable Ratio     PI - The Paridhi-Vyasa Sambandhana     Circular Shapes For Usage     Circular Structures that Towered     Circular Sky to Map     Circular Seas to Navigate     The Formulation of Pi     Birth of Pi     Birth of the notion of Pi     Birth of the name Pi     Journey of Pi     Pi – A Perimeter Around the World   Trigonometry     Trijya, The Basis for Trigonometry

    From Jya to Sine     Sine – A Good Sign   Calculus – Its Origins     Calculus – The Science of Calculating     Another Dimension to Calculus – Challenges to Calculating     Calculus – The Indian Answer     Calculus From Indian Theology     Study of Calculus in India     Calculus - the Basis   Meru – Mathematical Pyramids     A Common Name     The Indian base to Pyramids     Indian Pyramids, Meru     Meru in Literature and Culture     Meru, Joining Body and Mind in Yoga     Meru in Worship   The Golden Triangle of Meru     Meru Prastara in Sastra     Fibonacci’s Sequence in Maths     A Golden Ratio   Yantra – The Zenith of Pyramids, The Meru     Golden Ratio – Basis of Divine Art     A Geometric Progression of Divine Art     A Common Pattern     Meru Prastara - A Divine Arrangement        Yantra – The Geomtery in Nature     Understanding Pyramids     Missing the Connect     Joining the Worlds     Meru, The Summit of Human Thought   Maths - Securing Communication & Civilization     Modern Cryptography – Science of Encoding     Encoding Love     Encoding War     Encoding Worship     Encoding Knowledge     Encoding Harmony / Music     Encoded Metres     Encoding Immortality

    An Expression of Mathematics     From Mathematics to Ethics   Maths, Ganitham - A Heavy Subject   Travel of Mathematics from India to Europe     Need for Indian Mathematics     An Underestimated Contribution     An Untraced Contribution     A Witness Even After 400 Centuries   Mathematics – A Resounding Contribution from India     Intellect and Imagination     A Designated Space for Intellect     Indian “Math” and Greek “Mathematica”     Phonetic and Semantic Similarity in Mathematics   Crest of the Peacock – Intellect In Sway   Music – A Mix of Maths, Mood and Melody     A Song In The Lips     Thus Evolved Prose     Soon Came Poetry     Evolution of Music     Similar Music, Similar Notes     Do Re Mi – The European Notes     A Noteworthy Question     India’s Music Tradition     Saptaswara – Origins in Nature     An Age Old Structuring     The Influence of Sama Gana     Saman to Psalm     The Profundity in the Indian Notes     An Undeniable Inference     The Concluding Note   IST – Indian Standard Time / Prime Meridian     GMT - Greenwich Meridian Time     Keeping Time With Meridians     Meridian – The Midday     Why Greenwich?     Past Prime Meridians     Ujjain – Prime Meridian of The Ancient World     Maha Kaleshwara Temple – An ancient Observatory?     Significance of Ujjain

    The Cardinal Points on Earth     Implications of a Prime Meridian     Tracing Ujjain’s History     Ujjain – The Timekeeper     Tracing the Timeline for World’s Timeline     The Ancient Date Line     Knowledge Share     A Joke     An Irony   Khaki   Pyjama     Dressing Tips from Tipu     A Pyjama Wardrobe     Pyjama Fashion   Umbrella       A Shady Contraption   Shampoo   Rocketry     From where, when, how?     Rocket Force     The Rocket Centre     The Rocket Havoc     A Crashing Defeat     British Interest     Father and Son Duo     Congreve Rockets     Fireworks -  Works for Display     Tips from Tipu     Resounding Voices     Rockets Go Way Back in India     A Scathing Acknowledgement     A Long Trail

PART 2 - STARTED IN INDIA   Chess     A Sindhi Legend     Arabic Acknowledgement     The Persian Connect     Losing Limbs in Chess Than In War

    Chess Travels Further West to Europe     Chess In a Cipher by Vedanta Desika     Antiquity of Chess     Games of War Strategy     Games of Chance     The Croatian Coat Of Truth     Chess Goes to China     The Black and White Fact     Spread of Chess From India   Board Games     Pachisi – A Precursor to Ludo     Vice from Dice     Morals Through Dice     Board Games Travel     Board Games - Etched in Time   Club Sports     Snooker     Carrom – A Precursor To Snooker And Billiards     Cards     Shuttlecock – Badminton   Polo     History of Polo     Invention of Polo     1400 BCE - Pana     34 BCE     1210 CE     1500s CE     Brits take to Polo     Polo develops Team Spirit     Polo Pierces A Hole Into Aryan Myth   Contact Sports     Karate     Jujutsu     The Roots     Parent Form Still Alive     Martial Arts in India     India’s Hand In Martial Arts   Stadium     Indian Stadia – Rangabhoomi

    Sports Stadia of Dholavira     Convergence of literature, tradition and archaeology     Precursor to Greek and Roman stadia     Sports - A Long Time Entertainer   Epilogue

Autobiography of India BRAND BHARAT Vol 2 ROOTS IN INDIA D.K.HARI D.K.HEMA HARI BHARATH GYAN SERIES Bridging Worlds Thru Knowledge Experience The Knowledge Of India

Original title :  Brand Bharat Vol 2 - Roots In India

First Edition : September 2017 ISBN - 978-93-85254-73-4 Copyrights 2017 © Bharath Gyan & Sri Sri Publications Trust All rights reserved. Editing, Illustrations, Graphics & Layout : Virendra Singh Thakur, Rahul Kaimal, Manjunath Fattepur, C.Jeyakar and Pooja Bhatia - Bharath Gyan Studio Published by : Sri Sri Publications Trust Art of Living International Centre 21st km, Kanakapura Road, P.O. Udayapura, Bangalore - 560082. INDIA Email: [email protected] Website: www.sattvastore.com Toll Free : 1800-258-8888 No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher. Printed In India by

Dedication This entire series, “Autobiography of India”, is dedicated to Aditya and Varun, our twin, 5 year old nephews, representatives of the future generations, to whom we want to leave behind this legacy – knowledge about their civilization and its ethos. Aditya is a name for the Divine Sun and Varun is a name for the Divine Rain. Aditya and Varun are constant reminders of how blessed this land, Bharatavarsha is, to receive bountiful rain and shine consistently. Rain and Shine are what our ancestors had leveraged ingeniously to make this a long-lasting, prosperous civilization. They were a role model for millennia! Aditya and Varun seem to convey this message from the Sun and the Rains.

Leverage us, your rain and shine, To stay Prosperous and Fine, For generations in line All the way through time!

We can see a Rainbow, Indradhanush, only when Rain and Shine come together! Rainbow seen from the Art of Living, Bengaluru, Photo Courtesy - Sameer Mehta

Benedictory Note

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Founder, The Art of Living

India is the cradle of humanity and knowledge of all kinds flourished holistically here from time immemorial. Science and Spirituality were never in conflict in this country and that is why Her ancient wisdom is timeless. India scaled the peaks of philosophical thought and art while also being a land of abundant prosperity for centuries. Most Indians are not familiar with the brilliance that existed here and attracted attention from Europe, West Asia and South East Asia across times. DK Hari and Hema Hari have put in years of research to uncover India’s ancient legacy, which is presented in this series called ‘Autobiography of India’. I am happy at their efforts to revive unknown and unique aspects of our history. My blessings and best wishes for all their noble endeavors. 9 September 2017 Bengaluru, India

About Bharath Gyan

Bharath Gyan is an endeavour to bridge old and new worlds by repurposing knowledge from the past, for the present and future, so that it can be experienced and applied. Indian knowledge, her ethos and global ties are of special focus in this interdisciplinary and rational, civilizational study. Bharath Gyan presents a wholistic perspective of India in a manner appealing to the modern mind. Bharath Gyan has been collating specific, scientific knowledge of India, using ancient knowledge sources as well as modern scientific tools and methods. The knowledge of the Indian civilization is available scattered in various forms – books, manuscripts, oral tradition amongst scholars, various art forms, customs and traditions of the land. The current generation is faced with a barrier while reaching out to this knowledge due to the limited access to such sources. The ancient languages, the style of expression used and their approach to the subjects which differ from the present way of expression, pose a challenge too.

In Bharath Gyan, as part of our quest for the specific scientific knowledge and practices of the civilization, we have come across many stories, ideas, views, theories, factual events and statements. With the help of traditional scholars with a modern bent of mind and modern scientists open to traditional knowledge systems, we have endeavoured to carefully sift through all this data, with an inquisitive, rational, logical and scientific mind to understand the knowledge from a fresh interdisciplinary perspective. The outcome of this analysis is the compilation of Bharath Gyan. Over 15 years, spanning across 108 subjects, the independent facts and data collated, self validate and corroborate each other beautifully in this compilation, as pieces of a jigsaw. Bharath Gyan, is a knowledge foundation that brings this knowledge out through engaging mediums, so that it can be easily understood and enjoyed by all, across the world. The objective is to present this knowledge and wisdom, from a present day perspective, with relevance to current topics of interest and tribulations faced by India as well as the world. Besides filling the readers with wonder at the not-so-commonly known  facets of our ancient civilization, it is hoped that this knowledge and approach of the ancients will kindle or aid future research for the benefit of science and mankind. Can we make the past converge with the present for the future? Ours is perhaps not the first effort in this direction, neither should it be the last … Encouraged by His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Bharath Gyan - Art of Living is an initiative to take this compiled knowledge, to the community at large. Our website www.bharathgyan.com provides more insights into our activities.

About the Authors

Authors, D.K.Hari and D.K.Hema Hari

D.K.Hari and D.K.Hema Hari are founders of Bharath Gyan, a civilizational study initiative to compile and present the knowledge of India, its traditions, its culture, its global ties - in short, its ethos, from an Indian perspective. The Hari couple have travelled extensively to over 30 countries and visited museums, expositions and other attractions worldwide to understand those civilizations, their culture and knowledge. It was this exposure that motivated this husband-wife duo of management and IT professionals to turn into research collators and conceptualize “Bharath Gyan” as an endeavour to fill the void in the showcasing of the knowledge, practices and culture of the Indian civilization across the millennia. They collate information on the knowledge in India through the ages and disseminate it for suitable appreciation and application. Their method to collating this knowledge is purely driven by questioning. Allowing questioning to lead thought and search, has yielded this collection, which is again presented through questions and answers, using multimedia technology for effective sharing of information and grasp.

With factual content on 108 different subjects on the state of knowledge in India, its traditions and its sustainable practices compiled over 15 years of dedicated research, the Hari couple have evolved into subject matter experts on the overall understanding of India across ages from over 8000 years ago to the present. They have given a few hundred lectures across India and the globe, to wide audiences ranging from the research community, to educational institutions, to Corporates, social organizations and in various conferences on technology, management, history, tradition, culture and religion. Based on their research, they have authored till date, 22 books and produced 5 documentaries as well as many short films that span a wide spectrum of disciplines, such as: Creation -  Srishti Vignana (a book on the science of Creation from Indian thought) A trilogy on Historicity of Rama º  Historical Rama º  Ramayana In Lanka º  Ayodhya – War and Peace A trilogy on Historical Krishna º  Dating of Krishna º  Footprints of Krishna º  Facets of Krishna

•  You Turn India (on the secret behind the  prosperity of India for millennia)

•   Indo-Japan A Connect Over Millennia (on the ties that these 2 ancient civilizations have shared across the times)

•   Telugu Talli – Her Unknown Side - Facets of Telugu Culture and Prosperity

•  Understanding Shiva (a book that explains the Shiva Tattva)

•    2012 – The Real Story (that shows the connect between the Indian and ancient America)

•    Triple

Eclipse 2009 (that presents an intriguing side to the phenomenon of 3 eclipses occurring back to back within a month in the decade between 2009 to 2019)

•  Historical Rama (Film in English, Hindi, Tamil and Kannada) •  Creation – Srishti Vignyana (Film in English and Tamil) •  Understanding Shiva (Film in English) •  Wonders of Indian Astronomy (Film in English). They have started penning a monumental series called the “Autobiography of India” comprising of many multi-volume titles, of which, 2 titles have been published. Brand Bharat (A 5 volume title about how India was a Brand for many things in the past and how it can position itself as a Brand in future too) º  Made in India º  Roots in India º  Unique to India º  Leads from India º  Future from India Breaking The Myths (A 4 volume title about the various myths that have shrouded people’s perception of India and what the reality is.) º  About Identity º  About Society º  About Prosperity º  About Ability They are active on social media too.

About Autobiography of India Autobiography of India. Why this name for a book? How can a country write an autobiography? How can one person or in this case, two individuals write the autobiography of a nation? To clarify, we all know that a biography of a person is written by another, after studying the activities, experiences and the turning events in the life of this person. In the case of a person’s autobiography, one pens one’s own thoughts, views and experiences. Now, in the case of a nation, a country, a civilization, they are looked at, as living entities too. Don’t we refer to India as a mother and don’t the Germans refer to their land as a fatherland? A nation lives, experiences and grows through its people. The people of a nation, form the family of the nation, its children. In that sense, when we, the children of this nation, this country, this civilization, write about our family, our ancestors, our society, our nation, our country, our civilization, we are but, writing our own Autobiography, as well as that of our nation, India. Autobiography of India is not separate from our legacy. And, we are fortunate to have such a long legacy. But, it is so long and continuous, that we are going to have to narrate it in themes, to keep the continuity going across ethos and time. Autobiography of India thus, is developing into a series of themes and a wonderful experience. Further, each of the themes in this series too, has had to be arranged as a multi-volume book, keeping in mind the ease of handling and reading, by

one and all. Autobiography of India, as a series, is thus an endless endeavour. For, we are narrating the story of how we have come to be what we are today, going as far back in time as our collective knowledge will allow us to, in order to see what our ancestors had done, to see us safely into, thus far in time – i.e. their future. But, what is the value of this journey, if we cannot bring back leads from them, on how to live in our future so that, someday our progeny too will proudly travel down memory lane to reach upto us. Autobiography of India, the story of this living civilization, will continue beyond our lives, as the next generation starts to live and write, from where we leave off. Hopefully what they add to the story then, will be success stories based on our learnings and from where we would have left off.

Preface Everyone has an innate interest to trace one’s roots. One’s surname is in a way, a way of anchoring oneself to one’s roots. One’s mother tongue is a way of anchoring oneself to one’s roots. In the case of a civilization too, an anchor to its roots is a strong need. Contra to its purpose of weighing down, an anchor in the case of a civilization, helps it soar high. For, without this anchor, the roots, who is to keep the multitude of people that make up the civilization, soaring in the same direction without going adrift? Whenever a civilization flourishes or even starts to flourish, this search for an anchor, the expression of the anchor, the directional guidance from its roots, becomes innate to it. In the 1970s, in the United States of America, there was a popular book by the name Roots which traced the ancestry of the author to an African slave who had been imported into America, from where, the idea of each one searching for one’s ancestry became a fond pass time. In the Christian thought, one day in a year, is set aside as All Souls Days, for going to the cemetery to recall the good deeds of their forefathers. In the Hindu thought too, this practice exists in the form of Mahalaya Amavasya, which comes around the Autumnal equinox, where everyone recalls their ancestry, prays for their ancestors and reminisces on the good deeds of their forefathers. It is not just an occasion for recalling the genealogy alone, but also for recalling the various facets of these people that are worthy of recollection. While this is so for individuals and families, it is true at a civilizational level too. India as a continuously surviving civilization, living from over an accepted time window of atleast 8000 years, has many such facets which made it a brand to be reckoned with. These brands worthy of recall are so many that it became necessary for us to split them across volumes. 

Brand Bharat in the Autobiography of India series from the Bharath Gyan collection, therefore comprises 5 volumes as on date – Vol 1, Made in India Vol 2, Roots in India Vol 3, Unique to India Vol 4, Leads from India Vol 5, Future from India

ROOTS IN INDIA A land and its people are respected by the depth of knowledge evident in their day to day activities, their character. Such a depth of knowledge can only come about when it has been handed down from generation to generation as a legacy. For, knowledge has to be honed and whetted over time and experience. Knowledge is a continuum. There is no end to it. And who knows what was there before it began spreading? The only way it continues to live is by spreading. A living civilization is a reservoir of knowledge with many worthy aspects, as otherwise the civilization would not have survived. This is why people of a living civilization give importance to their heritage. The very word heritage comes from the root, “to inherit”. It denotes that, which has come to someone from their earlier generation / generations. The concept of legacy is also similar, wherein, it is not just the tangible but intangible too, which legally comes down to them. Today the world has a name for this intangible legacy that can be handed down – IP, intellectual property. This volume, “Roots in India”, tries to list out some of the noteworthy, intangible assets that took root in India and which India has shared happily with the world at large. Many of these over time, have also been misappropriated by other civilizations, given a different makeover and sent back to India as brand

new. By then sadly, many generations and events had come to pass in India that India did not recognize these as her own. India owes it to her roots, to her ancestors, to recall the assets that they had left behind for her to safeguard as knowledge which had come down to them from their predecessors in turn. Not to just recall and safeguard but to recollect these antique pieces of heirlooms and create newer offshoots, trends and brands, for generations to come, as their legacy. Let us look at some of such brands of the world that have their roots in India.

Foreword-1

Prof. S.R.Srinivasa Varadhan, FRS Padma Bhushan, Abel Prize, Steele Prize, Birkhoff Prize National Medal of Science, USA Professor, The Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York, USA

India’s contributions  to Mathematics, Astronomy and Philosophy are well documented. But students in India  are not informed about it. For example, while many study calculus and  learn about the  contributions of Newton and Leibniz they are not made aware of the contributions of the Kerala school that preceded them. This book by the Hari couple is the result of many years of research on  various contributions of Indian scholars in mathematics and related fields. They have explored systematically multiple sources and have carefully documented them when ever possible. While seminal ideas have often come from Indian Scholars, there has not been continuous development in India. Rather the ideas have been imported from India to the west by Arabian and Western scholars and developed continuously there.

The book is aimed at a wide audience. Some topics are easily accessible to high school students while others require some technical mathematical knowledge. But the book is informative and I enjoyed reading it. I applaud Hari and Hema Hari for completing the very difficult task of doing the ground work and bringing out this volume. Incidentally there are some non mathematical tidbits that are amusing. I liked the story about shampoo. May 15, 2017 New York, USA

Foreword-2

May 23, 2017 Bengaluru.

Acknowledgements We have been singularly fortunate to have been born in this land of ancient wisdom and seers. We owe a lot to our parents who have brought us into this world and provided us with the right education, upbringing and guidance. The values and traditions of this ancient civilization inculcated in us by our family and teachers are what have formed the basis for our work at Bharath Gyan. We are indebted to our family and friends for their continued support and encouragement in our endeavour. Having embarked on our quest, many scholars, thinkers and students of the knowledge of India have come forward and helped us in our collation of the Bharath Gyan knowledgebase. Some have helped by offering data, while some others, through their questions that made us think and look for the data. Many traditional scholars have patiently tolerated our inquisitiveness and have laboriously searched and retrieved from the ancient texts, the data we had requested of them and explained the same to us in simple layman terms. Without their mastery over old and new, their knowledge, their mind-set and support, this bridge from the ancient to the present day would never have been built. Then faced with the task of dissemination, many friends and experts have come forward to help review our works and take it to stages of production. We owe a lot to their support without which our compilation could not have seen the light of the day. We are indebted to His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar for the faith reposed in us and our work and for offering us a platform, to share the knowledgebase we have collated, with the community at large. We would be failing in our character, if we do not acknowledge more importantly, the unseen forces which have connected us up with these right sources of information and noble people just in time, just as we were

looking for the information and help. The list is therefore very long and words fail us to thank everyone sufficiently. Hence we take refuge in the all encompassing words of the 18th century Indian poet Saint Thyagaraja – Entharo Mahanu Bhavulu Anthariki Vanadanamulu There are many noble persons as well as ancestors (behind this work) and we salute them all.

PART 1 - ROOTED IN INDIA

Buddhism Bharatvarsha, as it was known a few millennia ago, was the land where the Buddha was born. The footprints of Buddha are spread over present day Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh. Here is where Buddhism, one of world’s most peaceful, yet powerful religions was born. A religion, that allures people in search of inner calm. It is from this land that the teachings of Buddha spread to the world, especially to East, South and South East Asia, where we see the lands adorning not just imprints of Buddhism but also statues of Buddha made from stone, to stucco, to semi precious stones, to emerald, to gold. The Buddhist monks from India undertook severe hardships to journey far and wide carrying the message and teachings of the Buddha. Many in these regions took to Buddhism on experiencing the philosophical depth of Buddhism and started seeking for more knowledge. 

Buddhist monks travelling amidst hardships to take the message of Buddhism to new lands and new peoples

India became a vibrant Buddhist centre to which people from all over the world, flocked to learn Buddhism.

BAMIYAN – GATEWAY TO THE LAND OF THE BUDDHA

The way, the Statue of Liberty was the symbol of hope for the migrants coming to USA from Europe at the turn of the century, in early 1900s, towering Buddhas in Bamiyan in present day Afghanistan, played a similar role for the knowledge seekers coming to India from Central Asia. The caves of the Bamiyan Buddha statues in Afghanistan, which were witness to the large flow of visitors to India stand brutalized today. Yet, less than a millennium ago, these statues marked the entry point to the land of the Buddha from the Northwest, as Buddhism was widespread in Central Asia too, where it was a vibrant religion till about 1000 CE. The Bamiyan Buddha stood like sentinels guiding the people coming from Central Asia to the land of Buddha. Today, there is hardly any Buddhism left in Central Asia nor are there the Bamiyan Buddhas.

Bamiyan, focal point for entry to India

Panorama of Bamiyan, dotted with caves and the Bamiyan Buddha Statues

BUDDHISM IN SOUTH AND EAST ASIA

Buddhism today is a flourishing religion in over a dozen East and South East Asian countries such as Mongolia, China, Sri Lanka, Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Korea and Japan.

Countries in East and South East Asia where Buddhism spread

Buddhism is one of the biggest exports of India. Infact, today, there are more people practicing Buddhism outside India than in India. Buddhism has come to be a brand for meditation today and India, the land of the Buddha and Buddhism.

Zen Buddhism In the medieval period, around 760 CE, there was a great Buddhist monk by the name Bodhidharma who travelled from Kanchipuram in South India, over the seas, to China taking with him the teachings of Buddha and meditation, dhyanam. The dhyanam, dhyan, he imported into China came to be called Chan in China, which, when it travelled to Japan through Buddhist Master Hui Neng, became Zen in the Japanese.

     Bodhidharma and Master Hui Neng

Bodhidharma Temple, Mount Song, Japan

From this was born Zen Buddhism, a very happening thought of the modern world.

One of the more popular books of the modern era to bring out values based on Zen philosophy to the world, has been “Zen and the art of Motorcycle Maintenance” by Robert Pirsig.

While today, Zen Buddhism is looked at as a Japanese philosophy, it has its roots in India.

Zero The significance of Zero, Nil, Null is yet to be fathomed fully.

DUE TO ZERO Mathematics and Science have developed to what it is today, due to zero.

-Prof. G.P.Halstead, On the Foundation and Technique of Arithmetic

- Lancelot Hogben, Mathematician in his book “Mathematics for Million”

    Lancelot Hogben

But zero was neither invented nor discovered. It is a principle that exists in the Universe and ancient Indians had had the insight to understand it and

express it as Shunya many millennia ago right from the times of the Veda.

NO ZERO IN ROMAN NUMERALS If you observe there is no figure, shape or letter for zero in the Roman numerals. For, the concept of zero was not known to the Europeans till the 1500s.

INTRODUCTION OF ZERO INTO EUROPE Post the dark ages, in early Renaissance period, in the 1500s, Zero made its way into Europe. When it was first introduced into Europe there was resistance to Zero.

THE INCOMPREHENSIBLE ZERO What kind of crazy symbol is this ‘0’, which means nothing? Is it a digit? It is incomprehensible but powerful. Zero before anything, like 03, is nothing but after anything, like 30, makes it that many times bigger.

A popular illustration from early 1500s showing how Europe found Zero incomprehensible A coloured version of the old original painting for clarity

ZERO – A SIGN OF CONFUSION This number created lot of doubts and confusion in the minds of the people which is why a French writer wrote,

A popular illustration from early 1500s showing how Europe found Zero incomprehensible A coloured version of the old original painting for clarity

A 15th century un-named French Writer’s description of Zero

Still others, who could not comprehend it, called it the work of devil. Others ridiculed it.

Zero, Work of Devil

PROFOUND SIGN OF ZERO

A Profound Scholar – One who understood Zero

Those who could understand the concept of 0 became scholars overnight. Zero acquired a profound significance.

NO ZERO IN ROMAN CALENDAR Another proof that the Romans did not know of Zero can be seen in the Roman calendar which did not have the year 0. For, after 1 BC, the calendar moved to 1 AD. This is reflected as late as in the 1500s, in the Gregorian calendar too, which is followed world over, to this day.

No Zero Year in the Roman, Gregorian Calendar

EARLY EVIDENCES OF A WRITTEN ZERO Gwalior, India One of the early evidences for Zero as a written symbol can be found in stone inscriptions in India at the Chatur Bhuj temple in the Gwalior Fort dating to 876 CE. There are 2 inscriptions with the number zero written using the symbol circle, in use even today. The presence of such a symbol, especially in 2 inscriptions and that too, in the middle of a series of numbers, rules out the possibility that it may be a figure of art or an incidental symbol.  One of these inscriptions records that a grant of 270 x 187 hasta (a measure of length similar to cubit) of land is being made to a temple. Another one states that, from the endowment fund, 50 garlands ought to be provided as offering to the deity in the temple. In both these numbers, the digit zero can be seen distinctly alongside the other numbers.

The Chatur Bhuj Vishnu Temple in Gwalior Fort

Gwalior Chatur Bhuja temple is thus regarded as the Temple of Zero today with the earliest written evidence for now, of the Zero symbol as we use today.

Inscription with the symbol for 0 in 270

Inscription with 0 in 50

Cambodia Another earlier evidence, but in the form of a dot, has been traced to a stone inscription dated 683 CE at Cambodia which was originally reported in 1930 by French researcher, Georges Coedes but was lost in the plunder of Pol Pot during the Khmer Rouge rule. Rediscovered by Amir D Aczel, this inscription is now under the care of the Cambodian National Museum, Phnom Penh. It is a record of the year 605 in the local Cambodian calendar which translates to 683 CE in the Gregorian calendar. Cambodia was greatly influenced by Indian culture and knowledge and this inscription stands as an evidence for the spread of the knowledge of zero eastwards from India.

Zero as a dot in the middle of the 2 digits, 6 and 5 forming the number 605 in the Inscription at Cambodia Inscription K-127, from Sambor on Mekong. Photo Credit: Debra Gross Aczel, Discover Magazine, May 20, 2013

Bakshali Manuscript, India Going further back in time, are the manuscripts on arithmetic found at Bakshali in Northwest India.

A fragment of the Bakshali Manuscript on Birch bark

These manuscripts hold forth on the decimal value system and also show the use of 10 numerals.

The Bakshali Numbers , Source – “On Bakshali Manuscripts” by Dr.R.Hoernle, Vienna, 1887

These manuscripts were found in the Yusufzai district of Peshawer region, at the extreme Northwestern frontier of India. These manuscripts, 70 leaves in number, were written on birch bark leaves and were dug out by a peasant from a ruined enclosure, from amidst stones in 1881. They were handed over to Dr.Rudolf Hoernle for study and publication, by the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab then.  They are currently housed in the Bodleian Library, University of Oxford. After studying these manuscripts in details, Dr.Hoernle is of the opinion that these manuscripts cannot be dated post 3rd Century CE for the following reasons. 1.   The text is in Shloka form, which went out of trend around 5th century CE from Aryabhatta’s times.

2.   The language and dialect used is Gatha, which was a peculiar mix of Sanskrit  and Prakrit found in Northwestern India and this ceased to be used around 3rd Century CE. 3.  The examples given in the text use Dinar and Dramma for gold and silver coins respectively as the popular currency in use then in that region, indicating it must have been a period of the reign of Kanishka and Huvishka in India and Hadrian, Pius in Rome around 2nd century CE. But Dr.Hoernle also opines that while that particular edition of the manuscript was dateable to a period between 1st and 3rd century CE, Bakshali mathematics as such, was much older, indicating that there could have been earlier manuscripts too with zeros and 10 numerals.

THE JOURNEY OF ZERO The English word Zero draws its origin from the Indian word shunya as it travelled from India, westward. The travel of Zero from India to Europe, through Persia, Arabia, Central Europe to England and through the centuries, shows how and when Shunya morphed to Zero.

Prof. Ginsburg in “New Light of Our Numerals”

While there seems to be no connection linguistically between the word Shunya and Zero, this travel chart of Zero, shows not only the geographical route taken but also the linguistic route it morphed through.

Travel of zero

All of this has been well brought out in this Encyclopaedia entry.

Encyclopaedia entry showing introduction of Zero into Europe, the confusion caused by Zero and the lack of Zero in their Calendar -  International Encyclopaedia of Communications, Oxford University Press, USA, 1989, Vol 3, Pg 213

ZERO, A PLACE HOLDER FOR EVERYTHING The Indian knowledge system had well understood the process of Creation of the Universe and the concept of Hiranyagarbha, the golden glowing, cosmic egg from which everything arose. Hiranyagarbha denoted the nothingness from which emanated the entire Universe. Hence they adopted the shape of an egg, as a dot, to denote Shunya, zero, which, everything, including every aspect of Mathematics also arose. The very word Shunya etymologically comes from nya in Samskrt meaning nothing, none etc. Shunya means to decrease, to vanish, be nothing as compared to Shuyati meaning to increase, to spread, to grow big.

NOTHING WENT FROM INDIA The Indians offered to the world, the name shunya for zero, an explanation for the concept of zero and the symbol 0 for zero. Zero is truly a brand of Bharat. If, among the many brands of Bharat, only a few are to be placed on her tiara, then Zero certainly will find a central place there. Bharat came to be known for “Nothing”. “Nothing” is a brand of India.

Infinity – The Unfathomable Endlessness In modern science, the symbol for infinity is, ∞ . This symbol for Infinity was set in mathematics by John Wallis, the English Mathematician in the year 1655.

Symbol for infinity

John Wallis, Mathematician

How the concept of Infinity and its imagery could well have travelled from India to medieval Europe, to reach John Wallis, is indeed interesting.

SOURCE OF INFINITY From one abstract principle of zero, Shunya, the ancient Indian mind had reached out to another abstract principle in mathematics, at the other end of the spectrum, which is the concept of Anantha, infinity. When the Universe is inside the Hiranyagarbha, the cosmic egg, everything that makes up the Universe, is inside this Hiranyagarbha, just a dot, the

symbol of zero. The moment the Big Bang, Brahmanda Visphotaka takes place, the cosmic egg blasts open and spews out all the matter which forms the expansive Universe instantaneously.

Big Bang – A Graphical Representation

Space gets created to hold this spewed out Universe and becomes immeasurable. This is the concept of infinity, Anantha. It is that which is beyond measure, beyond quantification- that whose nature is immeasurable, unfathomable. Antha is end.  An antha means no end, endless, infinite.

REPRESENTING INFINITY To represent this unfathomable, endlessness for human understanding, Indians symbolized infinity by a coiled snake called Anantha in Indian thought, since in a coiled snake, one cannot figure out where the head starts nor where the tail ends.

Anantha, a coiled snake representing Infinity

Popular form of Snake Worship in India

Just like Shunya or Zero, infiniteness is a natural phenomenon in the Universe. It was not invented by any individual. The realization of this infiniteness has come down to man along with his understanding of the cosmos and its origins. Along with the concept of Zero, many millennia ago, the ancient Indians had grasped the profoundness of the concept of infinity, given it a term and a symbol.

INFINITY – A WHOLESOME, POORNA DEFINITION One of the important ways of propitiating the divine is through Homa. The completion of the Homa ritual, “Poornahuti” takes place with the utterance of a sloka which is more than 5000 years old.

-Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, Satapatha Brahmana

In simpler language,

If there is an explanation for the concept of what constitutes infiniteness, infinity, this seems close to it. The sum and substance of this ritual and sloka, is the propitiation of Divine Nature with a clear understanding of the Infiniteness in the divinity and the cosmos. This was repeated all over the land at the end of every Homa ritual which showcases to us that the infinity was not an obscure thought but one that was known, understood and repeated almost every day. This knowledge of the concept of “infinite”, along with the knowledge of the infiniteness of universe, space, time and the knowledge in it, seems to have been an underlying basis for dealing with “Infinity” as a number in Ganitham, Mathematics in India as evidenced by the 7th century CE, Mathematical text from India, Brahmasphuta Siddhanta of Brahmagupta and in Beejaganita of Bhaskaracharya, later in the 12th century.

In present day mathematical terms and symbols, which came into practice with John Wallis’ introduction of the symbol ∞, 500 years later, one would write this as, ∞+N=∞

INFINITY – A WHOLESOME APPRECIATION

Textile with Anantha Sesha print -An Artist’s representation

The symbolism and reverence for Infinity can be seen in the profuse number of sculptures of the coiled snake, Anantha in the temples of India.  It was also brought forth to the common man through paintings, poetry, literature, and motifs in handicrafts, textiles and in garments that people wore. The Anantha symbol has been a regular motif through the times, in saris, dress material, borders and the likes.

JOURNEY OF INFINITY India was regularly exporting textile piece goods to Arabia and from thereon to Europe. These Indian textile goods were called as Indiene in Europe between 1400 and 1600 CE. One probable specific medium for the transit of this symbol and the thought behind it, to Europe, could well have been through these textiles. In 1650s, the British had landed in India and had established their trading posts.

One of the primary exports from this trading post in Coramandal coast was textiles which included dyed and printed cloth. One of the common motifs in the printed cloth was Anantha Sesha. These textiles were primarily exported to England. In 1655, John Wallis, the British mathematician, was looking for a symbol to connote infinity. John Wallis could well have come across this imported cloth in England and taken the idea of this symbol and name therefrom. If you closely observe the shape of Anantha Sesha, it resembles the shape of the modern symbol of infinity.

Trading Post of English, Fort Saint George, Madras

STAAL’S STARK STATEMENT Prof.Frits Staal, Professor Emeritus Philosophy and South and SouthEast Asian Studies, University of California, Berkeley, USA, states,

Prof.Frits Staal

Among other things, Brand Bharat stood for this infinite knowledge and wisdom.

Numerals – India’s Counting Contribution

Albert Einstein – A Caricature

The Indian civilization has given forth a very healthy contribution to the field of mathematics and from thereon to science. The present numerals used in the world are a contribution of the Indian mind. 400 years ago marked the start of a Renaissance, post the dark ages in Europe. This Renaissance led to a sudden spurt in science and application of science and technology in Europe and other parts of the world. This sudden spurt has been primarily possible because of the adoption of Indian numerals in the methodology of counting and its application in the field of mathematics. In the words of the noted historian, A.L.Basham, in his book, “The Wonder That Was India”,

A.L.Basham

The Book, “The Wonder That Was India”

THE GREAT INDIAN IMPACT The impact that these numerals of the ancient Indians have had across the globe, through the times cannot be described in words. While it may come as a surprise to many in present times, it has been a recognized fact all across the world and all through the times. All through

history, there have been sincere mathematicians and scholars who have given due credit to India for its fair share of knowledge share, especially in the sphere of Mathematics. In the 10th century CE, there was the Spanish monk Vigila from the monastery of Albeda in the kingdom of Navarre. He made a copy of Isidore of Seville’s encyclopaedia in 976 CE. This copy which came to be called Codex Vigilanus is the earliest Latin manuscript to contain Arabic numerals. Vigila, in this copied work, added his own comments on arithmetic, to Isidore’s, based on accepted opinion then, after the times of Isidore of Seville. He writes,

The original Arabic document for Isidore’s work as well as Vigila’s copy, however, was the book on Arabic numerals by Al-Khwarizmi, which he called “On Indian Numerals”. Al-Khwarizmi was the foremost of the mathematicians who frequented Baghdad’s House of Wisdom and lived until 850 CE.

Arithmeticae painting, Rome – A coloured version of the old original, for clarity

Lady Justitia with scales

In the 13th century, Leonardo of Pisa, better known as Fibonacci, showered praise on this Hindu system of numerals. This 16th century painting, “Arithmeticae” in Rome, shows a person calculating with Indian Numerals and another person calculating with the

Abacus board and Arithmeticae as the Judge in the middle. When we note the painting carefully, we see that the person calculating with  Indian numerals is shown with a more open dress as he comes from warmer south. The person calculating with abacus is from the cold North and hence dons a fur dress. In the background of the picture is a lady named Arithmeticae judging the two, quite similar to the paintings on law which depict law as a blind folded lady, Lady Justitia, with a balance in her hand. After finding this system of counting to be better for calculation than the existing Roman numerals, a couple of decades later, another painting was done in the same city of Rome in the year 1543, showing that the Indian numerals had been accepted as the method of calculation for all scientific needs.

Acceptance of Indian numerals - year 1543 – A coloured version of the old original, for clarity

It is only after this that science in Europe grew in leaps and bounds.

OF INDIAN ORIGIN

While Europe acknowledges Arabia as the source for its numerals and many of its mathematical concepts, Al Biruni, the Persian scholar of repute who came to India along with Mahmud of Ghazni, 1000 years ago itself acknowledged that Arabia got its system of numerals from India.

Statements of other Arabic mathematicians, existence of numerous manuscripts on mathematics as well as inscriptions with numeric symbols in India and various other evidences, point to the conclusion that the numerical symbols used in the modern world were indeed, created in India.

NUMERALS COME BACK A FULL CIRCLE These numbers and the concepts of mathematics surrounding them however came back to India with the British as Arabic numerals, which we use today.  It has come a full circle indeed!

Sizeable Lasting Contribution It is only the few recorded words from notable personages around the world that remain as proof of the sizeable contributions of our ancients to the world. Texts and scholars from Bharat, Hind, India were in great demand world over. They were the brand ambassadors of the knowledge of India. Numerals can be counted as a lasting contribution from Bharat. The very Numerals that we use to count today are a brand of Bharat.

A Land of Measures and Metrics Right from the Veda which were recited in certain metres, i.e beats or counts, this civilization has been going about life with a rhythm. The very word “rhythm” itself comes from the root rtha meaning pattern, cycle. From rtha comes the word rthu meaning seasons, which are patterns in Nature, the rhythm of Nature. With rhythm in its blood, counting and measuring was not far behind. Also with trade and a structured economy, as the prime means of prosperity, science of measuring and counting was fairly advanced in India. This is evidenced by the many measuring weights found in the archaeological sites of the port of Lothal and others across India, in the warehouses and foundries of erstwhile Indus Valley (Sindhu-Sarasvati civilization) cities and many more.

Weights and Measures dating to 2700 BCE, from National Museum, Delhi

The words Yojana for measuring distance and Yuga for measuring time, can be found, as way back, as in the Rig Veda, last compiled 5100 years ago.

DECIMAL – THE SCALE OF 10 But the pinnacle of this measuring skill is the use of a decimal based scale of 10, which was both easy to use and carry over, literally. The word “decimal” comes from the same root as the word Dasa, for 10. How did the ancient Indians come up with this decimal scale or scale of 10? From themselves, ofcourse! It was a natural form of counting, based on the number of digits in the palms and feet. It therefore was carried over from India all across the world. If Indians gave the place value, decimal system to the world, then what was practiced before that, the world over? The Roman writer, Pliny the Elder, in his book Naturalis Historiae, in 77CE mentions that

The highest terminologies in the ancient times, for the Greeks was Myriad - 10,000 i.e. 104 for the Romans was Mille - 1000 i.e. 103 Whereas for the Indians, Parardha which is 10,000,000,000,000,000 i.e. 1016 was itself a common number. Further systems in Jain literature such as Lalitavistara gives names for base numbers upto 10 raised to 145. Jain literature dealt with confidently in high numbers such as 10 raised to 145, 10 raised 421 etc.

The heap of decimals in one of the Indian number systems

Jain text Lalitavistara’s listing of the Place Values from 102 to 10145

To handle such large numbers India had evolved a 3 phased terminology.

•  Ekam – Unique names for numbers 1 to 10 in increasing order of 1 •   Dasa – Unique names for numbers 10 to 100 in increasing order of 10s

•  Shata - Unique names for powers of 10 starting with Shata which is 10 power 2 or 100. Such a numerical classification with a framework for decimal numbers and powers of ten, was laid by the Sage Medhatithi in around 313 verses in the Rig Veda as well as in the verses of Atharva Veda and Yajur Veda. Medhatithi brought in the concept of decimal numbers which made any value representable as a concatenation of 1 to many digits, where each digit varied from 0 to 9 and the position of each digit in the concatenated list had an effect of escalating the value the number represented. Aryabhata made it easier by introducing an alphanumeric way to represent the 10 digits of the decimal system uniquely. Katapayadi was another system wherein Devanagari alphabets were used to represent the numbers. The

name Katapayadi means the system which uses Ka, Ta, Pa, Ya and similar series of alphabets in the Samskrt alphabetical chart. Al-Biruni, the Persian chronicler, in his work Kitab-ul-Hind authored in 1030 CE while eulogizing about the Indian numeral system gives an example of how a large number such as 523 622 198 443 682 439, would have been expressed in India. The description of this number would sound like a sloka, poetic verse when read aloud and for someone who does not know what is being said, would sound like some religious chant.

Extract of decimal system from Al Biruni’s Kitab ul Hind Note: The describing of the number is from units to the highest place value. (i.e. from 9 to 5) Cha indicates the conjunction “and”

But discarding all occurrences of the conjunctive “cha”, which is nothing but “and”, all that this long verse is stating is,

In comparison here is how the same number will be described in both ancient as well as the latest system in use today

EXPRESSION FROM UNITS TO HIGHEST

It will be interesting to note that in the Indian system, the number was described from right to left, i.e.  from the units to the highest place value, in contrast to the present system of describing from highest place value to the units, i.e. left to right.

Inference This is perhaps a reflection of palm leaf being used as the medium used for writing in India then. A palm leaf conditioned for being used as a manuscript, has limited dimensions – both in length and width. This is in contrast to other mediums of scripting such as scrolls, stones, clay tablets, metallic plates, paper etc. which can be crafted to desired dimensions. This means, that in the case of materials other than palm leaf, one could start writing the number from a suitable position on the left hand side of the sheet, based on the length (number of orders) of the number and that of the sheet. Whereas, in the case of a palm leaf, since one is not sure of how much of the number can be accommodated on one palm leaf, the sensible way to write a number was to start from the lowest or right most digit and keep continuing as a verse, leaf after leaf until all the digits of the number are spelt out.

C orollary If palm leaf was the targeted medium when Indians were writing such long numbers, then as a corollary, this goes to imply that 1.    Indians have been writing from a very long time, even before other writing materials became popular in India and rest of the world 2.  Indians have been dealing with and writing large numbers even before other writing materials became popular in India and rest of the world.

UNIQUE EXPRESSIONS Al-Biruni further states,

-Al-Biruni, Kitabul Hind

He elaborates that,

-Al-Biruni, Kitabul Hind

This observation of Al-Biruni shows 1.  How Indians had unique names for many orders of numbers in the decimal system 2.    How the language of the Indians integrated sound, phonetics, phonology, physiology, morphology, semantics, syntax, grammar, prose, poetry to convey art, science, mathematics, philosophy and much more, seamlessly and with sublimity. 3.    How all these disciplines were integrated as one wholistic knowledge system. No wonder, J.B.Bernal had this to say about the Indian Place Value notation in his work “Science in History”.

    J.B.Bernal and Science in History

METRIC SYSTEM This Decimal system is the backbone of the Metric system that we are all conversant with today, without which we would not be able to relate

quantitatively.

The decimal place value system of India is the ‘base’ for today’s Metric System of the world. The words “metric”, “meter” come from Greek word Metron, Latin Metri and the Samskrt word Matra. All three mean “measure”. The decimal system can be truly called the number 1 brand of India.

NOTHING, BUT A CONTRASTING IMAGE Look at this contrast. It is this land India, which has shown through this decimal system, that zero has a lot of value. It is this same land India, which through its philosophy has also shown that “everything” in this world comes from “nothing” and “nothing” is, but

Shunya, zero, null. Who said Zero has no value?

Algebra The method of dealing with numbers and quantities known as Algebra today, can be traced to the Indian body of knowledge called Bija Ganitham.

BIJA GANITHAM Bija means seeds and Ganitham is mathematics in Samskrt. Bija Ganitham is that aspect of Ganitham that reduced the problem, the situation being studied, to expressions, in terms of basic entities or seeds involved and the relations between them - what in modern terminology are referred to as variables and alphanumeric equations. Bija Ganitham is also known as Avyakta Ganitham as against Arithmetic which is known as Vyakta Ganitham. Vyakta means distinct, identifiable. Avyakta means unidentifiable or unknown. And that is what today’s Algebra is also mostly about – dealing with unknowns, expressing them as relations and resolving these relations to determine the unknowns in them. The relationship was expressed using the word Roopa meaning “form”. Coming to think of it, another form of saying, “this is equal to that” is to say, but naturally, “this has the form of that”. Being able to express problems/happenings in the form of relationships was a path breaking development in the thought process itself of mankind. It enabled mankind to describe Science in a simple, written form. It enabled mankind to solve the mysterious unknowns in Science and understand things around him better.

This technique of determining unknown quantities using their relationships, was formally propounded and popularized by the 1114 CE born, leading astronomer cum mathematician Bhaskaracharya II. But Bhaskaracharya was only expounding and taking forward, to the next level, the ideas and thoughts already propounded earlier by his predecessors in Mathematics, such as Mahavira, going back to 8th century CE and Brahmagupta, going back to 7th century CE. From the few available works of these stalwart astronomers and mathematicians, one can gather that they were not the first to be thinking along those lines. It would be hard to trace as to when exactly were the seeds of Bija Ganitham, sowed for the first time in Indian thought. All that can be traced today is how these seeds germinated into full fledged subjects by the 12th century and then how they morphed into the modern mathematics as we know it today.

BIJA GANITHAM TO ALGEBRA As the story goes, when the Indian way of calculating travelled to Arabia, the Bija got transposed as Jaba, Jabir, Jabr, perhaps due to the opposite direction of reading followed in Arabic script. This body of knowledge and the word Jabr, out of reverence, came to be called Al Jaba, Al standing for anything holy.

The earliest trace of Bija Ganitham travelling westwards comes in the form of “Kitab al-muktasar fi hisab al-jabr wa’l-muqabalah”, i.e. “The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completing and Balancing”. This work by Al-Khwarizmi was the book that introduced this method of calculation to Arabia. 

Al-Khwarizmi was an Arabic mathematician of Baghdad who died in 850 CE. He had written the first book on Arabic Numerals called “On Indian Numbers”. Also Al Jabr in Arabic, means “reconstitution from broken parts”, which matches with the notion of Bija Ganitham, meaning to analyse a problem by breaking it down into seeds.  Al Jabr, as it travelled through Europe and time, came to be called Algebra. What a body of knowledge to equate India with!

Algorithm What we call today as the concept of Algorithm can be traced back to the Arabian mathematician, Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi  better known as Al Khwarizmi.

Stamp issued in 1983 by the Soviet Union to commemorate al-Khwarizmi’s 1200th birthday

Al Khwarizmi wrote about the concept of Indian technique of calculation based on decimal notation numbers. This book was read by the medieval European mathematician Adelard in 12th century CE and translated as the book “De Numero Indico”.

In this book, Adelard refers to the Arabic mathematician author Al Khwarizmi as Algorismi which in Latin became Algoritmi and from there led to Alogrithm. Thus, the subject of Indian numerals and their mathematics which spread across Europe through this work, came to be associated with Algorismi and over the next 700 years has now come to be called as Algorithm. While the name algorithm has its roots in the name of the Arabic mathematician Al Khwarizmi, the concept and content of algorithms has its roots in the Indian numerals and Indian mathematics, ganitham. On a lighter vein, perhaps Algorithm should now be rebranded as Alganitham.

Geometry What we know as Geometry today has come down to us from Gyaamiti of our ancients. Gyaamiti was the body of mathematics, Ganitham, that dealt with lines and shapes. The word Gyamiti comes from the root Jya, which means bowstring. Looking at the sky, our ancestors saw that it stretched from the ground, as far as they could see, from their left to their right. It was a canopy that hung above them. The paths of the sun, moon and planets arched above them like a bow and the ground they stood on was like the bow string, Jya. One that makes the sound Jyau when plucked. This was expressed through the Bhu Gayatri, the sloka used to venerate the earth, Bhu Devi.

The sky overhead envisioned as a Bow and the ground as its bowstring, Jya

The words in the opening line, Dhanur meaning Bow and Dhara meaning one who holds, show how the ancients had been able to discern the curvature of the sky and had likened it to the arch of a bow. One of the needs of their times was the need to understand, track and measure the movements of objects in the sky like Sun, Moon, different planets, zodiacs and so on, to keep track of time and seasons. This insightful perception of space and motion above, along a bow, was what paved the way for the development of a focused branch of mathematics revolving around arcs, chords and angles subtended by the arcs. The concept of using chords to approximate the arcs was devised to measure movements against a curved backdrop.

Determining Position A using a Jya or Bowstring

This imagery of the sky arching both above and below earth, to enable them to use chords and arcs, shows that they had a good understanding of the spherical shape of the earth and the curving of space around it. A chord being similar to a bowstring, Jya, the method of determining extent of space, shapes and motion using chords and lines came to be called Jyamiti or Gyamiti which grew to the shape of present day Geometry, crossing international lines, borders and thoughts. The root for the word “Geo” which denotes anything to do with earth, especially in sciences, seems to be connected to this concept of bowstring Jya for earth. Gyaamiti or Geometry in Bharat, comprised of the science behind shapes which had distinct, meaningful names, such as, 1.  Plane figures – Kshetra 2.  Cubic figures – Ghana 3.  Pile of Bricks – Chiti 4.  Saw Shaped - Krakachya  5.  Shadows  - Chaya Gyamiti also comprised of Rekha Ganitha. Rekha means lines, borders, that which binds space. The evidence of Gyaamiti through the times can be seen from its application in 1.  Architecture 2.  Ship building

3.  Ports 4.  Water harnessing projects 5.  Town planning and drainage system 6.  Astronomy Indians have long been admired for their handling of space, shapes and sizes. This is evident from the record of a dialogue which took place in 1826 CE, between a 13 year old young boy, Maharaja Swathi Tirunal of the Travancore kingdom and Colonel Welsh, a visiting British officer. This dialogue was later recorded by   Colonel Welsh as follows:

It highlights how it was known in India in early 1800s itself, that much of what is used in modern Mathematics, including Geometry had gone from India to Europe. Jyamiti, Gyaamiti, Geometry was a brand of India.

360 Degrees - Going Around in Circles! A circle is made of 360 degrees. This is a common knowledge and is common across the world. It is also a fundamental premise for many of the specialized fields of physics and mathematics such as Geometry, Trigonometry and Calculus. Many fields of study have acquired their current state because of one fundamental shape called “Circle”, chakra in Samskrt. But the moot point is, why 360 degrees and not some other number like 100, 1000, 400 or any other? What does this 360 degrees have to do with the brands of India?

CHAKRA AND CIRCLE The phonetic similarity between chakra and “circle” cannot be overlooked, especially in the light of how the letters s, k, r etc. are closely connected with ch, t, l sounds respectively. The first circle examined by the ancients was the sky which is described in many hymns of the Veda. Among these are a few which are noteworthy for their description of the sky as a circle with 360 degrees.  These hymns offer an insight into how 360 degrees came to be attributed to the circle. They offer an insight into how the ancients had connected mathematics to naturally occurring phenomena in Nature.

360 DEGREES FROM 1 X 360 DAYS It was observed that the Sun, as it rose or set each day, did not do so at the same spot in the backdrop of the sky but was continuously moving ahead such that in 180 days, it had traversed to a diametrically opposite point in the Rasi Chakra. In roughly 360 days it had returned to the same point in the Rasi Chakra. Corollarily, it was observed that the Zodiac which was behind the Sun as it rose and set each day at the horizon, was changing such that in 180 days, the

Zodiac behind the Sun was exactly diametrically opposite to the one where the count had started. In roughly 360 days, the original Zodiac where the count had started had returned to become the backdrop for the Sun. The fundamental premise for time calculation is the division of the celestial path of the Sun, moon and the planets into 12 Rasi, loosely translated as Zodiacs.  Rasi denote roughly equal segments of the circular path in the sky called the Rasi Chakra or zodiac belt. The Rasi were fixed at 12 in number since the Sun and the Moon came together in the sky usually 12 times, in the time the Sun and the Moon traversed the entire celestial path. While this duration was 365 days and a little more to be precise, it was approximated to the number 360 to keep it an integral multiple of 12, the number of Rasi, Zodiac in the sky so that it is simple to depict and calculate. Hence the entire Rasi Chakra and thence a circle, came to be divided into 360 units which came to be called degrees in modern sciences. They are called Matra in Samskrt. The role of the Rasi is to just serve as markers in the sky to track the progress of the celestial objects. It is the Sun, Moon and the bright planets such as Jupiter and Saturn and their motion and speed expressed in terms of days, months, seasons, year etc. which were of interest to the ancients.

Sun in Aries or Aries behind the Sun on 30th April 2014

Sun in Gemini or Gemini behind the Sun on 30th June 2014

Sun, back in Aries or Aries behind the Sun again, on 30th April 2015

360 DEGREES FROM 360 PAIRS OF OFFSPRINGS

The wheel here refers to the sky in which traverses the everyday untiringly. The 720 invincible scions of the Sun, in pairs, refers to the 360 pairs of unfailingly arriving days and nights, i.e. 720 in all, that come to pass in one complete rotation of the 12 spokes of this wheel. Mithuna is pairs, twins Dvadasha means 12, Sapta satani Vinsati is seven hundred and 20.

360 DEGREES FROM 4 X 90 NAMES A very interesting explanation of how the circle came to have 360 degrees comes from a hymn in the Rig Veda dedicated to Vishnu by Dirghatama.

This sloka has been composed as a veneration to the divinity Vishnu. It eulogizes Vishnu as the divinity with 4 times 90, 360 names, who sets in motion forces that cause the turning of a wheel (cakra). This verse in the Rig Veda actually is explaining how the circle is divided into 4 quarters of 90 divisions, totalling to 360 units. It uses the Sun and its motions across the sky to assist in imagining this circle. The 4 divisions refer to the 2 Solstices and 2 Equinoxes. This verse speaks of how the Sun keeps growing from a child to a brilliant youth. The Sun is depicted as a representation of the divinity Vishnu, as it keeps the planets revolving around it. Since there are 12 Rasi, zodiacs in the sky, it would mean 3 zodiacs to each quarter. Since the Sun takes 30 days to cover each zodiac, it means that each quarter of 3 zodiacs must have 3 x 30 = 90 days / units. The circle therefore must have 4 x 90 = 360 units / degrees.

This is similar to how we also divide the circle into 4 quarters of 90 degrees each and use as basis for Trigonometry. In this sloka we see the understanding of the circle by the ancient Indians which not only is similar to ours today but also excels our ability in relating mathematics on paper to realities in Nature around us.

Many Notches Ahead Too But they also seem to have gone many steps ahead by further correlating this circle and the forces that keep it rotating incessantly, with the Tattva, factual divine principle in the cosmos called Vishnu. Each of the 360 degrees has been assigned a name of Vishnu. Since Samskrt is a scientific language with each word derived from root words denoting a function, characteristic or attribute of “that” which is being denoted by the word, one can safely assume that each of these 360 names for Vishnu correlated with the circle of 360 degrees must be having a far deeper significance than being a mere exercise or coincidence. This suggests that even in Vedic times Vishnu had 360 names or forms, one for each degree of the zodiac.

It is a topic worth further study and analysis. It is a topic that requires a greater degree of multidisciplinary research by grammarians, theologists, mathematicians and physicists.

360 DEGREES FROM 12X30 DAYS An even further explanation can be found in another Rig Vedic verse from hymn number 164.

It was observed that in roughly 30 days, the Sun traversed from one Rasi to another. With 12 Rasi traversed in 30 days each, it took the Sun 12x30 = 360 days to traverse the entire Rasi Chakra. Hence the entire circle, Rasi Chakra, came to be divided into 360 units or degrees.

Who Can Imagine This? Another perspective of why 30 days to each zodiac comes to light if we consider the actual words used in this verse. Dvadasa = 12

Pradhaya = arcs Cakram = wheel Ekam = one, single Trini = 3 Nabhyani = centred, axles Trisata Sashtirna = 360 Sankava orpitah = spokes/slices inserted Cala = moving Calasah = plant with a clover shaped leaf, wood sorrel plant First of all, this verse is mentioning a single wheel of 12 arcs accommodating 360 spokes, within which are 3 axles. Each axle denotes a separate wheel that is capable of rotating independently at its own pace. Next, it is talking about how all these wheels, the 1 outer wheel and the 3 axled wheels resemble the leaf of Calasah, a wood sorrel plant and together rotate along the 12 zodiacs in the sky.

3 circles denoting the revolutions of Sun, Moon and Earth, inside 1 bigger circle denoting the zodiac belt along which they all revolve in same direction.

Let us look at the 3 visibly periodic, bright objects in the sky as seen from the earth and their different periodic motions across the same 12 arcs in the sky. Moon going around the earth in a month Sun going around in the sky in a year Jupiter going around in the sky in a Jovian year The Moon takes about 30 days to traverse across all 12 arcs / zodiac. The Sun takes about 30 days to traverse 1 arc. The Jupiter with a period of 12 years, takes about 30 days to traverse 1/12th of an arc.

The Least Count In the Sky Reworded differently, Fastest - Moon in 30 days goes across 12 arcs. Medium - Sun in 30 days goes across 1 arc. Slowest - Jupiter in 30 days goes across 1/12th  arc. So from the least count point of view, it is 30 days of the moon to go across all 12 arcs which is the fastest motion that can be discerned in the sky. Hence each of the 12 arcs came to have 30 units and the circle as a whole 360 degrees.

360 DEGREES FROM 360 SUNRISES

SUMMING ALL THE ANGLES

So from whichever angle you see, ancient Indians had figured out that it is best to represent a circle as a shape with 360 degrees for It comes closest to the natural circle in the cosmos, the sky It makes it easy to divide and subdivide it by 12, 4, 2, 30 etc. all of which are popular numbers used by people for various needs and also are the numbers that play a significant role in the natural rhythm of the heavens. This idea eventually seems to have percolated into modern mathematics too over the millennia of contacts and exchanges. 360 degrees can very truly be called the first degree brand of Bharat.

The Story of Pi (∏) The story of Pi (∏) is interesting and long. It is intertwined with the development of thinking of mankind not only in India but the world over. Since Pi has a connection with circles, we shall look at the manner in which the circular shape was understood and used by the ancients in India.

THE MOST VALUABLE RATIO A circle is one of the perfect and most naturally occurring shapes in the world. It is a figure where every point along the line called the circle or its circumference, is equi-distant from a point called the centre of the circle, lying within the area bound by this line. This distance was named as TriJya by the ancients, after Jya, meaning the chord of the bow. The ancients had noticed a relation between this distance Trijya and the length of the line that made up the circle.  Modern Geometry calls this TriJya, the Radius and twice Trijya as Diameter. They had found that if the length of the circular line (the length called circumference) was a little over 3 times the diameter, then the line would go round the centre such that at every point, it would always be equidistant from the centre point. The ratio of the length of the circular line (circumference) to the width of the circle (diameter) had to be 3.x for the shape to become a circle.

A Simple Thread of Reason It is simple: Take a rope and a stick such that the rope has to go around the stick. If the length of the rope is just 1 x stick length, then it would only be able to align along the stick itself.

If the length of the rope is such that it is 2 x stick length, then it would align along the stick twice.  But, it would lie along the length itself and not be able to uniformly maintain a distance from the centre of the stick.

If the rope length is 4 times the stick length, then it would align along the stick 4 times. No different from 2 x stick length.

This meant that the length of the rope must be between 2 and 4 times stick length, i.e. 3, for it to be able to go around the stick such that it will stay exactly at the same distance from the centre of the stick at all times.

This ratio 3, came to be referred to as paridhi-vyasa sambandhana in Indian thought.

PI - THE PARIDHI-VYASA SAMBANDHANA Paridhi means the circumference. It denotes that, which separates space into “this, flat, receptacle, area (dhi)” and the space “beyond this area (pari)”. It is the line around this area. Vyasa means the diameter. Vyasa is that which disjoins, severs, distributes, rearranges. The diameter severs or rearranges the circle into 2 halves or semicircles. This is why Vyasa is also the term for a compiler, since, as an arranger he reorganizes and arranges, distributes data suitably while giving it a coherent shape. Sambandhana denotes relationship. Paridhi-Vyasa Sambandhana is the relationship between the diameter and the circumference of a circle which in present times is known to every school child as the constant ∏ approximated to 3.14, a value, very close to the value 3 for the ParidhiVyasa Sambandhana.

Pi – The Ratio

But why did the ancients want to be so precise about their circles? What did they use circles for?

CIRCULAR SHAPES FOR USAGE Vedic Altars Ancient Indians, who were Nature worshippers, are referred to as the Vedic civilization, for their understanding and close association with Nature. One of their ways of veneration was through Vedic rituals centred around use of fire, hymns and altars. The shapes of altars played a very important role in the lives of these people known as Ritwik. The Ritwik stayed in synergy with Rta, the order in the cosmos, Nature, using

•  natural geometric shapes, patterns (altars), •  patterns of incantation and rhythm (hymns, chants), •  repetitive and ordered acts of offering (rites). The Ritwik’s life was centred around Rta – order, pattern, repetition, rhythm, cycle. Such use of altars, hymns, chants, offerings, rites came to collectively be called a Ritual. Rituals, sharing etymological root with Ritwik, were for the Ritwik, the source of energy for mind, body and environs. Such profound rituals of the Ritwik, came to be called erroneously and limitedly as “sacrifices” by some colonial commentators, due to the tangible and visible aspects of offerings.

Vedic Texts It is hard to say when this Vedic period started or when the Veda were composed. But what one can confirm with a fair amount of certainty, is that the Veda and ancillary texts were last recompiled in 3100 BCE, as against composed for the very first time. This means that, this window of 3100

BCE must have been a prominent era of the Vedic period. Ritual practices would have been taken up vigorously and procedures for setting up and using altars would have been adhered to, then. The Sulva Sutra, the oldest work on geometry gives procedures for construction of geometrical altars (vedi) using rope (rajju) and gnomon (sanku). The compendium of these Sutra is dated to have been worked upon until 800 BCE though one cannot isolate and say which ones and when. Companions to these Sutra were the Brahmana texts which outlined the process of Vedic rituals. Popular among these, the Shatapatha Brahmana also contains many mathematical instructions to build venues, altars and conduct rituals.

A circular Vedic Fire Altar excavated at Harappa dating to before 2500 BCE

When colonial historians had dated the Veda to around the 1st Millennium BCE, the Sulva Sutra and other texts too came to be bound by this upper limit. But with the last recompilation of the Veda being traceable to 3100 BCE, the Sulva Sutra and other Vedic texts such as the Shatapatha Brahmana can also be dated to atleast 3100 BCE if not earlier.

Ve dic Altars – Only One of the Needs But Vedic altars were only one of the needs for circles. It was a need of only a particular set of people who were entrusted with safeguarding the

psychological and physiological wellbeing of the society by keeping them in tune with Nature as well as sustaining Nature itself through daily rituals. There were others who were in charge of the development of the township and in development of trade. They needed more precise circles as even a small error could make their living very shaky.

CIRCULAR STRUCTURES THAT TOWERED Mehergarh Tower

Circular tower at Mehergarh dating to before 5000 BCE, implying existence of such mathematical and architectural skills atleast from 6000 BCE.

Th e use of such precise mathematics and geometry can be seen in one of the ancient structures of the world – a circular tower which is not only a perfect circle but also stands perfectly straight even after 8000 years. A perfect circular tower has been excavated at the ancient town of Mehergarh in the Sindhu Sarasvati belt, dating back to beyond 5000 BCE. Such a perfect structure which has not only stood tall but has also withstood

the test of time, indicates the perfection in ratios and proportions applied during design as well as construction. What is making us go around in circles today is the question, “why did they need to build such tall circular towers?”? Were they water wells? Were they storage wells? Were they observation towers? Were they astronomical tools? Were they signalling beacons? Or were they so advanced that just like us today, they chose to build circular columns and towers out of aesthetics? Whatever be the motive, precise mathematics to plan and build circular structures was the need of those who practiced professions such as engineering and architecture.

CIRCULAR SKY TO MAP Living Under The Skies The ancients did not stop with Nature worship alone. They were also in tune with Nature, to the extent that the motions of objects in the sky determined how they would lead their lives. For, it is these motions that gave rise to day, night, seasons and years.

Predicting Seasons All the shapes, right from that of the earth, the moon, the sun are all circular. All the motions, right from the rotation of the earth, to the moon around the earth, to the earth around the sun, to the planets around the sun, are all based on circular orbits.  The need to calculate these motions in “space” and predict the arrival of “time” meant the calculation of distances and speed of these astronomical objects along circular paths. Thus precise mathematics to draw up circular paths and precisely calculate these motions was the need of those who practiced professions such as agriculture. 

CIRCULAR SEAS TO NAVIGATE E ven though India is classified as an agricultural civilization, trade has been one of India’s vibrant professions right from the times the Veda were composed, atleast more than 8000 years ago, since Ramayana is dateable to 7100 years ago. Many sloka in the Veda mention about trade and there are also slokas that speak about navigation across oceans for this trade. India has thus been navigating the seas from over 8000 to 10000 years ago.

Travelling Around the Globe Ancient Indians had travelled the world over for trade as well as making contact with people and lands as far away as Central and South Americas. There are many evidences to show an Indo-American connect right from over 5000 years ago. They had travelled eastwards to arrive at lands to their west for, they knew that the Earth was round and waters encircled the earth. So sailing the seas, one could go from one end of the earth to the other – i.e. go around the earth.

Plotting Maps and Distances This need for navigation, gave rise to precise mapping of stars in the spherical sky with locations and distances across flat seas. These needs translated into the development of many branches of study, differentiated today as Geometry, Trigonometry, Calculus and so on, all of which were lapped up by the entire world community as these needs are common to all mankind. The ancient Indians were also adept in dividing the earth into zones of time using meridians to locate and navigate to remote places.  Thus precise mathematics to work with a spherical globe and circular lines called meridians was the need of those who practiced professions such as trade and navigation.

THE FORMULATION OF PI It would therefore not be amiss to say that the ancients who drew these perfect circular shapes and built structures were in the know of the ratio of the length of the periphery of a circle to its width. To be able to work with chords, arc and sines of a circular path in the sky and map it to distances on earth, the ancient Indians would have had to first know the ratio of length between the circumference and the diameter. So, when was Pi born?

BIRTH OF PI The concept of Pi in India is pegged to the Sulva Sutra, which go back to the date of the accompanying Brahmana, which again go back as far as the Veda atleast 8000 years ago. These Sulva Sutra are dated to have been last edited in 800 BCE. The precisely dateable, physical proof for the usage of the concept of Pi though lies in Egyptian papyrus scrolls, dating to around 2000 BCE. The list of mathematicians who have subsequently worked on this ratio Pi and have achieved converging results is quite long. It is almost as along as the number of digits after decimal for Pi.

BIRTH OF THE NOTION OF PI

The list of people who have worked on the value of Pi and those who will continue to do so in future may also be endless just as the infinite series of Pi. In this never ending evolution of the mathematical expression of Pi, what can perhaps be fixed though, is its birth. This birth can be traced to the version of the Sulva Sutra going way back to the time of the composition of the Veda, based on the dexterity of the ancient Vedic Indians

•  who used to construct perfect geometrical shapes for their Vedic altars and potters’ wheel

•  who could precisely predict circular motions of stars and planets in the sky

•  who could precisely navigate to locations based on mapping the stars in the spherical sky to the flat seas and land. All of which, point to their mastery over circles and spheres and the mathematics concerning them. With the Vedic texts dateable to having been last recompiled in 3100 BCE, the birth of the concept of Pi and a value close to 3 for this ratio can be attributed to times going beyond 2000 BCE into the mists of time and mysteries of ancient Indians.

BIRTH OF THE NAME PI The name Pi and symbol ∏ for this ratio though, can be traced to William Jones, the British mathematician in 1707 CE who identified this name and symbol for this ratio. Incidentally, William Jones, the mathematician, was the father of Sir.William Jones, the Philologist and Orientalist who became a Jurist in India during the British rule, founded the Asiatic Society of Bengal to popularize Oriental studies and was one of the first to popularize the idea of Indo-European group of languages, which culminated later in the incorrect and ill- famed Aryan Theory of migration into India.

William Jones, the Mathematician (The Father) Source – Painting by Willaim Hogarth, National Portrait Gallery

Sir. William Jones, the Philologist (The Son) Source – Pictures in the Hall of University, Oxford

Leonhard Euler A portrait by Emanuel Handmann in 1753

This name Pi and the Greek letter ∏ as symbol for it, was later popularized by the Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler, in 1737.

Pi and the Art of Navigation William Jones, the father, was a Welsh born mathematician who between 1695 and 1702, was commissioned to teach Maths onboard naval ships. While aboard ships in the sea, William Jones learnt the finer aspects of navigation and produced the work “A New Compendium of the Whole Art of Navigation” in 1702. William Jones was also a close friend of Sir. Isaac Newton and Sir. Edmund Halley. While Newton is credited with the discovery of Calculus, Halley is credited with predicting the path and appearance of the comet which came to be named after him as Halley’s comet.

Navigation and Indian Maths We see that the development of sciences in Europe, especially Maths, Astronomy and their primary use for Navigation, took place over the foundation provided by Indian mathematics which had reached Europe through Arabs and later through Jesuits. It would therefore not be out of place here to conclude that even though William Jones is credited with having named this ratio of circumference to diameter as Pi, his study and findings could have been based on Indian works available and followed by Europe then.

Pi from Pie? The name Pi and the alphabet symbol, is said to come from the Greek word “Perimetros” for “perimeter” and hence the attribution of the Greek alphabet ‘Pi’ and its symbol ∏. Another way to ascribe Pi to this ratio could have been the fact that this ratio is used along with arc, angles and chords of circles which divide the circle into small “pies”.

Also the more prevalent use of Pi today as an infinite series comes from the notion of adding up the infinite and minute arcs of a quadrant and comparing this integrated value with the radius or Trijya of a circle.  A method that William Jones as a mathematician of the 1700s and a friend of Newton, would have been fairly conversant with. For, this method of arriving at the value of Pi, as worked out by Madhava from Kerala, had reached Europe by then via the Jesuits.

JOURNEY OF PI P i, as a concept thus was revealed and came into relevance for mankind from many millennia ago. Pi, as a ratio was known to the Indian civilization as evidenced by the Circular towers, Vedic altars and procedures to create them from 6000 BCE and before. Pi, as a mathematical concept travelled from India along with other aspects of Mathematics including Jya (Sine) in Trigonometry and Calculus needed for navigation along the many millennia since. Pi, as a number has gained various levels of accuracy with further independent work by various civilizations and their mathematicians especially from the first millennium of the Common Era (CE).

Pi, as an infinite series of expression using Calculus, as in use in the modern world today, was deciphered by the Kerala school of Mathematics in 1350 CE. Pi, as a name and symbol was coined by William Jones in 1707 CE. Pi, as a constant was popularized in modern maths today by Leonhard Euler in 1737 CE.

P i, as ∏ found its way into basic school books, all over the world in 1900s.

PI – A PERIMETER AROUND THE WORLD In Pi, ∏, we thus see a blend of,

•  Ancient’s understanding •  Nature’s marvel •  Beauty of symmetry •  Precision in Maths •  Meticulousness of Mathematicians •  Common Need of Mankind •  Solutions from Maths •  Integrational capability of Maths Binding power of flowing knowledge. The world has been literally and metaphorically bound in a circle of knowledge defined by the Perimeter called Pi, ∏. And, India’s slice, rather pie, of contribution to Pi and to the world of Maths is worthy enough to be branded and celebrated.

Trigonometry What we study as Trigonometry today was practiced as “Trikonamiti” in Indian tradition. Trikona comes from Tri for three and kona meaning corners. Corners give rise to angles. Trikona means that which concerns “three angles” or a triangle.

Infact the very word “kona” and “corner” share a similar root in sound and thought. The name Konarak for the Sun temple in Orissa came about to imply that which has angles.

3 Perspectives of Konarak Temple, Orissa

Texts of India from 6th and 7th century CE itself, deal with concepts of sine, cos, tan etc. the fundamentals in Trigonometry. One of the famous uses of Trikonamiti, trigonometry in modern history, is by Andrew Waugh, when he determined the height of Mount Everest, Sagar Mathe, establishing it to be the tallest peak in the world.

TRIJYA, THE BASIS FOR TRIGONOMETRY Another, more profound basis for the subject Trigonometry lies in Trijya, the Radius of a circle. Most of the Maths in India arose out of the need to plot the sky to understand locations and track passage of time using the passage of the celestial objects. Every object in the sky, especially those on the zodiac belt or ecliptic, i.e. the path traversed by the Sun, moon, planets and the zodiacs, describes an arc starting from the Eastern horizon.

Coming to look at arcs, every arc, between its ends, subtends an angle at the centre i.e. the curve arches over a region shaped like the slice of a pie. Every arc is a part of an imaginary circle, with a radius equal to its distance from the centre, the point where its edges subtend an angle. The ratio of the arc length to this “radius” of the imaginary circle is known as the “radian measure” of that arc and is a measure of the angle subtended by that arc. It represents the extent to which the arc covers the imaginary circle. Since most of the Maths in India arose out of the need to satisfy the needs of plotting the sky, the Zodiacs through which the Sun, Moon and the planets kept weaving their paths, became the obvious “milestones” or shall we say “skystones” whose locations needed to be measured and described. The Sun was seen to pass through the 12 Zodiacs cyclically every year, with the year comprising of 365 days. The Sun’s apparent path across the skies, was hence, depicted geometrically as a circle of 360 degrees.

This meant that the Sun moved by 1 degree each day along the circumference of this circle. This meant the circle of 360 degrees, has 12 Zodiacs. Therefore, each quadrant of 90 degrees has 3 Zodiacs. This implies that each Zodiac spanned 90 / 3 or 30 degrees. We have seen how Jya means a bowstring, a chord. Chords, Jya, were drawn from significant points on the circle and the Jya for one Zodiac became a benchmark chord, called EkaJya or Jya. When the chord Jya, spans an angle of 90 degrees, it is equal to the radius, which demarcates a quadrant. But, each quadrant of 90 degrees, spans across 3 Zodiacs of 30 degrees each. Hence, the chord which spanned 3 zodiacs and overlapped with the radius, came to be called 3 times Jya or TriJya or 3 Jyas. Thus was born the name Trijya for the radius of a circle. Thus was also born another basis for Trigonometry as a subject revolving around Jya and TriJya.

FROM JYA TO SINE The ancient Greeks too were using chords to approximate the arcs and measure the position of objects on the circumference. But they continued to use the chords themselves for calculations which made it very messy, cumbersome and inaccurate, as chords do not lend themselves for equations and calculations. They are better suited for arriving at solutions using drawing. The Indians on the other hand, while they too used Jya, the bowstring or chord, the Jya for the Indians was expressed in relation to the radian angle it subtended at the centre and many other mathematical ratios, which made it suitable for using in Algebraic expressions and equations.

Sine Its popularity therefore spread and the concept eventually found its way into modern Trigonometry and continues to stay so as the RSine or Sine.

Cosine Koti means perpendicular. The line perpendicular to the Jya chord, gave rise to the term KotiJya or KoJya, the term known today as Cosine or Complement of Sine.

Versed Sine The length of the segment between the Jya chord and the arc of the bow, which lay in the direction of the line of observation, i.e.,Versed Sine, came to be called Utkramajya or Shara, the arrow of the bow. Shari means an arrow. The Versed Sine, is indeed like the arrow held against the bow string just waiting to be released. What a beautiful way to imagine mathematics and weave art into it! This TriJya continues to be a common terminology in use in basic schools of India where language of instruction is Hindi or allied languages. But for most others, the TriJya does not strike a chord. It is not a good sign that India has forgotten the radial brand of Bharat.

While the concept of Sine thus came from the concept of Jya from Indian mathematics, how did the word “Sine” come into use for the Jya? Why not choose some other word to stand for the same concept?

SINE – A GOOD SIGN Sine is a terminology in Mathematics, Trigonometry to be precise, dealing with expression of angles and arcs. The story of how the word “sine” came into use in modern Mathematics, not only makes for a fascinating read but also gives an insight into understanding cross cultural influences. We have seen how Jya means bowstring. The word Jya therefore brings in the notion of an arc, of the side or line that is opposite to a curve or an angle. Hence the word Jyamiti or Gyaamiti for Geometry which deals with shapes and angles as we have seen.

Jya to Jaib (Pocket) This word and the concept Jya, on its travel to Arabia, became Jiba which was a meaningless term in Arabic. It soon got morphed into the word Jaib which meant a pocket, a fold, a bay, a cove and thus came somewhat close to the concept of an arc, bow, bowstring.

A Cove – Curved Shape like a pocket, Jaib

Jaib to Sinus (Cove) When Latin borrowed this concept from the Arabs, this Jaib got translated into the equivalent Latin word for bay, cove which was Sinus. This Sinus in modern usage has come to be Sine. Incidentally the word Sinus is also used for the cavities in our face.

Sinuses in our face

Thus came the totally unrelated word Sine for bay, cove, cavity from the word Jya for bowstring. Unrelated in etymology as well as meaning. What strings the two together is the complex mathematical concept they represent. What a beautiful story to show how civilizations were strung together by ideas and practices rather than mere words. Just goes to show that at times we need to look beyond lexicology and syntax to trace history of civilizational connect through languages. It is the semantics that really matter.

Calculus – Its Origins In 1834, an Englishman, Charles M. Whish,  published an article  titled, “On the Hindu quadrature of the circle and the infinite series of the proportion of the circumference to the diameter exhibited in the four  sastras,  the Tantrasangraham, Yukti-Bhasha, CarunaPadhati and Sadratnamala”,  in a journal called the “Transactions of the Royal Asiatic Society” of Great Britain and Ireland. What was this man writing about? Why was an article on Hindu Sastra, figuring in the scientific English journal, “Transactions of the Royal Asiatic Society”? It had earned this space for, there was nothing on religion in these texts. It was everything to do with Maths and Science, what we, in present times call “Calculus” – the science of calculating.

CALCULUS – THE SCIENCE OF CALCULATING Calculus, as we are taught today, came into practice in the West as a method of calculating, introduced by scientists such as Leibniz and Newton during 1700s CE.  Newton’s Magnum Opus,  the “Principia Mathematica”, which first propounded the Laws of Motion to the western world had used Calculus to arrive at these Laws. With a final draft in place by1686 CE, it was first published in 1687 CE.

Newton’s Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica

ANOTHER DIMENSION TO CALCULUS – CHALLENGES TO CALCULATING The visible Universe can be described using 3 measurable dimensions – Mass, Length and Time. In such a Universe, regular and constant weights, shapes and movements can be described using simple and straight forward relationships between these dimensions. But is the Universe so simple, constant and straight forward?

The Changing Universe The only aspect, constant in the Universe, is change and the constituent of any change in this Universe is “movement”. The change into days, nights, seasons – i.e. time, is due to movement of Sun, Moon and Earth.

The change in physical body - i.e. mass, is due to change in metabolism and aging, arising from the change in gravity and other forces, again, due to the movement of the very same Sun, Moon and Earth. The change in distance – i.e space or length, is due to the change in distances, due to both, the natural, orderly movement of the astral bodies as well as the free willed movement of self propelled beings. It is thus the movement of astral bodies in space and their influence on the bodies located on and “near” them that causes change in everything in the Universe.

The Challenges of a Changing Universe As the entire Universe is constantly under some form of movement or the other, almost everything in this Universe is constantly changing and is a function of a change in one of the 3 measurable dimensions in the Universe namely Mass, Length and Time.  It is here that the straight forward methods of Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry and the likes, fail us.

CALCULUS – THE INDIAN ANSWER The Indian Answer It is for fulfilling such a need where the measurable aspect is not constant or uniform, that the wise of India had devised the approach, called Calculus in present times, which provides us with a good tool for measuring the approximate value of such changing measurables accumulated over a definite interval (Integral Calculus) measuring the exact value of such changing measurables differentiated at a fixed instant in a definite interval (Differential Calculus)

The Indian Key to Calculus The key function of Calculus is to enable the calculation of such changing measurables. It involves expressing the measurable to be measured as a

function of parameters, whose value is either known or can be measured with fair amount of accuracy. The key principle of Calculus is the approach to calculating the value of anything measurable, by summing up the values of its primitives, spanning across a definite range.  The smaller the primitive unit, the greater is the accuracy in determining its precise value and hence, greater is the accuracy of its sums, which becomes the overall value of the integrated whole. As the size of the primitive becomes an infinitesimally small limit and approaches Zero, the value of the whole becomes the integral of an unlimited, infinite range of primitives.

CALCULUS FROM INDIAN THEOLOGY Calculus has grown on the idea that infinitely many infinitesimals sum up to produce an integral whole. This core principle, which has driven the development of Calculus in India, has had its foundations in the Indian philosophy which holds that the Absolute Divine is a composite aggregation of its infinite Divine creations (Integration).

•    the

Absolute Divine can be seen differentiated in each of its Divine Creations (Differentiation).

These are the tenets which have not limited the development of Theology in India, rather, have allowed many theologies to blossom in India and paved the way for many paths, to spiritually approach the unlimited Divine: Unify all differences and see the One to relish the whole Differentiate the One into many units to relish the differences What could be a more profound example for a merger of mathematics, philosophy and spirituality?

STUDY OF CALCULUS IN INDIA This study of Calculus, while it has had its roots in the age old Indian philosophies, blossomed and took on a finite form between 1300s CE and

1600s CE, with a line of stalwart mathematicians such as Madhava, Nilakantha, Acyuta Pisarati and so on, who worked on and leveraged the platform established by Pingala, Aryabhata, Brahmagupta, Bhaskara I & II and so on during earlier centuries. It culminated in a number of works coming out of the Kerala School of Mathematics and Astronomy, 500 years and more before Arabia and Europe started using such techniques. India called its works on Calculus by names such as

Yuktibhasa Yukti with similar root as Yoga, Yug means to connect, unite, join. Yukti as a term for Calculus was chosen since Calculus as we have seen, is a technique of uniting, summing, integrating many little parts to yield the whole. Bhasa means rationale, proof, explanation. Yuktibhasa thus is a work that contains proofs and explanation for integrating to arrive at solutions. Yukti also denotes trick. Yuktibhasa is that work which contains explanations on tricks to arrive at solutions for difficult problems in mathematics. It was truly a case of tricking infinity.

Kuttakadhyaya One of the chapters in Brahmasphuta Siddhanta of Brahmagupta from 680 CE is called Kuttakadhyaya as it deals with summations and integrations of the parts. Kuttaka means to split, to break into many parts. While many modern educated minds still grapple with Integral Calculus, all this was written over 1400 years ago by the presently imagined to be illiterate Indian ancestors.

Some Indian Terminologies used in Calculus Instantaneous Velocity Instantaneous velocity, a frequently measured parameter using Calculus, has a specific terminology in Indian text. It has been found to be referred to as

Tatkalika Gati. Gati means speed. Kala means time. Tat Kalika means at that instant. So, it is speed at that instant. This Tatkalika Gati indicates that they were very much in the know of the nature of the problem in measuring such parameters and the solutions they had arrived at must have been satisfactory for their needs. This branch of study was not a randomly developed field. Summation Summation was denoted by the word Sankalita. Sankhya means numbers, count. Sankalan means to aggregate, collate. This again demonstrates their deeper philosophy of approaching a bigger issue by breaking it into measurable smaller steps and aggregating together for the larger solution. Khahara Khahara is the infinite magnitude which results when a number is divided by Zero Khahara is an integral part of Differential Calculus as it is all about dividing using an infinitesimally small value, a limit which is close to Zero. This term and approach has been described by Bhaskaracharya II in his work Bijaganita, i.e. Algebra. Kha means Zero i.e. Shunya in Samskrt. Hara means divisor, division as it stands for that which takes away, removes. Interestingly, Kha as Zero, Shunya, is also associated with the primordial element space, Akasha which symbolizes emptiness. Hara also means bearing, carrying, wearing and so on. Khahara on a mathematical note denotes the division by Zero which results in infinity. On a more profound note, khahara denotes the Infinitely large Universe filled with Kha, the Akasha, space.

Sky literally is the limit to which the ancient Indians had understood the cosmos, mathematics, phonetics and semantics.

CALCULUS - THE BASIS Newton’s Discovery – The 3 Laws of Motion Newton is credited with first having used such techniques of Calculus to calculate the instantaneous velocities of planets, which are constantly moving with time.  But these techniques as we have seen were already being put to use more than 800 – 900 years before Newton’s times. Not only that, by Newton’s times, they had made their way to Europe having been translated from the Arabic version as well as directly translated from the Samskrt originals by the Jesuits who came to Kerala.

Discovery of Gravity Interestingly Newton is also credited with the discovery of gravity too, which in Indian thought has come down from millennia, both in concept and phonetics as gurutva akarshana, the force of attraction (akarshana) due to heaviness or mass (Guru).

Ancient Indian Definition of Gravity Strange that Newton chose to call this force “Gravity” which is phonetically close to Gurutva Akarshana.

It is widely explained that the word “Gravity” originates from the Latin root Gravitas. Gravitas is explained as a virtue, a trait of having seriousness in bearing or manner, being solemn, dignified etc. It is only in a figurative sense that Gravitas is described as being associated with the aspect of weightiness, heaviness, compelling. As per Encyclopaedia Britannica company’s Merriam Webster Dictionary, the earliest known use of this Latin word Gravitas is traceable only from 1869. Given this, it looks possible that association of Gravitas with weight, heaviness could have come only from Newton’s discovery of Gravity based on Indian explanation for Gurutva. Else, how does one explain the seeming similarity between Newton’s finds and these thoughts in Indian texts expressed much before Newton had been born, as well as the phonetic similarity in the words?

Integrating Calculus In hindsight, Newton’s discovery is perhaps the first modern application of the infinitely profound, ancient Indian expression of knowledge. Experts find strong reason to believe that India’s Calculus could have been the key principle behind the Principia Mathematica itself. The difference

being that, the Indian approach stemmed from a seamless transition between Spirituality, Philosophy and Sciences. While the world is now slowly beginning to acknowledge that Indian Calculus has provided the basis for modern mathematics, it is the texts on Calculus from India which have provided the strongest evidence to trace back the travel of Mathematics from India to the West. While Calculus has integrated the West with the East, the differential in philosophy though, is yet to be bridged. It only seems to be getting more limiting, approaching infinitesimally small levels of tolerance, instead of infinite love and peace.

Meru – Mathematical Pyramids The most famous pyramids are in Egypt. The most number of pyramids are in Central America. The largest pyramid is in Bosnia. The elaborate pyramid is in Borobudur. The highest pyramid is in Turkey. The deepest pyramid is undersea in Japan. There are pyramids strewn across Ireland. There are pyramids obscured in China. There are pyramids in Tahiti in the Pacific. There are pyramids in Tenerife, in the Atlantic. South East Asia has many pyramidical monuments. Erstwhile Persia has the Biblical pyramid Ziggurat.

Ziggurat of Ur Chaldes – A Painting

  A Top View Sketch

The Ruins of Ziggurat of Ur

Biblical Ziggurat of Persia, in Ashur, Iraq today

There are pyramids all over the world. What do all these pyramids have in common?

A COMMON NAME It is all in the name, but not the name “pyramid” though. Pyramid is a Greek word. It comes from Pyre and Mid meaning “there is fire in the middle”. This word is of recent antiquity, made popular by the Greek Egyptologists as they theorized that pyramids focus the energies to the middle and hence called them Pyramid. In eastern parts of Europe, such structures are called Tumulus. In Turkey and Central Asia, the local word for such structures is Kurgan, a word borrowed from the Russian vocabulary, though they are also referred to as Tumulus there. The original word of the Egyptian pyramids in the Egyptian Pharonic language is Mru. Down south, upstream of the river Nile, in Sudan, Khartoum, too, in their local language, Pyramids are called Meroe. What has all this got to with India? The name for pyramids in India gives the clue.

THE INDIAN BASE TO PYRAMIDS A Southern Connect Kurgan, the Central Asian word for pyramid, pronounced “koor gan”, means a heaped mound of stones. Interestingly the word “kooru” in Tamil language also means a heap.

A “Good” Connect While, what the pyramids were called in many other places, in their tongues, in their times, is now lost in time, in India, a pyramid has been traditionally called a Meru and for the good vibes it can bring out, it is called Sumeru, the benevolent one in nature.

The prefix Su means “well”, “good”, “excellent”. India too has its share of pyramids and it is interesting indeed that the words Mru in Egypt, Meroe of Sudan, Merumat of Thailand are but variations of the word Meru for pyramidal structures in India. Herein, in India, lies the key to understanding Pyramids. The similarities in the name, the shape, the purpose, the principle, the maths and the long history across civilizations and across ages provide a basis.

INDIAN PYRAMIDS, MERU Dakshina Meru The big temple of Tanjavur, since its construction in 1010 CE, for the last 1000 years, has been consistently referred to as Dakshina Meru, meaning the pyramid in the South.

The line of Gopurams with mathematically progressing tiers at the Brihadeeshwara Temple, Thanjavur

Uttara Meru In North Tamil Nadu, South of Chennai, there is a temple town called Uttaramerur, Uttar meaning north, Meru is pyramid and Ur means town. Uttara + Meru + Ur is Uttaramerur, the town of the Northern Pyramid.

Uttaramerur Temple

Jaisal Meru In Rajasthan, the city of Jaisalmer, draws its name from Jaisal the name of the ruler + Meru. The fort of Jaisalmer is full of structures with pyramidal roofs.

Jaisalmer fort

Jaisalmer fort

Ajeya Meru The city of Ajmer too is named after a Meru – Ajeya Meru, meaning the unconquerable Meru.

Ajmer – Ajeya Meru, an old painting

Su Meru One of the peaks in the Himalayas, near Mt.Kailash, is known as Sumeru Parvat. Su is that which is virtuous, excellent, beautiful, does good. Sumeru is the peak that meant good for the people this side of the Himalayas.

Sumeru Parvat – The Pinnacle of mountains in the Himalayas as per the texts of India, yet to be identified among the current peaks

Like this, there are many a Meru, pyramidal formations all across India – some manmade, some naturally found.

MERU IN LITERATURE AND CULTURE Besides these Meru formations, in India there are plenty of literature on Meru too which have come down through the Millennia. Veda and Purana discuss the Meru.

MERU, JOINING BODY AND MIND IN YOGA In Yogasana, there are postures which are named after Meru.

MERU IN WORSHIP In many a temple and house, Puja is done for different forms of Meru.

Meru being worshipped in homes and temples

So, besides the similarity in the word Meru, how does India have the key to the pyramids? The answer lies in the union of Maths, Meru and Yantra.

The Golden Triangle of Meru In India, the concept of Meru has also been used to describe natural sequences in mathematics.

MERU PRASTARA IN SASTRA For example, the number series called the Pascal Triangle in mathematics, can be found described as a Meru Prastara by Pingala in Chhanda Sastra around 200 BCE. This is far before 17th century CE, the lifetime of the French mathematician Blaise Pascal, after whom it is known today. Prastara means a tabular representation, usually of numbers. It also denotes rhythmic or orderly patterns.

Meru Prastara Triangles

FIBONACCI’S SEQUENCE IN MATHS The Fibonacci sequence where each number in the series is the sum of its previous 2 numbers, i.e. 0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34 ….., too can be found in ancient texts of Indian mathematicians Gopala in 1135 CE and Hemachandra in 1150 CE, before they were made popular in Europe by Leonardo of Pisa, Italy, born in 1170 CE and more popularly known as Fibonacci.

    

Fibonacci  and his work

Fibonacci gained fame for popularising the  Hindu–Arabic numeral systemin  Europe. He brought out his work Liber Abaci (Book of Calculation) in 1202 based on his studies of Indian mathematics.

Leonardo of Pisa, Italy, more popular as Fibonacci

Things have turned a full circle in the world of mathematics, which has now started rightfully referring to the Fibonacci series as the Hemachandra series. It is India, which is yet to accept this name and credit though!

Sketch of the Indian Mathematician, the Jain Monk Acharya Hemachandra based on a Palm Leaf Drawing dating 1264 of Vikram Era, i.e.1206 -07 CE (Source – Public Domain)

The important thing in all these, more than tracking the history of this concept, is, why such sequences have been important to mathematicians, how did they come to be known, what role do they have to play?

A GOLDEN RATIO The reason why the Fibonacci sequence, a simple sequence, gained popularity is not because of its mathematics but because of its nature to represent Nature. The series is very interesting to observe. The ratio of the consecutive numbers, barring the first few, settles down to a standard ratio – 1.618 called

Ø, Phi. This ratio is called the Golden Ratio or Golden Mean and can be seen in many naturally appealing structures of the universe. Rectangles stacked based on this Golden Ratio yield a rectangle called the Golden Rectangle. A curve called the Golden Spiral emerging from these rectangles is seen reflected in the very design of the cosmos itself and many objects within the cosmos.

      

The Golden Rectangle with Golden Mean, Base for the Golden Spiral & Galaxy

How can India help in understanding this mathematical number called the Golden Ratio and what does it have to do with Pyramids, Meru? The clue lies in India’s triangular practice of Yantra, Tantra and Mantra. And, singularly in the Yantra.

Yantra – The Zenith of Pyramids, The Meru GOLDEN RATIO – BASIS OF DIVINE ART The Golden Ratio is called the Divine Proportion and can be seen in many well balanced, symmetrical objects be it in the plant world, animal kingdom as well as in the Nature created human body and Human created buildings and art. The golden ratio eventually yields a cone like structure going as a whorl up, down or sideways.

Golden Spiral, basis for the whorl arrangement in leaves, flowers, fruits and shells

    Golden Mean – Divine Proportion in Man and Man created Art

      

Golden Mean in the Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt too

The height to base proportions of the Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt has been found to be designed in the same ratio as the Golden Ratio, Ø.

While Man has gone about creating explicit physical structures such as pyramids to visually represent this Golden Number of the cosmos, Nature quietly has been using this pattern implicitly, to create beauty for us to behold, both, in our own bodies as well as in flora and fauna around us.

A GEOMETRIC PROGRESSION OF DIVINE ART The Fibonacci Golden ratio is just one among many such other naturally occurring series, ratios, proportions or means in the world. Modern world is now waking up to the realization that many of the art forms and drawings of ancient civilizations like Indian, Arabic, Japanese, Meso American and so on, are, but visual expressions of naturally occurring geometric series. It is a race now to decipher such series and look for them in Nature to see how they can be applied.

Elevating the thoughts towards Divine with Mathematics The ceiling drawings in mosques of the medieval era which display a deep understanding of geometry and progressions - for example, the Darb-e-Imam shrine in Iran, belonging to the 15th century CE, displays an aperiodic pattern on its ceiling. The pattern of the Darb-e-Imam has been analyzed in recent times and called as the Penrose tiles, after the mathematician and physicist Roger Penrose who showed how a surface can be laid out in an aperiodic manner, with a small set of repeating geometric figures extracted from a pentagon, if the figures have sides in the Golden Ratio, Ø, Phi. The sight of such intricate work with the intrinsic patterns in them makes one wonder at the all pervading nature of the Divine.

The geometric designs in the Darb-e-Imam mosque at Ispahan, Iran

   

Penrose Tiles as generated using computer programs

Worshipping the Divine Using Mathematics The many geometric patterns etched on wooden tablets called sangaku, hung in Shinto shrines of Japan during the Edo period from 17th to 19th century CE, the text and drawings of each of which listed out mathematical problems for solving, show how scientific temper and worship were intertwined in Japan too. Popular in present times, among these sangaku, is the one with the geometric pattern of 6 spheres in the sangaku, in Samukawa shrine, an ancient Shinto shrine on the outskirts of Tokyo.

A sangaku under the roof of the Kaizu Tenman shrine Source -  “Sangaku-Japanese Mathematics and Art in the 18th 19th and 20th Centuries” by Hidetoshi Fukagawa and Kazunori Horibe in the “Proceedings of Bridges 2014: Mathematics, Music, Art, Architecture, Culture”

It was made by Irisawa Shintaro Hiroatsu, who hailed from the family of Uchida Itsumi. After its loss, the replica made from Uchida’s work Kokinsankagami is presently housed in Hotoku museum in Samukawa shrine.This is popular today in computer graphics as Soddy’s Hexlet, after the British Nobel prize winner Frederick Soddy.

Replica of the Samukawa Sangaku presently housed in the Hotoku Museum of Samukawa Shrine Source -  “Sangaku-Japanese Mathematics and Art in the 18th 19th and 20th Centuries” by Hidetoshi Fukagawa and Kazunori Horibe in the “Proceedings of Bridges 2014: Mathematics, Music, Art, Architecture, Culture”

Soddy’s Hexlet as Depicted in Computer Graphics

Creating Divine Wonders Using Mathematics Accorded the status of the 7th wonder of the world, the 12th century CE Hindu temple at Ankor Wat, Cambodia whose spires show a magnificent mathematical pattern.

The Ankor Wat Temple Complex

Using Mathematics to House the Divine The 8th century CE, Buddhist temple at Borobudur in central Java, Indonesia which shows remarkable mathematical patterns in its structure – the overall shape, progression of terraces, number of niches with pyramidal spires in each terrace, the number and arrangement of Stupas in the temple and so on.

Borobudur Temple – An Aerial View

A Model at Borobudur, showing the top view of the Temple

The Niches and Spires on the Terraces of Borobudur Temple

The Niches and Spires on the Terraces of Borobudur Temple

A Sideview of Borobudur’s terraces From the book  “Borobudur – A Prayer In Stone” by Prof.Soekmono, Jacques Du Marcay, J.G.De Casparis

Using Mathematics itself as the Divine The many Yantra of India, line drawings on copper plates or stone slabs installed in the sanctum sanctorum of many temples in India with their installations dating back by many millennia. Commonly seen pattern is the Sri Yantra which has also been installed in many parts of India, by Adi Shankara, the Guru who established the Advaita school of thought around 500 BCE. These have been the basis for the wonderful temples such as Ankor Wat, Borobudur, Brihadeeshwara and many more. These line drawings, Yantra, have been and continue to still be worshipped along with the Divine and as the Divine itself.

Some Popular Yantras

The Ardha Meru Yantra consecrated by Adi Shankara at Kamakshi temple, Mangadu near Chennai – An illustration of the original and the deity at the temple

   

A rangoli pattern - Hridaya Kamalam obtained by joining the dots of each arm in the pattern 1-3-5-2-4 Drawn in homes and temples, at the shrines of Goddesses

A COMMON PATTERN We see a common pattern:

People across civilizations have used geometric drawings to worship the Divine. Each of such drawings used to venerate the Divine, seem to emanate from an intrinsic series of numbers. These drawings and the mathematical series embedded in them seem to be a geometric form of the Divine. Every such series is a divine arrangement, representation, Prastara of Nature.

MERU PRASTARA - A DIVINE ARRANGEMENT It is this concept of such Golden Numbers, Golden Ratios, Golden Means, Golden Curves, Golden Spirals, Golden Triangles that create the whorl, the heap, the pattern, the order in the cosmos, that the Indians have termed Meru Prastara. It is this Universal order, represented by the implicit principle of a Meru Prastara in the cosmos, that has been seen, understood and expressed mathematically and venerated by the Indians from time immemorial in divine forms such as Gopura of temples and Yantra, Geometric shapes.

Meru Prastara in Sri Yantra

Temple Gopura – Virupaksha Temple, Hampi

Maha Meru Yantra

   YANTRA

– THE GEOMTERY IN NATURE

There are 108 and more of these Yantra in various permutations and combinations. Each pattern has a specific name, a name that denotes not just the Divinity but a definitive purpose, with their antiquity going back back to the Vedic period. The word Yantra means an engineered device. A device that has been engineered based on certain science engineered for some purpose engineered by human mind engineered as Divine. The Yantra are representations of the Golden Ratio as well as other natural series in Nature. The Yantra are drawings engineered to take mankind’s attention towards the Divine proportions in Nature to balance his life proportionately. They are

engineering drawings of Nature. If Yantra is the engineered manifestation of Nature’s principle, then where is the Science that lies behind this engineered device? That lies in the Mantra for the Yantra. If there is both science and engineering, then can technology of applying the science and using the engineered device be left behind? That is the Tantra for using the Yantra with its Mantra. Mantra, Yantra and Tantra of India have formed a golden triangle of practices that have taken man to the summit of subtle knowledge.

Mantra, Yantra and Tantra have helped Indians reach the climax in understanding the forces of Nature, experiencing the knowledge of Nature and harnessing the experiences for the benefit of self, society and surroundings. It is within this divine triangle of Mantra, Yantra and Tantra, which culminate as the practice of Meru worship, that there lies the answer to the great pyramids of the world.

UNDERSTANDING PYRAMIDS

All pyramids, world over today, are great tourist attractions. They are money-spinners for the tourism industry of each country. Pyramids have never ceased to puzzle people. There are many pyramids in the world. Many questions arise in one’s mind on encountering a pyramid. Why did they build such huge structures? Is it only to bury their dead? Why a pyramid shape over others? How did they know how to build it? How did they build it? What are we to do with them? The ultimate question though is “Why did so many civilizations build pyramids? ”.

The Similarity We see similarity in the structure, the importance given to it and pattern of usage in the pyramids of various civilizations. In some civilizations, they have been utilized as burial chambers – eg. Egypt, Russia and sister lands. In some others, they are associated with funeral processions – eg. Thailand and other S.E.Asian lands. In other civilizations, they were used as temples for praying, meditating or conducting religious ceremonies – eg. South and Central America, India. In yet a few others, they just seem to be solid monuments in that shape, standing as a towering reminder for what that civilization had held dear – eg. Mt.Nemrut in Turkey, the Bosnian Pyramid. The patterns of commonality in concept, thought and usage of the pyramids seem to arise, not in the modern or from medieval eras, but much before that, from the periods of earlier civilizations.

The idea of pyramids, could not have come up everywhere independently. It must have spread from a common source, to exhibit so much similarity.

MISSING THE CONNECT Researchers, archaeologists, historians, adventurers world over are trying to unravel the mysteries of the various pyramids available in the world. Tomes of articles and books have been written on the pyramids, films have been made on how they were built, why they were built and reasonings varied and wide have been put forth. None of them seem to be aware or have given any connect to the enormous literature available about Meru in India, though. Without this missing connect, it all seems like the Indian proverbial story of the blind men and the elephant.

The Blind Men and the Elephant A few men were blindfolded and asked to feel and describe an animal that they had never seen before - an elephant. One felt the trunk and called it a rope, another felt the ear and called it a fan, yet another who felt the legs, called it a pillar. Not one could imagine it as an elephant that it was. So is perhaps the case with the pyramids too. The wholistic view seems to be getting missed out. For those researching on pyramids, not having lived when the civilization that built the pyramid lived, it now is a literally a case of resurrecting a dead practice from the heap of stones and gravel.

JOINING THE WORLDS While there are these Pyramids that stand out as hardware all over the world, the purpose as to why they were built, the meaning, the reasoning, the tradition etc. have all been lost elsewhere in the world due to a lack of continuity in the civilizations. In India though, the structures, literature, verses and maths on Meru Prasthara are still available. The trifold tradition of Mantra, Yantra and Tantra based Meru worship too is still in use. With so many aspects of a pyramid available and still alive in India, as also the fact that pyramids in many parts of the world are referred to by words similar to Meru, it is highly possible that the principle underlying these lofty structures of the world could well have been propounded by India.

Complementing Parts of a Complimentable Structure

Put in a present way of expression, “The Hardware is strewn all over the world. The Software is available in India.” The key to understanding this Hardware called Pyramid, Meru, lies in the complementing Software too. The hardware, software as well as the analysis are still available and still living as a practiced tradition in India. Though they have been overlooked in the studies on pyramids, they can provide the necessary pointers, to not only understand pyramids but also Mother Nature herself. The hardware of the rest of the world has to be brought together with the software, the knowledge of Meru in India, to see and appreciate these towering structures for the elevated thought that raised it up. Such an integrating exercise will bring together, not only the Meru of India with the pyramids of the world but also the differentiating mind, of mankind, with the innate mathematical progression in Nature.

MERU, THE SUMMIT OF HUMAN THOUGHT Meru, literally is the pinnacle of human thinking. It is a solid and mathematical representation of the subtler principles that rule the cosmos. Meru, virtually is a lofty brand of India, that can help us get to the bottom of the secrets of Nature and many a pyramid of the world, that are waiting to be unlocked …

Maths - Securing Communication & Civilization MODERN CRYPTOGRAPHY – SCIENCE OF ENCODING One of the early known experts of cryptography was Al-Kindi or Ishaq alKindi, who lived between 801 and 873 CE and authored one of the earliest known books on cryptanalysis in the West, including details of frequency analysis.

Al-Kindi, A portrait from an old Islamic Manuscript

Hailed as the father of Islamic, Arabic philosophy, Al-Kindi hailed from the Kinda tribe of Basra, now in Iraq. He moved to the court of the Caliph of Baghdad and served there translating works from Greek into Arabic. He played a significant role in Introducing Greek and Hellenistic philosophy to the Islamic world Introducing Indian numerals to the Arabic and Christian world Extending mathematics into philosophical and theological thought Specializing in various disciplines from metaphysics, to ethics, to psychology, to sciences such as astronomy, astrology, mathematics, medicine, chemistry, pharmacology and in crafts

such as metallurgy, perfumery, dyes and the likes and most of all in, Formalizing Cryptoanalysis as a specialized use of mathematics to decode ciphers. A foremost mathematician of his times, Al-Kindi was synonymous with encryption and showed the world innumerable applications of mathematics from abstract thought, to concrete devices and to quantified measures. A confluence himself, of Greek, Hellenic, Arabic and Indian wisdom, he demonstrated the infinite power in mathematics to the Middle East and western world, for, India had already been leveraging these powers of mathematics then and before.

ENCODING LOVE The Devadasi of India are women dedicated to worship of the deity of temples through their music, dance, beauty and other art forms. Some were also called upon to entertain nobles and royalty. These Devadasi women are known to have been proficient in cryptography, which would also mean a good background of mathematics. This skill was developed in order to be able to conduct a secret conversation on romance or the next rendezvous, with the high ranking nobles who typically were under constant threat and danger. Such a need for a secret and private love communication still continues to this day between furtive lovers.

ENCODING WAR All is fair in love and war. If love could make use of mathematics to communicate in secrecy due to the threat of war, why not war itself? India abounds with tales of spies who could literally fly on their horses, carrying messages to and from the battlefield and the capital of the kingdom. If the spies encrypted approach to war using mathematics, then can worship, approach to the Divine, be far behind?

ENCODING WORSHIP Rituals One of the highlights of the Vedic way of life is the approach to the Divine forces of Nature through corresponding representations and means, such as

•   Yantra – Geometrically designed accurate and appropriate altars and paraphernalia

•   Mantra – Mathematically engineered and sequenced utterances of words and notes

•    Tantra

– Integrating the Yantra and Mantra through ritual techniques leveraging mind power

Mind and Maths thus had a huge role to play in taking mankind near the Divine.

Associations Mathematics could be found not only enshrined in different rituals but also encoded into daily living through numeric associations. For instance, different numbers were associated with different divinities, different shapes, different plants, different syllables, different foods, different animals, different colours, different directions, different human values, different metals, different geographical features and so on. Such associations were meant to bring in instant recall and veneration of all these aspects, when the number is uttered in daily living. Eg. The number 4 was associated with the 4 Yuga – divisions of time scales (Krta, Treta, Dwapara, Kali) 4 Veda (Rig, Yajur, Sama, Atharva) 4 values (Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha) 4 directions (North, South, East, West)

4 faces of Brahma the Divinity associated with Creation and expansion of the Universe, 4 seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter) 4 quarters in a whole Similarly the number 3 is associated with The Trinity (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva) The 3 Goddesses (Sarasvati, Lakshmi, Durga) A triangle The 3 kinds of Guna, traits in all beings (Rajo-aggression, Tamo – inertia, Sattva – saintliness) The 3 kinds of body humors (Vata – wind, Pitta – Bile juices, Kapha – Phlegm/Mucus) The 3 eyes of Shiva and His 3 pronged Trident, the Trishul The 3 worlds – heavens, earth and netherworld (Swargaloka, Bhuloka and Patalaloka) The 3 measures or dimensions (Tri Vima – Length, Weight, Time) The 3 Native fruits (Banana, Mango, Jackfruit) The 3 common states of consciousness (Jagrata - waking, Svapna – dreaming and Sushupti – sleeping)

ENCODING KNOWLEDGE India having gained ease of use in dealing with numbers and possessing a well defined alphabet system, went a step further and linked the 2 systems. The resultant was a code table called the Katapayadi Sutra wherein each alphabet arranged in a particular array, is assigned a numeric value.

The Katapayadi table

The alphabets were then strung in such a manner that not only did they make poetic sense and convey a lofty ideal, but by replacing each letter of the verse with its equivalent number, one could retrieve the number hidden within the verse. This was a novel way to embed large numbers so that they could be recalled correctly by reciting the poetic verse and replacing alphabets with the numbers. For example, let us look at the following verse,

The consonants in this verse when decoded using the Katapayadi table, yield ga=3, pa=1, bha=4, ya =1, ma=5, dhu=9, ra=2, tha=6, shru=5, ga=3, sho=5, da=8, dhi =9, sa=7, dha= 9, ga=3, kha=2, la=3, ji=8, vi=4, ta=6, kha=2, ta=6, va=4, ga=3, la=3, ha=8, la=3, ra=2, sa=7, Da=9, ra=2 i.e. 31415926535897932384626433832792. This is the value of the 1st 31 digits, without the decimal, for Pi, the constant, the ratio of the circumference to the diameter for a circle, a ratio that was devised by the ancient mathematicians of India as we have seen. It is always easier to commit a meaningful verse to memory than a string of digits. The Katapayadi system can be traced to early part of the first millennium CE. Such encoding systems, devised by the Grammarians of yore in India, have been in place since more than 2000 years ago and have enabled data to be committed to memory. It was a way to communicate mathematical numbers orally too.

ENCODING HARMONY / MUSIC Mathematics also found its way into music starting with the Sama Veda, the Veda which used patterns of musical notes as well as complex counts as part of its rhythm. From the Sama Veda, the next natural transition of mathematics was into music. From time immemorial, Indian music has been described as one that has not just Raga but also Tala – i.e. not just melody but also rhythm. Indian music, systematically evolved from well defined patterns of notes. Songs adhered to these set patterns which were named Raga, meaning that which brings pleasure. These Raga brought pleasure to the ear since they were based on notes that were mathematically combined so as to produce harmonious vibrations. Various complex techniques of singing such as Sruthi Bheda developed further based on the understanding of the frequencies of these notes and the maths behind them. Indian music, especially the South Indian style of classical music is characterized by the prominence given to Tala, the count within which the singing of the verses has to be contained, which gave the song its beat, set its rhythm. Tala found manifestation in the form of many percussion instruments like the Tabla, Mridanga, Tavil, Dhol, Dholak, Ghatam, Kanjira, Morsing and so on.

The first example for Tala is given as the Tandava dance, the primordial cosmic dance of Shiva which uses the beats of the Damaru to keep the pace for the dance. This Tandava dance is used as a symbolic explanation by Indians for the rhythmic, alternating Creation and Dissolution of the Cosmos. The beat of the Damaru is synonymous with the rhythm or order in the Cosmos, the rta. The concept of Tala and thus the idea of keeping counts, goes back all the way to the Veda and Purana, which hold forth on these cycles of Creation and Dissolution.

ENCODED METRES An undertone of Mathematics also underlies the recitation of the Veda, the oldest collection of verses explaining, appreciating, venerating and invoking the eternal and infinitely pervading divine forces of the Cosmos. The verses of the Veda, the Vedic Mantra, were all composed by different Vedic Seers, those who were able to “see”, the principles of the Cosmos, the truth within the Universe. These Seers then committed to poetic verses this truth that was revealed to them by Nature. These Mantra were so composed that they were meant to be

taught orally, imbibed aurally, committed to memory mentally, chanted rhythmically to benefact vibratorilly. Each of these would not be possible if it were not for the Mantra, verses being composed rhythmically with effective metres to make it easy to commit to memory as well as cause beneficial resonance in the listener. The metres used for chanting the Vedic Mantra are called Chandas and there are many Chandas in which the Vedic Mantra have been composed. Gayatri, Usnik, Anustup, Brhati, Pankti, Tristup, Jagati, Aticchanda, Atyasti, Atijagati and Ativirat are some of the Chandas used in the Veda.  Syllables are grouped together to form a Pada, and each Chandas was devised to comprise of a certain number of Padas with a fixed number of syllables in each Pada. The Chandas was so chosen based on the purpose of the hymn. The syllables in the Pada were then so chosen to convey the message of the Vedic Mantra. With the strict rules of Samskrt which allowed only certain combinations of syllables, the Chandas were one way of ensuring that the Mantra did not get distorted over time. All this calls for a sound knowledge of not just mathematics but also the physics of sound and biology of man.

ENCODING IMMORTALITY Over and above encoding maths into the Vedic chanting in the form of Chandas, the Rishi of yore, engineered further encrypted techniques for recitation. The verses were broken into parts that were recombined and recited in different orders to build in error detection and error correction capability into the Veda. 8 such encryption codes were developed called Vikriti, meaning that which have been specially designed. By knowing the encryption technique being

used for the recitation, the parts of the verse can be extracted and resequenced to recreate the original Mantra verse. The inherent phonetic rules of the Samskrt language automatically ruled out incorrect breakup and recombinations of the verses. Generations after generations have used the built in decoding, error detecting and error correction design of Vedic chanting to keep the Veda intact and correct even after 5100 years, the time when they were last recompiled. This mathematically engineered exercise of Veda Vyasa, the Rishi who recompiled the Veda has not only withstood the test of time, but has defied time itself to make the Veda immortal - so long as the human mind continues to remember the chants and the Vikriti codes. It is not only a magic of maths but also a marvel of memory. Mathematics thus formed the very basis for the Veda, the very fountainhead of Indian knowledge.

AN EXPRESSION OF MATHEMATICS Mathematics can be seen coursing through the spirit of India as an expression of Nature’s workings through the mathematically engineered chants of the Veda as a means to relate to nature of Nature through ritualistic worship using geometrically appropriate and perfect structures as altars for Homa an Astronomical tool to calculate apparent paths and speeds of objects in the sky to predict arrival of seasons based on the movement of the Sun, track the occurrences of Full and New Moon for day to day household and agricultural activities, predict eclipses and other natural disasters influenced by the pull of the celestial objects a measure in trade for both the weights of traded goods and track of gains obtained and accounts due

a navigation guide to calculate the angle of stars in the sky and derive directions from them. a bridge between Language and Science by allowing expression of the principles of Science using symbols, numbers and relations available in language

FROM MATHEMATICS TO ETHICS Maths formed the basis for taking Indian thought from fixed to contextual (in communication) from permanence to impermanence (in Nature) from immanence to transcendence (in God) from singular to pluralistic (in thought, belief) from limited to diverse (in culture) from black and white to shades of grey (in perception) from adamant to tolerant (in behaviour)

Maths, Ganitham - A Heavy Subject It is all these wide ranges of aspects, rooted in Maths that makes it a heavy subject. It is the presence of an infinite number of numbers in this subject that makes it heavy. It is the presence of an infinite number of series in this subject that make it heavy. It is how these different series, naturally spiral into a prasthara, a pyramid that makes Maths heavy. A pyramid is symbolic of heaviness, balance, proportion and peak of excellence, all of which are inherent qualities of Maths too. Little wonder that Mathematics in India was called Ganitham. Ganitham, the word for Mathematics comes from the root Gana, meaning multitude, set, cluster, heap, group, tribe, troop, a series of followers who follow a rule – all apt, for all that this subject stands for. A natural extension of Gana, which is multitude, is therefore heaviness, mass which is Ghana. Gana and Ghana have been rolled into one symbolic divinity Ganesha or Ganapati. Ganesha / Ganapati comes from Gana and Esha or Pati, where Esha or Pati means one who lords over. Ganesha or Ganapati is the divine trait in Nature, the principle, tattva, in Gana, the aspect of multitude which is at the same time heavy, massive, as represented by the divinity Ganesha and His elephant like form.

Ganesha is venerated as the divinity for intellect, which is different from knowledge. While knowledge denotes a repository, a medium, intellect denotes a capacity. It is the capacity to discern, differentiate and assimilate the necessary information to form the aggregated knowledge. Again, all of which are integral features of Mathematics. Ganesha thus portrays the differentiating and integrating power of Mathematics.

Travel of Mathematics from India to Europe Many more complex concepts in practice even today in Mathematics, such as those from the writings of Srinivasa Ramanujan, the Indian mathematician of recent times, have all had their roots in India, even though, to most in the world, they may appear to have had an Arabic or Greek origin. Much has been researched and written about the travel of Indian mathematics to the West. While a few are silent on this history, many in recent times have accepted and written about it. The progression of these concepts to the west can by and large, be traced in many waves and through many ways. 1.  The exchange of this Indian knowledge with the Greeks from the times of Alexander, before and after him (around 300 BCE). 2.    The travel of this Indian knowledge to Arabia with trade and from thereon to lands they traded with, including Greece, as Arabic knowledge. 3.  The travel of this Indian knowledge to Islamized Europe such as Cardoba, Andalusia in Spain, in the Arabic language, during the Dark Ages (between 700 CE and 1400 CE). 4.    The travel of this Indian knowledge to Europe (France, Germany and England) during Renaissance though translation of the Arabic works into Latin, French and so on (between 1400 CE and 1600 CE). 5.  The travel of this knowledge to Europe’s thinkers and philosophers, in the 17th and 18th century CE, directly from Samskrt originals with the direct access to India gained by Europe, over the seas. 6.  The travel of this knowledge systematically by the Jesuits, who were active in the Malabar coast (Kerala to Goa) in spreading Christianity, acquiring local knowledge for the purpose of the same as well as acquiring Indian knowledge of Mathematics and Astronomy for their applications back home in Rome. Jesuits specially trained in Maths and Sciences, were sent to India on this mission as well as that of translating Indian mathematical works to their languages in the

period following Vasco da Gama’s arrival in India (1500 CE to 1800 CE).

It was not just to the west, but Maths had travelled to China too as can be concluded based on manuscript evidences there.

NEED FOR INDIAN MATHEMATICS Why did these lands appreciate and acquire the Indian knowledge and techniques of Mathematics? Why did they seek this knowledge? Some of the major contributions of Mathematics from India, which eased the process of calculating and enabled far greater applications have been, 1.    The decimal system which defined unique numbers 0 to 9 and escalating powers of 10 subsequently 2.  The rule of proportion which allowed calculation of a value based on its relation to three and more other values. Eg. If for a, result is b, then for x what will be the result? 3.    The theorem of Diagonal more popular known as Pythagoras Theorem to calculate distances and angles

From ancient times to now, these counting contributions of Mathematics along with many other techniques of calculation in India, have best been put to use for Trade and Navigation, for,

•    what is needed in Trade is the ability to count and keep track of quantities made, sold, lent, borrowed, saved, spent and so on and

•   what is needed for Navigation is to measure distances and chart out routes and maps accurately. Indian Mathematics and Astronomy had grown out of their modelling of the phenomena in the skies, as they had sensed that the lives on earth depended upon these phenomena in the skies which caused seasons, rains, tides etc. They needed to find ways to relate with them. What they had uncovered as mathematics from the skies, also seemed to help them to relate with  one another in day to day activities such as navigation, trade and account keeping. The world had already enjoyed and benefitted from the trade out of India. The world had seen the navigational prowess of the Indians and their ability to read and chart the skies accurately, to chart their course correctly and precisely. Indian Mathematics and Astronomy thus held a pride of place among other technologies and sciences from India. So, when overseas navigation, in a large scale, from out of Europe, to the East and West of Europe had just taken off from the late 1400s, it was but natural for them to set course to India to look for not only the riches in kind but also these riches in knowledge.

AN UNDERESTIMATED CONTRIBUTION Discrimination While there have been many voices through history who have showered praise and acknowledged India’s leadership in Maths, all these voices were lost on the world and in the chronicling of the history of mathematics in the last few centuries.

It is only in the last few decades that voices have started surfacing across the globe again, to trace, retell and acknowledge India’s contribution in the history of Mathematics. While some mathematicians hold racial bias towards Europe as the reason for lack of sufficient mention of India’s contribution to mathematics in the last few centuries, Dr.George Gheverghese Joseph, an Indian born mathematician, highlights another aspect.

Misinterpretation Dr.Joseph feels that loss in translation could also have contributed for many in the West not having understood Indian writings in their entirety and having miscredited the discoveries to later mathematicians who seem to have discreetly benefitted from a better interpretation of the texts. He cites with an example of how the word “unattainable” used by Nilakantha in his Samskrt work Aryabhatiyabhashya, i.e. Commentary on Aryabhatiyam, the work of  Aryabhata of 5th century CE, was translated as “approximate”, leading to a totally different interpretation of Nilakantha’s explanation and a misjudgement of India’s state of mathematical knowledge on Pi, which is a recurring decimal.

Misjudgement From Infinity to Inability Very true indeed! A translation of the word “unattainable”, which implies a notion of infinity, as “approximation” which implies a notion of inability, can make a world of difference in understanding the logic and workings in Calculus which deals mainly with infinite series. It can cause an underestimation of the ability of an entire civilization, as it seems to have done in the case of India.

AN UNTRACED CONTRIBUTION A River Flow Much of the knowledge of Indian mathematics available to us today, comes from the works of the Kerala School of Mathematicians, who were playing

their role of transmitting the knowledge from their ancestors, as well as adding their own further theorems and theories. This Kerala School of Mathematics was predominantly called the Nila School after the river Nila that flowed close to one of the prominent schools. Sangamagrama was the name of this village. It is better known as Irinjalakuda today. Sangama in Samskrt, means a confluence. Grama means a village. This Sangamagrama village was the confluence of 2 rivers – the erstwhile Nila, now called Bharata, the longest river of Kerala and another local stream, at a place close to the present day Cochin. It is the very same Cochin where the Jesuits from Rome, first landed in 1500s and 1600s CE, to learn and systematically transmit to their land, the knowledge in these Kerala Schools from the Samskrt originals and from the original scholars. While they originally claimed to have come on a mission of Evangelism, one can see that it was such a planned scheme, for, they had come already trained in Indian thought and sciences from Arabic translated works. It was only a matter of learning the local language and Samskrt, as well as building relations with the local scholars, to fill in the missing gaps in translation of the orginal Indian thought. Clavius, his disciple Matteo Ricci etc. are some of the famous Jesuits who built up the archives in Collegio Romano, introduced many reforms in Europe, not only in Maths but also helped introduce the Gregorian Calendar Reforms.

A Reverse Flow It is this translated documentation which provided fodder to the thinking minds of Europe such as Newton, Leibniz and many more who made radical discoveries that changed the scene of science in Europe for all of mankind’s future. India today learns and applies Calculus and other techniques and terminologies of Mathematics that has come back to it from Europe. 

Tracing the Flow For present times, Mathematics experts, especially of Indian origin, such as Dr.C.K.Raju, Dr.George Gheverghese Joseph and a few others have been holding forth on how maths flowed from India to Europe. Dr.C.K. Raju writes,

Sadly there are not many documented acknowledgements of the Indian source of these discoveries, nor are there any documented evidences of the systematic translations that took place, as the concerned libraries in Cochin and enroute in Lisbon, since, lie destroyed. Some evidences regarding this knowledge transfer are contained in the collections labelled Goa, in the Jesuit historical library in Rome (ARSI). They contain details on how the Jesuits translated and transferred knowledge on the Indian judicial system, Indian sciences and the mechanical arts of the Malabar region back to Rome. In the words of Padre Domenico Ferroli, a Jesuit Father from Italy, who lived between 1887 and 1970, who came to India as a Christian Missionary and stayed on as Professor of Mathematics at Bangalore University and authored many works on the work of Jesuits in Malabar and Mysore around 1939,

He further wrote,

The name Veaso in this quote, was Ferroli’s way of spelling Vyasa, who had compiled the Veda and Purana. Yet, these evidences have not yet penetrated enough to change mainstream mindset.

A WITNESS EVEN AFTER 400 CENTURIES But all this has not gone unwitnessed. There is a witness to all this, even after 400 years.

A Veritable Confluence Irinjalakuda, the Malayalam name comes from the Tamil/Malayalam root, which means the Koodal (joining) of Iru (two) Jala (waters, river) – IruJala-Koodal (2 river confluence). It was a confluence of 2 rivers.

It was a confluence not only of rivers but also of mathematicians of India, each of whom was a confluence of scholarliness, sciences, maths, philosophy, linguistics, poetry and what not, rolled into one. It was also a confluence where the Jesuit Mathematicians of Europe met and learned from the Kerala Mathematicians of India. A veritable Sangama Grama indeed.

A Deep Rooted, Widespread Brand from India Regarding India’s contribution to the world, in the world of mathematics: whether the world may acknowledge it or not, whether the Indians, children of this soil may believe it or not, whether the spirit of their ancestors may care or not, a lone but widespread banyan tree from their times, stands today in the middle of this Sangamagrama or Irinjalakuda, as a witness to all that which has had its roots in India and branched and spread out all across the world. Mathematics has been one of the deep rooted and a widespread brand from India. The aerial roots of the Banyan at Irinjalakuda are still hanging, beckoning us to give them a firm footing so that newer branches of Mathematics, integrating the old and the new thoughts as well as approach, can grow and spread for modern times, using this base.

The Banyan Tree at Irinjalakuda -Witness to India’s Contribution to the World of Maths

Mathematics – A Resounding Contribution from India INTELLECT AND IMAGINATION While imagination and creativity are often associated only with music, writing, poetry, art and craft, what is often underestimated or ignored is the need for imagination in intellectuals. Especially intellectuals such as Mathematicians, who out of abstract thoughts and analysis are able to discern the laws of the Universe and crystallize them into forms called Numbers and express them formally as rules,  principles, relations and equations.

David Hilbert

It is this which made David Hilbert, an original thinking, German mathematician of early 1900s, comment thus, about his student who gave up mathematics to become a novelist.

“Good, he did not have enough imagination to become a mathematician. He had enough for novels.” -David Hilbert Hilbert’s sarcastic comment is an indication of where intellectuals place their thinking and imagining ability.

A DESIGNATED SPACE FOR INTELLECT Math denotes intellect

Mathh denotes churning

Matth (pronounced as mutt) denotes a place of dwelling

Infact, it is due to the intellectual ability of scholars, that the place where intellectuals gathered to ponder over the various problems of the Universe, came to be called Math (pronounced and sometimes spelt as Mutt). For, in most Indian languages, the words Matth / Mutt denotes a place where a group of scholars congregate and discuss Gnana, all round knowledge and Vignana, specific sciences. The word Matth/Mutt in present day parlance too is used to denote such “schools of specialized knowledge”. India thus, literally and metaphorically, gave room, space for intellectual thought and development. Matha Mattha is that place of dwelling (matth) of intellectuals (those with math) who churn thoughts (mathh) to crystallize them into new concepts, rules and understanding.

INDIAN “MATH” AND GREEK “MATHEMATICA” This is very similar to the Greek origins for the word Mathematics which comes from the Greek word Mathema, which means “what one learns”, “what one gets to know”. This word mathema is derived from manthano, mathaino which means “to learn”. Incidentally, the word manthan in Samskrt also means to churn. It is from this word Manthan, that the concept of Samudra Manthan developed

•  to indicate the abstract process of churn that goes on in the mind to weigh the pros and cons,

•    to

indicate the physical battle between the for and against forces, i.e. opposing forces in the cosmos right from before the beginning of the Creation.

Samudra Manthan subsequently came to be depicted in illustration and legends, as a fight between the Deva (to denote the good) and Asura (to

denote the bad) to churn the ocean of manifestation to produce objects of value.

An Art installation of the Samudra Manthan at the Suvarnabhoomi Airport, Bangkok

Incidentally, in Hindi, the word Math means “the value arrived at” – a meaning which denotes it connection with Maths.  From this Math,

obviously arises the Hindi / Urdu word Keemath meaning the cost, the price of anything.

Mathematics Vs Ganitham Ancient Indians also had a term “Ganitham” for Maths, a term still in popular parlance today in Samskrt as well as various other regional languages of India. For, Gana means numbers, to count, weighty. Ganitham is the science/techniques of counting numbers and calculation. Thus while Greece had chosen to name the science of counting and calculating, generically as Mathematica or “what one gets to learn”, Indians had specifically chosen the word Ganitham to denote that it is a technique of calculating / counting dealing with numbers, Gana specifically. Indians had advanced further in their quest to come up with techniques and names such as Bija Ganitham to denote a way of calculating by breaking down and substituting with parts. In this journey of quest for knowledge, India, till date, continues to be dotted with many Matthas or abodes of scholars, intellectuals who put their Math, Mathi or intellect, to a churn, Mathha or Manthan, there.

PHONETIC AND SEMANTIC SIMILARITY IN MATHEMATICS The Greek word Mathematica thus shares its basis with Indian words that denote intellectual brainstorming and an intellectual subject discussed mainly in schools of specialized knowledge. What a stark similarity in the name for this subject of intellect and imagination? A similarity in the sounds of Matha, Mathha, Mattha, Manthan of Samskrt and Mathema, Manthano and Mathaino of Greek! A similarity in what they all stand for – intellect and learning! Can it be dismissed as a mere coincidence?

Crest of the Peacock – Intellect In Sway As we have seen, many of the concepts in Mathematics still in use today, point to the scientific minds of our Vedic ancestors and the ones that followed them. Name

Period

Mayasura

Contribution

Suryasiddanta

Baudhayana

c 800 BCE

Sulbasutra

Manava

c 750 BCE

Sulbasuhra

Apastamba

c 600 BCE

Sulbasutra

Panini

c 500 BCE

Astadhyayi

Katyayana

c 200 BCE

Sulbasutra

Pingala

c 100 BCE

Chandahshaastra

Aryabhata I

476 - 550 CE

Aryabhatiyam

Name

Period

Contribution

Yativrsabha

500 - 570 CE

Tiloyapannatti

Varahamihira

505 - 558 CE

Brhat Samhita

Brahmagupta

598 - 670 CE

Brahmasphuta Siddhanta, Khandakhadyaka

Bhaskara I

600 - 680 CE

Maha Bhaskariya, Laghu Bhaskariya, Aryabhatiya Bhasya, Maha Bhaskariya

Lalla

720 - 790 CE

Sishyadi Vriddidham, Paati Ganita

Govindasvami

800 - 860 CE

Bhasya,

Mahabhaskariya Prthudakasvami

830 - 890 CE

Bijagruita

Mahavira

850 CE

Ganita Sara Sangraha

Sankara

840 - 900 CE

Laghu Bhaskaraa Viyakana

Sridhara

870 - 930 CE

Trisatika, Patiganita, Gonitapancavimsi

Aryabhata II

920 - 1000 CE

Mahasiddhanta

Vijayanandi

940 - 1010 CE

Karanatilaka

Brahmadeva

1060 - 1130 CE

Karanaprakasa

Sripati

1039 CE

Dheekoti Karana, Jaataka Paddhati, Jyotisha Ratnamala, Daivagnya Vallabha, Siddhanta Sekhara

Jyesthadeva

1500 - 1575 CE

Yuktibhasa

Name

Period

Contribution

Bhaskara

1114 - 1185 CE Lilavati, Bijaganita, Mitaksara, Siddhanta Siromani 

Madhava

1316 CE

Graha Siddhi, Mahadeva Saarani

Narayana

1340 - 1400 CE

Ganita kounudi

Mahendra Suri

1340 - 1410

Yantraraja

CE Paramesvara

1360 - 1455 CE

Drigganitha, Goladipika, Vakya Karana, Grahana Mandana, Grahana Nyaya Dipika, Grahanaashtaka

Nilakantha

1444 - 1544 CE

Tantrasamgraha

Jagannatha Samrat

1690 - 1750 CE

Rakhaganita

Kamalakara

1616 - 1700 CE

Siddhanta-tattvaviveka              

Ramanujan

1887 - 1920 CE

SatyendranathBose

1894 - 1974 CE

Harish Chandra

1923 - 1983 CE

Prof.C.S. Seshadri

1932 CE -       

Prof.M.S. Narasimhan

1932 CE -       

Prof.S.R.S. Varadhan 1940 CE -        Prof.M.S. Raghunathan

1941 CE -       

Prof.Narender Karmakar

1957 CE -       

Prof.Manjul Bhargava

1974 CE -

It is a norm for man to look for ways to represent the intangible in tangible forms for the mind to fathom it.

In Ganitham, Mathematics, we see intellectual minds, which had understood the tangible Universe around them and abstracted them into figurative symbols for the ease of fathoming them. A wonder indeed! No wonder the subject Ganitham, Mathematics, was called the crest of a peacock and the gem on a Cobra’s head, by our Vedic Rishi.

The insightful minds of these mathematicians of India which saw this form of the Universe can well be equated with the colourful eyes in the feathers of this dancing peacock. India needs to be proud of these mathematicians. As proud as a dancing peacock!

The very sound of the word “Mathematics”, along with the tracing of the flow of how, many of the fundamental concepts of modern day mathematics, have travelled from India to Europe, thus resonates with India’s excellence in this domain, every time it is uttered. Unfortunately, not many Indians have tuned their ears to hear it! However the mathematics of India found its way into the ears through another noteworthy route – Music.

Music – A Mix of Maths, Mood and Melody Let’s start at the very beginning. Music is as old as Nature. Right from the humming of the bees to the sweet notes of the nightingale to the rustle of the leaves, there is music everywhere.

A SONG IN THE LIPS Mankind too started with producing sounds to denote his emotions. He then learnt from what he saw and heard in Nature and developed patterns that could communicate his thoughts and desires. These repeated patterns became words. He then started stringing these words and modulating them with his feelings. This lent tune to the words and it became a song.

THUS EVOLVED PROSE Each group of people settled in different lands, spoke different words based on what Nature revealed to them in the form of sights and sounds. Their climatic conditions and physical features also influenced the syllables they pronounced, the words they said and the manner in which they threw their voices out  - in short their vocabulary. These different sets of vocabularies became languages.

SOON CAME POETRY Very soon, each group evolved formal rules called grammar in their languages, to keep ambiguity out of their communication as well as to make the language more standardised, to teach and keep it sustained. From this grew poetry and literature. But what about music? Why and how did it evolve?

EVOLUTION OF MUSIC Music is that which has a rhythm and melody, whether it has prose or poetry. Music has two sides to it.

One is, producing music in response to one’s own feelings and emotions. Another is, producing music to pass on, communicate feelings and emotions to others. When the issue of communicating arises, then naturally rules start evolving, inorder to ensure effectiveness of communication. Same is the case, with music too.

Notes With time and repeated singing, man discovered that certain notes, frequencies in which sound is produced, produce pleasant sensations in one self and in others. These became corner stones in music and came to be called notes.

Scale Patterns of these notes, were then combined to produce different melodies, tunes or scale.

Rhythm Rhythms started emerging to define uniform time intervals for which the notes had to be sustained to produce a synchronization with the listener.

Style From hereon emerged formal music, which grew into folk and classical styles. Folk had a rustic appeal to it while classical developed with a measured tone to it.

Transcendence As man started crisscrossing across lands, his language took time to cross the barriers but his music could easily transcend all barriers and reach out to people world over.

SIMILAR MUSIC, SIMILAR NOTES Today the world has largely settled down to Western Classical music comprising of 7 notes – Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti.

Indian music tradition too is based on combinations of 7 notes, called the Saptaswara. Sapta means 7 and swara means a note. Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Da, Ni are the 7 notes, often called Sargam in short. The Gregorian chants widely sung in Europe in the 1500s have been shown to be a close cousin of the Sama Veda of India. They sound similar to the Sama Veda when listened to in parallel. Similar close resemblance can also be seen, rather heard, in the Islamic recitation of the Koran. One can also see a gradual likeness in Arabic, Persian, West Asian, Mediterranean as well as Welsh and Irish singing – music from most old and folk cultures. Chinese music too uses these same notes – but mainly 5, typically equivalent of Sa, Ri, Ga, Pa, Da. Japanese music uses these 7 notes too. What makes the world sing to the tune of the same 7 notes?

DO RE MI – THE EUROPEAN NOTES Learning to Read Music An Italian monk Guido d’ Arezzo, also a music theorist of the Medieval era, is credited with having formulated the popular, 5 line, Staff notation for writing music and the 7 notes, “Do Re Mi etc.”, also called Solfege or Solmization system of learning to sing by sight or reading notes.

    Guido d’Arezza – Statue at Arezzo

Plaque Outside Guido’s House

The History of Do Re Mi The notes Do Re Mi and so on, are traced to the first syllables of the first verse of the Latin  hymn  Ut queant laxis, the Hymn of St.John written by Paulus Diaconus in the 8th century CE.

Ut re Mi

Ut Re Mi Fa Sol La Si. Si came from the first letters S and I of Sancte Iohannes (i.e Saint John). The meaning of this hymn is,

European music then came to be based on these seven notes. Eventually the Ut became Do and Si became Ti in many parts of Europe. Do Re Mi and so on, was made popular for the world community at large, by the popular musical “The Sound of Music” and its popular song ‘Do-Re-Mi’. They became the tools to build a song.

A Poster of The Sound of Music film

Analogous Notes In Japan too, an ancient poem, a pangram, called “Iroha” which had 7 lines of non-repeating characters, was used as a reference. A syllable from each line was used to denote each of the 7 notes of music (i, chi,yo, ra, ya, a,we), much like the Solfege.

The Japanese “Iroha” reference poem

Scotland too had a notational system called Canntaireachd  as  a  means  of communicating bagpipe music vocally. Guido system of notation music went on to become the 5 line Staff notation, a popular standard today for writing and reading most music of the world, with the exception of some, like the Indian classical music.

An Arabic Influence?

Portrait of Francisi Mesgnien Meninski by Polish artist Antoni Oleszczyński

One of the findings of research is that, Guido d’ Arezzo had been influenced by Arabic / Persian music which also had 7 notes - dāl, rā’, mīm, fā’, sād, lām, tā’.

These are expected to have made their way into Europe during the medieval period along with the other Islamic / Arabic contributions to Europe. This Arabic origin of Do-Re-Mi notes was first proposed in 1680, by Francisi Mesgnien Meninski, the author of Thesaurus Linguarum Orientalium, a Turkish-to-Latin dictionary which is a reference for Turkish language of those times. In 1780, Jean Benjamin de La Borde, a French composer, a historian, a cartographer, traveler and writer on music, too proposed a similar theory.

Jean Benjamin de La Borde

Guillaume André Villoteau

In 1809, in Paris, French musicologist Guillaume Villoteau, in his works “Description historique, technique et litteraire des instruments de musique

des orientaux and the Description de l’Égypte” has also ratified this view. Guillaume had been appointed as one of the scientists on a commission along with Napoleon’s army, to Egypt, to collect material on the music of the Oriental peoples.

A NOTEWORTHY QUESTION While all these theories may explain the origin of the actual letters Do Re Mi etc. used for denoting the 7 notes, all these theories have left one question unanswered. How did most music systems of the world end up with only 7 notes and the frequencies for these notes, such as Do Re Mi and so on, match with the age old Indian 7 notes Saptaswara or Sargam?

INDIA’S MUSIC TRADITION India has not only preserved its music tradition going way back to Bharata Muni’s Bharata Shastra of a few millennia ago but also furthered its classical music into 2 distinct styles – the northwest influenced Hindustani style and the southern Carnatic style. The southern style earned its name from the word Karnatak for that region. Another angle to this name, is the colloquial allusion of the word Karnatakam is to anything old, antique, traditional. The word Karnatak is also given a sublime explanation by some, as that which is also pleasing to the ear, since Karna means ear and Aattam, Ataka is explained as that which is a performance for the ear from nataka which means a performance. Since Karna is also ear, Karnatak music is also acclaimed as that which has come down by Karna parampara, i.e. a formal hearing / oral tradition. That which has come down by way of hearing -  learnt through listening and disseminated for listening. Both these Indian systems of music use the 7 notes, Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Da, Ni, called the Saptaswara, as their foundation.

SAPTASWARA – ORIGINS IN NATURE

These 7 notes are not arbitrarily taken notes, but as explained by the literature of Bharata Muni, are notes taken from Nature itself.

Each of these notes have been inspired by an animal or bird, so chosen that the note they represent are not only ascending in order of frequency but the sounds they make are also such that, in humans too each of these sounds / notes progress gradually from the naval to the lips. These 7 notes form a scale. While each note may have a distinct frequency, the frequency of each note bears a definite relation to the first, i.e. Sa, and with the rest. This is because, the sound after originating from its respective point of origin has to travel upwards through the remaining nodes, before it can emanate out as a note.

In our body, we can distinctly feel just these nodes/originating points vibrating as the respective notes are sung. The first note is called Shatjam, since this note after originating at the naval, has to pass through all the other 6 nodes as well. It thus is born 6 times – once at every node. Shat means 6 and ja means to be born. So contrary to just being random notes, the 7 notes were carefully chosen keeping in mind The progressive location of the nodes, point of origin or vibration of the note’s sound The progressive frequency of the note

•  The pleasing value of the note It was a harmonious blend of the laws of physics, biology, psychology and metaphysics.

AN AGE OLD STRUCTURING All this understanding and structuring took place definitely over 5000 years ago, even before the Veda were recompiled in 3100 BCE. For, the Veda of India are not only the oldest known literature of the world but also the oldest known, formal form of musical chants in the world. The 4 Veda, whose date of composition is not traceable, were last compiled together, around 3100 BCE. The chants of the Veda, especially the Sama Veda, are patterns of certain notes (Sa, Ri, Ga in basic form) sung in certain rhythms, to produce certain vibrations in the chanter, listener as well as the surroundings. With Sama Veda dating back to so many millennia but being well structured and laid within a well-defined framework, all formal music and religious chants could well have emanated from this body of chants. As in the case of other concepts whose roots are traceable to India, there is no name of one person or path by which we can express that the 7 notes concept of music was taken from India and there is no period that can be attributed to it. But what comes out clear is the antiquity of the 7 notes in the

Indian civilization by more than a couple of millennia before the times of Byzantine, old Greek, Aramaic and others.

THE INFLUENCE OF SAMA GANA The Indian culture has a musical history of having also used more than 7 notes, such as 22 or 28 notes. Music sung with such 22 notes was called Gandharva music. However, over time, treatises talk of how this set was reduced to 7, keeping in mind the quality and effect of the music produced. With time again, these 7 notes with minor variations have grown to form a set of 12 notes in Indian music. But the basic corner stones are still only 7.

From Neume to Solfege Guido had developed his Solfege or Solmization system to replace the then existing way of notating music using neumes. Neumes were ways of writing music depicting inflections to be given to the voice while singing, inorder to produce certain notes, with certain pitch, for certain duration, with certain tempo,  The word neume is popularly described as having come from the Greek word Pneuma for breath. There is however another explanation of neume which traces it to a Hebrew origin.

Given the vast amount of music notations still available in the Eastern Church culture as compared to the number of notations available for the Gregorian chants, it is also widely held that neumes must have had their

origin in the  Byzantine empire, comprising of parts of present day Southern Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and Israel. They also bear a functional resemblance to a similar system used for the notation of recitation of the Quran of Islam. 

Notation at the Finger Tips If we see, Byzantine music pa , vu, ga , di , ke ,zo , ni. 

also

had

7

notes,

which

were

If we see closely, while using hand signs and finger motions during chanting, is ascribed to Near East music, such hand signs and finger motions to sing and chant has been common practice of Sama Veda in India from atleast 5100 years and more.

Sama Veda Chanting using the hand and fingers gestures Courtesy – Vedic Chanting Session by Sreejith Namboothiri M.N and his disciples, Bhavadas K.S. & Devadas K.S. (Kerala)

The only difference was that these were memorized and transmitted through oral tradition rather than in textual, notational form. One of the earliest notation for Sama Veda can only be seen in a manuscript dating to 1583 CE, in the private Schoyen Collection of worldwide manuscripts.

SAMAN TO PSALM As far as music is concerned in India, Sama Veda chant is known as Sama Gana. The verses of the Sama Veda are called Saman. In the Biblical form, such chants are also referred to as Psalms, where the “P” is silent. While Sama Gana dates back to 3100 BCE and before, the Biblical Psalms are dateable to couple of centuries before and after Christ. i.e. a good 3000 years and more since Sama Gana was prevalent in India. We thus see a clear trace of the concept of 7 notes having travelled westwards from India from the Vedic times to Arabia to Persia to

Byzantium to Greece to Rome to Rest of the world.

Guido’s Tryst With 7 Notes Guido was a monk who had spent considerable time in monasteries in the Adriatic coast singing Gregorian chants. He had also been faced with the daunting task of having to teach these chants to his pupils. In the 7 notes system he had found a way to formulate an instruction method by which the chant could be learnt and repeated in the same manner each time. Guido brought out a treatise called Micrologus, which outlines the singing and teaching practice for Gregorian chant. Guido, in all probability was teaching music to his students using Sa Ri Ga Ma as the basis but in a different language, as Do Re Mi ….

THE PROFUNDITY IN THE INDIAN NOTES More than the visible signs of similarity and the antiquity of the practice of using 7 notes, the fundamental reason for concluding that the concept of 7 notes must have originated in India and travelled all over the world, lies in the very essence of the divining of this concept of 7 notes. While most of world sees the Do Re Mi and the 7 note system, as a system devised for writing and teaching music or sight singing, i.e. singing by reading notations on print, the Indian system of music has never gone by teaching music and the Veda, through written or notation form. These were meant to be taught and sung / chanted only through oral methods of learning. For the Indian musicians, these 7 notes represented

•  the progression of sound through the body •   the propensity of the vibrations caused by these sounds, to cure, soothe and please

•    the profundity of how the principles of physics, mathematics, biology, body chemistry, psychology and metaphysics all converge in music. The world of music thus was synonymous to the cosmos and the cosmic principles themselves. Music was a form of spirituality. No wonder then that these 7 notes were revered as Divinities themselves and each Note Divinity was assigned a Colour, Lifetime, Spouse, Vehicle, Tree, Flower, Ornament, Implement, Ritual offering, food, mood and so on.

AN UNDENIABLE INFERENCE With such an elaborate concept revolving around these 7 specific notes, it cannot be denied that the idea of fixing on these notes as the foundation, corner stone for producing good music, must have had its birth in India. It makes it obvious that the roots of the principles of much of the world’s classical music system have their base in India.

THE CONCLUDING NOTE But all said and ‘sung’, 22 notes or 12 notes or 7 notes or 5 notes or 3 notes, these are just the framework for singing. There is no rule nor limit on the actual note that any entity of this Universe can produce or what constitutes the perfect music. All in all, be it Eastern, Central or Western, there is some form of music in everything. One only needs an ear for it. India with its millennial old music systems, be it the resonating Vedic chants or the 2 firmly entrenched classical styles or the myriad number of folk styles or the emerging fusion style  or even the latest entrant - filmy style,  has definitely produced enough music for the world to lend an ear or two. The 7 notes, Sargam, have been an unsung brand of India.

IST – Indian Standard Time / Prime Meridian World time today or local time at each location is expressed with reference to GMT as ± GMT, where GMT stands for Greenwich Meridian Time. We thus have Indian Standard Time, i.e. the local time in India as +5.5 GMT, i.e. India is ahead of Greenwich Time by 5 ½ hours.

GMT - GREENWICH MERIDIAN TIME Greenwich is a suburb just east of London. In Greenwich village, on a hillock, is located the Greenwich observatory, where, a short, marked line is called the Prime Meridian, from which all time measurements start today.

0 Longitude or GMT

D.K. Hema Hari standing across GMT

Greenwich Observatory where the ball drops at the strike of One

What is a Prime Meridian? Why do we need it? How did this concept start?

KEEPING TIME WITH MERIDIANS The society we live in today is highly interconnected in its workings and living. It is imperative today to know what the time is in different parts of the world at any given instant since businesses are transacted based on this and social and family interactions are based on this. For this, it is important for the entire world to accept a common norm of tracking time and a commonly accepted reference point from which to start. This common norm to calculate time is based on longitudes, the imaginary half circle lines drawn running down from the North Pole to South Pole. These longitudes divide the world into equal time zones so that using a reference Time Line and the number of longitude lines from it, one can determine the time along any longitude.

These time lines are called Meridians and the reference time line, the Prime Meridian.

Lattitude, Longitudes and Time zones

The ancient world too had worked with a similar idea.

MERIDIAN – THE MIDDAY The word Meridian comes from the Latin word Meridies, which means midday. For each location, the Meridian is the midway between the sunrise and sunset for that location. i.e. where the sun will lie at midday. It is from the word meridian / meridies that we derive the commonly used acronyms AM and PM to denote the 2 halves of the day. AM stands for Ante Meridiem i.e. pre-midday and PM stands for Post Meridiem or post-midday. The Prime Meridian for the world today runs through Greenwich, London and the time kept with this as reference is GMT, Greenwich Meridian Time. 

WHY GREENWICH? Power Centre The longitude passing through Greenwich, London was chosen as the Prime Meridian, primarily because then, a few hundred years ago, England and therefore London was the power centre of the world.

No Land On Date Line Another reason is that, 180 degrees across the globe from London, lies the region of the earth with least land mass. It lies in the middle of the sea. This 180 degree region, was thus ideally suited to become the date change line for the world, the region where the date rolled over. i.e. Zones to one side of this line would have one date while the zones on the other side of this line would have the previous day’s date.

The International Date Line

No Confusion

It is to be noted that the time of the day would appear the same on either side of the date change line since the Sun would be in the same position overhead for both these sides. Only for the convenience of tracking the passing of days, the 2 sides would fall under successive dates. If such a date change were to occur in the middle of a country, then it would have led to utter confusion with people not knowing as to which day of their life they were living. To avoid such confusion, it helped having this transition take place in a region where no one lived or in the middle of the sea. These two factors made Greenwich the ideal zone for fixing as the Prime Meridian or the 0 degree longtitude. Greenwich however, has been the Prime Meridian only since 1884, when a resolution to this effect was passed at the International Meridian Conference held in Washington DC.

PAST PRIME MERIDIANS The French Meridian When the world became Euro centric in the 1700s and 1800s, two meridians came into vogue. One is the meridian that passed through Greenwich, London and the other through Paris in France.

Paris Meridian, 0 degree then, 2 sec 20 min East of GMT today

Paris Meridian cutting through France

Rose Line Stone, Paris

Paris observatory, 18th century

The Observatory of Paris, today

Paris Observatory, Inside View

The Meridian Line traced on the floor at the Meridian Room in the Paris Observatory

Today, Le Meridien is a famous, international chain of luxury hotels, in many cities across the world. The name “Le Meridien” for this famous chain of world class hotels started in 1972 by Air France in Paris, in a way, seems to be France’s way of keeping the memory of its Prime Meridian alive.

Le Meridien Hotel in Paris

Another innovative way followed by France, was to embed the pavements of Paris with 135 or so, bronze medallions, along the old Prime Meridian line. These medallions were inscribed with the word “ARAGO” and North and South labels, in honour of the French astronomer Francois Arago, who defined the exact trajectory of the Prime Meridian through Paris in the 19th century. One of the medallions lies embedded inside the Louvre, behind the Pyramid.

The Arago Medallion at Louvre Paris, About 100 m from the Pyramid

Arago Medallion near Saint Sulpice, where the local meridian for Easter and Winter Solstice (not the Paris Prime Meridian) passed

The Arago Medallion near Palais Royal

The Arago Medallions Along the Paris Meridian Source of map -  www.poi.nu, Set of Waypoints

Only a few however seem to make the connect, as many do not know or remember the French Meridian. A few however celebrate such knowledge to the minutest detail in the form of fiction stories. comics and trails.

Tribute to the French Meridian

Adventures of Tintin is a popular comics serial created by Georges Remi of Belgian origin, who authored this under the pen name Herge. In this comic series, in the story of Red Rackham’s Treasure, when the Sea Captain, Captain Haddock goes in search of the lost treasure of Red Rackham, he uses a French prepared map of the world. The beauty of Herge’s work, lies in the attention to detail shown by this author cum illustrator.  The French map is based around the Prime Meridian in Paris.

    The usual characters of Tintin Comic with Tintin and his dog Snowy in the centre

Prime Meridian – Line of Power Struggle In the tug of war between the French and the English, for supremacy in Europe, when the English finally prevailed and became the world power centre, “number one”, the meridian for the modern world was settled in favour of the Greenwich meridian, passing through London. In fact when Greenwich was being considered for the Prime Meridian, the other contenders for this prime position then were Berlin, Cadiz, Copenhagen, Lisbon, Rio, Rome, Saint Petersburg, Stockholm and Tokyo besides Paris the arch rival who had been using its own meridian for over 2 centuries then. A disappointed Paris continued using its meridian for navigation even till as late as 1914.

The Greek Meridians Going further beyond, during the 2nd century CE, we find maps by Claudius Ptolemy which show the counting of meridians from the Canary Islands, called Blessed Islands or Fortunata, for, that was the farthest land they knew of, in the west. Hence Canary Islands became Zero Meridian and 180 degrees was somewhere in the middle of China of which they did not know much either then. America was unknown to them then. China was the farthest they knew of, in the East and was referred to as Sinae and Serica, the land of silk.

Ptolemy’s world map, reconstituted in the 15th Century from Ptolemy’s Geography (about 150 CE) Canary Islands is shown as 6 dots at the west edge of the map. Serica and Sinae are China, Taprobane is Sri Lanka and Aurea Chersonesus is the Malay Peninsula. Source - The British Library Harley

Many other Greek thinkers and cartographers such as Eratosthenes, Marinus too had identified meridians for example at Rhodes and such other prominent places of their times. However, their maps and methods reveal their inconsistent, incorrect way of assigning meridians or calculating time based on these. Their maps also

show an incomplete understanding of the extent of the world as the entire stretch of the earth was shown as lying between the Canary Islands and China and was compressed within 180 degrees. Ptolemy, in his maps, while referring to India, had given prominence to Ujjain as Ozene. Why highlight Ujjain of all the cities in ancient India?

UJJAIN – PRIME MERIDIAN OF THE ANCIENT WORLD

Ujjain and its observatory

From 1600 CE, i.e. 500 years ago, going back to many millennia, India was the centre of the world, pretty much how England was the centre of the world a hundred years ago. The world was India centric then, on aspects of knowledge, wealth, textiles, metallurgy, spices, indigo, culture, medicine, navigation, trade and many other fields.

Due to this dominance of India in all these fields, for the last few 1000s of years, the world’s Prime Meridian was fixed at India. The Zero meridian then passed through Avantika also called Ujjain. This meridian, starting from North Pole and passing through Ujjain, all the way down to the South Pole, has been repeatedly mentioned by many ancient geographers of India and the world. Notable among them are Aryabhata, Varahamihira, Bhaskaracharya among the Indians and Ptolemy, the Greek astronomer, who lived between 87 and 150 CE. Ptolemy shows the ancient Indian city of Ujjain, in the Greek language as “Ozene” in his map and mentions that it is the cardinal city of the then  known world.

Greek Map of “Ozene”, in Ancient India

Ptolemy

Iconic Temple It is to be noted that this map of the world pins Ozene with an icon of a temple, the Maha Kaleshwara temple. This means that this temple has existed from even before the time of Ptolemy as a centre of timekeeping tradition in India. It was popular for the legend to have travelled that far to Greece in those days, for Ptolemy to mark it as a temple. That symbol for a temple holds good even in today’s maps. It shows that the Maha Kaleshwara temple and its being a central point had a much earlier antiquity, for such popularity to have travelled literally to another part of the world in those remote days. In medieval India, during 1114 CE, Laghubhaskareeyam, verse 1 -23, mentions

Bhaskaracharya

in

his

Laghubhaskareeyam sloka - (1-23)

Ancient Indian Meridian

Varahamihira, in his Pancha Siddhantika, on the “Time Correction” to be applied from the Prime Meridian, much like today, states that

Pancha Siddhantika sloka- (9-10)

All these clearly go to show that the line connecting the North Pole to South Pole, passing through Ujjain in India, was the Prime Meridian of the ancient world.

MAHA KALESHWARA TEMPLE – AN ANCIENT OBSERVATORY? Today, the way, the Greenwich observatory is the marker point of the Greenwich meridian in London, in those days, the Maha Kaleshwara temple

in Ujjain was the marker point.

   

Maha Kaleshwara temple, Ujjain

Maha means great, Kala means time and Eashwara means the controller. This temple of Maha Kaleshwar in Ujjain represented the control centre, reference mark, for calculating and keeping track of time for the globe, in yester years.

The temple and the deity here seem to bear an apt name. This city has seen a continuous tradition in astronomy. Since then, there has been an observatory in Ujjain, which can be visited even today.

Jantar Mantar, Ujjain Vedh Shala, The Observatory at Ujjain, as renovated today

Constructed between 1725 and 1730 AD the Ujjain Vedh Shala it is one of the 4 observatories built by Raja Sawai Jaysingh in Delhi, Ujjain, Mathura and Varanasi. With many gnomons, such as Shanku Yantra, Nadivalaya Yantra, Samrat Yantra, Digyansha Yantra, Turiya Yantra, Yamyottarabhitti  Yantra etc., astronomical studies of planetary motions are still conducted here and an ephemeris is published every year. Also called Jantar Mantar, this is perhaps the only observatory in India and one of the few, world over, where Masonic instruments or ancient Gnomons are even today utilized for astronomical studies.

Jantar comes from Yantra, meaning an instrument, while Mantar, could be rhymic derivative from Mantra, special verses of knowledge or Mandir, meaning temple. The Jantar Mantar at Ujjain is also called Yantra Mahal by the locals, meaning a palace of Yantra.

A Digyansha Yantra at Jantar Mantar, Ujjain. Digyan from Dik (Direction) and Gyan (knowledge) Device for measuring the direction, position where a celestial object lies. i.e. Altitude (Distance from the horizon) and the Azimuth (Angular distance from the east or west point along the horizon) of any celestial object

What is further significant, is the reason why, out of all the cities on this Meridian, Ujjain was chosen as the referral point?

SIGNIFICANCE OF UJJAIN Ujjain is a significant location for time keeping as it is situated on the Tropic of Cancer. The Indian name for this Tropic of Cancer is Kataka Rekha. Kataka means Crab, the symbol for the zodiac Cancer, and Rekha meaning line. The Tropic of Cancer marks the northern limit of the annual traversal path of the sun between north and south of the equator.

Jantar Mantar, Ujjain Vedh Shala, The Observatory at Ujjain, as renovated today

There were other Indian meridians at Kurukshetra and Kanchipuram too, to the west and east of this Prime Meridian, respectively.

THE CARDINAL POINTS ON EARTH Aryabhata, the great Indian medieval astronomer and mathematician, in his work Aryabhatiyam, written in 499 CE, brings out the progression of time across the globe using 4 cardinal points on the equator –

•  Yamakotipura near modern day Java, •  Lankapura below Lanka, •  Romakadesha or modern day Rome and •  Siddhapura, near modern day Mexico.

In his work Aryabhatiyam, Aryabhata clearly mentions and shows Siddhapura as the land on the other side of the globe, such that when it is sunrise in Bharatavarsha, it is sunset in Siddhapura, clearly indicating the 12 hour difference between the two lands. The relevant verse and sketch to substantiate this point from Aryabhatiyam being:

The 4 Cardinal Points as per Aryabhata in 499 CE

IMPLICATIONS OF A PRIME MERIDIAN This sloka and the practice of a Prime Meridian at Ujjain implies many things unsaid about India. The Prime Meridian in India implied that the ancient Indians knew well, 1.  that there were these different regions on earth. 2.   that different parts of the earth had different times at the same instant. 3.  that these time differences came about because the earth rotated about its axis. 4.  that the earth was round or spherical. This also meant that they had travelled to these parts of the world, observed and recorded these observations. The French and the English could establish their “Time Line” of the “Le Meridian” or the “Greenwich Meridian” only after 1600s, whereas the Indians had established this over 2000 years ago in the BCE era itself, as can be seen from Ptolemy referring to Ozene i.e. Ujjain, in his map of meridians.

TRACING UJJAIN’S HISTORY From Yore Across times, Ujjain has been a distinguished symbol of the Indian civilisation, as a major center of mathematical, astronomical studies, political capital and religion. A pilgrimage centre around Maha Kaleshwara, Ujjain’s location on the route leading from the busy ports of the western coast to the markets and hinterland of India, gave it a combined advantage of a scared city cum a commercial trade centre.

Krishna The history and prominence of Avanti, Ujjain, Ozene can be traced back in literature, to the time of Mahabharata i.e. 3100 BCE, 5100 years ago. Krishna, the Yadava prince and brother Balarama, were sent to the Sandipani

Ashram in Avanti, Ujjain to undergo their formal education. Since 5100 years, Avanti has been a seat of learning.

Krishna, the blue boy, flanked by brother Balaram on right and friend Sudama on left studying at Rishi Sandipani’s  Ashram - A modern day illustration at Sandipani Ashram, Ujjain

Ashoka Emperor Ashoka resided at Ujjain, deputed as its Viceroy by his father Bindusara. During Ashoka’s time also, Ujjain was the seat of a University, where astronomy was taught as a special subject.

Emperor Ashoka – a popular illustration

Vikramaditya

The grandeur of Ujjain was at its zenith during the reign of King Vikramaditya. After the defeat of the Shakas, Vikramaditya, who, by then had much of India under his power, transferred the seat of his capital to Ujjain as it was the first meridian in Indian astronomy. King Vikramaditya was famed for his wisdom, valour and magnanimity. He was by far the most popular king of Ujjain and in his honour was started Vikram Samvat calendar, followed even today. It was started in 56 BCE to commemorate his victory over the Sakas.

King Vikramaditya

A gold coin with his portrait, dating back to the 1st century BCE, helps us get a glimpse of Vikramaditya today, after over 2000 years.

A Gold Coin With Vikramaditya’s Portrait

It is interesting to note that this coin shows uniform big and small divisions along the circumference like those used to measure time on the face of a watch dial. According to Katha Sarit Sagara, one of the ancient works, Vikramaditya was the son of Mahendraditya. Aditya in India, is a name for the Sun, the time-keeper of the world. It is interesting to note and hard to ignore that the rulers of this region have had names with the word Aditya in them.

Raja Bhoja

Statue of Raja Bhoja in Bhopal

Between 1000 and 1055 CE, Ujjain saw yet another icon emerge from its lap. This was Raja Bhoja, who was an exceptional ruler. He is credited with many victorious campaigns across India and keeping Mahmud of Ghazni, the ruthless plunderer of Somnath, in check, during his lifetime. Not only was Raja Bhoja a strong warrior but he also showed intellectual prowess. Well learned, practical as well as aesthetically inclined, he was the author of many works in philosophy, astronomy, medicine, yoga, architecture among other subjects. Texts produced by him, some of which are still amidst us, demonstrate his innovative aptitude.

Engineering – civil and mechanical, mathematics, astronomy were some of his core areas of interest. These demonstrate the power of Ujjain to continue to inspire studies and practice of astronomy during Bhoja’s time too.

Renowned Astronomers The noted mathematicians and astronomers of ancient India such as Brahmagupta, Varahamihira, Bhaskaracharya and Samskrt scholars such as Bhasa, Bhartrahari, Kalidasa, Banabhatta, Shudraka, Vallabhacharya and many more had all worked out of Ujjain, during their times too.

Renowned Observatories Being a continuously lived in city for over 5 millennia at the very least, much of Ujjain’s history is buried under the present day city structures leaving very little scope for active archaeological excavations and finds from those times. However, we are able to see and experience the observatories setup here from the 1600s by various rulers who came later and wanted to preserve Ujjain’s heritage as a time reckoner.

Ujjain Observatory Before Excavation – courtesy History of India Edited by A.V. Williams Jackson

Same Ujjain Observatory – open to visitors today The Digamsha Yantra at the observatory

Samrat Yantra at the Ujjain Observatory – installed by Sawai Raja JaiSingh of Jaipur, around 1725 CE

The city of Ujjain has thus been recognised from time immemorial as the headquarters of Indian astronomy and longitudes were computed from its meridian.

UJJAIN – THE TIMEKEEPER

Indian Adornments for Ujjain Ujjain has been known by various names across times as Ujjaini, Ujjayini, Avantika, Vishala, Kushasthali, Padmavati, Kanakshringa, Pratikalpa, Kumudwati and Amarawati, to list a “few”.  It is but natural that a city that has been living for 5100 years and more would have acquired such names and adornments during its own lifetime. The Chinese referred to it as Wa-she-yen-na which afterwards changed to Ujayana.

Urain, Ujjain’s Greek Name

Urania, the Greek Goddess for Astronomy and Time

While Ptolemy called it Ozene, the Greeks and Romans also called it Urain after Urania the Greek Goddess of Astronomy and Time. She is portrayed wearing dark colors, carrying a pencil in her right hand and a crystal ball in her left, which can predict time and space. She is enthusing

man to look at the stars, study the skies and ask the question “Why?” to learn more. While Ozene, is a Greek pronunciation of the Indian name Ujjain, Urain, is an honorific name, given in their own language, based on their own contextual links. This reflects the association of Ujjain as a centre for time keeping even in the minds of the Greeks and the Romans.

Timekeeper of the World Whatever be her name, this city will forever be associated with time and its measurement.

TRACING THE TIMELINE FOR WORLD’S TIMELINE Amidst all this information and implications, the prime features of the global time tracking system of the Indians, reveals:

•  the picture of the world and its movements as we know it today. the division into symmetrical meridians as we have today. the calculation of time as we do today. an understanding of space and time, perhaps better than what we have today. Juxtaposing Ujjain and her time keeping tradition with the evolution of the history of time keeping and meridians in the rest of the world, as documented in the west, reveals this beautiful account, as we have seen, of how the world started using meridians.

Mastering Space and Time First – Maha Kala of Ujjain It all started with Maha Kaleshwara, the cosmic divinity for Kala, Time, both from the perspective of universal reality as well as by the location of a temple for Kala in Ujjain, on the Tropic of Cancer. With this temple, Indians from the very remote past have demonstrated their knowledge of both time and space. This temple stands as a proof of the

ancient Indians’ awareness of the Shape of earth Latitudes Longitudes Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn Earth’s axial tilt and orbital plane Heliocentric solar system Sun’s apparent path Seasons Details such as size, speed, composition etc., of other bodies in the solar system especially, Moon, Mars, comets, etc. including presence of water and iron on Mars and above all Mathematics and Trigonometry, inorder to be able to transpose all this knowledge into measurable parameters, units and application. They had thus mastered the notion of space, direction, motion and how to transpose all of this into the tracking of the passage of time.

THE ANCIENT DATE LINE A question that may arise in our minds is, If Ujjain was the Prime Meridian, then 180 degress across, i.e. the date line, would have fallen on the Americas and caused confusion and not in the sea, the reason why Greenwich is the preferred Prime Meridian today. Had the ancient Indians not thought of this aspect? The answer to this is that, today we keep time artificially by counting. We count seconds, minutes, hours and indicate change in date. Date is a number for us today. Whereas the ancients tracked time by the rising and setting, shape and position of the Sun, moon and stars. Date for our ancients was defined as a

combination of

•  the position of the sun in the zodiac belt •  the phase of the moon as well as •  the star against which the moon lay for the day. Time of day was the position of the

•    The

position of the Sun between the Eastern and Western horizon

•    The

position of the Moon between the Eastern and Western horizon, coupled with its phase.

With such a unique way of representing day, date, time, there really was no need for date line as one look at the sky revealed all. When time reckoning is based on such a methodology, it also does not seem natural that the same piece of earth, whether on land or on sea can have two different dates just because it falls on either side of an imaginary date line.

KNOWLEDGE SHARE With Greeks While there are prima facie evidences to show Indo-Greek connections from more than 3 millennia ago, we can pick up records by the Greeks themselves of their visit to India from the times of Alexander in 326 BCE. During their visit to India, while the soldiers in the Greek army fought, some of the chroniclers went around India to learn about this land. Obviously they seem to have seen and picked up the Indian tradition of timekeeping with their subsequent reference to Ozene as depicted with the Maha Kaleshwara temple icon. But going by how their following astronomers, geographers had failed in depicting the globe fully, drawing the meridians and calculating time, we can

see that they had not gained a complete understanding to have evolved a comprehensive system then.

With Europe, Through Arabs By 1200 and 1300s, Europe started slowly coming out of the Dark Ages. France was one of the first with its Renaissance movement. Minds were becoming inquisitive and opening up to new thought. It was at this time we see many of the Indian works, especially in Mathematics, being translated into Persian and Arabic by the Arab travellers and taken to France where they were translated into French and subsequently into other European languages. It is but natural then that the modern world’s early observatories and meridians should have sprung up in France.

A Knowledge Dump In the 1700s and 1800s when England started getting exposed more and more to India, it found itself staring at all this knowledge, practices and literature from a very close quarter. While they “rubbished this knowledge in public”, as quoted by some of their own learned men with an ulterior motive, this knowledge was “dumped” on scholars back home for deciphering and taking whatever they could. This could explain how the English too came up with their own meridian and a more advanced one at that.

Adapting Knowledge, Adaptable Knowledge Thus, along with the various concepts of Mathematics, Astronomy and other branches of knowledge which we have seen have travelled out of India to other parts of the world, the concept of dividing the globe into meridians, time zones, using a Prime Meridian as a reference and calculating time based on these, seems to have taken shape on this land. The overall evolution of the practice of timekeeping using a Prime Meridian is one among many beautiful examples of how knowledge finds its own

path, how people adapt to it and how knowledge also adapts itself to people’s needs and times over the ages.

A JOKE After all this mastery over keeping time and what the passage of time had in store for us, one of the standard jokes in global circles is about IST or Indian Standard Time. World over Indians today are singled out for not keeping up to the committed time, for not being punctual about anything, anytime. “Indian Standard Time” has come to be regarded jokingly as “Indian Stretchable Time”, a time standard defined by Indians to suit themselves.

AN IRONY It is also ironical that even after independence, independent India did not revert back to this longitude passing through Ujjain to fix its Indian Standard Time, but chose a new point, 82.5 degree East, which falls east of Allahabad, east of Prayag for the IST.

IST – i.e. +5.5 hours GMT at Longitude 82.5 Degrees East -

A Line Lost in Whorls of Time All this history of time keeping has got lost in the whorls of time.

The world history of meridians today sadly is mum on this prime status that Ujjain had enjoyed. But during the ancient times, Ujjain, Ozene, Urain was a prime brand by which not only Bharat was known world over, but also by which the world kept track of time. Ozene, Ujjain conveyed not just the time to the world but also the fact that India was the power centre of those times Indians excelled in Geography, Mathematics, Astronomy and Time Keeping. Ujjain is a timeless brand of India.

Khaki The colour Khaki and the thick legwear called Khaki have become synonymous with military uniform, adventure gear and roughening wear, the world over. The story, rather history of Khaki uniforms has an interesting link to India. The British soldiers, when they first landed in India, had a blue and white uniform. The British were experiencing the demands of fighting in tropical conditions of the colonies for the first time. It was also the time when longrange weapons like the gun, canon and other firearms had started proliferating the war scene. This meant that low visibility from afar became a high priority. The bright red, blue and white uniforms used by the British, until then were putting them at a disadvantage in these conditions. Therefore, sometimes to camouflage themselves, they had to dye their uniforms the colour of the earth so that they would not stand out in the dusty landscape of northwest India and Lahore. Khaki uniforms were introduced in the British army for the first time due to the creative initiative taken by Sir Harry Lumsden and his next in command, Major Hodson. As the story goes, in 1846 - 47, Sir Henry Lawrence, Agent to the Governor General at Lahore, set up the Corps of Guides to fight at the Frontier. Sir Harry Lumsden and Major Hodson, were given charge of Corps of Guides, which comprised of a troop of native soldiers who were dressed in their native pyjamas with colourful turbans and smocked dresses. Inorder to bring in uniformity in attire, they set out to design a uniform whose colour would withstand the grime and dust of that region, but at the same time, not stand out to draw attention of enemy troops. The result was a dust coloured, pyjama like uniform, that would look presentable even after considerable wear and at the same time, also be comfortable akin to the pyjamas the troops were used to wearing.

A Punjabi Army in Khaki Uniform – A Painting by Major A.C.Lovett

Letters of Major Hodson, compiled as a book “12 Years Of A Soldier’s Life In India”, contains a request from Hodson to his brother in England to send “drab” coloured clothes for their uniform. “Drab” was the name by which the dull yellow-green-brown dust colour was called originally. This Drab uniform with a similar turban soon became a hit and one of Hodson’s letters to his brother in this compilation, also contains a compliment that his team had received.

From thereon, this uniform caught on like a rage, all across the British army and was used by the British even to fight wars in Abyssinia, Ethiopia. This battle was led by Sir C.Napier, who had complimented Sir Harry Lumsden and Major Hodson, on the light uniform for their troops. Since dust is known in Urdu, Hindi as Khaki, these mud coloured uniforms, became popular as Khaki, the colour of earth. From thereon, Khaki dyed, dust colored cotton cloth was regularly made for the troops and came to be accepted as a uniform style for the defence forces of the British. In January 1902, the British army formally adopted khaki as the uniform universally for service wear. The traditional, ornamental, red and blue uniforms were set aside, to be used only on occasions. When linen, a closely twilled cloth, came into popular use, it was made in Khaki colour as well. This khaki colour and texture soon caught the fancy of the troops worldwide for the advantages it offered in dust and grime as well as for camouflage vis-à-vis a bright and ornamental coat. It has adorned the United States Army too and many other armies in the World Wars before the olive green colour was adopted by the US Marines. The concept of dust coloured Khakis for the military and for adventurers thus had its inception on Indian soil and thereafter became popular worldwide. Khaki today, is also considered as a fashion statement in the civilian world.

Pyjama Pyjama is a dress that most men wear in different parts of the world when they retire for the night. It is also comfort clothing while relaxing at home. The practice of wearing a Pyjama for comfort, both by men and women today, started as recently as 200 years ago. It too came out of an interesting encounter with a dress culture, practiced in India.

DRESSING TIPS FROM TIPU Tipu Sultan also known as Tipu Sahib was the Sultan of Mysore. The British then referred to him as the little monster. And his father, the earlier Sultan, Hyder Ali, as the “Big Monster”, for they were the “favourite” villains of the British in the Karnatic region of India.

    Tipu Sultan and Hyder Ali

Tipu, who also referred to himself as Tiger, hated the English men and put to death anyone he captured in his own innovative, fiendish ways. For example, a favourite toy of Tipu was a Tiger, symbolic of himself, mauling the British soldier. He had specially had this mechanical toy made for himself.

Tiger Toy of Tipu Sultan

Tipu was finally defeated in the battle of Srirangapatnam of 1799.

1799 Battle of Srirangapatnam -  A Poster

After his defeat, the palace of Tipu was ransacked by the British soldiers for gold, silver and other precious jewels.

Artifacts Recovered from Tipu’s Palace

This favourite tiger toy was also recovered from his room then.

A PYJAMA WARDROBE One other interesting item that the British found in his wardrobes was the many sets of Pyjamas that Tipu had worn. The Pyjamas then were uncommon in England but common in orient, worn any time during day and night. English officers found the Pyjama, made of cotton, convenient for the hot Indian nights. The word Pyjama comes from the Urdu word ‘pair’. Pair jamna means that which fits the feet. The English word ‘pier’, for the legs of a platform that extends into water also has the same etymological root.

With the wearing of Pyjama by the British officers in India, the habit gradually spread to Europe.

    Viceroy Curzon and Earl of Lytton

The Indian born British officer, Thackeray called it Peijammahs. Another officer Medwin termed it Pygammahs. The Earl of Lytton was the first viceroy to wear the Pyjama. He wore it to annoy his wife. The Viceroy Lord Curzon had then mocked that “gentle men never wear Pyjama”.

PYJAMA FASHION The British officers returning to England, made the Pyjama a popular home apparel there. They even organized Pyjama parties in London to reminisce their stint in India. Soon, the English ladies also started wearing Pyjamas with certain modifications for them and called them “Pidigies”. Thus the concept of Pyjama as the comfort wear, started gaining popularity and became the largest English and Indian comfort wear all over the world, one of the many Indian offerings to the world. The use of Pyjama was common among the people of India, those of the Near West and Central Asia, for many centuries, due to close trade links. But the idea of this apparel, its terminology, got exposed to the world in a big way, post the British using it in India and taking it back with them to England and from thereon to other parts of Europe and Americas, along with their travels. A Pyjama today, stands as the symbol of Indian attire and a brand of India.

Umbrella

Vamana An Illustration

In India, from very early times, the use of umbrella has been prevalent. Its usage has been generally connected to the Divine, the Royalty, the Nobles and the Knowledgeable. One of the earliest use of an umbrella in the Indian Puranic legends can be traced to Vamana, the 5th Avatara i.e. incarnation, of Vishnu. Vamana, though a short person, was highly learned and a knowledgeable youngster. As a mark of this knowledgeable stature, Vamana carried an umbrella. Similar umbrellas have been in use especially in the Malabar region, since Puranic times till today, as can be seen in this present photograph.

Similar umbrella being used even today by scholars in Kerala

Charaka’s Advice Charaka, the master physician of more than 2000 years ago in the very least, advises in his work, Charaka Samhita, a compendium of practices for good health, how it is beneficial to carry an Umbrella.

Papal Envoy Observation While many ancient civilizations have been depicted using umbrellas, the coming into vogue of umbrellas in recent times can be traced to the visit of a Papal envoy to India. In 1354, an envoy of Pope visited the Malabar region. He was fascinated by many things that he saw in this land. One among them is the umbrella. His

notes to the Pope, on the umbrella indicate his unfamiliarity with the umbrella.

Observation of Papal Envoy

Introduction of Umbrella to Britain When the British came to India first as traders and later as colonizers, they took many habits from India and made them their own, some of them being, umbrella, pyjama, Tea, Indian vocabulary among others. One of the British merchants, Jonas Hanway took fancy to this umbrella and popularized it by using it everywhere. Initially, the other people in his country were embarrassed to use it Later the idea caught on as Jones Hanway made an advertising cartouche and introduced the umbrella to Britain in 1756.

Jonas Hanway

Jonas Hanway’s Advertising Cartouche

Idea popularized by statue The idea of umbrella was further popularized by a famous statue in Queen’s Gardens, Hull, England, which shows Robinson Crusoe with an umbrella, for, Robinson Crusoe had started on his adventures, sailing from Kingston upon Hull in England. It then was the Queen’s Docks.

Plaque of Robinson Crusoe with Umbrella at Queen’s Gardens, Hull, England

  A SHADY CONTRAPTION The very word ‘umbrella’ in English, comes from the Latin word umbra meaning shadow or shade. Umbrella as a protection aid against both sun and rain was a need for tropical lands of India and other South Asian lands which are bathed in harsh sunlight and heavy rain for most parts of the year.  The need for shade from sun or rain is not such a desperate need in the mild weathers of the European sub-continent. Hence, umbrellas as a concept, a need, a contraption, would not have been natural to those regions. In India, umbrellas are called Chatra, Chhata meaning a roof. They are a roof over one’s head when one is outside of one’s home.

A modern umbrella of today is perhaps just a shade different from that which has been in vogue for millennia in this land of Bharat. An umbrella held aloft is a sure sign of what the land of Bharat has offered to the world.

Shampoo The word and act of shampooing can be traced back to India’s old ways of champu, champi or head massage with oil. It comes from the Samskrt word Champu meaning an elaborate rendition on a topic in alternating prose and poetry verses with pun, having double meaning. The act of a head massage is also similar – i.e. tapping the different fingers alternatively in the same spot for a few minutes. Champu / champi is used popularly all over North India to denote a head massage with oil. The history of how this Indian champu, carried out in every village, on almost every Indian head, with or without hair, became the exquisite “shampoo” came to light from the Travelogue of one Deen Mahomet.

Deen Mahomet, an Indian, Bengali Muslim, born in Patna, in the year 1759 went to England in 1784, married an Irish girl by name Jane Daly and settled down to an English life. But he had not forgotten his Indian skills. Deen Mahomet opened an Indian restaurant, Hindostanee Coffee House in Central London and then a Bath House in Brighton called Mohamed’s Baths where massages were offered using therapeutic vapour baths with medicated oils and exotic oriental herbs.

Deen Mahomet, a portrait by Thomas Mann Bayne Source - Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove and an Onion for its 5 Pagodas

Incidentally, Brighton is the city in South England which was where most of the Indians who were part of the British army were settled. Some of the British officers returning from India too settled here.

The Brighton Royal Pavilion – Jokingly referred to as 4 Turnips and an Onion for its 5 Pagodas

The British, due to their exposure to India, had become used to the Indian Champu, which they called Shampoo.

Deen Mahomet’s Bath House, an old illustration

Deen Mahomet’s Bath House and the Indian head massage, champu, “shampoo”, caught on to become very popular among the British and soon Deen Mahomet became the Royal Shampoonist for King George IV and King William IV.  

    King George IV and King William IV

By the time Deen Mahomet died in 1851, he had made decent enough earnings from his Champu, which he donated to poor and noble causes. Deen Mahomet, his travelogue, his bath and coffee house are unknown in India today and only live as a part of memory in UK today, in the form of this historic landmark sign.

Sign Commemorating Deen Mahomet’s Popularity among the British in 1850s

The word Shampoo has however stuck on and has taken on many physical forms to become the product used on the head instead, for cleansing the hair. Incidentally, one of the words in Samskrt for cleansing and purifying is also Sampu. The word, along with the concept of Shampoo is a crowning brand from India.

Rocketry Modern rocketry is popularly attributed to the American, Dr.Robert Hutchings Goddard, in whose recognition, the space research centre of NASA in the USA has been named the Goddard Space Flight Centre.

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre

Dr. Robert Hutchings Goddard

The early rocket designed by Dr.Goddard, Father of Modern Rocket Propulsion, 16th March 1926, Auburn, Massachusetts

The rocket of Goddard looks quite basic and simple, from where the sophisticated rocket science of today has developed, in less than a century. The earliest, systematized use of rocket for military purpose is associated with India.

FROM WHERE, WHEN, HOW? In the 1790s, a series of Anglo-Mysore wars were fought between the fledgling British presence and the kingdom of Mysore, under Tipu Sultan. Tipu Sultan’s armory included a new type of weaponry hitherto unknown to the British army then. It was the rocket.

Anglo-Mysore Wars

ROCKET FORCE

Tipu’s rocket corps had more than 5000 men who were all, technically trained. This team of rocketeers had been assembled initially, by his father Hyder Ali in 1788 with about 1200 men. They were able to adjust the elevation of rockets based on their size and distance of targets. Tipu and his father, Hyder Ali designed rockets that used iron cylinder casings, which allowed greater pressure, thrust and range. Hence, weighing between 2.2 to 5.5 kgs, these iron cased metal cylinder rockets could travel upto a range of 1.5 to 2 km. These rockets were launched by Tipu Sultan’s army from a launch platform, now known as Rocket Dibba, in Srirangapattinam, near Mysore.

       Tipu’s Rocket Dibba in Srirangapattinam near Mysore

THE ROCKET CENTRE If there were 5000 men in the Rocket corps of Tipu, then imagine the number of rockets they would have needed and imagine the number of people employed in manufacturing them! So, where were these rockets being manufactured?

Taramandalpet – The Ordnance Factory In the old market area of the city of Bengaluru is a locality called Taramandalpet literally meaning the place associated with star filled skies. It

is an area with narrow, crowded lanes, which about 250 years ago, was manufacturing all the rockets and the ammunition needed for the rockets. This gave it the name Taramandalpet for the flare and sparkle the rockets would produce when they burst in the skies and rained shrapnel over the enemy camp. Taramandalpet was the Ordnance Factory of Tipu, where research was done on how to make better rockets. It was where Tipu’s rockets were assembled. Two canons unearthed during the diggings in this area for the construction of the Bengaluru Metro Rail, though silent today, are a resounding proof for the ingenuity, industry and fortitude of Tipu’s rocket scientists and rocket army of 1700s.

The Armoury From Taramandalpet, the rockets used to be transported, to the many armouries of Tipu, where they used to be stored until use in battle. One such armoury still stands in the present day Kalasipalya, K.R.Market area of Bengaluru. This area of Bengaluru was then the Armoury of Tipu.

An Armoury of Tipu in Kalasipalya, Bengaluru–courtesy The Hindu, May 3, 2011

Armoury of Tipu in Srirangapatna being shifted in Feb 2017 to make way for a railway track when visited by authors

The word Kalasi is an Arabic word imported into India to denote the labour workforce in ports, dockyards, armouries, railways etc. What could be a better suited name than Kalasipalya, for the area which was an armoury then and a busy transport centre and market today, both of which need labour workforce to shift heavy goods? Sadly, not many are aware of this history nor are these facets of Bengaluru showcased enough.

THE ROCKET HAVOC An eyewitness report filed by a young British officer, Bayley reads,

A Painting of havoc being caused by Tipu’s rockets during the Anglo-Mysore Wars Source - Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia, a base of NASA’s sounding rocket programme

Mysore was a big kingdom in South India then, while the British were a minor coastal trading power.

A CRASHING DEFEAT Finally, in 1799, at the end of the 4th Anglo-Mysore war, Tipu Sultan was defeated by the British. After the defeat of Tipu Sultan, his capital, Srirangapattinam was ransacked by the British and many of Tipu’s prized possessions, as well as weapons from his armoury found their way to England. Records in the Museum of the Madras Engineering Group, which contain history of about 226 years of the British in India, state,

Documents in the museum also show Tipu defeating the British in the 1792 war, an earlier one in the series of wars.

BRITISH INTEREST One British officer, William Congreve, took special interest in this shipment of the new variety of armament, which Britain did not possess. Bernard Lovell, a British scientist, in “The Origins and International Space Economics of Space Exploration”, writes how William Congreve of Kent, England introduced military rockets to Europe.

   

    Bernard Lovell and William Congreve

FATHER AND SON DUO

Woolwich Arsenal Complex today

Sir William Congreve, Commandant of Royal Artillery and Comptroller of the Royal Laboratory of the Woolwich Arsenal, was in charge of the quality of all gunpowder for use by Britain in her military. These captured rockets reached the Royal Laboratory of the Woolwich Arsenal. These rockets typically comprised of an iron case bound to a metal sword, 3 to 4 feet long. Some others had iron cases bound by leather strips to bamboo sticks that were about 6 feet long.

Tipu’s Rockets in Royal Artillery Museum, Woolwich

Tipu’s Rockets in Mysore Palace Display

Signature Building of Rotunda Museum of the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich

CONGREVE ROCKETS In 1804, Sir. William Congreve’s son, also by the same name, William Congreve, started studying Tipu’s captured rockets at the Royal Laboratory, Woolwich Arsenal in Kent. The younger William Congreve meticulously took down drawings of the rocket mechanisms and the shells. Based on the experiences of the British in the Anglo-Mysore wars and the study of Tipu’s rockets, Congreve improvised on the Indian rockets and developed rockets that could be launched from ships, to attack towns on the other side of the shore. This was a need for England, which, almost always was in war with France. Congreve, coming from Kent in South East England, was improvising on Tipu’s rockets for use against the French. In 1806, rockets were put to offensive use by Britain for the first time, to raze down Boulogne, a town in France, on the other side of the English Channel.

The Battle of Waterloo between Napolean Bonaparte and the British, in 1814, was big in the history of Europe. One of the key factors that tilted the war in favour of the British against the French, was the use of Congreve rockets, which the British had just modelled on the Mysore rockets.

Fireships firing rockets during the Battle of Waterloo Watercolour paintings by Colonel Congreve himself in 1814.

“Use of rockets from boats” - An illustration from William Congreve’s book A Treatise on the General Principles, Powers, and Facility of Application of the Congreve Rocket System. (London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green)

This technology travelled to America when Congreve rockets played a key role in the Wars of 1812 to 1814, between Britain and the United States of America, where Britain burned down Washington DC city, including the White House. The Battle of Bladensburg in Maryland, which is recorded as the greatest humiliation ever in American history and a clincher for the British army, by giving them access into Washington DC, saw the use of 60 rocket launchers.

Infact, the awe that these rockets caused during these wars, finds mention in the song composed by a young lawyer by name Francis Scott Key. This song, composed as an ode to the American Flag, paid homage to the brave American soldiers who withstood a British siege of Fort McHenry in Baltimore, on the east coast of America, laid with a barrage of close to 20 batteries of Congreve rockets fired from a British ship Erebus, in the lines,

This was on the night of September 13, 1814 and Francis Scott Key was watching all this as a captive on board the British ship HMS Minden. When the sun rose, young Francis Scott Key was so moved to see the American colours still streaming gallantly that he sat down and penned this poem which he called “The Defense of Fort McHenry”.  Later, in 1931, this song was to become the National Anthem of the United States of America as the “Star Spangled Banner”. Incidentally the ship, HMS Minden, on board of which this song was written, was built by India’s Wadia family, in the Duncan Dock at Bombay.

An Artist’s Impression of the British Siege of Fort McHenry, Baltimore in 1814 using rockets Source – Public Domain The caption reads “A VIEW of the BOMBARDMENT of Fort McHenry, near Baltimore, by the British fleet taken from the Observatory under the Command of Admirals Cochrane & Cockburn on the morning of the 13th of Sept 1814 which lasted 24 hours & thrown from 1500 to 1800 shells in the Night attempted to land by forcing a passage up the ferry branch but were repulsed with great loss.”

The Congreve rockets elicited lot of interest among the defence researchers of Britain, other European powers and America and this finally led to Robert Hutchings Goddard coming up with his simple rocket design in 1926.

FIREWORKS -  WORKS FOR DISPLAY The Chinese and the French are known to have used rockets earlier, but most of those were for fireworks display. In India too, fireworks and bamboo rockets were used to brighten up the night and provide a spectacular display during celebrations, as seen in this old painting showing Emperor Shah Jahan in a procession during the wedding of his son Dara Shikoh in 1633 CE. Fireworks and bamboo rockets can be seen lighting up the sky.

Wedding Procession of Dara Shikoh displaying the display of Fireworks and Bamboo rockets Painted in 1740s, Source – National Museum, Delhi

TIPS FROM TIPU That Tipu had taken the art of warfare with rocket to such levels of strategy, organization and practice, can be seen in the fact that Tipu Sultan had written a military manual called “Fathul Mujahidin” meaning the Triumph of the Warrior. In this manual, he prescribes 200 rocket men to each rocket artillery brigade of Mysore, known as Kushoon. Mysore had 16 to 24 Kushoons of infantry.

A soldier of Tipu’s army handling a rocket – A Painting Courtesy: Victoria and Albert Museum Collection

In addition, wheeled rocket launchers capable of launching five to ten rockets almost simultaneously, were also used in these wars.

Tipu’s Rocket Artillery Brigade with Bamboo Rockets – Miniatures by ReDoubt

RESOUNDING VOICES

Dr.Shivathanu Pillai and Dr.A.P.J. Abdul Kalaam

Among the many Indians who have done research and who have reported on this rocketry of Tipu Sultan’s army, are one, Dr.A.Shivathanu Pillai, the man behind the Brahmos missile, the 5th generation missile of India and the other being Dr.Abdul Kalaam, the missile man of India and the former President of the country. Dr.Kalaam refers to Tipu Sultan as the innovator of the world’s first war rocket.

ROCKETS GO WAY BACK IN INDIA The rocketry idea of Tipu Sultan’s army was not something that had shot up all of a sudden only then.

Presented to Ottomon Sultan of Turkey Tipu himself through his envoy Usman Khan, in 1783, before the AngloMysore wars, had presented Ottoman Sultan of Rum, that is, Istanbul, with rockets.

Ottoman Sultan of Rum (Istanbul)

Indian Names Rockets were generically called Baan in Indian languages. Shihab was the Urdu language term they used as well. The rockets presented were called Kahak and Kashak, meaning “falling star”.

Going further back In 1612, Malik Ambar, the Siddi ruler of Aurangabad, is recorded to have used rockets against the Mughal emperor Jehangir, the son of Akbar. Prior to that, special types of bana were available with Akbar’s army in the 1500s.  Bana is the Indian word for arrows. Akbar’s special rocket corps known as “Banandaz”, are described to have used rockets similar to that used by Tipu later, with iron tubes attached to long bamboo rods with fuses. Bana were listed as item number 77 in the list of weapons of the Mughal Army, as recorded in the Ain-i-Akbari.

Going further back in Indian warfare, to the days of Mahabharata, in the Kurukshetra war fought in November 3067 BCE, i.e. 5100 years ago, there is detail mention of astra. Astra were projectiles that were fired, as against Shastra, which were hand held traditional war weapons such as swords, lance, spears, mace, bows and arrows.

Shastra (Hand Held Weapons)

Astra are defined as those that were ejected from a holder. They had to be launched and inflicted damage some distance away. From this definition, Astra seems to be equatable with the missiles of today.

Astra (Missile Like Weapons)

It is to be noted from the account in the texts, that not everyone who took part in the war had the Astra. The common soldier used only Shastra. The Astra, Bana, the forerunners to the rockets may be lost in the mists of time. But that, the global usage of rockets and missiles in warfare got a boost from the 4 Anglo-Mysore wars of 1790s, is a well recorded fact.

A SCATHING ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Amidst criticism in England, for his having copied Indian rockets without giving due credit to India or acknowledging them, Congreve wrote a rejoinder in 1807 titled “A Concise Account of the Origins and Progress of the Rocket System” where he grudgingly acknowledged his having borrowed the design of rockets from India. He claimed that since no one in England was capable of making the Indian like rockets, he was claiming priority in the invention.

A LONG TRAIL With widespread use of rockets by the British, rockets soon penetrated world over. The 2 world wars that followed further boosted its evolution and deployment. Tipu’s innovative rockets have paved the way for sophisticated Defence and Space research programmes of many nations today. The origins of modern rocketry and rocket weaponry, can be systematically traced by the blazing trail left behind by the Mysore rockets from the Rocket Dibba of Srirangapattinam. Rocketry is a scorching brand that India can undeniably be proud of.  Recent successes and developments in India’s space programmes give further cause for India to be proud of, in its mission to reach out into space.

PART 2 - STARTED IN INDIA

Chess The world popular, mind game of Chess has its origins in the land of Bharat. It was called Chaturanga in India because it comprised of 4 arms of the army.

Chatur means 4 and anga means divisions, parts. Chaturanga means the 4 divisions of the army. Chaturanga played in India since millennia, morphed into Shatranj, the more popular name by which this game is known today in North India. After journeying through Persia, Arabia, Europe and England during the last 1500 years, it has finally evolved into the chess we play today.

A SINDHI LEGEND

There is an interesting legend from Sindh around this ubiquitous board with 64 squares. There was once a Rishi called Shashi. This was during the times when king Raja Bhalit ruled over Sindh.

    Rishi Shashi and Raja Bhalit

Rishi Shashi, when offered by Raja Bhalit to ask for anything during his visit to the king’s court, wanted to show the king the power in the simple chess board and in simple mathematics. He asked the king to give him 1 grain for the 1st square, then double it to 2 grains for the 2nd, then double that to 4 for the 3rd and to double that 4 to 8 grains for the 4th and keep doubling it there on, until the 64th square. He said that he would take only that many grains as the grains of all the 64 squares put together. The king, considered this to be a childish request but little did he realize that by the 16th square, all the grains in his granary had to be put forth and by the 24th square, all the grains from his land too had to be bequeathed to the Rishi.

The king finally came to the stage of having to hand over the kingdom to him. Rishi Shashi then explained to Raja Bhalit how even kingdoms could be lost on a simple board game without going to the real battlefield. The Mahabharata board game played with dice was a case in point. Rishi Shashi and Raja Bhalit came to be associated with this board and since then, this story became a lore of the land. From thereon, the popularity of the 64 square board and the game played on it, spread far and wide. This could well have been the precursor to board games becoming popular in different parts of the world.

ARABIC ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Early Arab writings confirm the origin of Chess from India. Incidentally, the game of Chess was linked by them to the prowess of Indians in Mathematics. While acknowledging the insight and intellectual contribution of Indian mathematicians, prominent Arab writers of the 8th, 9th centuries, commend

how India invented Chess among being skilled in other many other forms of art.

These are 2 excerpts from the works of Al Jahiz / Abu Umar Jahiz, who was an Arab scholar, a prose writer on literature, theology, animals, politics etc. He lived between 776 to 869 CE in Basra near Baghdad. These 2 excerpts sing praise for India and highlight the skills of Indians across various fields of arts and other aspects too, besides sciences and Chess.

THE PERSIAN CONNECT Chaturanga was taken to Persia during the reign of King Khosrau I Anushirawan Adel of the Sasanian Dyansty who ruled between the years 531 and 579 CE.

A Painting from Bayasanghori Shahnameh showing Buzurgmihr playing chess with Indians Source - Housed in Golestan Palace, Tehran, Iran, Photo - Unesco Photo Gallery

As a reciprocatory gesture, he sent the Persian game Nard to India. Nard was also known as Nardshir where Nard means wooden board in Persian and Shir/Sher means lion. This game was played on a board with 2 types of lions or kings representing the 2 players playing this game as 2 opponent kings. Persian chronicles and art show how Chaturanga and Nard were exchanged between the Indians and the Persians. Infact, one of the earliest records of Chaturanga and Nard is traceable to the Persian work, Chatrang-Namak written in 7th century CE. This text attributes the introduction of Chaturanga in Persia to an elderly noble called Buzurgmihr, who served across generations of many Sasanian rulers between 500 to 600 CE.

Buzurgmihr or Dadmihr demonstrating Nard to an Indian King

King Khosrau I Anushirawan Adel of the Sasanian Dyansty

in the Tehran Courthouse

The fine lines of the attire and the curtain cloth in this relief at Tehran courthouse are noteworthy as also the similarity in the style of attire with the Dhoti, a lower garment that is still worn in India today. As the Persian chronicles convey, Chess was sent to the court of Khosrau I by an Indian king, without any explanation for the pieces or the rules of the game. It was meant as a challenge to the Persians. This was deciphered by Khosrau’s counsellor Buzurgmihr with some indiscretion on the part of the envoy. In return, Buzurgmihr sent the Persian game Nard to the Indian king with a similar challenge of deciphering the game. When the Indian king could not, he had to pay tributes to Persia. Thus this game was used diplomatically for settling political issues. It is interesting to see how the names of the chess coins and their roles have travelled westwards from India to result in the way they are played globally today, including in India.

Over time, lands, tongues and customs, Chaturanga and its pieces thus became,

•  Raja – King •  Mantri – Queen •  Ashvanik – Knight •  Rathi – Bishop •  Hathi - Rook / Castle •  Padati – Pawn One of the distinct connects that the modern chess game has retained with Persia, is the final move in the game of chess, ‘Checkmate’, which comes

from the Persian phrase, “Shah Mat”, meaning ‘the king is dead’ or ‘Check’ from ‘Shah’.

LOSING LIMBS IN CHESS THAN IN WAR

Al Masudi – A popular depiction found in public media

In India, Chaturanga, Chess was also used to stake and settle claims. Records of 10th century Arab geographer, explorer, writer Masudi also describe how wagers used to be placed in a game of Chess in India. These were not simple money wagers or even laying a kingdom as a wager but fingers, hands and arms too used to be sacrificed. This practice became popular in Persia too as denoted by the word dast-ikhun, i.e. hand of blood from dast meaning hand and khun meaning blood, for the last move in the game when the loser had to lose his limb.

CHESS TRAVELS FURTHER WEST TO EUROPE From Persia, through the Arabs, this game travelled to Europe and to England. This game became such an integral part of life all over the world that its concept, form and usage found its way into words and practices commonly

used today.

Chess, Check, Cheque, Ex-Chequer For example, the word ex-chequer comes from the fact that the Norman kings of England used this chequered board as a counter to keep track of money in the treasury. From this came into usage the word “cheque”, “check” for the banking instrument that keeps track of the money owed.

CHESS IN A CIPHER BY VEDANTA DESIKA Another interesting reference to chess can be had from Kancheepuram in South India.

Vedantha Desika – An Idol

About 800 years ago, there lived a philosopher, poet par excellence called Swami Vedanta Desika, versatile in both languages, Samskrt and Tamil. He was known as Kavithargiha Simhaya, meaning “Lion among Poets”, for his prolific, profound and poetic compositions. One among his skills was the composition of Samskrt poems which were ciphers based on geometric patterns. Chess board as a base on which 64 aksharas (letters) were laid one each on each square, was one such type of his composition. The cipher was the movement of the chess pieces.

For example, in a cipher based on the movement of the horse, each time a horse moved on the chess board in its unique pattern, those aksharas resulted in the birth of a new poem, with a new meaning.

One of the ciphers, encoded using Chess board and the moves of a horse but making a valid well meaning sentence

The encoded verse, placed on the chess board

The moves of the horse applied for decoding the verse

The decoded verse containing the same letters but in a different sentence with a different meaning

This sort of poetry writing is known as Chithra Bhandhana. It requires a high degree of felicity in a poet to be able to arrange letters thus on a 64 square board. That the poet Swami Vedantha Desika had used the chess board as a frame for his poem and the unique L shaped movement of the horse, valid as per the rules of present day chess game too, clearly tells us that even 800 years ago

•  the chess game was popular in India •  the chess board design has been the same since •  the rules of playing chess were common knowledge in this land •  the rules of the movement of the horse have been the same since then. It also brings to fore the fact that even 800 years ago,

•  Samskrt language structure and grammar was so advanced that it allowed composition of such complex ciphers

•   there were also scholars who could compose such ciphers and others who could decipher them besides Samskrt being a language that was popular all across India, the game of chess, its components and its usage having also been an integral part of this land from the North West to the South, through the ages.

ANTIQUITY OF CHESS During Ramayana Period While the antiquity of chess lies in the mists of time, some of the legends suggest that this game was played even during the time period of Ramayana. Mandodari, the wife of Ravana, the king of Lanka, is said to have played a game of war movement strategies.

Mandodari and Ravana playing chess – An Artist Impression

Mandodari – A Woman par Excellence Mandodari was no ordinary lady. She was the daughter of the renowned Mayasura, the great architect, mathematician, astronomer and skilled engineer. Mandodari was such an illustrious woman that she figures as one of the 5, in India’s Panchakanya list of “all time great” women. Pancha is 5 and kanya is a lady.

Mandodari – A popular illustration by renowned Indian painter Raja Ravi Verma

Lanka was then the grandest of all cities. Much of this city of Lanka, with its intricate maze of underground passages and tunnels, was designed and built by Mayasura. Mayasura, Ravana and Mandodari were all well learned, multi-talented and master strategists and probably used this game of mathematics, moves and strategies, as their pass time. As the events of Ramayana can be traced to about 5100 BCE, this game of chess, shatranj, chatur anga, in its earlier forms, with its rules of those days can be placed at an antiquity of atleast 7100 years.

During Mahabharata Period

An Ashtapada board

During Mahabharata times, in 3100 BCE, i.e. 5000 years ago, this game was known as Ashta Pada. Ashta is eight and Pada means foot, steps. i.e. a game that was played on a board with 8x8 squares.

From Dholavira Days One of the earliest physical evidence of chess having been played in India more than 5000 years ago, comes from Dholavira, a Sindhu Sarasvati civilization city then and an archaeological site today. Dholavira is located in the present day state of Gujarat.

Dholavira was one of the major cities of those days, a manufacturing centre and a commercial hub, flourishing between 3500 BCE and 1500 BCE. The size and layout of Dholavira excavated today suggests that Dholavira had trade and cultural connections with other cities of those times such as Lothal, Khirsara etc. and infact could have exercised political and administrative control over them too.

Remnants of a chess board on stone, found at Dholavira

In this Dholavira was found remains of a chessboard etched in stone, along with other artifacts. This indicates that 1.  chess was played in India over 5000 years ago too 2.  chess, as played in those days, must have been a popular pastime among the people for it to have been etched on stone floors.

From Lothal Era Lothal, another one of the busy trade harbours on the west coast of India, which flourished around 5000 years ago, between 3500 BCE and 1500 BCE, also shows evidence of chess.

The well desiged inland harbour of Lothal – an artist impression created based on layout excavated

Ancient Chess pieces discovered at Lothal Archaeologial Site

Lothal was an inland port, with well-designed ingress and egress, from and to the Arabian sea, showing that the people living there were part of a mature civilization. Ancient chess pieces have been discovered from the archaeological site of Lothal indicating the popularity of this game over 5000 years ago.

During Harsha’s Rule 1400 Years Ago Emperor Harshavardhana of India, ruled from Kannauj between 606 and 648 CE. His chronicler, Banabhatta or Bana the great poet and counsel, in his work HarshaCharitam, records that it was on the Chaturanga board that they taught the positions of the army.

A Bust of Emperor Harshavardhana at Kannauj, capital of his kingdom shown in red on the map One of the few statues / depictions of Harsha available

A Modern Reprint of Harshacharita by Banabhatta, the poet at Harsha’s court

Al-Biruni Records Chess 1000 years ago Al-Biruni, the Persian chronicler, who came to India along with Mohamud of Ghazni, records in his book Kitab-ul-Hind in 1032 CE, a “four handed game” – a literal translation of Chatur Anga since Chatur is 4 and Anga means limbs.

GAMES OF WAR STRATEGY Kshatra Mruta This game in early Samskrt works is also referred to as Kshatra Mruta. Kshatra comes from the word “Kshatriya”, meaning warrior. Kshatra here indicates the training session for the Kshatriya. Mruta comes from the word, “Mrtyu”, which means death. This was a game that taught war strategy to wipe out an enemy army.

Ashta Pada In Amarakosa, this game is referred to as Ashta Pada, the 8 steps.

Chaturanga There is an exclusive Samskrt text called Chaturanga Dipika which describes in detail the game of chess in its early form. It is from this text that we get the name Chaturanga. It was a game which was played with 4 Kings. There were no Queens.

Buddhibala Later, in some of the other works, this game has also been referred to as Buddhibala, Buddhi meaning “Brain”, “Intellect” and Bala for “Strength”. Such a name is indeed an apt tribute to the talent, intellect and logical reasoning that this game demands.

GAMES OF CHANCE But it was not just a game of the intellect alone earlier, as Dice were also used in some versions of the game. The game was therefore banned by Dharma Sastra, code of conduct, as a game of luck and eventually it got modified into a game close to what is played today with mainly intellect.

THE CROATIAN COAT OF TRUTH Croatian Roots The origins of the Croatians can be found to be intertwined with the river Sarasvati that used to flow through India. The land of Croatia has been called Hrvatska and language Hrvati for long after the river Sarasvati in whose memory and honour, the present day river Helmand in Afghanistan was earlier called Harauvati / Harahvaiti by them as they migrated out of their original homeland. The Sa and Ha had been interchanged. Their evolution is traced from India in the following linguistic and geographical sequence: From Vedic Sarasvati to Harahvaiti and Harauvati in ancient Iran and Afghanistan, to Hurrwuhe and Hurravat in Armenia and Kurdistan, to Horouathos in Azov and Black Sea, to Medieval harvati and Horvati, to Hrvati in Croatia today. Linguistically, Sa changed to Ha through Persia and further Ha to Ca, a guttural Ca sound with air expelled as in Ha, as they moved closer to the Adriatic and Greece. Following many searches and researches, the recent administrations in Croatia have accepted and made official that the origin of the Croats or Hrvats as they call themselves, lies in the Indo-Iranian belt. So much so that, their internet domain has always been .hr just like India’s is .in. Researchers such as Dr.Samar Abbas, who have been studying Iranian history, clearly show a philological, cultural and traditional connect between Croats, Serbs and the Jats of India. The other, black and white, clear connect of the Croats with Indo-Iran comes from a highly unexpected evidence.

Croatian Coat of Armour These Croats show their memories of their Indo-Iranian past in the chessboard like coat of arms in the flag of Croatia. Chess as we have seen, is after all a game that went from India to Persia. Who knows, perhaps it was these Croats or Hrvats who took it with them as they moved from their Indian homeland and later from their Iranian homeland.

Croatian Coat of Arms, older and not later than 1494,  from the remains of Church of St. Lucija, Jurandvor near Baska, island of Krk Source - www.croatianhistory.net

Regni Sigillum, State Stamp of the Kingdom of Croatia and Dalmatia from 1527 with the display of the Croatian coat of arms, stamp of the Cetinski Parliament Source - www.croatianhistory.net

Flag of Croatia today

Many Croatian historians trace this flag to their ancestry from the counsellor of the Sassanid king Khosrau I called  Bozorgmehr. Bozorgmehr, Buzurgmihr or Dadimihr as he was variously called to denote his elderliness, was indeed mentioned in Persian literature and paintings as the one who exchanged Indian Chaturanga and Persian Nard between India and Iran. The roots and migration of the Croats, confirms the roots and migration of Chess.

CHESS GOES TO CHINA A contender for ancient chess is the Chinese version of chess called Xiangqi, pronounced as “Junk Kay” which is played in China, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong and other Asian countries. Xiangqi in Chinese denotes the 2 characters Xiang (meaning minister or elephant) and Qi (meaning strategy). The word for minister in Chinese is “Mandarin”, closely related to Mantri the Indian word for minister, counsel or advisor. Mandarin is also one of the pieces in Xiangqi. This makes Xiangqi, a Strategic Game of Ministers, very close to the Indian Chaturanga, a war strategy game. Xiangqi, indeed, is very similar to the Indian Chaturanga in rules and roles, excepting mainly for the piece called Cannon.  During Emperor Harshavardhan’s reign, many scholars from China visited India to gain knowledge in Buddhism, Ayurveda and other subjects. They carried back many manuscripts with them to China, as recorded by the Chinese scholar Xuan Zang (Huien Tsang) who spent a lot of time at Nalanda University. Chaturanga, popular then in India, could have travelled along with them to China as Xiangqi, an intellectual, strategic game to be played by ministers. In 641 CE, Emperor Harshavardhan had sent a mission to China, which helped establish diplomatic relations between India and China. Chaturanga could have travelled as part of this mission, for, just a century before, it had travelled to Persia through diplomatic channels again.

Harsha gifting Xuan Zang (Huien Tsang) manuscripts

Another reason to place the travel of this game from India to China during this period is that this game in China also signifies the four arts –

•  qin (music), •  hua (brush painting), •  shu (calligraphy) and •  qi (strategy games) All of these are skills in which a Chinese scholar was supposed to be proficient.  This implies that this game was associated more with scholars than with common man or sportsmen. This would be a natural association for a game propagated by the scholarly community, who had close links with India.

THE BLACK AND WHITE FACT This game Chaturanga, chess and the 64 chequered black and white board have found interesting usages in India and across the world right from being

•  a diplomatic substitute for war to •  a war strategizing toolkit to •  a mathematical toolkit to •  an account keeping tool to •  even a cipher board.

It has thus had umpteen usages, various variations and a hoary history. This game’s long history, right from Ramayana and Mahabharata days, indicates its nativity in India.

SPREAD OF CHESS FROM INDIA The time period when Chess started being used in different lands and the local names under which it came to be used there, can be gathered from this route map. We can see how the word Chaturanga morphed to become Chess.

Black and White, Ready To Fight The ancient Indian war game, Chaturanga, is what has modernised to the present day game called “chess”, which is played all across the globe. There is not a square inch of doubt that, chess is a game that India has shared with the modern world.

Board Games Apart from the mind game of Chess, records, tales and tradition of India, present a picture of India where board games have been popular from the days of Mahabharata and before, i.e. over 5100 years ago.

PACHISI – A PRECURSOR TO LUDO One of the ancient Indian board games is known by the name Pachisi which is played with dice. This game finds mention in legends and paintings of the land. This game is the precursor to the modern board game Ludo, played by many, the world over, today.

Ludo Board

This game was called Pachisi since each sider had 24 + Home squares, totalling to 25 squares. Pachisi means 25. We find that a very similar game was played by the early American civilizations too and it was called Parchesssi.

Ancient Indian Game Pachisi

Ancient Aztec and Mayan Parchesssi Game

Even to this day, this ancient, traditional game is played by a few in Mexico , under the name Patolli. Similar paintings in both civilizations! Similar game and similar name! Their roots were also same, rooted in the Indo-American connect as can be seen from various tell-tale signs for travel between India and Central America. Akbar too, during his times, had played this game using slave girls from his harem though, instead of coins.

The Pachisi Court at Fatehpur Sikri, a city built by Akbar, near Agra The squares have been highlighted using black lines

Emperor Akbar

Abul Fazl in Ain-i-Akbari written during the time of Akbar in 1500s, describing India then and the rule of Akbar, writes how India has been playing a game called Chaupar from very ancient times,

Pg. 303, Ain-i-Akbari Vol 1, Translated into English in 1893 from the original Persian work by H.Blochman

Chaupar board during the times of Akbar as illustrated by Abul Fazl in Ain-i-Akbari Vol1, Fig XVII.

Akbar went a step further to invent a new game based on the concept of Chaupar, called Chandal Mandal where the squares were arranged in concentric circles.

Chandal Mandal board during the times of Akbar as illustrated by Abul Fazl in Ain-i-Akbari Vol1, Fig XVIII.

VICE FROM DICE

During the times of the Mahabharata, a dice based game, similar to present day board game of Ludo was popularly played. Used as a basis for gambling, this game acted as a trigger to propel the already simmering enimity between the cousins, Pandava and the Kaurava, towards a mammoth war. Variations of this game continue to be played even today.

Pandava and Kaurava playing a game of Dice during Mahabharata period – An artist impression

Infact, India is home to so many gambling games based on the usage of dice, that dice has acquired an association with vice.

MORALS THROUGH DICE Some Dice games also had a good side to them, like the game Paramapadam which was used to teach concepts of Karma, Moksha, moral values, maths, history all rolled into one board game. The board game of Snakes and Ladders, is modelled around this thousands of year old game of Paramapadam, played by devotees of Vishnu on the night of Vaikuntha Ekadasi, the 11th night of a waxing fortnight, Shukla Paksha, in the month of Margashira, during December – January.

The goal of the game is to reach Paramapadam, the lotus feet of Lord Vishnu in Vaikuntha, Heaven, by climbing ladders and avoiding snakes enroute. All those who managed to do so, could rest assured of liberation from the repeated cycles of births and deaths, after this life.

Full Life The number of squares on the board went up to 120, regarded in Indian thought as the full term of  human life.

A section of the Paramapadam Board

North India had its versions called Moksha Patam or Gyan Chaupar as made popular by the 13th centu poet saint Gyan Dev. Jains called it Gyan Bazi.

Moksha Patam Board

Karma and Moksha The snakes on this board represent vice and bad behaviour, while ladders represent virtue and help one climb closer towards the last square, which can give Moksha, liberation.

History and Morals The snakes were named after legendary personages known more for their misdeed, faults or vices, such as Kumbhakarna for laziness Mahabali for arrogance Ravana for ego Bakasura for Greed and so on.

Maths

Prof.Robert Siegler, Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University

This game also had the concept of numbering the squares, so that as a child plays, it gets to learn to count and do maths. As Professor Robert Siegler, Psychologist at the Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburg, US comments about Snakes and Ladders,

BOARD GAMES TRAVEL During the Vitorian era, the British were taken in by this indoor, board game whch also taught morals and maths. The Moksha Patam game was taken to England as Snakes and Ladders where the virtues and vices were replaced with Victorian sense of values.

Snakes and Ladders

From there, it travelled overseas to America where it was remodelled and made popular as Chutes and Ladders. It finally came to settle down to the form we are familiar with today sans the morals and the motto of liberation.

BOARD GAMES - ETCHED IN TIME

A Common Sight Board games have continued to be played in India right through the ages. The evidence lies in the form of a number of such squares scratched on the stone floors of various Indian temples, wayside shelters, monuments. In ancient archaeological monuments of India, if you care to look down at the floor carefully, you can unerringly see such patterns.

A Common Game They are of a game called Aadu Puli Attam in Tamil Nadu, meaning a game (Attam) of Goats (Aadu) and Tigers (Puli). It is a game popular even today in the villages of India. Aadu Puli Attam in Nepal is called Bagh Chal, played with 4 tigers and 20 goats. Bagh means tiger and Chal means to walk, move, prowl. It is called Puli Judam in Andhra and Huli Gatta in Karnataka. It is typically played with 3 goats and 15 tigers. The ratio of 1 tiger to 5 goats can be seen maintained uniformly all across India.

A Common Ethos Today, in the context of conservation of the tiger, we often hear about how the number of free goats, deer and cattle in a forest are a sign of the health of

the Tiger population. Perhaps this simple board game of India, was reflecting the wildlife conservation ethos of this land with its ratio of 1 tiger :5 goats.

A Common Sentiment These board games have been etched not by sculptors but by local cowherds and shepherds from across the times who would have spent many a quiet afternoon here, playing these board games as they waited while tending to cattle and sheep. They have been etched not by vandals but by those, without whose care and regular visit to these otherwise deserted monuments, these monuments would not have been preserved and come down to us as our heritage. These are board games with not just cloth or paper for boards but hard stone for a permanent board. These have not been just etched in stone, but have been etched in time. They are seen not just on the floors of famous monuments like Ajanta, Ellora in the north or the floors of Mahabalipuram in the South. Such etchings are a common feature on the floor of the ancient monuments across the land from Afghanistan to Assam and from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Such etchings seem to actually have enhanced these monuments and history, with their imprints of one of the common pastime, leisure brands of India.

Club Sports India has also been the birthplace for many of the popular sports of today, such as Snooker, Carrom, Cards, Badminton, Polo etc.

SNOOKER This aristocratic green table top game traces its origin to the South Indian hill station Ooty, Udagamandalam, where the British officers, spending their cool evenings, popularized this game in the Ooty Club in the mid 1800s.  Colonel Sir Neville Chamberlain, in the British Army at Jabalpur, invented this game in 1875 – 76, by extending and adding more colours for the balls, from Billiards, a game that used to be played since 1300s by royalty such as Louis XI of France in 1470s. The game got the name Snooker, meaning a novice or first year recruit in Army, since Chamberlain used this term frequently for those who could not play this game well. Starting from Jabalpur, this game and rules came to the Ooty Club when Chameberlain was posted to Ooty in 1876. The game formally reached England in 1885 and the modern scoring system evolved in 1891. This game, first spread to the colonies along with the travels of the British officers and then caught on from one club to another to become an international sport.

The Ooty Club in days of yore.

Snooker Table at the Ooty Club, where the game was popularized

CARROM – A PRECURSOR TO SNOOKER AND BILLIARDS After seeing how Snooker traces its origin to India, we may be tempted to ask why did it originate in India? Why not elsewhere, after all it was an Englishman who started playing this game first? The answer to this question seems to lie in the other popular board game of India, called Carrom today.

Indian Carrom This again is a game played by 2 opponent teams, each playing with 9 coins which are small wooden discs in 2 different colours - again black and white. The aim is to start with all 9 coins on the board, capture the single Red piece, called the Queen and clear the board as quickly as possible before the opponent can, by pushing the coins into exit holes on the board using a slightly larger, striking disc.

The Indian Carrom Board

Infact, till as recent as the 1970s, the striker disc used to be made of ivory and after use of ivory was banned, the striker came to be replaced with plastic.

An Ivory Striker

The key to this game thus was concentration, aim, dexterity in fingers, knowledge of physics and geometry to decide the angle in which to strike the coin and the force with which to flick the striker so that it can strike the coin with the right amount of force and successfully push the coin into the exit hole. One of the earliest carom boards is traced to a glass board in the palace of the Patiala kings. Hard to say when carom came into existence in India, but perhaps this refined, indoor game, popularized by the nobles, has its origins in the commoner’s outdoor game of marbles, that has been played in India from eons. During the World Wars, Indians went to many parts of the world to fight as part of the British troops. With time on hand between clashes, many board games went from India to the various army camps across the world and became part of the global bouquet of sports and games. Carrom is one such along with its larger cousin snooker.

Pichenotte and Pitchnut in Quebec In the French part of Canada, Quebec, it has become popular as Pichenotte from the French word “pichenette” for flicking, as is used in carom to hit the coin with the striker. It gave rise to a further variation called Pitchnut, all from the action of flicking.

Pichenotte and Pitchnut boards

Crokinole In Ontario In Ontario, Canada, it further morphed into Crokinole, from the French word croquignole, for a kind of cookie, biscuit which is what the discs resembled. The game varied such that the board was divided into zones of varying scores, growing higher from the outer to the center.

A Modern Day Crokinole Board

Novuss / Koroon in the Baltics In Estonia and Latvia it became their national game Novuss where instead of a striker, a cue stick is used to push the discs, like in Billiards today, though smaller. This game is also called Koroona / Korona or Baltic Billiards and Scandinavian Billiards even though Estonia and Latvia are not a part of Scandinavia. But one can understand why when one looks at Scandinavia. Novuss is a brand of the Baltics today.

A Novuss / Koroon Board

Couronne in Scandinavia Scandinavian countries of Norway, Sweden and Denmark play a similar game called Couronne or Bobspil which is even more similar to the Indian Carrom. Sweden is traced as the route of Carrom from India to other parts of Scandinavia as well as to the Baltic countries.

Begininng to Strike While it travelled to different parts of the world more than 100 years ago, it is only in recent times that Carrom as a professional sport is beginning to catch on with World Tournaments being held in South and South East Asia.

CARDS Playing cards which have given rise to games such as Poker, Bridge, Rummy etc., popular in clubs, homes and parties, trace their root to Krida Patram and Ganjifa of India. One of the earliest writings on playing cards can be found in Ain-i-Akbari, a part of the Akbarnama, the life and rule of Akbar and the Mughals in India, written by the Mughal writer Abul Fazal from Akbar’s court during 1500s.

In his work, Abul Fazl, touches upon the game of cards and writes,

Pg. 306, Ain-i-Akbari Vol 1, Translated into English in 1893 by H.Blochman, from the original Persian work of 1500s

From Abul Fazl’s description, we first learn that the game of cards can be traced in India to the times of ancient sages, i.e far more ancient than 1500s CE. Secondly, while today’s pack of cards contains 4 sets of 13 cards each in Diamonds, Hearts, Clubs and Spades, the Indian pack of cards were based on 12 suits of 12 cards each, of different themes. For example, the Indian card pack had 144 cards in the following suits. The fact that there were multiple suits, each based on a different theme and each theme based on ancient Indian legends, the Purana as well as on Indian divinities, indicates the indigenous, native origin of these cards. The variation played from Mughal times was called Ganjifa while the indigenous version is remembered as Kridapatram meaning playing sheets. The Mughal version introduced changes based on the structure of the Government of Akbar’s times and vocations of the people of those times.  Some of the suits during Akbar’s times were, Suit No.

Name of the Suit’s Theme. The suffix pati means one who Lords.

Description

Picture

1

Asvapati (Asva means Horse)

King whose King seated on power lies in Horseback, a Horses. Commander and 1 to 10 Horses

2

Gajapati (Gaja

King whose

King seated on

means Elephant)

power lies in Elephant, a Elephants. Commander and 1 to 10 elephants

3

Narapati (Nara means human)

King whose power lies in his Infantry (Soldiers).

4

Gadhpati (Gadh means a Fort)

King whose King seated on power lies in Throne over a his Forts. Fort, a Commander and 1 to 10 Forts.

5

Dhanpati (Dhan means wealth)

King whose strength lies in his wealth.

King seated on Throne with heaps of gold and silver around him, a Commander and 1 to 10 Jars of gold.

6

Dhalpati (Dhal means weaponry)

King whose strength lies in his armoury.

King in armour seated on Throne with warriors in coats of mail around him, a Commander and 1 to 10 warriors in armours.

7

Navapati (Nav means boat)

King whose strength lies in his navy.

King seated on Throne on a ship, a commander and 1 to 10 boats.

Suit No.

Name of the Suit’s Theme. The suffix pati means one who Lords.

Description

Picture

8

Tipati

A Queen with maids

Queen seated on throne with maids, a woman minister

King seated on Throne, a Commander and 1 to 10 soldiers.

and 1 to 10 women attendants. 9

Surapati (Sura stands for Deva, divinities)

A King whose strength lies in the Deva (nature Scientific Divinites)

King seated on throne like Indra, the god of the Deva, a Commander and 1 to 10 different Devas / divinities.

10

Asrapati (Asura stands for strong and energetic beings)

A King whose strength lies in the strong and energetic Asura forces.

King seated on throne with a Commander and 1 to 10 different Asura.

11

Vanpati (Vana King of the stands for forests) animals as Tiger.

Tiger surrounded by other animals, leopard for a commander and 1 to 10 with other wild animals.

12

Ahipati (Ahi means snakes)

King as a snake riding a dragon, a commander as a snake riding another snake and 1 to 10 of snakes.

Suit Name of the No. Suit’s Theme. 1

King of snakes.

Picture

Dhanpati, Lord Lord distributing money, Vazir of Treasures. (Minister) inspector of Treasury,

Numbers 1 to 10 depicting people in Treasury 1.  Jeweller, 2.  melter, 3.  piece-cutter, 4.  coiner, 5.  weighman, 6.  Muhur counter, 7.  Dhan writer, 8.    Man writer, (Dhan and Man were coins of certain weights), 9.  dealer, 10.    silver pounder for lead removal. 2

Finance Department, King of Assignments

King inspecting farmans - grants, Vazir with the daftar – file. 1 to 10 were those who worked in the Finance department such as

•  Paper maker •    Mistar maker

(ruled frame for marking paper with lines)

•  Clerk who makes file entries •  Illuminator •    Artist who ornaments the pages

•    Line

drawer to draw blue and gold lines on page

•  Farman writer •  Book binder •    Rangrez – dyer

to dye the paper in different colours

•   Abul Fazal or the translator omitted this role. Suit Name of the No. Suit’s Theme.

Picture

3

Padishahi-iQimash, King of Manufacturing

A King in all regal splendour looking at Tibetan Yak, silks and silken goods, his Vazir engaged in supervision, 1 to 10 as beasts of burden typically used for trade and caravans.

4

Padishahi-iKing on the throne listening to Chang, King of Music, Vazir in conversation with the Lyre (Music) performers and cards 1 to 10 of various performers.

5

Padishahi-i-Zar I Safid, King of Silver (Zari is silver)

6

Padishahi-iKing trying the steel of a sword, Shamsher, King Vazir inspecting the arsenal and 1 to of Swords 10 as armourers and polishers.

7

Padishahi-i-Taj, King conferring insignia, Vazir’s seat King of as the highest insignia, 1 to 10 as Crown/Diadem/ workmen such as tailors, quilters etc. Royal Insignia

8

Padishahi-iGhulam, King

King distributing rupees and other silver coins (Rupee means silver coin). Vazir noting down donations made and 1 to 10 as workers in a silver mint, like those in Dhanpati, a gold mint.

King on an elephant and Vazir on a cart while 1 to 10 as slaves sitting or

of Slaves

lying on the ground in worship of the King.

The cards were usually made of layers of different types of cloth stacked and stuck together to give a stiffness. Intricate figures and scenes were then painted on them. Alternatively, cards were also made of ivory, tortoise shell or mother of pearls and were inlaid or enamelled with precious metals.

A Ganjifa Card, Image Source - IGNCA

These suits of cards thus give a glimpse into how the various departments of the King were organized during Mughal rule.

Tracing the Origin of Cards The extent of details gone into indicates that these roles and the suits would have been used very strategically in the game, which further points to the fact that the game of cards must have been a popular royal game even before the Mughals. Thus the Ganjifa game, invented and played by Akbar had 8 suits of 12 cards each, totalling to 96 cards. The word Ganj denoting “treasure”. The Persian card deck also had the same number of 96 cards as the Mughals – 8 suits of 12 cards each as mentioned in the poem ‘RubaiyateGanjifa’. Concept of 12 cards to a suit with 2 court cards is traced to the Indian card game Krida Patram, designed by ancient sages of India, much before Mughal times, according to Ain-i-Akbari of 1500s CE. So, Krida Patram with its native themes must pre-date Persian cards too. Oldest written evidence for cards is traced to a 15th century CE description of Mamluk Cards of Egypt.  Archeological evidences for the Maluk cards have been found dating between 12th and 14th centuries CE. The Mamluk cards have been traced moving from Italy to Spain in 1370s CE.

A Common Ancestor Michael Dummett, claims that the differences and similarities between Mamluk and Safavid (Persian) cards point to a common ancestor for both which would have had only 2 court cards (like the Indian Krida Patram). However all eyes fall on the Chinese cards. Central Asia to India? Based on these similarities, a few like Rudolf von Leyden, have opined that the cards would have come into India from somewhere in Central Asia since Babur the first Mughal in India sent a pack to Shah Hassan of Iran in 1522. But this would only prove their existence in India prior to arrival of Babar for, if cards had come from Central Asia into India, why send them to Persia again? China to Persia To India?

Another hypothesis is that Chinese money suit based cards entered Persia where they were expanded by adding 10 and 2 Court Cards to make the total number of cards 48 (4 suits of 12 same each)  and this then reached India as well. Cat Out Of The Bag But this hypothesis confirms another important fact. That, even in 1200s CE, China did not have the concept of zero and used only 1 to 9 in their counting. Whereas written evidence for India already using zero around 500 CE come from Aryabhata’s works and other inscriptions. An Out Of India Migration The game of cards seems to have travelled from India to the West, in 3 waves. 1.    Through Indians who migrated to the West - The game of cards travelled to Persia and then to Europe along with the Gypsies who went from India to Persia around 6th century CE to teach music and later proliferated into Europe. 2.  Through Islamic Invaders who ransacked India – This was the first wave of Islamic invaders who came to India around 11th century CE and returned to their respective kingdoms in the Near West after plundering India and taken away booty in the form of wealth, people, practices and knowledge. 3.    Through Islamic invaders who made India their home and had exchanges with the Near West -  The Mughals who came to India from the Near West in 1400s and settled down in India to rule, picked up the game in India and passed it on through their exchanges with the West. Most Probable History of Cards Like Chess, the Cards of India too seem to have had an underlying vein of battle strategy, armed forces, and royalty as there were 2 cards in every suit which were court cards like the King and his Commander (Senapati) and then 10 numeral cards from 1 to 10. 

Going by the number of cards and nature of the cards in the suit and the basis for the suits, it appears as though Cards in China were associated more with money and as a money based game, whereas Cards in India, Krida Patram were associated more as a war, administration and strategy game. Though somewhere down the line, most likely in Persia, they merged to finally give the 52 cards based deck we are familiar with today with 3 court cards – King, Queen and Jack. The strategy and objective behind the game seems to have been dropped enroute though. The King, Queen, Jack and the rest, thus, seem to have gone from India to the West.

SHUTTLECOCK – BADMINTON This game also has its origin in British India.

File Photo of the Match won by Prakash Padukone which turned the attention of world badminton back to India, its land of origin

Around the 1860s the British officers devised this game in the Cantonment of Poona, as Pune was called then in the Bombay Presidency. Hence this game itself was first called “POONA”. Poona used to be played by these officers, in the evenings along with their wives and friends.  This game was later taken to England in the year 1873.  The Duke of Beaufort, Gloucestershire Estate, took a fancy to this game and played it in his hall known as Badminton Hall.  From hereon the game acquired the name Badminton. It is popularly played not only in England and India but also in China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Denmark, among the other countries of the world.

As being the land from where this game came, India has had a series of champions in this game like, Prakash Padukone, Pullela Gopichand, Saina Nehwal, P.V.Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth and the list is growing...

Badminton Hall Gloucestershire Estate

A Collage of Indian Badminton players

Polo HISTORY OF POLO Tracing to the British in India in British history Polo is yet another sport whose origin is traced to the British in India. Lieutenant Joseph Sherer of the British Army, is listed in history as the father of English Polo for having founded the Silchar Polo Club in 1859 along with 7 other founding members. The rules were formulated around 1863, teams were formed and the game took off by 1868.

Lt.Joseph Sherer’s Silchar Polo Club - 1859

Manipuri Polo Team – 1868

This photograph shows one of the very first British Polo teams established in 1868 by members of a mountain battery in Manipur, a state in eastern India.

Tracing to Pulu of Manipuris in Indian History But, if we trace the history of the formation of the Silchar Polo Club, we learn how the British officers learnt this game from the locals who had been playing it by the name “Pulu”, with a wooden ball. It is from this that the British gave the game, the name “Polo”.

An Over 2000 Year Sport

Raja Chandrakirti Singh of Manipur (ruled between 1834-1844 & 1850-1886)

Raja Chandrakirti Singh, the king of Manipur had told Lt.Sherer then, that the Manipuris had been playing this sport for over 2000 years.

A Heritage Sport Indeed This makes it one of the oldest and continuously living sport of the world. A heritage sport indeed. Today, Manipuri ponies are famous for being used in the game of Polo. Little wonder, as the game of Polo itself was originally founded in the Manipuri kingdom. In the native language of Manipur, the game was also called “Sagol Kangjei” besides “Pulu”.

Lt.Sherer with the local, Manipuri, Pulu players

Pulu or Sagol Kangjei played in Manipur since 2000 years ago

Polo thus has had its origins in Pulu of Manipur, a state with a rich, ancient and royal history. From when have the Manipuris been playing this game?

INVENTION OF POLO Raja Chandrakirti Singh was wrong when he told Lt.Joseph Sherer that the Manipuris had been playing their version of Polo for 2000 years. He should have actually told Lt.Sherer that the Manipuris had been playing their version of Polo for close to 3500 years for, Sagol-Kangjei was invented by Ningthou Kangba in Manipur over 3 millennia ago.

1400 BCE - PANA King Ningthou Kangba, the first and most foremost King of Manipur, period, 1405 BCE to1359 BCE, is recorded to have played this game. ‘Puyas’ the ancient scripture of Manipur traces this game by the name Pana to their first king.

34 BCE A game was played during the time of Nongda Lairen Pakhangba with Namu Pong, the followers of Poireiton, the ruler of Manipur from 34 BCE to 18 BCE. Since then, their descendants, who form the Meitei group, excel in this game on horse. Intermarriages among three different tribes, Tang-Shang, Lei-Hou and Kou tribes, popularized the game among Manipuris through times because during alliances and marriages between these tribes this game used to be played as part of the revelry. Wherever there were flat patches, plains, this game could be seen being played, much like cricket or football these days. This game kept the tribes  of Manipur bonded and as the revelry and friendship between these tribes kept evolving over time, the nature and rules of this game also kept evolving. This traces the lineage as well as its origin and continuity through the ages. What does the word Sagol-Kangjei mean? The term Kang-Jei, means ‘a stick made of cane’. Kang-droom is ‘a ball made of bamboo root’. 

This story of Kangjei was written as ‘Kangjeirol’.

1210 CE In 1210 CE the 1st Sultan of Delhi, Qutubuddin Aibak fell to his death of injuries suffered from playing a version of Polo then called “Chaugan”. Polo was being played in north India too then.

1500S CE Ain-I-Akbari, written by Abul Fazal in 1500s, on almost all the aspects of Akbar and his rule as well as practices of the Indian civilization during the times of Mughals also lists the various pastimes of Akbar. Among these, Chaugan or Polo also features as one of the popular sport. Akbar, while building Fatehpur Sikhri, specifically had some ground set aside for playing Chaugan. Elephants too were used besides horses.

BRITS TAKE TO POLO On one side, at Silchar in Manipur, Lt.Sherer had learnt the game from the locals and had initiated the formation of the Silchar club in 1859. In 1868, a Polo team was formed in Manipur.

Between 1877 and 1886, Sir. James Johnstone, the British Political Agent in Manipur too observed this game at The Residency grounds, between the ‘Sanakeithel’, Kwairamband Bazaar and the Great Burma Road, the famous Polo ground and started patronizing it among the Britishers in Manipur. Wherever the British encountered the locals playing this game, in variants called Pana, Pulu, Sagol Kanjei etc. this game caught their fancy and they took to this game readily due to their fondness for horses and riding. As traced by Horace Laffayete in his book “Evolution of Polo”, the modern form of Polo was introduced to the British by Prince Keipha Sana or Keifa Singh, son of King Nara Singh, founder of the Nara lineage, while on exile in Hazaribad during 1862. Soon, this vigorous and exhilarating game of Pana, in the original Manipuri style, with rules as adapted by the British became the new English game Polo. The name Polo evolving from the Manipuri words Pana, Pulu.

POLO DEVELOPS TEAM SPIRIT Polo was played by all British and Indian Army cavalry regiments as it helped develop soldierly qualities such as leadership, horsemanship, initiative, endurance, esprit de corps, teamwork and independence. Polo matches were also great social occasions, especially during the British Raj and were patronized by prominent Maharajas of India, such as those of Rajasthan.

A Polo Match in Full Swing in Recent Times

Insignia of Polo by Ralph Lauren

From a local sport played in the eastern corner of India, not only has this sport evolved into a royal and elite sport but has also evolved into a famous fashion brand of the world.

POLO PIERCES A HOLE INTO ARYAN MYTH Raja Chandrakirti Singh’s statement to Lt.Sherer that Pulu or Sagol Kangjei was being played in Manipur since over 2000 years ago and Pana having been played in Manipur over 3500 years ago, throws fresh light on the myth around Aryans.  The theory of Aryan Invasion as per which Aryans invaded India over 2000 years ago and settled down here to give India its civilization and culture. One of the key arguments to this migration is that the so called Aryans migrated into India from somewhere in Central Asia on horseback. That,

India did not have horses before and horses came into India only with the Aryans.

The history of Polo burns a bole in the Aryan Invasion Theory

If Manipur, in the far eastern parts of India was already playing Pulu on horseback over 3500 years ago, it implies the following: The Manipuris were comfortable with horses over 3500 years ago. Which means horses should have been around in Manipur far longer than that for both the horses and the locals to get acclimatized to each other. Also the native Manipuri horse as a breed is very different from the Arabic stallion from Central Asia, as also few other native breeds of India. All these mean, horses were already native to India and did not come with the Aryans to India.

Aryans too therefore, did not come to India from anywhere. They were locals of India only. A small point in the history of Polo can pierce a hole in the myth around the Aryan Invasion of India. Polo is an offering from India to the world. It is a brand that India should try and reclaim. Not for vogue and brand value alone, but for its relevance to Indian roots and history!

Contact Sports India has also been a land that has offered many different kinds of contact sports.

KARATE Karate is a very popular martial art, international sport today.  The word karate comes from the root word kr, to do and karam for hands in Samskrt. Is this just a phonetic similarity or is there a deeper connection? Not just being limited to phonetic, Karate is indeed a a sport played with limbs, hands mainly, Karam.  Karate involves using certain spots on the limbs where power can be focussed to deliver impact on the opponent.

Karate Gestures – Hand and Foot

JUJUTSU

A famous Japanese Martial Art, the name Jujutsu has its origins in the Samskrt word Yuyutsuhu, which means, “desire, mentality to fight”. The word Yuyutsuhu draws its root from the Samskrt word Yuddha for fight.

Jujutsu being practiced in Agricultural Schools in Japanese Villages in 1920 Source - The Foundations of Japan, by J.W. Robertson Scott, 1922

THE ROOTS If we go deeper to look for the similarity we find that in the medieval period around 760 CE, there was a great Buddhist monk by the name Bodhidharma who travelled from South India over the seas to China. His objective was to spread Buddhism along with the knowledge of meditation, dhyan which became Chan in China and Zen in Japan giving rise to Zen Buddhism.

Bodhidharma, before he left the shores of India, was also an exponent of martial arts and took this knowledge of martial arts too, with him, to China. Along with Buddhism and Dhyana, he also imparted martial arts to the monks. A combination of these 3, Buddhism, Dhyana and Martial arts, became a regimen for the monks of the Shaolin monastery in China where Bodhidharma stayed and taught. From there it spread further world over.

A statue of Bodhidharma

The purpose of these martial arts was to keep the monks fighting fit. Subsequently, these martial arts, a blend of both the power of the mind and the body, developed into a family of defence cum sport activity. The art of martial arts and the names for a few of them, thus trace their origin to Bodhidharma and his land, India.

PARENT FORM STILL ALIVE

Pictorial Book in Amar Chitra Katha Series in honour of Tachcholi Othenan

The parent form of these martial arts is still in practice in India. One of them is an earlier form called Kara Thandavam which has very few practitioners left today. Kara is hands and Thandavam is the ultimate dance. Kara Thandavam is a martial art which is a dance of the limbs. The other popular martial art form is Kalaripayattu, which has many practitioners in Kerala with Tachcholi Othenan from Kerala being the most renowned practioner in Indian history.

Kalaripayattu Poses and Weapons

Kalari means Gymnasium, school. Payattu means exercise, fights. Bodhidharma is described as having learnt Kalaripayattu and it is from this and the Yogamudra, hand positions that Kung Fu and other martial artforms are described as having evolved when Bodhidharma stayed and taught at Shaolin.

MARTIAL ARTS IN INDIA

Silambattam in TamilNadu a form of martial art using sticks. Marking the forehead of the opponent with paint dabbed on the ends of the stick, is a sign of victory

While a few varieties of martial arts went from India to the other parts of the world primarily China, Japan and Southeast Asia and developed into further variants there like Karate, Jujutsu etc., contact sports continued to flourish in different parts of rural India too.  Each area developed its own local variant, speciality.  Some of these continued with just their hands while some others included weapons or other implements as time evolved.

Mal Yuddha From 5100 Years Ago Another form of such defence sport that has seen the turn of many millennia is wrestling. One of the world’s earliest literary records of this sport is the account of the brothers Krishna and Balarama of the Mahabharata period, engaging in a wrestling bout with Chanura, the professional wrestler at Kamsa’s palace in Mathura. Begun as a sporty match, this duel changed colour when the evil intention of Kamsa and Chanura to kill Krishna during this match, came to light. It ended instead with Krishna and Balarama killing Kamsa and Chanura. This is probably the oldest literary record of a wrestling match.

King Narasimha Varma I also called Mamalla Sculpture at Dharmaraja Ratha in Mahabalipuram

Krishna’s birth can be dated to 3112 BCE and he is recorded to have been 12 years old at the time of this bout. This means that this wrestling bout took place in 3100 BCE, which makes this sport a continuing legacy from atleast over 5100 years. It makes it, not only a continuously played sport, but a sport with a literary antiquity of over 5100 years too. Wrestling has been called Mal Yuddha from then till date. Mal is wrestling and Yuddha means a duel. This sport of wrestling was popular in South India too. Mahabalipuram, the ancient port city, famous for its Shore Temple monument, is still called Mamallapuram in Tamil, after the famous Pallava king, Narasimha Varma who built it. He was referred to as Mamalla, meaning the great wrestler. Mamalla or Maha Malla is one who is a great expert in Mal Yuddha.

Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram

A Wrestling match in progress in old Rajwada, Kolhapur in presence of large crowds and the Maharaja Atleast more than 100 years old (Photo Courtesy – Social Media collection of Ira Vanan)

An interesting medieval sculpture from Karnataka depicting a scene from an Wrestling School (Photo Courtesy – Social Media collection of Ira Vanan)

It was not only men but women too who took part in sports such as wrestling as evidenced by this bas relief from Karnataka. Female wrestlers were not to

be ignored.

A Bas relief in Hampi, Karnataka depicting female wrestlers with raised, fisted hands (Photo Courtesy – Social Media collection of Ira Vanan)

We thus see a continuity of this sport in India in art and form right through the times along the history of this civilization.

INDIA’S HAND IN MARTIAL ARTS It may not have been bragged about much. It may not have entered the minds of many. But martial arts, using mind power, capable of dealing deadly blows, is a variety of sport that India has had a hand, in giving to the world. It is a brand of India that has delivered more punch outside India.

Stadium When people talk of stadium today, the oldest stadium, naturally one’s mind goes to the Colosseum in Rome. It is one among the 7 man made wonders of the world. This Colosseum was constructed and inaugurated in 80 CE. It was probably in regular use till about 400 CE. This makes the stadium about 1900 years old. In India, there did exist stadia of more than twice the antiquity, going back to over 4500 years ago. These were in Dholavira and Kuran in Kutch, Gujarat of the Indus Valley civilization era in the Sindhu Sarasvati civilization region.

INDIAN STADIA – RANGABHOOMI They were not small stadia but ones that could accommodate people to the tune of 10000 spectators making it a large stadium for those days and even by today’s standards. The way these sporting arenas have been termed Stadium based on the Greek word stadia, the Indian word for these sporting arenas was Rangabhoomi and the platforms, stages were known as Rangamanch, a term still in use for stage in India. Rang means colours, Bhoomi means ground and Manch means a platform. These arenas and stages were sites of colours, sights of colours.

SPORTS STADIA OF DHOLAVIRA Dholavira is one of the prominent archeological sites of the period of Krishna’s times. Post the partition of India in 1947 when Harappa and Mohenjodaro were partitioned off to Pakistan, the Indian archaeologists were in search for an equally prominent excavation within India. Dholavira in Kutch Gujarat was one such site that they discovered belonging to the same perod and same civilization as the Indus Valley of Harappa and Mohenjodaro.

In the last 5 years extensive archaeological excavations have opened up information of that civilization to us. One of the important excavations of Dholavira is of a fairly large stadium in the centre of the Dholavira city with a play area field measuring 283 meters by 45 meters. The stadium lies centrally located between the citadel or the upper town on one side and the middle town on the other side. We find mention of play arenas, stages, theatres as Rangabhoomi in the literature of those days. The archeologist R.S.Bisht who is credited with the excavation of Dholavira writes,

This confirms the presence of Rangabhoomi as mentioned in the ancient literature. What Bisht and team came to conclude after studying the stadium was,

The other finding of the team was,

Details of the Rangabhoomi A small two meter by two meter portion of the field was found to be scattered with hundreds of jewellary beads.  Bisht visualizes, “You can imagine performers decked in beads from top to bottom, freely dancing and the beads falling everywhere.” One of the artifacts recovered from this Rangabhoomi is a terracotta theatre mask probably used by the entertainers. Row after row of peg holes were discovered – indicating that they would have been used to erect stalls and dividers during performances. Steps were excavated around the Rangabhoomi – indicating the location of the stands for the audience. The excavations showed that the people then seemed to add a new layer of mud to their Rangabhoomi, every year. The mud was brought from outside of Dholavira. This annual layering of mud, gave the whole stadium and the stage, unique acoustics and sonorous quality.

Terracotta Mask Found at Dholavira Rangabhoomi Site

CONVERGENCE OF LITERATURE, TRADITION AND ARCHAEOLOGY All these details of the Rangabhoomi stadia tell us that it was not a casual site but a full fledged stadium with all the trappings of games, dances and theatrical shows. They were stadia, Rangabhoomi, where races, where spectator sports, games and other sporting events were held like the Greek Hippodromes meant for horse, chariot races. There were also theatres, Rangamanch, plays, dances and other performances were held. We see here a convergence of sporting events in literature and in actual practice and tradition, clearly substantiated by the archaeological excavation of the Dholavira stadium. While today Dholavira may be in a far flung deserted area, we should remember that 5000 Years ago, the distributaries of the then flowing mighty

river Sarasvati had watered and kept this region flourishing.

Dholavira along the then flowing Sarasvati River

PRECURSOR TO GREEK AND ROMAN STADIA This stadium as per the excavations has been dated to have been built and used around 3000 BCE, which is about 5000 years back. The stadiums of Greece and Rome which are famed all over the world for their engineering skills and sports, were built and used around 500 BCE that is around 2500 years back. This data from a timeline perspective places the Rangbhoomi of Dholavira to be twice as ancient as the famed ancient stadia of Greece and Rome.

Stadium at Olympia, Greece dating to 6th Century BCE

The 1930 reconstructed Circus Maximus stadium of Rome. Original stadium going back to 6th century BCE.lies 9ft below

The bigger of the two stadia, with the ruins of the terraced stand for spectators. Source – Frontline, Print Edition July 12, 2013, Photo by D.Krishnan and Report by T.S.Subramaniam

The fundamental difference being that there is no physical evidence nor mention in literature of these stadia being used as an arena for violent forms of entertainment such as fights with or between wild animals, trained animal acts, capital punishments to individuals or a group as a whole, Gladiatorial combat including women, dwarfs as well as hardened fighters as a source of entertainment in Rome.

SPORTS - A LONG TIME ENTERTAINER When people think of sports in India, they think of cricket, hockey, kabaddi. But we see that there are so many others sports such as chess, polo, family of martial arts, that have had their origin in India. Indians have not always been following the proverb “All work and No Play”. They have sported various colours of sports, shows, plays etc. The place of importance India had given to sports during those times, can be seen from the excavation of these sports arena at Dholavira and Kuran in Gujarat.

The stands of these 5000 year old stadia of India stand as witness to this fact.

Epilogue We all know that from a seed, the shoot goes up and the root goes down. It is also a given that the shoots bask in light, while roots go out of sight. This has been the case with India as we have seen so far, where, from the seeds of thought grew many a branches of knowledge and practices. They had spread all over the world but stayed deep rooted in India. But as we all know, soon the shoots start bearing fruits and that becomes the start for new roots. During the Renaissance and Industrial era, these branches of knowledge yielded many ideas for the Europeans raring to go and win the world with their brawns and brains. These Indian ideas took root there and blossomed into newer branches of knowledge and practices. Sadly, during colonization, the knowledge and practices of India were belittled and quashed in the name of modernization and rationalization. With time, was also forgotten the route to the roots of today’s knowledge. All that is left today are some of the literature and a handful of scholars who have safeguarded the key to the knowledge store. But how to turn the key? How to open the door to this store? How to pick the right one from the shelf? These are all issues that are cropping up even as we discover that we have a storehouse full of knowledge inherited from our ancestors. The temper to understand and use this knowledge is slowly beginning to fade away. But not the temper to learn. Not the temper to question “why?”. Despite losing her deep rooted, traditional education system, India has managed to rise up, to reach the fruits of knowledge whatever they may be,

wherever they may come from. India has learnt to adapt well to new knowledge, new practices and has grown into a contributor too, in a big way. If India now can venture to seek out the original roots of the knowledge the world is using today and learn to discern the finer and subtler aspects of it, she can perhaps bring in a new dimension to knowledge, to break the barrier between the functioning of the universe and mankind’s understanding of it – our knowledge.

When History meets Tradition and Tradition meets Science and Science meets Nature, Can we advance as truly mature peoples.

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Autobiography of India BRAND BHARAT Vol 3 UNIQUE TO INDIA D.K.HARI D.K.HEMA HARI BHARATH GYAN SERIES Bridging Worlds Thru Knowledge Experience The Knowledge Of India

Original title :  Brand Bharat - Vol 3 - Unique to India First Edition : September 2017 ISBN - 978-93-85254-74-1 Copyrights 2017 © Bharath Gyan & Sri Sri Publications Trust All rights reserved. Editing, Illustrations, Graphics & Layout :

Virendra Singh Thakur, Rahul Kaimal, Manjunath Fattepur, C.Jeyakar and Pooja Bhatia - Bharath Gyan Studio Published by : Sri Sri Publications Trust Art of Living International Centre 21st km, Kanakapura Road, P.O. Udayapura, Bangalore - 560082. INDIA Email: [email protected] Website: www.sattvastore.com Toll Free : 1800-258-8888 No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher. Printed In India by

Dedication This entire series, “Autobiography of India”, is dedicated to Aditya and Varun, our twin, 5 year old nephews, representatives of the future generations, to whom we want to leave behind this legacy – knowledge about their civilization and its ethos. Aditya is a name for the Divine Sun and Varun is a name for the Divine Rain. Aditya and Varun are constant reminders of how blessed this land, Bharatavarsha is, to receive bountiful rain and shine consistently. Rain and Shine are what our ancestors had leveraged ingeniously to make this a long-lasting, prosperous civilization. They were a role model for millennia! Aditya and Varun seem to convey this message from the Sun and the Rains.

Leverage us, your rain and shine, To stay Prosperous and Fine, For generations in line All the way through time!

We can see a Rainbow, Indradhanush, only when Rain and Shine come together! Rainbow seen from the Art of Living, Bengaluru, Photo Courtesy - Sameer Mehta

Table of Contents   Dedication   Benedictory Note   About Bharath Gyan   About the Authors   About Autobiography of India   Preface     Icons of India     unique to India   Acknowledgements

PART 1 - STYLE   Namaste     A Heart Felt Salutation     A Yogic Expression     Namaste – a Human as well as Divine Expression     “Such” A Sign of Homage     Variations in Levels     Variations in the Word     Variations in Style   Athithi Devo Bhava – A Welcoming Smile     Atithi – A Divine Guest     Atithi - An Unannounced Guest     Welcomed the Africans     Europeans     A Land That Welcomes Visitors     India - A Safe Haven Brand   The Welcoming Signs of India     Poorna Kumbha – A Harbinger of Prosperity and Purity     Mango Leaves - Transmitting Auspiciousness     A Reception or A Receptacle?     Toran – Welcoming Good Energies     Symbolic Torans in Art   Bindi - The Identifying Mark     Pooja Mark and Beyond

    Bindi Seen All Around India     A Dot, But a Wide Spread Culture   Sari, Dhoti, Angavastram     The Uncut and the Unstitched     Angavastram     Cotton and Culture in a Cloth   Vegetarianism     1/3rd Indians - Vegetarians by Choice   Dharma     A Unique Concept and Word     Meaning of Dharma     Dharma – Not Just for Humans     Dharma – Not Just for Earthlings     Dharma – The Innate Character of Character     Dharma – A Relationship, A Role   Karma     Indian Sense of Karma     Overlooked Side of Karma     Karma, A Binding Act

PART 2 - SIGHTS   God and Idols   Temples     Need of the Divine or Need for the Divine?     Temples And The Art of Preserving Arts     Temples And The Spring of Fertility     The Not So Obvious     Ratio – Constant Across Times, Across India     For us to divine     Temples - Convergence Of the Divergent

PART 3 - SYMBOLS   National Symbols of India     Emblem of India     National Flag   Lotus – The National Flower     Lotus – Life Bond     Lotus – Knowledge Connect     Lotus’ Profound Message

  Mango – The National Fruit   Tiger – The National Animal   Peacock – National Bird   Veena – The National Musical Instrument   National Anthem     Jai Hind – The Nation’s Cry     Jai Hind, A Firm Call     Symbolic Representation of India   OM   Swastika     Good or Evil?     World Wide Usage     In S.E.Asia     Unravelling the Swastika     Plane of Swastika     The Swirling Universe     Swirling Swastika – A Universal Symbol     Swastika and Auspiciousness

PART 4 - FEATURES   Tanks of Prosperity     1017 CE – Al Biruni writes about India     326 BCE – Megasthenes writes about India     1600 CE – British write about India     200 Years Ago - 9 Lakh Water Bodies     A Unique Feat     A Unique Brand     The Brand Steps Down   Ganga     From Ganga Sagar to Bay of Bengal     Krishna Brands Ganga     In Rome’s Fountain     On Maps   Monsoon Rains -  Varsha, Varsha, Varsha

    Monsoon - Indian Rains     Varsha – Varsha - Varsha     Rains Every Year     Rains During Ramayana times     Rains And Battle     Bharathvarsha - The Land Branded By Rains   The Himalayas     The Dividing Range     The Abode of Snow That Bodes Well     Home to Yathis and Yetis     Towering Peaks     Mt.Everest - From 8848 Metres Tall to a Mere 6 Feet Height     The Peaks Speak     Himalaya – The Sibling of India   Epilogue

Benedictory Note

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Founder, The Art of Living

India is the cradle of humanity and knowledge of all kinds flourished holistically here from time immemorial. Science and Spirituality were never in conflict in this country and that is why Her ancient wisdom is timeless. India scaled the peaks of philosophical thought and art while also being a land of abundant prosperity for centuries. Most Indians are not familiar with the brilliance that existed here and attracted attention from Europe, West Asia and South East Asia across times. DK Hari and Hema Hari have put in years of research to uncover India’s ancient legacy, which is presented in this series called ‘Autobiography of India’. I am happy at their efforts to revive unknown and unique aspects of our history. My blessings and best wishes for all their noble endeavors.

9 September 2017 Bengaluru, India

About Bharath Gyan

Bharath Gyan is an endeavour to bridge old and new worlds by repurposing knowledge from the past, for the present and future, so that it can be experienced and applied. Indian knowledge, her ethos and global ties are of special focus in this interdisciplinary and rational, civilizational study. Bharath Gyan presents a wholistic perspective of India in a manner appealing to the modern mind. Bharath Gyan has been collating specific, scientific knowledge of India, using ancient knowledge sources as well as modern scientific tools and methods. The knowledge of the Indian civilization is available scattered in various forms – books, manuscripts, oral tradition amongst scholars, various art forms, customs and traditions of the land. The current generation is faced with a barrier while reaching out to this knowledge due to the limited access to such sources. The ancient languages,

the style of expression used and their approach to the subjects which differ from the present way of expression, pose a challenge too. In Bharath Gyan, as part of our quest for the specific scientific knowledge and practices of the civilization, we have come across many stories, ideas, views, theories, factual events and statements. With the help of traditional scholars with a modern bent of mind and modern scientists open to traditional knowledge systems, we have endeavoured to carefully sift through all this data, with an inquisitive, rational, logical and scientific mind to understand the knowledge from a fresh interdisciplinary perspective. The outcome of this analysis is the compilation of Bharath Gyan. Over 15 years, spanning across 108 subjects, the independent facts and data collated, self validate and corroborate each other beautifully in this compilation, as pieces of a jigsaw. Bharath Gyan, is a knowledge foundation that brings this knowledge out through engaging mediums, so that it can be easily understood and enjoyed by all, across the world. The objective is to present this knowledge and wisdom, from a present day perspective, with relevance to current topics of interest and tribulations faced by India as well as the world. Besides filling the readers with wonder at the not-so-commonly known  facets of our ancient civilization, it is hoped that this knowledge and approach of the ancients will kindle or aid future research for the benefit of science and mankind. Can we make the past converge with the present for the future? Ours is perhaps not the first effort in this direction, neither should it be the last … Encouraged by His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Bharath Gyan - Art of Living is an initiative to take this compiled knowledge  to the community at large.

Our website www.bharathgyan.com provides more insights into our activities.

About the Authors

Authors, D.K.Hari and D.K.Hema Hari

D.K.Hari and D.K.Hema Hari are founders of Bharath Gyan, a civilizational study initiative to compile and present the knowledge of India, its traditions, its culture, its global ties - in short, its ethos, from an Indian perspective. The Hari couple have travelled extensively to over 30 countries and visited museums, expositions and other attractions worldwide to understand those civilizations, their culture and knowledge. It was this exposure that motivated this husband-wife duo of management and IT professionals to turn into research collators and conceptualize “Bharath Gyan” as an endeavour to fill the void in the showcasing of the knowledge, practices and culture of the Indian civilization across the millennia. They collate information on the knowledge in India through the ages and disseminate it for suitable appreciation and application. Their method to collating this knowledge is purely driven by questioning. Allowing questioning to lead thought and search, has yielded this collection, which is again presented through questions and answers, using multimedia technology for effective sharing of information and grasp.

With factual content on 108 different subjects on the state of knowledge in India, its traditions and its sustainable practices compiled over 15 years of dedicated research, the Hari couple have evolved into subject matter experts on the overall understanding of India across ages from over 8000 years ago to the present. They have given a few hundred lectures across India and the globe, to wide audiences ranging from the research community, to educational institutions, to Corporates, social organizations and in various conferences on technology, management, history, tradition, culture and religion. Based on their research, they have authored till date, 22 books and produced 5 documentaries as well as many short films that span a wide spectrum of disciplines, such as: Creation -  Srishti Vignana (a book on the science of Creation from Indian thought) A trilogy on Historicity of Rama º  Historical Rama º  Ramayana In Lanka º  Ayodhya – War and Peace A trilogy on Historical Krishna º  Dating of Krishna º  Footprints of Krishna º  Facets of Krishna

•  You Turn India (on the secret behind the  prosperity of India for millennia)

•   Indo-Japan A Connect Over Millennia (on the ties that these 2 ancient civilizations have shared across the times)

•   Telugu Talli – Her Unknown Side - Facets of Telugu Culture and Prosperity

•  Understanding Shiva (a book that explains the Shiva Tattva)

•    2012 – The Real Story (that shows the connect between the Indian and ancient America)

•    Triple

Eclipse 2009 (that presents an intriguing side to the phenomenon of 3 eclipses occurring back to back within a month in the decade between 2009 to 2019)

•  Historical Rama (Film in English, Hindi, Tamil and Kannada) •  Creation – Srishti Vignyana (Film in English and Tamil) •  Understanding Shiva (Film in English) •  Wonders of Indian Astronomy (Film in English). They have started penning a monumental series called the “Autobiography of India” comprising of many multi-volume titles, of which, 2 titles have been published. Brand Bharat (A 5 volume title about how India was a Brand for many things in the past and how it can position itself as a Brand in future too) º  Made in India º  Roots in India º  Unique to India º  Leads from India º  Future from India Breaking The Myths (A 4 volume title about the various myths that have shrouded people’s perception of India and what the reality is.) º  About Identity º  About Society º  About Prosperity º  About Ability They are active on social media too.

About Autobiography of India Autobiography of India. Why this name for a book? How can a country write an autobiography? How can one person or in this case, two individuals write the autobiography of a nation? To clarify, we all know that a biography of a person is written by another, after studying the activities, experiences and the turning events in the life of this person. In the case of a person’s autobiography, one pens one’s own thoughts, views and experiences. Now, in the case of a nation, a country, a civilization, they are looked at, as living entities too. Don’t we refer to India as a mother and don’t the Germans refer to their land as a fatherland? A nation lives, experiences and grows through its people. The people of a nation, form the family of the nation, its children. In that sense, when we, the children of this nation, this country, this civilization, write about our family, our ancestors, our society, our nation, our country, our civilization, we are but, writing our own Autobiography, as well as that of our nation, India. Autobiography of India is not separate from our legacy. And, we are fortunate to have such a long legacy. But, it is so long and continuous, that we are going to have to narrate it in themes, to keep the continuity going across ethos and time. Autobiography of India thus, is developing into a series of themes and a wonderful experience.

Further, each of the themes in this series too, has had to be arranged as a multi-volume book, keeping in mind the ease of handling and reading, by one and all. Autobiography of India, as a series, is thus an endless endeavour. For, we are narrating the story of how we have come to be what we are today, going as far back in time as our collective knowledge will allow us to, in order to see what our ancestors had done, to see us safely into, thus far in time – i.e. their future. But, what is the value of this journey, if we cannot bring back leads from them, on how to live in our future so that, someday our progeny too will proudly travel down memory lane to reach upto us. Autobiography of India, the story of this living civilization, will continue beyond our lives, as the next generation starts to live and write, from where we leave off. Hopefully what they add to the story then, will be success stories based on our learnings and from where we would have left off.

Preface ICONS OF INDIA It was around 334 BCE. Alexander the Great, from Macedonia was embarking on his campaign of conquering the world – Turkey, Central Asia and Persia. At this juncture, Alexander was advised by his tutor, Aristotle, the celebrated thinker of Greece, to go all the way upto India in his expeditions, if he could.

Alexander being advised by Aristotle

Aristotle told Alexander stories of India’s prosperity, culture and wisdom. He also advised Alexander that there were many wise men in India and if at all Alexander were to meet any of them, he should treat them with respect. He requested Alexander to bring back some of them, so that he could interact with them to exchange knowledge.

Alexander had also heard about the river Ganges and the peacocks of India and so cherished a desire to see them. Hence, after conquering Persia, Alexander started his march towards India, to conquer India and fulfill his desire of seeing the famed Signs of India – the Ganges flowing, the Peacocks dancing and the wise Scholars.

Icons of India

A desire, that ironically remained a wishlist forever, for he could not cross into India and go upto the flowing Ganges, nor see the peacocks dance.  He was wounded in his battle with Porus, an Indian regional chieftain, and lost his life on his way back to Greece. But, this wishlist of Alexander goes to show the name and fame that the Ganges, peacocks and the scholars of India have enjoyed since more than 2500 years. They are the true Signs of India indeed! But are these the only signs of India? What are the signs that conjure up a picture of India for the world today?

UNIQUE TO INDIA

With the world having gained familiarity with India, Indians and the Indian way of living, there are many visible facets of India which bring to recall the land called India. Brand Bharat of the Autobiography of India Series from the Bharath Gyan collection, is a compendium of 5 volumes which showcase the brands of Bharat i.e. India Vol 1, Made in India Vol 2, Roots in India Vol 3, Unique to India Vol 4, Leads from India Vol 5, Future from India. How was India seen by the world? What implied India to the world? Of these, the visible facets that set apart India from the rest of the world has been highlighted and showcased in this volume “Unique to India”. These icons, these signs of India, with a good brand recall, have given the Indian civilization a unique identity and a distinguished brand value.

Acknowledgements We have been singularly fortunate to have been born in this land of ancient wisdom and seers. We owe a lot to our parents who have brought us into this world and provided us with the right education, upbringing and guidance. The values and traditions of this ancient civilization inculcated in us by our family and teachers are what have formed the basis for our work at Bharath Gyan. We are indebted to our family and friends for their continued support and encouragement in our endeavour. Having embarked on our quest, many scholars, thinkers and students of the knowledge of India have come forward and helped us in our collation of the Bharath Gyan knowledgebase. Some have helped by offering data, while some others, through their questions that made us think and look for the data. Many traditional scholars have patiently tolerated our inquisitiveness and have laboriously searched and retrieved from the ancient texts, the data we had requested of them and explained the same to us in simple layman terms. Without their mastery over old and new, their knowledge, their mind-set and support, this bridge from the ancient to the present day would never have been built. Then faced with the task of dissemination, many friends and experts have come forward to help review our works and take it to stages of production. We owe a lot to their support without which our compilation could not have seen the light of the day. We are indebted to His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar for the faith reposed in us and our work and for offering us a platform, to share the knowledgebase we have collated, with the community at large. We would be failing in our character, if we do not acknowledge more importantly, the unseen forces which have connected us up with these right

sources of information and noble people just in time, just as we were looking for the information and help. The list is therefore very long and words fail us to thank everyone sufficiently. Hence we take refuge in the all encompassing words of the 18th century Indian poet Saint Thyagaraja – Entharo Mahanu Bhavulu Anthariki Vanadanamulu There are many noble persons as well as ancestors (behind this work) and we salute them all.

PART 1 - STYLE

Namaste A HEART FELT SALUTATION

Namaste- greeting the Divinity in the other

A distinct way of greeting in India is Namaste. It is joining one’s palms, facing together, in front of one’s heart to offer a heart felt salutation. The word Namaste comes from Nama, Namas, meaning salutation, obeisance, adoration, bow, homage. Consequent to the knowledge that the whole cosmos is one divine existence, comes the corollary that every individual being in this cosmos, be it however big or small, animate or not,  is divine and worthy of salutation. Hence when people meet, they greet each other with a head bowed down and palms joined at the heart as a sign of offering obeisance from the heart to the divinity in the other person.

A YOGIC EXPRESSION

Namaste forms an integral part of many Yogic postures, Asana as well. The joining of the palms in Yoga is symbolic of unification i.e. Yoga, yug, jug, yoke, join.  It is ascribed with the benefit of connecting the artistic right and logical left hemispheres of the brain together the subtle and the gross together the divine and the human together the other and the self together the recipient and the offerer together. In Yoga it has the name Anjali Mudra, Anjali meaning homage.

A HYGIENIC NEED Another factor that had played big for ancient Indians, is hygiene. With India located in a tropical climate zone, the land, the surrounds and the people are prone to infections from bacteria and other micro organisms. Joining one’s own palms as a sign of greeting eliminated the need for physical contact with the others. Thus hugs, kisses, handshakes, nose rubs, etc. have not been innate modes of greeting in India. Namaste has been an accepted form of greeting. But Namaste is more than just a gesture of greeting.

NAMASTE – A HUMAN AS WELL AS DIVINE EXPRESSION It is not just common man, but the divine too, who have felt the need to offer veneration. They have venerated other divine forces and the principles of the cosmos, the very essence of existence. This veneration has been depicted in imagery as a gesture of Namaste offered by the personified divinities too. This simple gesture of Namaste has many layers of meaning and sentiments, of both humans and the Divine behind it. Among many, it has

depicted some of the typical sentiments like

•  Bhakti, devotion, adoration •  Nivedana, dedication, offering with a request to accept •  Prarthana, prayer, plea •    Naman, humble submission, yielding to the greatness

of the

other

•  Svikriti, willing acceptance, acknowledgement of the other. These sentiments which are typical in humans, have also been used to convey the nature of interactions that exist between divine forces as well. The divine forces, in such instances, have been portrayed in legends as human forms offering their sentiments in the form of a Namaste, Anjali Mudra, classic examples being Hanuman, Garuda, Rama, Shiva, Buddha among others.

Bhakti - Hanuman’s Anjali to Rama In Indian legends, the personification of veneration and devotion is considered to be Hanuman, the friend, ambassador, attendant and devotee of Rama, an avatar, incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Hanuman is ever depicted with hands joined and head bowed down in front of Rama. Hanuman in such a posture is called Bhakta Anjaneya. Bhakta means devotee and Anjaneya is another name for Hanuman, meaning the son of Anjana, His mother.

Nivedana – Garuda’s dedication to Vishnu Like Hanuman, another devotee cum attendant of Lord Vishnu is Garuda, the eagle. Garuda is depicted as the vahana, vehicle of Vishnu.

Garuda is always shown kneeling down with His hands in a Namaste gesture, showing His ever readiness, willingness and dedication to transport Vishnu to wherever Vishnu would like to go. Indian legends have made use of personified depictions of various divine forces to express the subtle and gross phenomena in the Universe. The personification of Vishnu and Garuda, as well as the relationship between them is an expression of one such profound and fundamental principles of the Universe. Hanuman and Garuda with hands joined in Namaste, are always depicted adorning the two sides of Lord Vishnu, His incarnations or His insignia.

Garuda and Hanuman flanking the insignia of Vishnu - A Tanjore artwork

Hanuman and Garuda’s Anjali denote the need, even amongst the divine, to be devoted and dedicated to higher divinities.

Prarthana - Rama’s Anjali to Shiva If Hanuman offered His Namaste to Rama, even Rama, the historical cum divine personage, described as Maryada Purushottama, also had a divine need to offer homage.  Purusha means human and Uttama denotes one who has attained the highest state in whatever field it may be. Maryada is rules of conduct. Maryada Purushottma denotes one who is an ultimate example for propriety of conduct.  Rama, right through His life, paid His respects to His parents, elders and the knowledgeable. Rama is ever depicted with folded hands in front of His father Dasaratha. The epic Ramayana itself is an outcome of Rama’s acquiescence of His parents’ wishes.

During His Lanka sojourn, Rama invoked Shiva, the divine principle, tattva denoting Mangalam - auspiciousness, goodness, the potential to manifest. Rama’s Anjali to Shiva, the potential to manifest, was a gesture of prayer, seeking support in His venture, i.e. His mission of defeating Ravana, who represented violation of good societal conduct. Rama’s Anjali to Shiva at this juncture is a sign of even the divine forces needing the support of one another to achieve a common goal, the goal of maintaining order in the cosmos.

A popular painting of Rama praying to a Shiva Linga Also seen is Hanuman whose eyes and prayers are for Rama

Naman - Shiva’s Anjali To Guru If Rama has been shown praying to Shiva, Shiva too has been shown holding his hands in a Namaste. Legends describe a universal, scientific phenomenon using a symbolic interaction between Shiva and His consort Parvati. As they convey, once, Parvati on seeing Shiva with hands joined in Namaste, beseeches Him to reveal, whom He, the Supreme, was paying homage to Shiva then goes on to answer Parvati patiently. This symbolic, story like conversation between Parvati and Shiva, has been narrated in the Guru Gita, to educate people about the significance of Guru.

The word Guru in the conversation here, refers to Gravity, Gurutva Akarshana, the principle of weightiness, heaviness. Shiva, as the auspicious potential in the Universe to manifest, as the divinity of manifestation, naturally has to revere, submit to the principle of weightiness, heaviness, that manifestation will result in.

Shiva and Parvati in conversation in Guru Gita – An illustration

This heavy knowledge, a profound concept, a scientific principle and its naturalness in the cosmos, have all been aptly and adeptly depicted through this single and simple gesture of Shiva joining His hands in Anjali to Guru. Guru Gita is a part of the Skanda Purana, compiled by Veda Vyasa about 5100 years ago as a eulogy to Guru, the benevolent, omniscient, guiding spirit. The divinity, Skanda or Kartikeya, as he is more commonly known, is the younger son of Shiva. Skanda as a child explained the meaning of OM to Shiva Himself. Hence Skanda is symbolically also praised as a Guru to Shiva, His own father. It is little wonder then that Guru Gita should have been narrated in Skanda Purana. Shiva’s Anjali to Guru through Guru Gita, is a sign of even divine forces bowing down and yielding to the ultimate order and character of the cosmos, namely Dharma.

Svikriti - Buddha’s Anjali to Dharma Buddhism also kept up with the timeless Indian tradition of joining the palms as a sign of reverence. The joined hands gesture seen in some Buddha idols and more commonly on Bodhisattvas and Avalokiteshwara idols, is a mark of reverence to Dharma, the all pervading principle. Starting with the Buddha, this style of joining the palms, Anjali Mudra, percolated into cultures, wherever Buddhism went.

Big Copper Buddha at Tennoji Temple, Yanaka, Tokyo

Buddha’s Anjali is a cognizance, an acceptance, a reminder of the universal Dharma, without which there would be chaos in this Universe. From idols, this gesture also became the gesture for homage and greeting of the leaders and followers of Buddhism.

The Dalai Lama in a Namaste Gesture

“SUCH” A SIGN OF HOMAGE Anjali Mudra or Namaste as it is commonly called, thus represents an acceptance and homage to the “suchness” (tathata) in the Universe - the indistinguishable, true nature of all things, the oneness beyond distinction. This gesture is a veneration to Dharma, the cosmic principle of the “suchness”. That which makes the “such”, be “as such”. It is a gesture to offer respects to the other, be it human or divine and to acknowledge the other as an indistinguishable same as the self. The Anjali Mudra is a mark of the reverence which even the divine principles share among themselves. It depicts the harmony and mutual respect needed between

different principles at the cosmic level different manifestations at the divine level different persons at the human level.

VARIATIONS IN LEVELS In India, the gesture of joined palms, held against different parts of the body, has denoted various types of salutation from time immemorial. Held abreast, it denotes heartfelt greeting, salutation to another individual coming from respect. Held against the face, it denotes obeisance to one’s elders, superiors, teacher and Guru. Held aloft, over one’s head, it denotes praise, surrender, submission to the divine.

Namaste is a mark of India, with which it has greeted man, divine and the Guru who bridges man with divine.

VARIATIONS IN THE WORD Sentiments aside, in spoken language, Namaste is also known variously as Namaskar and variations thereof. In different vernacular languages of this land, other words depicting such sentiments like Vandanam, Vandane, Vanakkam etc. from Vandanam, another Samskrt word for salutation again, have also been used with the same gesture.

VARIATIONS IN STYLE This style of greeting has been distinct to this land for many millennia. Travellers, traders who went to China, Japan and South East Asia, to countries like Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, took this concept and form of greeting there, where it was adopted and assimilated into the local cultures.

Japanese Style It will be very interesting to note the similarity in spirit and act between the Indian and Japanese way of greeting. The spirit is the same as acknowledging the divine in the other. The act is similar in bowing to the other. The hands alone are held slightly different – joined together in India and held by the side in Japan. What could be more unifying than this very spirit of greeting?

An Indian and a Japanese Greeting – An illustration of a real life meeting and greeting

Martial Style We see a similar greeting being extended in some forms of martial arts as a mark of mutual respect before sparring at each other. Monks at the Shaolin temple in China are seen to greet each other with only one open palm and closed fist, held in front of the heart. The reason is quite interesting. Bodhidharma, a Buddhist, who had travelled from South India to China is considered an early propounder of Buddhism, martial arts and meditation in

China. He meditated near Shaolin and later taught the monks at Shaolin monastery.

Statue at Shaolin

His prime disciple and successor was Huike who had lost one hand. Since Huike had only one hand, he would do Namaste with just one open palm. In his honour, it became a practice with the monks at Shaolin temple and in Kung Fu, to greet each other with a single handed Namaste.

An Auspicious Gesture in Myanmar The Burmese greeting word Mingalarbar means ‘auspiciousness to you’. Mingalar means auspiciousness in Burmese language and has its roots in the Indian Samskrt / Pali word mangala. Burmese language hence uses Mingalar as,

•  Mingalar Ah Khar Daw for an Auspicious Event. •  Mingalar Nan Net for an Auspicious Morning.

•  Mingalar Nate for an Auspicious Day or Date. Infact, the Burmese word for wedding itself is Mingalasong, denoting auspiciousness in the union. This Mingalarbar came into practice to replace the English way of greeting which had percolated profusely into Burma / Myanmar during the colonial rule. It is interesting to note that one of the ancient, Indian traditional way to greet people, especially while seeing them off, has also been “Shivaste Panthanaha”, meaning “may your ways be auspicious” or “auspiciousness to you”. The word Shiva is another word for the commonly used word “Mangalam”, for auspiciousness in India. The Namaste, Anjali Mudra for greeting, wishing and praying, is indeed a gesture laden with a lot of auspiciousness and reverence.

South and South East Asian Style Namaste found its way into the culture of most of the South and South East Asian cultures due to their millennia old association with India and the deep sentiments this gesture expresses. This simple act of joining the palms has joined all these cultures which share common sentiments. It is a gesture that continues as a way of life in many of those lands even today.

Namaste Gesture – the official greeting of most airlines in South and South East Asia

Namaste is indeed a brand of Bharat worth being saluted.

Athithi Devo Bhava – A Welcoming Smile ATITHI – A DIVINE GUEST “Atithi Devo Bhava” meaning treat your guest as divine, has been a popular phrase of this land, a slogan of this land and more, an ethos of this land. This welcoming nature, extended to all who come to this land and to one’s homes, has been a noble ethos of this land. Atithi Devo Bhava as a concept goes beyond how to receive or treat a guest. It is a simple expression of a more profound, sublime intent. To understand this intent, we must first understand the true essence of who an Atithi really is.

ATITHI - AN UNANNOUNCED GUEST Tithi denotes day, rather date. It refers to a particular day as characterized by the month, phase of the moon, etc. Tithi thus has connotation of an appointment, an appointed day. It comes as anticipated. Atithi, the opposite of Tithi on the other hand, means unannounced, without any appointed day or time. Thus Atithi is not an announced, expected guest but an unannounced, unexpected visitor, a stray wanderer too. Welcoming such an unexpected visitor and treating this person with all care, offerings and reverence as due to divine, calls for a higher ethos than just being nice to an expected guest. In that, when an Atithi arrives, one may not always have enough food to partake, enough space to share, enough peace of mind to smile. In short, one is unprepared, falling short in many ways. Yet, Indian ethos has entreated everyone to look upon such an Atithi as a representative of the divine and treat this person to the best one can to make him or her feel comfortable and welcome.

In the present day world culture of visiting only after informing or trying to keep visitors to bare minimum, one can see how such an act of selfless offering indeed would require a steadfast mind, heart and thought”. This is the image that India was known by, “as people who welcomed visitors. No wonder, this land has been host to people from many different cultures, religions and lands who have come here in search of aid, trade or advocate and made this their home across the ages.

INDIA WELCOMED THE JEWS Jews Persecuted During World War II in Europe World War II is notoriously remembered for the mass extermination of Jews and the segregation and deportation of Jews from other parts of the world such as from Russia. It was an act that stemmed from the prevalent negative attitude towards the Jews during the 20th century.

Holocaust of the Jews during World War II Photos courtesy - US National Archives and Records Administration

Jews Portrayed Bad – 500 Years Ago Not just during World War II, but even 500 years ago, Jews were not held in great esteem by the society. The classic case is the treatment meted out in the Shakespearean play “Merchant Of Venice” to the Jewish moneylender Shylock. Shylock is given an evil portrayal in physical descprition as well as in verbal references to him.

An Animosity Right from Millennia

All these portrayals and treatment meted out, were a culmination of the animosity towards the Jews which has come down from millennia. The Jews were despised and persecuted in different parts of Europe and elsewhere since then. It is only post World War II that the world has started viewing Jews, especially those from America, in a different light.

Jews Welcomed in Malabar In contrast the one land of the world where the Jews have been welcomed right through the times and not discriminated or prosecuted, has been in India. This is borne out by the fact that some of the oldest Jewish Synagogues to the East of Israel are in Kerala, India. Tradition speaks of Jews coming to the Malabar Coast of India on exile, after the destruction of the Temple of Solomon, during the Siege of Jerusalem in 587 BCE. Once again when the second temple of Solomon was destroyed during the Second Siege of Jerusalem in 68 CE, another batch of Jews, fled to India as confirmed by records of this destruction. As recounted by the Jews in India, there were 10000 exiled men and women who had landed in the Malabar Coast of India in 3828 of Anno Mundi (i.e. 68 CE). Anno Mundi means the year of the world in Latin and the Year after Creation in Hebrew. As per the Julian calendar, this corresponds to the date 6th October 3761 BCE. These 10000 Jews had landed in four places, namely Cranganore, Dschalor, Madai and Plota. This fact, as mentioned by the book “The Itinerary of Rabbi Benjamin of Tudela”, is borne in a hand written letter by a Rabbi Yehezkel’s in 1768 CE to the Tobias Boas of Amsterdam, filed as MS 4238 in Merzbacher’s Library. It was earlier housed in Munich.

This fact must be close to truth as it gives a picture from the Indian side, of the people who had migrated.

Jews landing at the Malabar Coast in 68 CE Source –  painting from the book Hutchinson’s Stories of Nations published by Hutchinson & Co

Jews have subsequently been coming to India as evidenced by synagogues which have been built and rebuilt over the last couple of millennia.

Raja Baskara Ravi Varman’s Immortal Gesture During the reign of Raja Baskara Varman I, the king welcomed the Jews and issued a royal decree in the Tamil Language of those days to the effect that, “the Jews were being given the village of Anjuvannam and it could remain in their possession, so long as the world and moon exists.” This royal decree, sasanam, engraved in 2 copper plates is now preserved in the Mattancherry Synagogue, one of the functional synagogues in Cochin.  These copper plates bear the date 379 CE.

The Mattancherry Synagogue, Cochin

The sasanam by Raja Baskara Varma in favour of Joseph Rabban, the Rabbi leader of Jewish settlers Inscription and English Text Source – Jewish Encyclopaedia (1901),

Welcomed for Posterity The Jews were thus not only “not prosecuted” in India, but sheltered. That too with a commitment for posterity until the sun and the moon shone! With his proclamation, Raja Bhaskara Varman I ensured that not just that generation of Jews alone, but future generations could live in his land too. He was also committing that not just he alone but his progeny and future generations of rulers of his land too would honour this commitment.

Accepted Into Mainstream The king also gave grand privileges to the Jews in the principality of Kodungallur in Thrissur district, to settle down and carry out their vocation in peace.

From this perspective, the name of the village, Anjuvannam, warrants more than a cursory read. Anju means 5. Vannam is the Tamil / Malayalam word for colour which is called Varnam in Samskrt. The concept of Colour or Varna has been used in Indian context to denote distinction. Indian society was classified into 4 distinct Varna, categories, based on the vocation of the person. Was this name Anjuvannam, meaning 5 colours, given to this village to denote the inclusion of the Jews as the 5th Varna, vannam, vocation, in that village? Not just accepted and kept segregated in a refugee enclosure, but included in the mainstream population, as evidenced perhaps by the name of the village itself.

Raja Baskara Ravi Varma handing over village Anjuvannam to Joseph Rabban for the Jews

Ever since then, the Jews lived as a rightful denomination of India in Kodungallur. Kodungallur or Cranganore as it was also called, was referred to as “a substitute Jerusalem in India” and many writers have referred to the intertwining of these two cities.

An old portrait of Joseph Rabbi

Continuous records since then show a flourishing presence of Jews in Kodungallur and nearby villages of the Malabar Coast until destruction by a cyclone around 1300s forced them to relocate to areas around Cochin. Though unsaid, it also implies that even this relocation during was not opposed by the locals. Where the Jews found discrimination in India was from the Muslims and the Portuguese, who had settled in the Malabar Coast and were dominating trade from Malabar during the 1500s. There was a further influx of Jews from Iberia, modern day Spain, around 1400s into Cochin. These were European Jews as against the earlier Jews who had migrated from Central Asia.  The Mattanchery synagogue or

Pardesi synagogue built around 1500s was the centre of the European Jew also called Pardesi Jews. Pardesi means foreigner. This term itself shows how much the Jews who had migrated to India before the 1400s, from Central Asia had identified themselves with this land and its native people.

Jews in Kashmir This welcome was extended to the Jews was not only in the south of India, in Kerala but in the north, in Kashmir also. This was observed over 1000 years ago and recorded by Al Biruni in his book Kitab-ul-hind, where, in page 99 he writes, “Kashmir in former times, they used to allow one or two foreigners to enter their country, particularly Jews.”

  Al-Biruni and Kitab-ul-hind book

WELCOMED THE PARSIS Parsis are those who came from Persia to escape persecution in their own land. The divinity of the Parsis is Ahura Mazda and they are known as Zoroastrians after Zarathushtra who founded and formalized the worship of

Ahura Mazda.

Ahura Mazda, The Parsi Supreme God At Persopolis, Iran

Zarathushtra, the founder of Zoroastrian religion Image Source – A rare portrait shared in Public Media by Daniel Mosaddeghi

Interaction with King

There is a famous story linked to their arrival in India, of the interaction between the migrant Parsi community and the local king of the region around Baruch, in southern Gujarat. As the popular story goes, the Parsis and the local king could not communicate with each as they did not know each others’ language. The king symbolically brought a full glass of milk and placed it on the table to show that his land was already full. The Parsi group leader then poured a handful of sugar into the full glass of milk expressing that the Parsis would mingle with the people as the sugar grains mixed in the milk, enriching the land.

 

Parsis meeting King of Baruch, Jadi Rana - An illustration

Conditions laid down by the king for granting sanctuary then included, Hindu attire

•  Tilak on forehead Use of Gujarati language Weddings to be performed at dusk Respect for all religions Giving up arms Entrance to be decorated by colourful chalk designs Patriotism These diktat of Raja JadiRana continue to be honoured and followed by the Paris to the dot, to this day.

True to Parsi Spirit True to this symbolic representation, for the last over 1000 years, the Parsis have truly enriched this land, with their culture skills and habits. What needs special mention is that the Parsi community is one community who have never asked for special benefits in this land due to their minority status.

Atash-ni-Agiari, Fire temple, Mumbai

The Parsis as a small ethinic community have done phenomenally well for themselves and the land they adopted for their own. Some of the principled business men of this land are from the Parsi community. It is well worth to mention here that it is one community, which has come up in life purely based on its own industrious nature without any special concessions. Among the 5 promises made by them to king then, one of them was that they would never lift up arms against the land that gave them shelter, a word that every Parsi has kept up till date.

Sanjan Stambh

Sanjan Stambh

Sanjan is a small coastal town on the border of Maharashtra and Gujarat. It is to this coast that the Zoroastrians first arrived in a small group as immigrants, fleeing from the persecution of the new Muslim rulers in Persia. In 1920, the Parsis erected a memorial column and called it Sanjan Stambh for posterity to know of their community’s intriguing history.

WELCOMED THE SYRIAN CHRISTIANS When the Syrian Christians of the Marthoma sect came to the Malabar Coast of India probably around 350 CE, they were also welcomed as respected guests What is to be noted here is that India has had a sizable Christian community in the Malabar Coast, much before Britain, America or Europe had any Christians.

A Mar Thoma Sect Father who founded the Marthomite / Maramon tradition in India

Marthoma Syrian Christian Church at Pattanamthitta near Cochin, the first Marthoma church in India

Muziris where the Maramon or Marthomite tradition is first believed to have started An ancient Peutinger map showing Muziris as a dark circle

WELCOMED THE MUSLIMS The Muslims from Arabia first came to India by ship and settled in the Malabar Coast in the year 714 CE. This is much before the Arabic, Persian invasion into Afghanistan in the north western part of India. Prior to that from the 600s CE, i.e. 7th century onwards itself, Arabs and Persians started coming and settling down in South India and Ceylon. This can be gathered from J.Sturrock who writes in his book “South Kanara, Madras District Manuals”, 1894, in Pg 180 that,

A rare illustration of a Moplah

These Arab and Persian merchants who later became Muslims, were welcomed and called as Mappila, meaning son-in-law as they were given the respect and welcome that a son-in-law would be given in any house. This word Mappila, over the centuries, got transmuted into Mopalah. This welcoming nature was not limited to the Malabar cost alone. The Masudi Persians fleeing the high handedness of Hajjaj Bin Yusuf in the 700s CE, came to the Konkan coast and made it their home.

Migration of Muslims from Basra to Seymore in India

1000s of Muslims migrated from Basra and Baghdad to make Setmore in India, their home. The name Seymore, rings a bell, no more.

Where is Seymore? Seymore is better known today as Chaul – Revdanda port near Alibag and Korlai, in the state of Maharashtra on the Western coast of India.

Used as a base by the Portuguese during the 16th and 17th centuries, with nearby Bascaim or Vasai as it is known today as their northern headquarters, Chaul was a prominent port and has seen many a fierce battle. Korlai close to Chaul still has flavours of Portuguese Creole in its language. Chaul was later taken over by the Marathas in the 18th century and houses the memorial for Kanhaji Angre, the highly successful commander-in-chief of the valiant Maratha navy.

Today all that remains of this history are the ruins of the ramparts of the Portuguese forts. Nothing leftover from Basra or Baghdad, save for the continuity seen in the Muslim living in flesh and blood, in and around here.

Ramparts of a Portuguese Fort in Chaul

Tara Chand in his book “Influence of Islam on Indian Culture” tracing the history of the settlement of Arabs in India right from pagan Arabs and pre Islam days, writes,

Extract from “Influence of Islam on Indian Culture” by Tara Chand, The Indian Press, Allahabad

Al-Masudi, who lived between 896 and 956 CE, was a famous historian, geographer cum traveller from Baghdad and claimed descent from Abdullah Ibn Masud, a companion of Prophet Muhammad. He is referred to as “Herodotus of the Arabs”, implying that he was a historian of great repute. During his travels across the world, he had come to the west coast of India in 916 CE.

A Popular Portrait of Al-Masudi

Meadows of Gold and Mines of Gems Volume 1 of 9 of his Historical Encyclopaedia The only work of Al Masudi published in English

Studying the history of the advent of Muslims in India, based on the traditions enshrined in the early mosques of India the legends of the Muslim inhabitants, the evidence of inscriptions, the records of Muslim historians and travellers and the continuity of Arab commerce with India from early times we can gather that the Muslims appeared on the Indian coast soon after the death of the Prophet and start of Islam.  In India, they quickly exerted great influence on the rulers of the land, especially in the Malabar Coast, because of the power of trade and quickly gained a privileged status. We must note that these were the first set of “Muslims” to arrive. Arabs and Persians, in general, had been coming to India even before these times, even before Islam arrived on the world.

Welcome to Pre-Muslims Too Tara Chand further traces that,

Extract from “Influence of Islam on Indian Culture” by Tara Chand, The Indian Press, Allahabad

An old copy of the 1896 Gazetteer of Bombay Presidency

The Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency, published in the year 1896, mentions the presence of pre-Muslim Arab settlements at Chaul, Kalyan and Supara, on the outskirts of the present city of Mumbai. This shows that not just Muslims, but even pre-Muslim Arabs were welcomed in India.

WELCOMED THE AFRICANS

Sidis of Bombay A painting by artist M. V. Dhurandhar (1867-1944) From the Book, By The Ways of Bombay - 1912

The native Africans also came and settled down in different parts of the land through the ages. They have variously called themselves as Habshis, Siddees, Sidis. What is to be noted is that these African origin people have not been treated as slaves in India, as they have been treated elsewhere in Europe and America through the medieval ages. 

These Sidis spread themselves across different parts of the land and joined the security forces of different Nizams and Rajas.

Notable Sidis, to name a few, were Malik Ambar who became the regent of the Nizamshahi of Aurangabad, Khudawand Khan who became the Governor of Mahur during the reign of Nizam Ul Mulk and so on.

The Sidi Saiyad Mosque built by the Sidis in Ahmedabad

The Habshis, Sidis did not limit themselves to the western coastal region but spread themselves wide and far. From Kandahar in the North West, to North East Bengal, to Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh, to Cambay and Daman in Gujarat,  to Bidar, from Hyderabad to Bijapur in the Deccan and to the Malabar Coast in the South.

Spread of Sidis all over India

EUROPEANS In 1498 CE, once the Istanbul trade route to Europe was cut off, it was Vasco da Gama from Portugal who opened the flood gates to India for the Europeans from across the seas directly.  He came sailing along the west coast of Africa and as he was contemplating on how to cross the Arabian Sea, he was escorted upto the Malabar Coast, by Indian traders returning from Africa. One of the first kings he met, on landing in the Malabar Coast, was the King, Samuthirai of Kozhikode. Samudra means seas and Rai means king, lord. Samuthirai was literally the king of the Arabian Seas, as much of the trade was happening from this coast. Samuthirai of Kozhikode was morphed by the foreign tongue to ‘Zamorin of Calicut’, the term we are also familiar with today. When Vasco da Gama wanted to meet the Samuthirai to present his credentials, there was stiff opposition from the Arab traders as they envisaged competition. However the Samuthirai acting on the principle that

since Vasco da Gama was an Atithi to his land and had to be welcomed, went against the advice of the Arabs and accorded him due welcome and respect. The Samuthirai allowed Vasco da Gama to enter Koazhikode and gave him facilities to trade. It was Vasco da Gama who abused this hospitality, disrespected the Samuthirai and the locals over time and turned a tormentor in Goa, his next port of calling in India.

Vasco da Gama presenting his credential to King Samuthirai – An Illustration

The trade that had been going along for centuries in a peaceful manner was to see a sea of change with this one Atithi who overstepped his welcome and opened the floodgates of India for the Europeans to come and establish their trade, then colonies and finally their plundering rule for the next few centuries. This changed the demography and economic balance of the world completely to bring it to a west centric model that it is today. One wonders what the world would have looked like today if the Samuthirai had refused Vasco da Gama entry into India!

A LAND THAT WELCOMES VISITORS From this detail it becomes abundantly clear that across different parts of the land, different migrators, different people have been welcomed in this land as guests and treated with respect across the times. ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ was not a slogan that was uttered by the lips. It has been an ethos that we see, has been a practise of this land.

Unique With Its Hospitality To quote a more recent instance from the last century, a book officially released in 1967, by the Consulate of the Republic of Israel, contained accounts of Jews, who in 1947, after World War II, had returned to Israel, their promised land, from 108 countries across the world. 107 countries, save one, had given a harrowing experience to these Jews, from their accounts. They had returned to Israel in a sorrowful state. It was only those who were returning from India, who had come back with a smile and had a pleasant experience to retell. This goes to show that, even during the times of a World War, an India, which was also in the midst of its struggle to overthrow the shackles of a colonial rule, had welcomed a visitor to its land, true to its age old tradition of “Athithi Devo Bhava” – a guest is welcome.

An Innate Ethos

Symbol of India’s Hospitality – Atithi Devo Bhava, Guest is God

It is an ethos that shapes the character of India and her people, right from welcoming guests into their homes to welcoming them into their country, as demonstrated by the Government, which has time and again, offered shelter to refugees from neighbouring countries. The slogan of the Tourism Department of India is Atithi Devo Bhava. Atithi Devo Bhava has been a welcoming banner of India, the maxim that continues to govern the welcoming nature of every Indian.

INDIA - A SAFE HAVEN BRAND There have been waves of migration of peoples from various parts of the world to India starting with Jews from 6th century BCE Pre Muslims from between 4th century BCE and 1st century CE Syrian Christians from 4th century CE Muslims from 7th century CE Parsis from 8th century CE Africans from 13th century CE Europeans from 14th century CE Bangaladeshis from 20th century CE Sri Lankans from 20th century CE Tibetans from 20th century CE

•  The list may perhaps continue …. All these endorse the fact that, right through the times, from 587 BCE itself, India has been regarded as a Safe Haven. In today’s times, we talk of Safe Haven for Money, to escape from Tax in one’s country. It is a place where one can keep one’s money safe. Through the times, till date, India has been a Safe Haven for Mankind, to escape from Taxing Conditions in one’s home land. It is a place where one can keep one’s life and progeny safe.

Another interesting fact emerges from this brand image of India as a Safe Haven.

What makes a land a Safe Haven? A land where peace and prosperity have prevailed in a sustained manner for a sustained period of time and the people are pleasant is perceived as a place safe enough to take shelter in. The fact that India was considered by so many different civilizations speaking different languages, following different faiths, practising different customs, as a safe haven to take refuge in, indicates that India had sustained peace, prosperity and a pleasant disposition for millennia. An advantage that it lost mainly with the advent of colonialism in India! Atithi Devo Bhavah is a sign of the “Safe Haven” brand image that Bharat, i.e. India has enjoyed for millennia.

The Welcoming Signs of India While a guest, Atithi has been considered equivalent to God, these Godly guests have been welcomed with garlands, Tilak -  a mark on the forehead with sandal paste or turmeric and a Poorna Kumbha, a Kalash, a pitcher with water, coconut and Mango leaves. It has been a tradition to welcome guests, especially guests of honour, with the Poorna Kumbha. These acts of garlanding, applying Tilak, holding a Poorna Kumbha, a Kalash, filled with water and with a coconut and Mango leaves at its mouth or hanging Mango leaves at the entrances are common indicators of a happy occasion and a celebratory welcome being extended.

It is such a common tradition that its practice continues even across faiths in India.

For instance, when the Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi visited India in 2007, he was extended a traditional welcome at the St.Thomas Mount church in Chennai, which comprised of receiving him with a Poorna Kumbha along with garland and Tilak.

Extract from the coverage of this visit as reported in The Hindu, February 12, 2007 A graphic illustration using the newspaper masthead

Italian PM Romano Prodi with wife Flavia Franzonio at the St. Thomas Mount Shrine, Chennai Photo Courtesy: V. GANESAN. The Hindu, 12 Feb 2007

Why these paraphernalia for welcoming? Why mango leaves and why use them in such a manner? A garland of flowers and Tilak are evident signs of respect and honouring. The Poorna Kumbha has a deep significance.

POORNA KUMBHA – A HARBINGER OF PROSPERITY AND PURITY Sign of Overflowing Bounty

Poorna means full and Kumbha or a Kalash means pitcher. Poorna Kumbha is a full pitcher. An image of a kumbha, a kalash with a coconut and mango leaves in its mouth is a sign of auspiciousness. It is a sign of overflowing bounty.  How can one depict overflowing bounty in the first place? How does this arrangement depict overflowing bounty? Any container can only be filled upto the brim. Beyond this brim, water will flow out of the vessel. Thus, any vessel can always be only brimfull at the most. But when you put a coconut on top of a kalash filled with water, the water inside the coconut gives rise to a setting where there is water over and above the brim of the Kalash. The mango leaves spilling out of the mouth of the Kalash, drip water from their tips due to capillary action. The kalash filled with water, with a coconut and mango leaves placed at its mouth and water dripping from these mango leaves is symbolic of an overflow, a bountiful Nature. But why Mango leaves?

MANGO LEAVES - TRANSMITTING AUSPICIOUSNESS Water – An Auspicious Medium It has been Indian tradition to use fire as a medium for purifying the environment and water as a medium for purifying humans or objects. From time immemorial, Indians have been following the practice of chanting Mantra, hymns which produce harmonic and rhythmic sound, around one or many kalash during rituals, puja, homa, yaga. The water from this kalash is then sprinked over the people assembled or over the temple or over the idol in the temple. The ancient but continuing Indian objective being, to enhance the energies of the water stored in the kalash, which is placed as the centre piece of

these rituals. Such an effect or chants, prayers, sounds thoughts on water is confirmed by pioneering work done by Japanese researcher Masaru Emoto and published in the first ever photo collection called “Messages From Water” showing how water crystals change their structure based on surrounding thoughts and sounds.

Mango Leaf – An Effective Conduit It is common traditional belief in India, that Mango leaves attract positive energy towards themselves, thereby enriching the area and people around them. Mango leaves have been used traditionally in home remedy for their antibacterial as well as for their rich antioxidant nature.

If we notice, mango leaves are thick, dark green and stay fresh, long after being plucked, all of which point to the mango leaf being special indeed. Research elsewhere, in a different context, in Indonesia, confirms the benefits of thick leaves such as bamboo, in purifying water used for rice cultivation.

Mango Leaves and Water – An Auspicious Combination Is it then a wonder that the ancient Indians had developed a practice of using mango leaves in a kalash, to attract positive energies towards themselves, inorder to transmit it to the water in the kalash, inorder to purify its crystalline structure and thereby to transfer the benefits to the people on whom this water is sprinkled? The mango leaf has thus been transmitting positivity and generating auspiciousness, enriching the lives of those around, from millennia.  India is indeed a blessed land to have such a benevolent tree, native to its soil.

A RECEPTION OR A RECEPTACLE? Receiving persons of high esteem with a Poorna Kumbha thus aids in the receiving and in the transmitting of the honoured guest’s benevolent wishes for a bountiful life to the people around. More than “giving” a reception to the individual at the entrance, the Indian ethos of welcoming is to hold an efficient receptacle to “accept” the benevolence and good energies that the guest is bringing with him / her as part of their visit. The Indian act of giving comes when the visitor leaves the venue in the form of Tamboolam, Tambool. In this case it is the betel leaf with betel nut, coconut, turmeric, banana and any other fruit or gift, which is offered as a sign of thanksgiving, with a wish for a safe journey ahead. The betel leaf and nut are given for aiding the digestion of the food partaken, which used to be a mandatory offering to the guest as well as a

thirst quencher in the journey ahead.

TORAN – WELCOMING GOOD ENERGIES It is for this attracting nature of Mango leaves that they are hung as a Toran, a decoration on entrances which is a sign of auspiciousness on doorways of home and venues where lot of people gather. They attract and bring in goodness and oxygen from around into people’s homes more so when there are rituals especially with fire, Homa, Yaga, taking place.

Mango leaves as a Toran, necklace for the doorway to augur in auspiciousness

They also indicate that the visitors are being held in high esteem, which is why they are also called Vandanamalika, meaning a garland of respect. Vandanam is respect and malika, mala means a garland. The importance attached to this concept of Toran can be seen in symbolic signs by name or design all over India.

SYMBOLIC TORANS IN ART Several arts of India have depicted this Mango leaf Toran in their respective mediums to denote a feeling of auspiciousness, welcome, victory and glory, kirti in their works. Some of these stone works have survived the ravages of time to welcome us into the times of these people.

Warangal Gate Toran

The Toran at the famous Warangal Gate once stood to denote the entrance to the city of Warangal of the Kakatiya kingdom.

Toran at Warangal in the Telugu land

Today, this gate stands as a lone sign of the welcome extended once, to visitors of this erstwhile kingdom. Today, this Toran welcomes visitors to the ruins of this once   prosperous city. Today, this Toran sings the glory of the Telangana region, having been chosen as this state’s symbol.

Sanchi Stupa Torana The decorated gateways of the Sanchi Stupa are called Torana, based on this concept of according a reverential welcome to the monks and scholars.

Toran at North Gate of Sanchi Stupa

Jain temple Torans The Jains incorporated this practice in the form of a standard architectural design component of their temples. Every Jain temple has a wavy Toran adorning each doorway to the temple.

Toran – Decorated Temple Doorway at Lodurva Jain Temple near Jaisalmer

The majestic, tall Toran inside the walls of the Lodurva Fort Jain Temple near Jaisalmer, Rajasthan

One of the 2 Torans at Gujarat’s Vadnagar

Vadnagar of Gujarat is an ancient city going back to 2500 BCE, whose Torans from the first millennium CE have accorded welcome to eminent visitors to India such as Hieun Tsang, the Chinese scholar of 6th century CE. In modern times, as the symbol of the state of Gujarat, they accord welcome to the visitors of Gujarat. Incidentally, this city Vadnagar, is also the birthplace of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A Welcome in the Name The guesthouses of the Gujarat State Tourism are all called “Toran” as symbolic gesture of welcome to the guests. Somebody’s thoughtful creativity indeed!

A Gujarat State Tourism Guest House, Saputara Hills

The ancient Indians did not only create practices but they also encoded them into  customs, traditions, rituals, so that even if they do not follow the science, the generations to follow, will follow the practices atleast.

Bindi - The Identifying Mark In the language of the hearing and speech impaired, the international sign language, the sign for India is a circle on the forehead, to denote the Bindi.

Sign for India in Sign language Courtesy - Unification of Signs Commission of the World Federation of the Deaf. (1975). GESTUNO: International Sign Language of the Deaf. Great Britain: Hindson Print Group Newcastle upon Tyne.

Indians are recognizable by their Bindi. Indians stand out with their Bindi. Indians are spotted due to Bindi.

POOJA MARK AND BEYOND Some commentators have limitedly described it as a Pooja mark. While people do wear such marks on the forehead, when performing their daily pooja, these marks are not limited for that purpose. The location, the shape and the reason for which a Bindi, also sometimes called a Tilak, Tilakam, is worn, bears a profound significance.

LOCATION AND PURPOSE OF A BINDI Forms of a Bindi, Tilak A Bindi, Tilak comes in all shapes and sizes.

Many bindi / tilak patterns

What forms the reasons for a Bindi? Many are also the reasons attributed to why the forehead is anointed with a Bindi or Tilak.  These, range from being

•    a

mark of one’s religious sect

•   

•  a mark of beauty

of

•    a

a mark of auspiciousness

•    a

a mark marriage

•    •   

a mark devoutness

of

mark to detract other’s evil eye mark to protect one’s inner eye

•  and so on .....

•  a mark of victory, resolution

All these are true but there is more profundity in why India has been sporting a Bindi or a Tilak from the word, go.

Bindi between the Eyebrows Recent studies in the field of psychology and physiology point to the presence of a gland called the Pineal gland in the brain, in the region that falls just behind the point on the forehead, between the 2 eyebrows. This Pineal gland is described as the point of convergence of thoughts in a person. On an individual level, the Bindi, the Tilak at the point of convergence of thoughts in one’s body is a mechanism to draw one’s attention to the moment and help focus on set goals or path,

•  be it a march into war, sport or important task •  be it a path of married life or religious commitment •  be it a sign of victory, leadership and the responsibilities it entails. In connection with its usage as a sign of married status and auspiciousness, it has also been extended as a mark of Sindhoor, kumkum, a red powder, applied at the parting of the hair at the beginning of the hairline.

What lies within a Bindi? Indian thought holds forth elaborately on how Creation came about from literally nothing represented by a dot or bindu. Indian thought also holds forth eloquently on how this Creation will dissolve and converge into a point of nothingness, once again represented by a dot or bindu. Between these two states of nothingness or bindu, lies the vast, infinite, immeasurable and unfathomable, physical form of Creation. It is the experience of meditators that as the thoughts converge into nothing, i.e. the mind is free from the constraint of thoughts, it expands to fill the

Universe and one feels the infiniteness in the Universe. At a higher plane, the physical presence of a Bindi or Tilak on one’s forehead facilitates transcendence, by constantly reminding one, of the cosmic states of nothingness and infiniteness. This brings clarity in thought and convergence between thought and action, in achieving the goals of life, in the state of physical reality that lies in between. Bindi is a time immemorial brand of India.

Who wears a Bindi? There is one sign which is common across genders in India. It is the application of a Tilak, Bindi on the forehead. Sporting such a mark is not limited to women alone. Women as well as men, anoint their forehead with a Bindi or Tilak. No forehead was to be left blank in days bygone.

BUSTING MYTHS AROUND THE DOT, THE BINDI Dot Busters Indians have been spotted distinctly because of such marks on their forehead so much so that when there was unrest in New Jersey in USA in 1980s, to protest against rising number of Indians as well as South Asians in that city, Indians were spotted due to their Bindis as targets for violent racial attacks. A group called the DotBusters was formed for this purpose. But the dot has come a long way in time as can be seen from the busts excavated in the Indian subcontinent.

4800 Year Old Busts With Bindi In present day Pakistan, in a place called Nausharo, female terracotta figurines were excavated, which dated back to 2,800 BCE. If one looks at these two figurines carefully, we clearly see a red coloured mark between the partings of hair.

    Bust found at Nausharo excavation

2200 Year Old Statues With Bindi

Statue of Goddess Sirima (2nd Century BCE) at Bharhut  Stupa in Satna, Madhya Pradesh  with Bindi on foreead

Applying Kumkum, Sindhoor, a red coloured powder made from yellow turmeric, both on the forehead and in the parting of the hair, has been an age

old custom of this land among the married women in India and is practiced even today as a sign of marriagehood and auspiciousness. Wearing a Bindi we can see, is not a recent tradition or trend, but goes back all the way to 4800 years ago and beyond.

Women in India with Kumkum in the parting of hair

Not Only For Women

Bust of Vasishtha

The fact that it was worn by men too is augmented by a bust discovered at Mohenjodaro. If we look at the 5,500 year old bust of a man, royal priest of Mohenjodaro, popularly called as Vasishtha head, we can see the shape of a distinct mark on his forehead.

BINDI SEEN ALL AROUND INDIA It is a popular perception that Kumkum in the form of a Bindi, a circle, applied on the forehead of women or in longer shapes as Tilak, Tilaka, Tilakam worn by men in different parts of India, is the mark of a Hindu. But, wearing of the Bindi, Tilak is not limited only to the proponents of the Vedic religion or what some people dub as Brahminism or Hinduism. It is a feature, a cultural practice of the whole of India. Having made this statement, we shall look at some examples of this custom, across this land, through time.

Tribal Women Even among the tribals of the land, wearing this Bindi is a practice.

             Tribal woman of the Badaga tribe in the Uthagamadalam hills of Ooty wearing Bindi

In Buddhism Buddha through his path of Dharma and renunciation shunned many aspects of the Vedic view. However, the anointing of the Tilaka was a part of the Buddhist culture. This can be seen in most of the sculptures of Buddha. It is not only in India but the presence of a Bindi on the statues of Buddha is also prevalent in Sri Lanka, where again it is called Tilaka, signifying auspiciousness or a position of eminence.

Buddha sculpture with Tilaka, in India, 11th century. Courtesy: Victoria and Albert Museum 617 – 1872, London.

Buddha sculpture, with Bindi, Tilak on his forehead, at Mihintale in Sri Lanka

In Sikh tradition The year 1600 saw the birth of Sikhism, a new religion as propounded by Sant Guru Nanak. Sikhism took the good from many of the existing religions and included noble thoughts from different places. Wearing a Tilak or placing a Tikka as a mark of distinction was as much a part of Sikhism too.

Baba Buddha anointing Guru Arjan Dev with Tikka

In this very old painting, we have the scene of Baba Buddha, Guru Ram Das annointing the forehead of Guru Arjun Dev with a Tikka, a mark of distinction, pronouncing him the fifth Guru of the Sikh tradition.

Parsi The Parsi families who came to India, escaping from persecution in Persia in the 8th century CE, have over the last thousand years, imbibed many aspects of Indian culture and customs. Anointing the Tilak on the forehead is one such custom that the Parsis have adopted along with many customs of this land as per one of the diktats of Raja JadiRana of Bharuch while offering them refuge in his kingdom.

    

Parsis with a Bindi, Tilak on their forehead.

Bactrian Aphrodite The far West Afghan and East Persian regions incorporated a synthesis of Indian and Greek cultures. In this synthesis was a sculpture made of Aphrodite of Bactria. This sculpture is a unique synthesis of ancient Greek, Persian and Indian influences. Here, on the forehead of this Aphrodite, we see the distinct mark of Bindi.

Sculpture of Aphrodite of Bactria with a Bindi on the forehead

Among Christians The annointing of Bindi as a mark of welcome and Indianness is prevalent even among the Christians of India. On 11th February 2007, the Prime Minister of Italy on his tour of Chennai city, was welcomed at the church of Saint Thomas, in Saint Thomas Mount, Chennai. The welcoming ceremony in this Catholic Church was conducted by anointing his forehead with a Bindi.

Prime Minister of Italy, Romano Prodi welcomed with a Tilak at Chennai’s St.Thomas Mount Tilak encircled in yellow on original picture for better clarity Original Picture Source: News Media of India, February 12, 2007.

Among Muslims Bangladesh, we know, has become a Muslim country since the last half a century and more. Prior to that it was part of eastern Bengal in India. Hence, it is so related to the Indian culture that in Bangladesh, the Muslim women, when they wear their traditional Bengali sari, sporting a Bindi is part of their dressing for their occasion.  Among the Muslim women, wearing their veil, Burqa is very telling of their cultural roots. When women wear Sari in Bangladesh, they deem it as a part of their attire to wear a Bindi on the forehead. Sometimes this Bindi can be seen through their black Burqa, veil, a telling sign of their cultural roots. This has also been observed by one of the reporters of the popular Indian weekly, Outlook and written as an article titled ‘Dot Matrix’, which reads, “Their saris bore elegant testimony to Bangladesh’s exquisite textiles and most of them wore Bindis as well. Because the Bindi too is an essential part of wearing a Sari, as one of them explained. All the same, it was a startling

sight to see Bindis peeking out from under black Burqas in the old part of Dhaka. Where else in the world would you see that?”

 

A DOT, BUT A WIDE SPREAD CULTURE This range of examples, amply tells us that, wearing the Bindi, Tilak, Tikka, Pottu, Kumkum, Sindhoor, all names of the same mark in different parts of India, is a part of the culture of this land, irrespective of religion. Like the popular idiom of people wearing their attitude on their sleeves, the people of India have been wearing their mark, their brand, on their forehead.

Sari, Dhoti, Angavastram Like the Bindi or Tilak, the other distinguishing sign of Indians has been their attire – the Dhoti and Angavastram for the man and Sari for the woman respectively. Each region has its specialized style of draping the Sari and the Dhoti. There are so many varied styles that it has now become a fashion statement to collect styles of wearing Saris and Dhotis. What is so special about Indian Saris, Dhotis and Angavastrams? They are after all unstitched lengths of cloth.

THE UNCUT AND THE UNSTITCHED Rishi Gristhayudha is credited with discovering and cultivating cotton plants. Since then, from millennia ago, Indians have known cotton. They had developed the technique of spinning the yarn into cotton fabric, to be worn as a garment. Also, needles and stitching was not unknown to Indians. Ayurveda texts talk of usage of needles for suturing, Sivya, as well as for acupuncture, Suchi Ayurveda. The texts describe 4 types of suturing based on different types of stitches.

Yet, it is interesting to note that the traditional attire of the Indian man and woman was to drape an uncut, unstitched stretch of fabric in different ways and secure it with knots and folds. Why did they not cut and stitch a garment to size and for wear? This is very intriguing.  It is a practice followed even today where, on festival occasions, it is customary to wear a new Sari or Dhoti from the weave, as is, without subjecting it to cutting by a scissor or piercing by a needle. The thought behind this practice needs to be seen in whole, to appreciate the sentiment. A cotton fabric is made by,

•  first plucking the cotton fibres off the seed, •  then spinning the fibres into yarn and •  then weaving the yarn into a fabric.

It is a weaver, who knows the effort he has to put in to create a fabric from loose strands and fibres of cotton. The fabric woven by the weaver is not just a cover for one’s body, but is symbolic of the weave that makes up many things:

•  Fabric of one’s character and modesty •  Fabric of a family •  Fabric of a society •  Fabric of a civilization •  Fabric of mankind Fabric of mankind’s relationship with Nature which supplied him with the cotton in the first place. Cutting or piercing such a fabric, especially the ones worn on a festive occ asions, in the Indian’s mind, is not a mere act of cutting a piece of cloth but is akin to cutting the fabric of humanity. From this sentiment was born the unstitched Sattika now called Sari, the Dhoti and the Angavastram – the upper garment that goes along with a Dhoti. The innovative Indian mind also invented many styles of wearing these yards of unstitched woven fabric with just knots and folds. These are knots and folds, that do not give away or come open, st aying  secure and strong, just as the weave of the fabric.

The many ways today, of draping unstitched yards of cloth  - a Sari

Many ways of draping unstitched yards of cloth  - a Dhoti

ANGAVASTRAM The Upper Garment Anga means the main part of a human form, usually used to refer to the torso or upper body, as the legs, hands and head are considered to be extensions from this main part. Vastra means Garment. An Angavastram literally means the Upper Garment.

A Uniform Style While each region of India evolved its own style of draping a Sari or Dhoti, the whole of India draped its Angavastram in a single uniform style. It is worn over the left shoulder, tucked under the right arm, exposing the right shoulder and leaving the right arm, free to move and work. This way of wearing the Anga Vastra, is called Yoga Anga Vastra.

Yoga Angavastram highlighted Source - D.K. Hema Hari’s great grandfather with Angavastram, Photo taken around 1910 in South India

Wearing the Angavastram, in this particular fashion has been a cultural practice of the land traceable from over 5000 years ago, till date.Of course, with the advent of shirts and Kurtas as upper wear, Angavastram in cities has become more of a fashion statement, hanging loose on the left shoulder or across both shoulders or worn in Yoga Angavastram style but as a style statement.

 

Up North – In Harappa The earliest example of this is seen in the bust of the Harappan statue of the priest king datable to 3500 BCE. The figure is shown wearing the upper dress in the style of Yoga Anga Vastra. This bust, is presently housed in the National Museum in Karachi, Pakistan.

Harappa priest king from 3550 BCE, wearing Yoga Anga Vastra – Bust housed in National Museum, Karachi, Pakistan.

In East and Central India, Through Buddha

Buddha wearing His Angavastram, over His left shoulder

This practice continued through the land. 3,000 years later, it was still in vogue and followed by Buddha. Statues of Buddha, are sculpted with the upper garment over the right shoulder.

Down South First Millenium BCE - Thiruvalluvar

Statue of Thiruvalluvar, the poet saint of Tamil Nadu, at Kanyakumari

In Tamil Nadu, over 2000 years ago, one of the foremost, erudite saints was Thiruvalluvar, who is known for composing the simple, yet profound couplets, called Thirukkural. Thiruvalluvar also wore his upper cloth in the same fashion. 700 CE - Kamban Kamban was by far one of the greatest poets of the Tamil language, who lived around 700 CE. He wrote the Kamba Ramayana text along with various outstanding works of his. His mastery over the language is unsurpassed. He too, is depicted wearing his upper cloth in the same manner.

A Statue of Kamban

1900 CE –Scholars and Religious Heads Closer to our times, this can still be seen continuing as a practice among scholars and religious heads.

Photograph of Andavan Thiru Kudanthai Swami, head of a religious Mutt in Srirangam, South India, wearing the upper garment in the same style.

Among Tribals Angavastram, draped the same way can be seen on tribals, be they from Orissa or Andhra Pradesh.

Tribal woman wearing upper dress in Angavastram Style in Orissa

A tribal man wearing upper dress in Yoga Angavastram style

In Bhutan The king of Bhutan, King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk, when he ascended the throne in the year 2009, also wore his upper dress shawl in the same fashion.

King of Bhutan wearing his upper dress shawl in Yoga Angavastram style as part of his royal attire

In the Indian Parliament

Rajiv Gandhi wearing upper shawl over his shoulder

It is no wonder then, that in the year 1985, when Rajiv Gandhi, took over the reigns as a youthful Prime Minister after the tragic death of his mother, he wore his upper shawl in the manner of a Yoga Angavastram over the right shoulder, thus continuing a timeless practice of the land of well over 5500 years.

Off the Field One of the most popular, accomplished, sportsmen of India and the world in present times is the cricketer Sachin Tendulkar. On a visit to his native family temple, he too dressed up in the customary style of draping his Angavastram over the right shoulder.

 

Sachin Tendulkar draping his Anga Vastram over the right shoulder Source - From Media Archives

Yoga Angavastram is thus a custom that has prevailed from the kings to the saints, to intellectuals, to tribals, to sportsmen through the land, through the times. The wearing of the Sari, with most styles draping the loose end on the left shoulder, is also an extension of the Yoga Angavastram in Women.

Ergonomics In An Angavastram This custom probably also comes from the perspective of ergonomics. Most of us are right handed. By wearing the upper garment over the left shoulder,

it gives us body cover over the chest and shoulder, at the same time offering maneuverability with the right hand. This ergonomic practice, through the ages, has continued to stay as the custom of the land, despite the intrusion of style and fashion from different parts of the world into the local attire.

COTTON AND CULTURE IN A CLOTH The Sari, Dhoti and Angavastram are representative of the intricate, intertwined weave of not just yarn but also of the cultural bonds between the people of this land. It is to denote such a bonding and the need to stay together, that it has been a custom in India to present a piece of cloth to visitors who come home or to others, in general and during festive occasions. The length, quality and design of the cloth may vary based on the offerer’s financial strength, but a piece of cloth it has to be. It is as a sign of honour that a shawl or Angavastram is draped over someone, either on stage or on festivities and celebrations. It is to echo the sentiment, “Just as this Angavastram covers and protects your upper body, may our good wishes protect thee, who is precious to us all.” While for the rest of the world a Sari, Dhoti or Angavastram is a brand, a fashion statement of India, for Indians, they are a fabric of their culture, nation and oneness with Nature. They are a sentiment that many have been wearing visibly for millennia.

A lady in sari, admiring herself in front of a mirror

Vegetarianism World over, food for humans means poultry, poultry produce, dairy, meat, fish and other sea food apart from cereals and vegetables.

1/3RD INDIANS - VEGETARIANS BY CHOICE In India, a third of the population are vegetarians by choice, their food comprising of cereals, nuts and seeds, vegetables, fruits, milk and milk products. Over the last few millennia, they have tastefully brought forth 100s and 1000s of dishes with their culinary skills. Refraining or abstaining from seafood, poultry, poultry life and animal life products has been a conscious decision.

Vegetarian and Vegan In the last few decades, world over, with consciousness towards healthy foods and caring for other forms of life, vegetarianism has become a new fad. This has got extended to a further, stricter form of food habit - of being Vegan. Vegetarian is not to eat anything that has a face. Vegan is not to eat from anything that has a face.

A Food Brand Being a vegetarian by conscious choice is a brand that India has been proud of and has been proud to share it culinary skills. Different cuisines of the world such the French, Mexican, Chinese, Thai, Japanese, have all had their phases of popularity. Vegetarian foods with their wholesome range, is the next brand that is waiting to happen. As the initial step in this direction, Indian restaurants, can now be practically seen in almost every city of the world. Indians, in the last couple

of hundred years, have migrated and made their home in almost every country of the world. Vegetarianism is ready to take over the world. For the human health, as well as environmental health benefits it offers.

Dharma A UNIQUE CONCEPT AND WORD It is said that there is no equivalent word for Dharma because of which, Dharma has been multifariously translated as righteousness, goodness, duty, nobility, giving alms and similar other terms. Of late, in the local parlance of India, the word Dharma is used interchangeably to denote religion.

MEANING OF DHARMA Dharma is all the above and more.  Dharma, at a simplistic level means character, nature. Every object, animate or inanimate has its own character, a basic nature, its Dharma. It is human character, nature, to have an ego from which stems most of his actions and reactions. At the same time, love and compassion too are emotions that are innate and fairly well developed in humans. Dharma is inexplicable in words, more so, in non Indian languages where, while Dharma innately exists, the concept is not innately acknowledged.

DHARMA – NOT JUST FOR HUMANS We speak of Ahimsa, not hurting another, as a human quality and say it is as per Dharma.  But can this Dharma be valid for a Tiger? A tiger’s nature is to kill its prey for food.  That is the Dharma of a tiger. 

Tiger killing its prey – acting as per its Dharma Source - China’s Tiger at English Wikipedia

The industrious nature of ants to collect miniscule bits of foods and travel distances in a thin line is the nature of ants, which is their Dharma.

Ants collecting food - doing their Dharma

DHARMA – NOT JUST FOR EARTHLINGS Similarly, this earth rotates at a tremendous speed.  The basic nature of the earth, to spin on its axis and go around the Sun, is its Dharma while that of the moon is to go around the earth, waxing and waning very fortnight.  It is the basic nature of the Sun to be scorching hot, spread light and to make the planets revolve around it. That is the Dharma of the Sun. 

The Sun, Earth and Moon doing their rounds as per their Dharma i.e. to revolving around the other in definite speed and period

Dharma is thus not limited just to human beings but is equally the discernable characteristic of humans, animals, plants, all the animate objects and the inanimate objects such as earth, sun and all astral bodies in the Universe, as well.

DHARMA – THE INNATE CHARACTER OF CHARACTER Dharma is the very characteristic of character itself i.e. the nature to be a nature and is innate to one and all. The character of a person or another object in this creation is a part of the self. It lies within the person. It gets exhibited, comes into relevance, only when it interacts with another body of creation. It is then, that the character, Dharma finds expression. Dharma is the principle of the “suchness” in the cosmos. That which makes the “such”, be “as such”.

DHARMA – A RELATIONSHIP, A ROLE This means, Dharma is not in isolation but in relation to, in relationship with another. So, for the practice of Dharma, relationship is an important component. Dharma is thus a conjoint product of the characteristic of an entity and its relationships. The Dharma for each person, in each relationship will be different and takes different, even contradicting priorities, in different circumstances. Hence if we are all to live as per Dharma, we have to think of others first and the expectations of the role we have to play with the others, before we don that role and play it to perfection. Every person and everything in this universe has a role to play. Dharma includes the co-existence and cooperation of the entire Universe, not just people alone.

DHARMA – THE BINDING LAW This Universal message of Dharma which came into play ever since the Universe came into existence, has echoed from this land, eon after eon, Yuga after Yuga, as a living brand of India. For, even without intelligence or without mankind too, this Universe, in its natural state has been living in Dharma. It is mankind with his intelligence, who tries to defy it. India is a civilization that has been bound by the law of Dharma since inception. The difference between Law and Dharma is that,

The fundamental difference between Law and Dharma

As a brand ambassador of Dharma, it is the Dharma of India, to bring out the power of this “suchness”, the power of character, to the world for order, peace and harmony to prevail world over.

Karma The background for understanding Karma has been the battleground of Kurukshetra, standing on which Krishna delivered His message to Arjuna on Karma, which stays foremost in people’s memory even today.

Krishna explaining Karma to Arjuna on the battleground at Kurukshetra

This advice forms part of the Bhagavad Gita delivered by Krishna to Arjuna. This advice is a part of Krishna’s teachings on Karma and Dharma, “duty” as it is sometimes loosely translated. Many of the Puranic stories and legends of this land speak of this ethos, which is about consequences of one’s actions.

KARMA, A UNIVERSAL CONCEPT AND WORD The word Karma comes from the root kr, kar meaning “to do”, “to act” which is why hands are called Karam. Karma is a word that has come into vogue in English literature. Not just in English literature but in common usage too, the world over. Not just by Indians but by people of different languages and different regions of the world too. It is a concept that people, knowingly or unknowingly, have been at the receiving end, world over. Some have acknowledged it, while yet others have just played into its hands.

India is a civilization that has held forth at length on it and has made Karma its pivoting arm.

Shakespeare’s Play on Consequences Shakespeare the English playwright speaks of these consequences. In most of his plays, the themes deal with “the act” and its consequences. The people who take up Shakespeare for a more detailed study delve deep into this aspect of consequence.

William Shakespeare Portrait by Martin Droeshout in 1623

Newton’s Law of Action and Reaction Newton in his 3rd law also speaks of this concept as a principle of the physics of the Universe by stating that “Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.”

Sir. Isaac Newton Portrait by Godfrey Kneller, 1689

Pew Research Centre Pew is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends that are shaping America and the world. It conducts public opinion polls, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research.  In a recent research by Pew Research Centre, they came to the startling find that about 60% of Americans today believe in Karma. 

A Fact Tank of United States of America

INDIAN SENSE OF KARMA While the term and the idea of Karma has Indian origins, it has instilled a sense of values not only among the Indians but has spread all over the world,

as it is more than an idea or a tenet. It is a system that has instilled values in people and helped keep human values alive. In India, it has been an ethos, a value system of the land with two sides attributed to it popularly. 1.   To act in accordance with one’s roles in life without expecting rewards. 2.  To be ready to face consequences of one’s actions in this life or another in future.

OVERLOOKED SIDE OF KARMA But the overlooked side of this law of Karma comes forth in the second line of the sloka from Bhagavad Gita. Krishna was explaining to Arjuna that, if each one performs one’s duty without bias or expectations, then the whole Universe will behave as per its expected principles, i.e. do its duty. What happens as a result of one’s act, does not arise directly out of one’s current action alone, but arises as a collective response from the Universe. That is, these consequences arise as a collective response of the Universe to all the actions committed in the Universe both in the past and the present. Hence one only has to act “rightfully”, do one’s Dharma. The rest, Karma, the effect arising out of one’s act, follows on its own and is beyond the individual. This goes for every living being on this planet and the rest of the Universe. Hence we are all equally responsible for shaping the Universe and shaping our individual lives and that of others, for now and for future. Therefore if we want to see and live in a nice world, we all have to lend each other a hand and shoulder the responsibility jointly.

KARMA, A BINDING ACT Karma is not about one’s life alone in isolation. It includes the entire universe in its play.

This value system of Karma that India has lived by for ages, kept people bound together, carrying on their respective duties, in good as well as during turbulent times. It is this that has kept the civilization together with all its diversity. This principle of Karma has kept human values alive world over and given rise to proverbs such as,

And many more like these. India is what it is today – a fairly peaceful, skillful, advancing nation, because of the collective Karma of all its ancestors. It is the cognizance of this intricate, deep meaning of Karma and its natural impact on everyone’s life, that has made “Karma” a common jargon in present day vocabulary of many languages world over. It is India’s Karma, that today, the very word and concept of Karma, are held as a brand of India.

PART 2 - SIGHTS

God and Idols India is seen as a land of plethora of Gods worshipped in the form of idols. The idols can be seen in varying forms - large, small, black, white, male, female, old, young, infant, child, human like, animal like, with different adornments, embellishments and animals around them. Why does the Indian civilization have so many Gods, in so many kinds of idols, in so many temples? Many a time, many idols in one temple too! God as a separate being is alien to Indian thought. Indian thought reveres God as

•   Devi and Deva, meaning divinity, referring to gross and subtle forces in the cosmos, all of which are Divine, coming from the root Div, meaning to radiate, glow 

•   Bhagavan, meaning patron, a gracious lord, majestic, coming from the root Bhaga to patronize, to lord, referring to the tattva, principles, governing the various forces in the cosmos and their functioning. The cosmos, including that which caused it to be created, was classified into

•  Devi / Devata – the gross or subtle manifestations in the cosmos and

•  Bhagavan, Tattva - principles governing the cosmos. Indian thought holds the Supreme to be only one but manifested as the different forms, forces and functions of the cosmos in the form of Devi / Devata and Bhagavan. All these different Devi / Devata and Bhagavan constitute the pantheon of divinities.

To bring these abstract concepts within tangible realm, these divinities were given names and gender that denoted their attributes or function. They were given physical forms that matched these gender and attributes. They were married together to form complementing couples, triples, quadruples too. They were grouped to form families and even hordes. Stories of love, war, duties were woven around them.

-  Al Biruni, Kitabul Hind, Pg 133 All these were done, to explain the creation, composition and workings of nothing but the cosmos which came from literally nothing, but is everything! This pantheon of divinities is venerated in the form of these numerous idols, idolated through devotion, Bhakti and propitiated, channelized, harnessed through rituals and penance. To house these idols and the devotees, temples were built – grand and small. To regulate the temples, customs and practices were defined.

To commemorate these divinities, festivals are celebrated. The goal is good living, good people to live with and a good place to live in, aligned with all these divine forces and principles of the cosmos.

Pantheon of Divine Idols

Thus was born the Indian community of divinities, which the west branded as Gods based on their prevailing concept of thought. Ever since, Indians too got caught up with the form and names alone. The idols, temples and pantheon of divinities in India are a cosmic brand of India that throw light, not only on the Indians’ knowledge of the cosmos but also on the power of their imagination. An imagination that could visualize a whole universe of divinities with apt names, forms and legends that has

kept it alive for so many millennia. It has not only kept the memory alive, but has also bound the people together and kept the civilization alive. This practice led to Indians being summarily branded as idolators.

Temples India is also seen as a land of temples.

A Collage of famous temples of India

The temples come in different sizes but can be broadly grouped into similar shapes, design and architecture. Why did India build so many temples?

NEED OF THE DIVINE OR NEED FOR THE DIVINE? Divine Idols Need Temples The very fact that Indians had identified innumerable divinities and had portrayed them in physical forms through idols, meant that they also needed that many temples to house them. The idols and the devotees, were housed in elaborately carved temples where the carvings spoke of the attributes of the divinities as well as ethos of the land.

Humans Needing Divine Resources Temples were the activity centres of the community.  They were built with a design to also act as nerve centres of the community. The temple which stood tall and had a deep foundation, typically was the place capable of surviving natural calamities on ground. With copper on top and earthing of the sanctum sanctorum with a copper wire too, the temple was also capable of withstanding bolts from the skies. Temples have thus stood unshakeable in faith and form even after millennia. India is dotted with many temples that are over 2000 years old. The alcoves available in the tall towers of the temple were used for safekeeping seed grains and other life essentials for survival of the people in case of any mass disaster. The vaults underground were used for securing gold and other precious artifacts for revival of the village in case of any major calamity. Temples in a way, were a portal from which the Divine lent their hands to help, in times of need.

The temple, with these resources, was thus a source for rejuvenation after natural catastrophes. The temples with all these resources were therefore also the prime target for human ransackers out to destroy faith or gather wealth.

TEMPLES AND THE ART OF PRESERVING ARTS If the idols inside the temple and the carvings on the walls, portrayed the divine in stone or wood, the peforming arts such as  music, dance, story telling, discourse etc. brought alive the divinities through their respective art form each evening within the precincts of the temple. Thus, each temple was a living museum.

TEMPLES AND THE SPRING OF FERTILITY Every temple had attached to it, one or more water tanks which were natural springs.These besides helping people cleanse themselves before congregating, helped in harnessing water for the community. Such temple tanks were called Pushkarni, from the word Pushkaram meaning to make fertile. Plentiful waters bring about fertility. The temple tanks were harbingers of fertility to the village and the lands around it. The resultant bounty from the lands around, was first offered to the temple and shared with all through community meals, called Prasad.

Kalyani Thirtham – Temple Tank of Cheluva Narayana Swamy Temple, Karnataka

The village community and the village verily grew around the temple and the temple tank.

A DIVINE PROPORTION While the sizes of temples were different, what was maintained across the temples, was the design, the shape as well as the ratio and proportion of spaces within a temple.

Obviously Similar The temple pattern, design and architecture from India was also replicated all over S.E Asia due to the spread of Indian influence to these areas, some of the renowned ones being, -  Prambanan in Java, Indonesia

-  Ankor Wat in Cambodia -  The Candis in South East Asia -  the temples of Bali.

Ankor Wat Temple, Cambodia

Prambanan Temple, Jogjakarta, Indonesia

Kailasanathar Temple, Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu of Pallavas Over 3000 years old & an architectural forerunner for shape and proportion of all the Chola temples in South India and South East Asia

THE NOT SO OBVIOUS While it has been an accepted knowledge that the temples of S.E.Asia trace their architecture and practices to the temples of India, what has not been connected enough but is again equally obvious to a trained eye, is the similarity of Indian temples and tradition with that of Egypt, ancient Turkey, Azerbaijan, Central Asia as well as with that of Central and South America.

Karnak temple dedicated to Sun God, in Luxor Egypt Basking under the Sun in both heat and past glory, is Karnak in Luxor, the iconic Sun temple of Egypt as well as the ancient world. Far away from the pyramids to the dead, sprawled along the flowing Nile lies this tall and expansive temple to the Divine. Today, standing silent within this temple precinct are

•  rows of rams and columns of pillars,

•  statues of Pharoahs and shrines of Gods, •  Glyphs recounting history and Graphics portraying stories and •   stone upon stone which if they could only speak, would tell of the hoary past of this Horus worshipping people. Dedicated primarily to the Sun God this temple hosts many other divinities right from its entrance to its columns, walls and statues. One of the largest and well preserved temples of Egypt, it reveals many aspects of the ancient system of worship of the Pharoanic civilization of Egypt as well as signs of change in faith and worship during subsequent periods in the history of Egypt. This temple has been a tourist attraction for the world, right from the time it was excavated, with each passing year revealing more and more of the traditions of the ancient Egyptians. At the same time, this temple speaks and reveals more to a trained Indian eye because of the similarities that are immediately obvious. This jaw dropping similarity should seal all mouths wanting to dispute it.

Karnak Temple at Luxor, Egypt and Ranganatha Temple at Srirangam, India

Similarity in architectural components of the temples in India and Egypt

Further similarity in architectural components of the temples  in India and Egypt

Undeniable similarity in the overall layout of these components within the temple too

Bogazkale (Bogazkoi) temple, Turkey Foundation walls are all that remain of a multi chamber temple at Hattusa, Bogaskale in Turkey. The foundations show a main shrine flanked by two smaller shrines with a broad circumambulatory path around these shrines. This temple dates back to between 2nd and 3rd millennium BCE, roughly 5000 years old. Such a layout of shrines first and the fact that there were divinities placed in those shrines and worshipped bear a lot of similarity to Indian temple design and practices of idol worship.

The Temple at Hattusa, Bogazkale, Turkey

 

An artist reconstruction of Bogazkale Temple Shrines

A1300 year old stone cut temple in Mahabalipuram showing similar shrines

The Fire Temple of Azerbaijan

The entrance to the Fire Temple Atashgah at Baku, Azerbaijan

A shrine to worship fire inside the Fire Templ, Atashgah, Baku, Azerbaijan

Ancient American temples

    

Kalasaya - Ancient temple in Bolivia of the Mayan-Inca-Aztec civilization Part of national program to rebuild confidence of Bolivians in themselves and their economy

Mayan Temple

Talking of similarity between the ancient American temples of the Maya, Inca and Aztec with the Indian temples may seem too farfetched for starters. Especially, because of the oceans that separate these 2 civilizations. However, closer examination of the design components of the temples, the architecting styles, architecture rules, foundation for the beliefs, shatters this disbelief.  Further, comments by experts from different disciplines and distinguished thinkers lend credibility to this connect. Still further, instead of the conventional Trans Atlantic route that one’s mind is wont to conjure up, the evidences for a Pacific sea route taken by the Indians and the Mayans, eventually confirm all possibilities for a connect between these two ancient civilizations of the world, located exactly on either side of the world. This sea route was a transit through Polynesia, Indonesia and other S.E.Asian lands, which still reveal the transition between Indian and Mayan architectures.

Navigation Route between Ancient India and Ancient America

Temples Atop Hills Many of the divinities in the Indian pantheon such as Ganesha, Muruga also known as Skanda, Hanuman, Narasimha, some forms of Shakti, some forms of Vishnu - the most renowned being Lord Venkateshwara or Balaji as He is popularly known, as well as many Jain temples, since millennia, have

traditionally been worshipped in temples built atop hills, hillocks and mounds. A pilgrimage to these temples in these hills, on foot, is a way that Indians have found to offer devotion and gratitude to their Divine. It is an ancient and continuing Indian sentiment of giving temples, the abode of the Divine on earth, an exalted place. Amazingly, one can see such a similarity in location of the temples built by ancient Americans as well as by peoples in lands to the east, between India and America, over the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. The remarkable similarity lies in the fact that they all chose for their temples, a tall pyramidal shape, the shape of a Meru as pyramids are known as in India. Why so? Why and how the ancient Indians leveraged Meru in natural and manmade pyramidical structures as well as mathematical expressions is known from literature and architecture. What is not yet known, is what the ancient Americans knew about Meru? What we see in temple design though is that, the temples were built atop manmade Meru, stone pyramids they were built atop natural Meru, hills and hillocks they were built atop a mix of both manmade and natural Meru. While in the case of the American temples, pyramids were chosen as the base atop which the temples were open altars or courts, in the case of Indian temples, natural pyramids or hills, were chosen as the base and manmade pyramids were chosen for the towers.

Chichen Itza, Mayan Temple atop a stone pyramid

Marudamalai Murugan Temple with a tall stone Gopuram, pyramidal tower atop a hillock in Tamil Nadu, South India

Jain Temples with towers, atop Parasnath hills in Jharkhand in North India

Candi Sukoh in Java, an ancient temple with an altar, atop a stone pyramid, atop a natural hill Standing atop the temple, invoking the divine

Entrances to Temples After climbing up the steps to these temples, what greets one at the entrances of these temples of India, ancient America and S.E.Asia, above the doorway as well as flanking the doorway, are demon like faces with lolling tongues, barred fang like teeth, bulging eyes and the sorts. While such grotesque iconography have been summarily explained away as a barbaric expression of a barbaric and blood thirsty civilization in ancient America, the faces from India have a different story to tell. It is a story that will redeem the profoundness in the culture of ancient Americans as well as S.E.Asians.

Face of Fame In India, such motifs above the doorway or sometimes even above the head of idols are called Kirtimukha literally meaning “Face of Fame”, “Face of Glory”. Kirti means fame, glory and Mukha is face.

Why did India place such majestic but fearsome looking faces at the entrances? As Indian legends convey, the fearsome head is all that remains of the fiery being who was self-consumed by his own hunger. This creature came into being with a noble, but challenging mission of decimating Rahu, the cause for eclipses. But Rahu, turned to the Divine and pleaded for mercy. The Divine, being divine by nature, could not refuse but grant shelter to Rahu. The fiery being chasing Rahu, unable to overcome Rahu who was in the shelter of the Divine, started devouring himself out of his uncontrollable hunger to accomplish its mission. All, but his head was left when the divine stopped it and gave its head a place on the entrance in all temples and over all idols, as a mark of glory, kirti, for selflessly obeying the natural cause he had been created for. This Kirtimukha has since hung from overhead as a reminder and as a commemoration of the phenomenon of life, ego and hunger for food, wealth, fame. The Kirtimukha also remains at entrances, as a reminder that while all these have to be acknowledged, thoughts of these will have to be left outside, before entering the temple precincts, so that one can experience better the union with the Divine in the cosmos. Incidentally, Rahu is nothing but a symbolic representation of one of the ecliptic nodes in the orbit of the earth around the sun. This story of Rahu and Kirtimukha is a symbolic narration of a cosmological phenomenon. On one side, it is baffling to see such a similarity in physical design and philosophical thought across the globe. On the other side, it substantiates that such a similarity in thought, that too such a profound scientific thought had existed among these civilizations millennia ago itself. Such a similarity in thought, understanding as well as its expression, could only have come about through direct contact between these civilizations.

A Kirtimukha on the arch above a panel depicting the wedding of Goddess Meenakshi Entrance of the Meenakshi Temple in Madurai

A fierce face overhead as well as fierce beings flanking the Entrance of the temple Pura Desa Adat Batuan, Bali, Indonesia

Stones sculpted to appear like a fiery face with open mouth and barred teeth for entrance Chicanna in Chiapas, Mexico

Eagles atop Temples Temples of India bear statues of eagles, bulls or fiery beings on the corners atop temple walls. While these statues serve the purpose of denoting from afar, the main divinity inside the temple, they also serve different purposes based on the animal mounted. Bulls and fiery beings are placed on the walls of the temples to Shiva or His consort Shakti. Shiva is a divine cosmic principle representing auspiciousness, potential, manifestation of gross and subtle matter and the oneness of all these matter. The bull, representing Nandi, the mount of Shiva reminds us that we have to leave behind thoughts of our physical self before entering the temple in order to unite and become one with the cosmic consciousness. The fiery beings representing the hordes of Shiva, remind us to leave behind our ego too, which acts as an obstacle in the process of letting go of one’s identity, while uniting the mind with the Supreme consciousness.

Similarly, eagles, synonymous with Garuda, the mount of Vishnu, are placed on the walls of Vishnu temples. Vishnu is a divinity that draws our attention to the diversity in the cosmos along with the oneness. An eagle atop a wall tells us how we must elevate our thoughts and view the world through a bird’s eyeview like the eagle. How one has to have an eyesight sharp enough to discern and appreciate the diversity, differences but at the same time, one has to absorb the wholistic picture of the landscape below. It is striking to see such eagles atop temples in S.E.Asia and ancient America too.

    

India and Mexico

Indonesia All have Garuda / Eagle atop their temples

Spouting Faces on walls Faces of lions, crocodiles, cows, elephants, jutting out from the walls of the temple, especially Sanctum Sanctorum, are an integral part of a temple design, integrating aspects of art with rituals. These faces are artistic spouts that channelize liquids such as water, milk, honey, sandalpaste, rosewater and the likes, from within the chambers of the temple to the courtyard for collection or disposal. Such ritualistic bathing of idols is a practice that has continued unabated in India, from millennia. The presence of such spouts with faces can also be seen on the walls of temples in Americas and S.E.Asia. This denotes that these cultures too must have had a practice of conducting rituals with water and such other liquids. A practice that is still seen in some

S.E.Asia lands such as Bali in Indonesia.

Spouts on the walls of the Pyramid Temple of Quetzalcoatl

Draining Spout supported by the statue of a fiery being on the wall of the Thanjavur Brihadeeshwara Temple, South India

  Draining Spout on the Terrace of the Borobudur Temple in Java, Indonesia

Draining Spout on the Terrace of the Borobudur Temple in Java, Indonesia

Tortoise as a Base

Tortoises and turtles have been held in high esteem by most ancient civilizations. The Mayans and other S.E.Asian cultures, including all the way upto China and Japan too have held tortoises in high regard as is reflected from the remnants of their civilizations in the form of temples and art. The reason why tortoises were revered and given the place they were by ancient civilizations, can be gathered from the traditions of Indians. Indians have given tortoises the pride of place in their temples, at entrance to the temple bearing the flagstaff or lamp of the temple bearing the sacred pyramid, Meru, used for important rituals and in front of the main shrine. Tortoises, have been held in regard, mainly from two different perspectives, one as a benign being that can bring benefit to humans another as a hardened being symbolizing the burdens that man accumulates in his mind, life etc. Tortoise As a Benign Presence One view is that, among animals, certain mammals such as cows, horses and elephants, as well as some reptiles like tortoises, lizards, Makara and Yali i.e. crocodile like forms, have the distinct ability to absorb from the surrounding, electromagnetic waves, which could be mentally disturbing to a common man. In its stead, they have the disposition to radiate from their tail ends, waves that have a benign effect on humans. This is traditional knowledge which has been handed down from generation to generation but is hardly known to most people nor has been taken up for further exploration in the modern knowledge system. What has come down is the tradition however, of revering them through the following acts and artifacts. Touching the rear of live cows as sign of reverence.

Installing golden and silver lizards in temple roofs and running one’s hands from its mouth to tail as a sign of washing one’s sins away Installing a statue of a tortoise in front of the shrine and standing at the rear end of this tortoise, facing the shrine, to pray. This is particularly common in Shiva temples. It could perhaps be because Shiva as Rudra is the cosmic principle of matter and manifestation and hence, also represents the sub atomic particles and electromagnetic waves in the cosmos. Such a view of tortoise is ratified by the bringing of cows, horses and elephants to the sanctum sanctorum as the first ritual in the morning and also when special rituals are conducted. This is done to cleanse the heavy air around, first thing in the morning and fill the shrine with benign vibes for the devotees who will visit the temple during the day. Such rituals of bringing these animals to the shrine go by the names of various puja (ritual). 

•  Go Puja for the cow, Go means cow, cattle •  Gaja Puja for the elephant, Gaja is an elephant •  Ashwa Puja for the horse, Ashwa is a horse It is common to find these animals housed ceremoniously within the precincts of large temples of India, for the conduct of such Puja, for the benefit of the large populace that come visiting such temples. Another reason for placing a tortoise especially along with Nandi, the bull, in front of the shrine of Shiva, is to remind people to draw their senses within like the way a tortoise withdraws into its shell so that one’s mind can become still and calm during prayer. So that one can meditate and unite with the cosmic consciousness, portrayed by Shiva. Tortoise As A Bearing Presence The second purpose of using tortoises in temples is as a base. This story itself has its base in the legend of Kurma Avatar where the Tortoise, Kurma,

an avatar, incarnation of Vishnu held the mountain Mandara on its back while the sea was churned by the positive and negative forces, with a snake as a rope in order to bring out different kinds of material wealth and divinities. This is a symbolic narration of the process of Creation and is popularly called Samudra Manthan meaning “Churning of the Ocean”. Samudra means Seas and Manthan means churning. This Samudra Manthan is also a metaphor for the constant churn between “the for” and “the against” in the ocean called mind, to weigh pros and cons in the process of crystallizing thoughts. As a reminder of this process and the power in the mind, one can see a statue of the tortoise holding up objects of reverence for Indians like base for the temple flagstaff base for lamps. base for the sacred pyramid – Meru, Yantra. 

•  in some cases, base or the plinth of the temple itself. 

         Tortoise as base of lamp and Meru Yantra

Such usages and reverence of tortoises can be seen in ancient S.E.Asian temples and the ancient American civilizations as well which speaks of a millennia old connect that in itself must have developed gradually and steadily, like the tortoise, over millennia. One can see the reverence for tortoises by the Mayan civilization too. Tortoise sculptures can be seen in Mayan temples, placed in front of altars and around the temple on walls. They have been depicted on murals and in paintings. To the extent that, even the Mayan number system starts with the figure of an upturned tortoise for the number Zero.

Tortoise in Mayan Temple, Copan

Tortoise along Temple Wall in Mayan Temple at Uxmal

A clay plate depicting the Inca Maize God emerging from a tortoise with the head of Quetzalcoatl

Tortoise base for the temple at Candi Sukoh, Java, Indonesia

      

Tortoise base for holding the deity in Bali, Indonesia

Reptiles On Balustrades Yet another sign of similarity among the temples of India, S.E.Asia and ancient Americas is the art of decorating the balustrade of the steps leading to the temple shrines with figures of reptiles, elephants or lions. In India, such composite figures are called Yali or Makara, in case they resemble a crocodile. Of all the animals and of all the places, it is indeed striking that these cultures have chosen these animals and the handrail of steps to display such an art. What is also similar is that they have all chosen to depict them in such a way that the face comes at the bottom of the steps instead of the other way round, not that it could not have been imagined like that. There must have been a common reason, commonly known to all these peoples. It cannot be dismissed as just a coincidence.

Yali on the steps of the 100 Pillar Hall carved out of a single rock at Sri Varadharaja Perumal Temple, Kanchipuram, South India

Yali, Reptile like figure along the steps of shrine inside Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand

Makara or Yali like heads flanking steps in Mendut Temple, Java

Yali figure as balustrade in Borobudur temple, Java

Yali at the steps in Bali

Yali on the arms of the deity’s seat in Bali

A Yali like Figure in Templo Mayor of the Aztecs in America

Elephants, Horses, Reptiles on Columns Yet another distinctive feature of all these temples has been a pillar based architecture with elephants, horses or reptile like creatures adorning these columns along with sculptures of divinities.

A Rare Combination

Garuda flying, carrying an Elephant and a Tortoise in its feet Candi Sukoh, Java, Indonesia

Indian Puranic legends contain allegorical description of Garuda carrying an elephant and a tortoise and the same is seen depicted at this ancient temple in Indonesia.

A Sculpture depicting Garuda carrying an elephant, a tortoise and a tree branch with meditating Rishi at Thirukkurungudi temple near Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu, India

Elephant and tortoise in Indian thought as well as in cultures such as ancient American, S.E.Asian have a connotation of supporting the earth. Eight tortoises, are also said to bear the earth on their back. These 8, slow moving tortoises, with tough shells, are akin to the tectonic plates that move slowly under the earth’s crust.

Garuda, the flying mount of Vishnu, carrying the elephant and tortoise is a symbolic representation of how earth is moving in space as well as having movement within itself too.

Commonality in Approach and Language Besides these visibly similar signs, words that show similarity around temple based worship and spiritual practices between Indians and ancient Americans, have also been identified by enthusiasts. Indian Term

Chakra

Kundalini

Aspect

MesoAmerican Term The energy Chacla centres in a human body The energy K’ultanlini that traverses through these energy centres

Aspect

Force centres in a body similar to Chakra Power of God within Man which can be controlled by

Chidambaram Ancient town Chilambalam for worship of Shiva in the form of the primordial element Space Yoga Union of Yok’hah Maya body, breath and mind

breath, like the Kundalini A space, which is sacred.

To ascend to the highest Truth

Both Yoga and Yokhah Maya are traceable to beyond 7000 years in the past. While all these are commonalities that can be seen visibly by common man, there have been further similarities found in the temples and architecture, by trained experts from across the world.

RATIO – CONSTANT ACROSS TIMES, ACROSS INDIA The temples of S.E.Asia and ancient America seem to have been built using a Grid pattern, with similar ratios and proportions as has been used in India, right through the land for 5000 years and more and is in use even today. In India, it is commonly called the Mayan Grid pattern, the name in the local language being Vaastu Purusha Mandala.

A French Observation

Eugene Emmanuel Viollet De Luc, French Architect & Art historian of 1800s

This observation of Eugene, who restored the Notre Dame and other medieval buildings of France, on the similarity in the two architectural styles was apparent to another keen Indian observer, the late Shri. Ganapati Sthapathi of South India.

An Indian Correlation Sthapathi is a title given to temple builders. Ganapati Sthapati was a leading descendant of the Mayan Vishwakarma genealogy in India, a genealogy of ship builders, architects, mathematicians and engineers that dates back to over 7000 years ago. He was a leading, traditional architect as per the Mayan principles. When he visited the sites of ancient American temples and towns, he was amazed to see that the dimensions he practised while designing the temple structures back home in India, were the same parameters that had been followed in the archaeological ruins of the ancient American structures.

   These temples were common not only in structure, layout and architecture. Right from the grid pattern, to the structures, to the ratios and proportions, to tanks, rituals and ritual areas, there lie amazing similarities.

FOR US TO DIVINE From the commonality across temples world over, we can divine that the concept of multiple divinities, divinities representing Nature, the form of idol worship, practice of rituals and some of the rituals used were also common across these civilizations. With texts and tradition in India, dating to a time period prior to the building of many of these temples in other lands, we can say with a fair degree of certainty that India had exerted a significant amount of influence on the design of temples, idol worship and divinities of other civilizations too.

TEMPLES - CONVERGENCE OF THE DIVERGENT Congregation In their pursuit of religion and seeking the Divine, a temple is a place of congregation for people with different ideals,

following different philosophies, walking different paths, holding different thoughts and adhering to different practices too. The same idol, of the same divinity, in the same temple, means different things, to different people. Yet the place where they can all congregate together in their spiritual and religious search, is their common, local temple.

Confluence, Convergence, Congruence and Contrast Built with mathematical precision, a temple through time has been a place of confluence, convergence and congruence. A temple is a place of confluence of divinity, spirituality, religiosity, philosophy, community, artistry, charity, prosperity and also social security. A temple is a place of convergence of physical rituals and mental prayers, of oral chants and aural enchantment, of religion and spirituality, of requesting and offering, of awe and devotion, of faith and hope. A temple is a place of congruence for all the haves and the have nots, since both come here to pray -

•  the haves to pray for securing what they have •  the have-nots to pray for acquiring what they do not have. A temple has developed into a place of contrast where the rich beg inside and the poor beg outside. This is a contrast that has developed over the last few decades.

A CONTINUING BRAND

All in all, a temple religiously symbolizes the continuity in the faith of the Indian civilization. Temples are truly a towering brand of India.

Srirangam Temple Gopuram, Tower

PART 3 - SYMBOLS

National Symbols of India Every country of the modern world, many in the medieval and ancient times as well, have chosen for themselves, different symbols as their emblem, logo and brand, to tell the world about facts and facets about themselves.

Emblems of different countries

EMBLEM OF INDIA Upon getting independence, the Republic of India, adopted the four lion emblem as its official insignia.

 

This emblem was inspired by the Lion Capital that used to sit atop the Ashoka Pillar at Sarnath, erected by Emperor Ashoka to mark the spot where Buddha gave His fist sermon on peace and salvation.

Lions The 4 lions on the capital marked the 4 directions where Buddha’s message of Peace and Salvation had to be spread, the 4 parts of Ashoka’s Empire,

•  the 4 quarters of a whole which have to be taken equally. Of these only 3 lions are visible at anytime. Hence, the Indian national emblem shows 3 lions symbolizing power, courage and confidence. The lions in the national emblem are a timeless symbol of regal power and strength.

In the Panchatantra stories of India too, the lion is described as the king of the forest, as the king of the land.  The idea, inspiration taken from the Stupa in Saranath was stylized and contemporized by the famous painter, Nandalal Bose, principal of Kala Bhavan, the art school at Shanthi Niketan and his student at the school, Dinanath Bhargava.

Nandlal Bose was asked to design an emblem for the Constitution. Taking inspiration from the lion capital in the Ashoka Pillar of Saranath, he had his student Dinanath study and sketch, every day, for over a month, the lions at the Calcutta Zoo and their expressions. The result was the emblem with lions, which look live. The emblem was so appropriate, that it was chosen as the National Emblem too. It is popularly known as the “Ashokan Lions”. This emblem appears in the constitution of India, in every currency, rupee note of India, on every government document and such other official artifact

of the government.

Horse and Bull The base of the capital also has figures in motion, of a Lion (for North), a Horse (for West), a Bull (South) and an Elephant  (East), separated by a Dharma Chakra. Of these, the Horse and the Bull were included in the emblem along with the Dharma Chakra. Horse is a symbol of speed and power. The bull, besides being a symbol of strength, in Indian thought is symbolic of a hero, a champion. The inclusion of the horse and the bull in the emblem is to remind the Indians to rise quickly and shine again as a strong and valiant country in the comity of nations.

The Dharma Chakra - 24 Spoked Wheel Below the Lions was engraved a 24 spoked wheel called the Dharma Chakra. Each spoke in this wheel represents one of the 24 aspects,

characteristics, Guna in Dharma. 

24 Guna of Dharma Chakra

The Slogan, Motto Further below this wheel, chakra, is engraved the motto of this civilization – Satyameva Jayate meaning “Truth Alone Triumphs.” Satyameva Jayate are

the first 2 words of a mantra in the Mundaka Upanishad, which was inscribed below the image, as the slogan for India.

The motto of “Truth Alone Triumphs” was valid around 4000-5000 years ago, when it was composed as the Upanishad. This motto was valid in the year 1950 CE when it was incorporated as the motto of the fledgling nation of free India. This motto is valid even for the new millennia, the 21st century when values are fast making a disappearing act and corruption is raising its ugly head.

A Logo for India All these aspects collectively appear on any official document and structure, as the national insignia. This is the emblem of the Republic of India. It is the logo of the Republic of India.

NATIONAL FLAG The Indian flag is a tricolor of saffron, white and green, with a 24 spoke, blue wheel at the centre.

Saffron This colour has denoted Sacrifice. It denotes the sacrificing mentality of service, Seva, which was exemplified by the Sadhu and Rishi of this land, who had sacrificed personal comfort for the larger benefit of the world and its inhabitants. This saffron colour has been associated with these Sadhu and Rishi from timeless eons. Over time, it therefore has also come to be associated with Spirituality and the Hindu religion.

White This colour in the flag stands for Peace, the principle which India has stood by from the time that the Veda were first composed, for the Veda conclude with the Shanti Mantra – Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti – Let Peace Prevail.

Green

This band stands for the fertility and prosperity of the land, which India had in abundance.

Blue Chakra The blue chakra, called the Dharma Chakra in the centre, denotes the qualities that govern the people and society of this land. The tricolor flag of India thus conveys an image of a flourishing, prosperous, peace loving, friendly nation with people who abide by the principle of Dharma and are ever ready to be of help to all. These are the basic reasons for the choice of these colours in the Flag. Apart from this, these colours have inspired various thinkers and poets to ascribe further meanings for the tricolor, from the point of view of the needs of the times.

Colours of Indian Tricolur flag seen displayed in Nature Source – A picture taken from Fort Ajinkyatara, Dist- Satara, Maharashtra - popular in social media

Lotus – The National Flower

Lotus is a flower that is native to this land. It was flower that used to be found commonly across the land, until the organized gardens, with roses, became the norm of a model garden. Lotus was used in imagery by our ancients to convey various messages. For starters, the Lotus has been associated with life. One may ask, why a Lotus and not a rose or a tulip or even a sunflower to depict life?

LOTUS – LIFE BOND Unlike most other flowers, the Lotus blooms in a pond. It is a flower found bobbing in the water bodies. The nature of a Lotus flower is to be able to adjust the length of its stem such that whatever be the level of water, the flower can always stay above water without drowning. The stalk thus ensures that the flower is kept at a height that is congenial for the flower to live.

This is akin to how gravitational forces between the earth, sun, moon and other planets support the earth at the right distance from the sun for life to be sustained here. The Lotus is synonymous with the distance, height that brings in congenial conditions for life to bloom and flourish and has therefore been accorded a place of importance by many other ancient civilizations too. Obviously, the wise ancient Indians were in the know, of the behavior of the Lotus, the existence and balance of forces in the cosmos and the dependency of life on such factors, to have associated it with Life. Recognizing this, modern India has chosen the Lotus as the national flower for India.

LOTUS – KNOWLEDGE CONNECT The blossoming of the Lotus also symbolizes expansion of the mind and consciousness, a state very dear to the knowledge seeking Indians. In Yoga, a fully blossomed, many petalled Lotus is the sign for Ananda, bliss.

The Art of Living Building in Bangalore as Layers of Lotus Petals symbolizing connect between Lotus- Knowledge - Bliss

Common depictions of bliss and knowledge using blossomed Lotus

It is this connect of Lotus with knowledge which gave the name Nalanda to the world famous ancient Indian University of the 1st millennium CE. Nalam means Lotus, the symbol of knowledge and Da denotes to give, to bestow.  Nalanda means “Bestower of Knowledge”.

Remains of the multistoreyed tower at Nalanda

LOTUS – WEALTH DETACHMENT

A Lotus flower leaf with water drops rolling on it

The Lotus leaf has a unique trait that water on a Lotus leaf does not stick to it but rolls on it as unattached globules. The ability of the flower to stay in water and yet not allow water to stick to its leaves, also made it an ideal choice for conveying one of India’s valued messages on handling wealth, Artha. A Lotus serves as a reminder for how

one may live amidst wealth, but should neither be attached to it nor get drowned in the pleasures it can offer.

LOTUS’ PROFOUND MESSAGE A Lotus which can be found in marshes and muddy ponds, serves as a symbol for how beauty can bloom anywhere, even in mire and rise above it all, provided one has the wisdom to attain a sense of balance and equilibrium, with one’s environment. Lotus, as a national flower of this land is a profound brand of India symbolizing the wealth of wisdom it brings to the surface from the deep.

Mango – The National Fruit

Called the king of fruits, Mango has been one of the sought after food exports from India to the rest of the world. Mangoes are native to India and have found place in Indian cultural practices and rituals since time immemorial. The leaf and fruits of this tree are used to symbolize prosperity and auspiciousness. The mango fruit along with the duo – Jackfruit and Banana/Plantain have formed the threesome to be used for every occasion, good or bad, happy or sad. As Maa, Pala, Vazhai, i.e Mango, Jackfruit, Plantain, they have been called the Mukkani, 3 worthy fruits in South Indian tradition. Kani means fruit and prefix mu denotes 3.

The Three Main Fruits of India

Do you notice something common in these fruits? All these 3 fruits are native to India. They are all yellow – on the inside or out. This yellow colour is due to their being rich in beta-carotenes which is the type of carotenoids that gets converted into Vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A protects skin, improves eye vision and immunity. For a land in the tropics, bathed in sunlight for most part of the day, for most part of the year, Vitamin A that protects the skin is a vital ingredient. These 3 fruits have therefore been considered sacred for the people of India as they protect them in turns through the year – Mangoes during the summer from April to June, Jackfruit after the mangoes, during monsoon, from June to September and Bananas, though they grow through the year, the peak season for Bananas in India is from August to October typically.

From November onwards, the Sun is away anyway glowing on the Southern hemisphere. It is cool in India then. These 3 fruits return to take turns when the sun starts to beat down on India once again after spring. So, between these 3 fruits, the mukkani, they ensure that Indians gets sufficient doses of Vitamin A through the period when the Sun is shining bright on them. What a way of Mother Nature to protect her children! However, of all these 3 fruits, it is the Mango, which has been elevated to the status of the National Fruit of India.

WHY IS MANGO SPECIAL FOR INDIA? The fruiting season of the Mango tree and the monsoon rains which define the year, varsha, for India, go hand in hand. The end of the mango season indicates the oncoming of varsha, the much awaited rains.

    A Mango tree with fruits. End of Mango Season signals start of Monsoon Season.

For an agrarian society, rains are dear and this fruit, whose lifecycle is closely associated with the rain cycle of the land, is very dear too. This vaulted this fruit to the status of the national fruit, not to mention its rich flavour, smell and colour, besides a convenient size unlike the jackfruit, which is rather cumbersome to handle or the banana, which is too common to be special.

MANGO – A SYMBOL OF INDIA Mangoes draw everyone’s attention, as a symbol of exoticism for its deep, sweet, sour, tangy, fragrant taste and lasting after taste as a symbol of art in the form of paisley design, popular all over the world as a symbol of sensuality for its luscious and attractive nature as a symbol of luxury as it is the king of fruits and only few can afford it as a symbol of auspiciousness as its leaves augur in auspicious

•  as a symbol of prosperity …. Mangoes therefore found their way naturally into art forms to depict all these and more. They came to be called Buta and soon became part of

Persian design motifs as Boteh and from there went westwards to be called the Paisley design.

A Paisley Design in a pastel colour

Over 1000 varieties of Mangoes are grown in India with each region and even each family specializing in some of the varieties. Some families have even introduced newer varieties and named them after illustrious personages from world history. India has been the largest exporter of Mangoes world over. Not just of the fruits, but also of all these qualities that Mangoes symbolize! This also makes it apt to bestow on Mango, the status of the National Fruit of India.

MANGO – A GREAT NAME FOR A GREAT FRUIT

The name Mango for this fruit comes from the Tamil word for Mango Maankai. Kai means vegetable / unripened, raw fruit whereas Pazham and Kani mean ripe fruit in Tamil. Maankai is used for raw Mango. Maampazham is the Tamil word for ripe Mango. Maa in Tamil means great, like Maha of Samskrt, which again means great, big. Maa in Tamil, also denotes that which is not bound to anyone place, like a cow, Maadu, which keeps roaming and grazing. Maampazham and Maankai mean a great fruit, which is what the Mango is, amongst all other. Whether native or global too! In taste, smell, colour, size and texture Mango tops. So, short of hearing, Mango is indeed a treat for all the other 4 senses of man. It is therefore a great fruit indeed. A Maankai, Maampazham. It is a tree that is not bound to any one region in India too. It grows all over the land. This word Maankai has sliced through various European languages, to become the permanent English word Mango. 

AMRAPALI, “IN THE LAP OF A MANGO TREE” The Samskrt word for Mango is Amra, also sometimes pronounced as Amba. Hence the name Amrapali for the most beautiful dancer from Vaishali (in present day Bihar), during Buddha’s lifetime. Pali means lap, bosom, boundary, with the connotation of protection. Amrapali, of unknown parentage, was found as a newborn baby, under the shade of a Mango tree and hence got her name, which means “under the care of a Mango tree”. Pali also means protector. Amrapali and her Mango grove had offered shelter to many, including King of Magadha, the enemy of Vaishali kingdom, as well as Gautama Buddha and His order.

Amrapali, from a child abandoned in the lap of a Mango tree, grew up to be so beautiful that many men lusted and fought over, for her. She was hence, accorded the status of the royal courtesan of entire Vaishali. Events in her life took so many turns that she ended up being torn between love for another human (the king of Magadha, the enemy kingdom) love for her mother land (Vaishali, which came under the conquest of Magadha and was ransacked) love for the Divine (Buddha and His order)

Amrapali – as illustrated and recounted by Amar Chitra Katha, India’s leading Comic Series on Legends

All this was during the lifetime of Gautama Buddha Himself who had once accepted her offer to dine and stayed in her Mango orchard, Ambapalivana during the 4 months of monsoon, Chaturmasya, when saints avoid travel and stay in one place to preach. His act was in defiance to others’ wishes to show that humility and purity of mind is different from that of the body and name.

Buddha’s preachings at this grove, have been recorded for posterity as the Ambapali Sutta. Pained by the extent to which desire for love, beauty and power can be harmful, Amrapali finally renounced everything and became a devotee of Buddha and joined the Buddhist order as a Nun.

Amrapali paying respects to Buddha An Ivory carving at the National Museum in New Delhi

All that remains of Vaishali and Amrapali’s Mango Grove today The Pillar and Stupa erected there by Emperor Ashoka stand as reminders of Buddha and the people and period of His times

Amrapali / Ambapali, her Mango grove Ambapalivana where monkeys offered honey to Buddha and Buddha’s preachings at the mango grove, Ambapali Sutta are an extension of Amra / Amba, the name for mangoes in Samskrt. Amrapali is an all time classic love story from the pages of Indian history and a milestone event in Buddhism. It was the first time when Buddha started accepting women into the order as Nuns. Mangoes, Amra too have been rendered immortal by the great Buddha and this devout Amrapali.

MANGO – FROM KING TO COMMONER Even though Banana is consumed more in numbers, not all houses across India, have banana plants. Whereas a mango tree in a backyard or on the roadside or abutting lakes and ponds, is a common enough sight across India. While for the rest of the world, Mango is an exotic, rare and royal fruit, for India, it is a common fruit, seen as different local strains, in almost every backyard, all across India.  In Hindi, it is called Aam, as a short form of Amra. Aam also denotes that it is a common fruit of India. Aam is common. A pun indeed! Mango, thus from all perspectives, right from being exalted as an exotic, royal fruit, to being acknowledged as native and common to this land, has earned the right to be crowned the National fruit of India. So, while the Jackfruit is yellow on the inside and Banana is yellow on the outside, Mango, which is yellow from inside out, won the race to become the national fruit of India. Who has not lusted after this luscious brand, Amra, of India?

Tiger – The National Animal

While the lion may be a part of our emblem, the national animal is the tiger though. While the lion may be considered the king of the forest, it is the tiger, which is considered to be the symbol of strength and power. Despite India being home to the famous Gir Lions, it is the Tiger that has been accorded the status of the national animal of India. Why? The Tiger is not just a Government designated national animal.  If you look at the festivities, be it the Mysore Dassera or the Trissur Puram or any of the village festivals in small towns all across India, the pinnacle of the art of body painting is that of a Tiger and the dance with such a paint is called

•  Puli Attam in Tamil Nadu,

•  Puli Vesham in Andhra, •  Puli Kali in Malayalam, •  Huli Vesha in Karnataka, •  Bagh Nritya in Orissa, This art and dance form is thus popular all across India. Why did people of India regard the Tiger so? India has more than two thirds of the world’s tigers with 8 native species. The Royal Bengal tiger, is found all over the country. Some of the rare species like white tigers, can be found in the Girnar forests of Gujarat. Tigers of Sunderbans, are the largest in size.

 

The Royal Bengal Tigers

The Tiger is a barometer of ecology. A sign of healthy tigers is a sure sign of a healthy environment. The tigers play an important role in the health and diversity of the ecosystem by keeping the number of wild animals in check, maintaining the ratio of the herbivorous and the vegetation that they feed on. For, if tigers are large in number and healthy, it means that they are finding enough foodstock, which is mainly sheep, cattle, deer etc. Sufficient supply of such foodstock means that these animals too are thriving. That these animals are thriving implies that there is sufficient green grass for them to graze and proliferate in numbers. Sufficient greenery around means there is enough water and less pollution. A single male tiger’s exclusive habitat is a radius of about 20kms. This means, if this tiger is healthy, then the environment all around him, for about 20kms is healthy. Thus, a tiger is a sign of health, wealth and prosperity of a land. The world, at the turn of this century had close to 1 lakh tigers, which meant India would have had about 2/3rd, i.e. 66000 tigers. This could not

have happened without, good rains and sufficient ground water, for grass to grow, to feed the cattlestock, which in turn formed the food for the tigers. With so many healthy tigers, one can well imagine the state of flourish of India’s forests and environs and the wealth that India really had tucked away in its forests. It also speaks for the Indians’ sustainability oriented practices and lifestyle, which kept the land in good “ecohealth”. Indian legends, imagery and iconography have therefore used the tiger to convey a message of sustained wealth and power. Tiger in Indian context has held a positive connotation rather than one of raw ferocity. Sadly, with unthinking intervention and exploitation, influenced by foreign thought, the Indians have tipped the scales. The healthy numbers of forests and tigers have dwindled and India is today, left with only 1700 of the world’s 3274 tigers. It is time now to understand the tiger’s footprint and revive these powerful creatures, the wildlife brand of India for, with them will return India’s “ecoprosperity” once again.

A Tiger’s Pug Mark

Peacock – National Bird

As a national bird, the peacock, a native bird of India, symbolizes the rich colours, grandeur and grace that has surrounded India since time can remember. The peacock is also a graceful dancer, dancing when the rain clouds gather. A dancing peacock is thus also a foreboder of rains - the rains, which have come year on year, to shower the land with fertility and prosperity. All these symbolize the wealth and pleasure that India has enjoyed for millennia with its flourishing prosperity. The peacock as a national bird, is a brand of India that enthuses people to revel in the joys of colour, richness, beauty in Nature. The strut of a proud peacock serves as a constant reminder of the pride India needs to take, on all the various brands it has been known by, in the

world.

Veena – The National Musical Instrument If the dancing peacock has just strutted by, can music be far behind? Music in India is symbolized by a Veena.

Music Symbolized by Veena and Sarasvati the Goddess for Music playing the Veena Painting by Raja Ravi Varma, Member of Kerala’s Royal family and India’s celebrated artist

One may wonder, of all the musical instruments, why a Veena? There are many reasons for Veena symbolizing the music of the Indians. A Veena is a stringed instrument. Strings represent harmony, harmonics. As the strings vibrate at different frequencies, they stir chords within our bodies too and resonate with our physical, mental and emotional state of being. There are many stringed musical instruments world over such as the lyre, harp, violin, guitar, sitar, sarangi, sarod and so on.

One may wonder why not one of these? First, Veena is an instrument which can be traced way back in Indian history to times beyond memory. Even during the times of Ramayana, which is 7100 years ago, Ravana, the king of Lanka, was a renowned Veena player. None could equal his prowess at playing the Veena. Hanuman the devoted lieutenant of Rama too, was proficient in playing the Veena. He infact, was so proficient, that he could produce similar distinct notes even on a very basic form of Veena called the Adi Veena.

Ravana playing the Veena – denoting a history of Veena playing of over 7100 years

Secondly, a Veena is a musical instrument, which can emanate sounds closest to a human singing. The Veena instrument has a long hollow tube, neck with hollow gourds fitted at either ends. On the tube are moulded ferrets or grooves and strings passed over them such that pressing the string above each groove or ferret produces notes of distinct frequencies. The gourd causes resonance of these notes.

Ferrets on a Veena

Due to its ferrets and the gourd, the strings when played, produce both discreet as well as continuous notes, similar to a human singing with lyrics. Veena therefore was the natural accompaniment for the recitation of Veda. Third, the similarity and bond between humans and Veena does not stop here. In humans, sound originates from the belly region, resonates within the hollow trunk, belly and head, gets modulated into different frequencies, as it rises vertically upwards and passes through the vocal chords, to finally emanate out of the mouth as audible, distinct sound or notes. The long neck of a Veena, with ferrets, appears similar to the human spine and vertebrae. The smaller gourd is akin to the belly and the larger, to the head region.

Similarity between a Veena’s trunk and a Human’s Vertebral Column

Just as the spine has 24 vertebrae, the Veena too has 24 ferrets. Just as the vertebrae are spaced out more at the lower parts of the spine and are closer and smaller towards the upper end, so as are the ferrets larger towards the smaller gourd and smaller towards the larger gourd akin to the head of the human. Just as basal sounds emanate from the belly region and higher notes from near the nasal region, the larger ferrets produce notes with lower frequencies while the smaller ones near the head or larger gourd produce higher notes. The mechanism by which sound is produced in a Veena, is thus very similar to the mechanism by which sound is produced in the human body. Music literature therefore equates the human body with a Veena. The Veena in the human body is called Gaathra Veena or Daiva Veena, i.e made by the Divine while the Veena as a musical instrument is called a Manushi Veena, i.e. made by man. The Veena in the human body is also referred to as Manava Veena, Manava meaning human and the musical instrument a Daru Veena. Daru means wood or timber, also artist.

Manava Veena and Daru Veena, juxtaposed

Since Veena is the only instrument that comes closest to human voice, also called Vak, Vani, the Veena also came to be depicted as the instrument held by Sarasvati, the Indian divinity for intellect, speech and music - Vidya, Vak and Vani respectively. For, without intellect, one’s speech is worthless and without speech, there is no music in mankind. Indian thought accords Sama Veda the status of the source of all music. With Veda regarded as the first formal form of singing, chanting, the Veena in its earlier variations too has been considered as the earliest formal instrument of music. Veena thus symbolizes not just evolution of music, but also music in humans and music in the Veda. It thus forms an appropriate brand for the musical cum intellectual heritage of India. The Veena instrument is revered and worshipped in many homes.

National Anthem Talking of music, the next natural step would be a piece of music which, with its sounds, words, rhythm and impressions, would inspire the people to connect with each other and their land.

In the year 1919, Rabindranath Tagore a foremost thinker and poet of the 19th century, had come to visit his friend, an Irish poet, James H. Cousins, who was the Principal of Besant Theosophical College in Madanapalle, in Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh. In the midst of the rolling hills of Madanapalle, along with Mrs. Cousins, who was a Western music exponent, Tagore set the tune for his poem Jana Gana Mana. 

Poem in the own handwriting of Tagore, Titled “The Moving Song of India” then

Rabindranath Tagore writing the poem

Bust of Tagore at Besant Theosophical College

The rolling hills of Madanapalle, Chittoor, Andhra

This Jana Gana Mana, came to be identified as the national anthem of India for its inclusion of the various geographies of India and invocation to the motherland as one, to bless her people and land with prosperity, wellness and auspiciousness. We need to note that this poem was written and set to tune in the year 1919, when India was still made up of many kingdoms. Yet, this song looked at

India as one land and her people as one. No wonder this song became the national anthem of India.

JAI HIND – THE NATION’S CRY India’s opposition to the harsh rule of the British in India poured out in the form of a cry, a call, which echoed through the world. It was the cry of “Jai Hind” meaning “Victory to India”. It is a cry which had kept the Indians charged up to oust the British rule from India in 1947. It is a call which for over a century now, has been keeping the patriotic fervour of Indians, charged up everytime it is uttered. When and from whom did this slogan originate?

From Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose is often credited with having given this slogan to India during the freedom struggle. For, this was the greeting used in the Indian National Army (INA).

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose

From Major Abid Hasan Safrani

Major Abid Hasan Safrani Photo Source – Article by Narendra Luther, The Hindu, Oct 20, 2001

However, accounts talk of how this call was given to the INA by Major Abid Hasan Safrani of the INA, who hailed from Hyderabad. Hasan who was an engineering student in Germany, had quit his studies to join the INA and he is believed to have coined the phrase “Jai Hindustan Ki” to inspire the soldiers. This was further shortened as “Jai Hind” – “Victory to India”. Major Abid Hasan Safrani, lived to see his cry come true and died a free Indian in 1984.

From Shenbagaraman Pillai

Dr.Shenbagaraman Pillai

But tracing the story further back, one learns of Dr.Shenbagaraman Pillai / Chempakaraman Pillai, a Tamilian who had gone to Germany to pursue technical studies from Travancore. Shenbagaraman Pillai lived between 1891 and 1934, spending most of his life in Germany till his death in Berlin. When the First World War broke out, Pillai, an Indian national political activist, used the emerging political dynamics to found the Pro India Committee in Zurich, Switzerland to fight and oust the British from India. With active funding from Germany, who too were against the British then, he merged his organization with other Indian national movements in Germany. In this context he had met Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose during Bose’s visits to Germany and had together discussed plans for freeing India.

A statue in honour of Shenbagaraman Pillai at Gandhi Mandapam, Chennai

The victory cry “Jai Hind” is attributed to this Shenbagaraman / Chempakaraman Pillai.

It is quite possible for Major Abid Hasan Safrani, to have imbibed this spirit and cry for freedom from Shenbagaraman Pillai, when Hasan himself was a student in Germany.

From Pandit Shridhar Pathak

Pandit. Shridhar Pathak – a rare sketch

Going further back, one hears of the poet Pandit Shridhar Pathak who lived between 1859 and 1928. Coming from the Hindi heartland of India, Agra and later Prayag near Allahabad, Pandit Shridhar Pathak was a Samskrt and Persian scholar. He was one of the first few to have penned lilting poetry in Hindi which was also called khadi boli, meaning a tough language, harsh on the tongue and ears as compared to the earlier Braj Bhasha which was the popular language spoken then. He is credited with having brought in poetry and romanticism to this Khadi boli, Hindi. Having been born in 1858, in the milieu of the First War of Independence, most of Pandit Shridhar Pathak’s works centred on Nature, India and Social upliftment, including the books he translated from English to Hindi. The national cry “Jai Hind” is believed by some to have flown out of the pen of this poet during the unrest that followed the first Indian War of Independence.

A claim that could be true as well, given his background, the times he lived in and the fact that his lifetime predated Dr.Shenbagaraman Pillai. Dr.Pillai, with his close association with other Hindi speaking, expatriate freedom fighters from India, could have very well come across this line from Pandit Shridhar Pathak’s works.

JAI HIND, A FIRM CALL None of the claims to the origin of India’s national cry “Jai Hind” discredits the others. Each is true in its own time and place. Each is as firm as the belief the people of India have had in this cry. Even close to 70 years after Independence, to this day, the call “Jai Hind” continues to bind people of this nation and stir up patriotic emotions in them.

SYMBOLIC REPRESENTATION OF INDIA All these collectively now showcase the brand image of the Republic of India. All the constituents of these emblems, the logos and concepts are so timeless and fundamental, that many thinkers have come up with their own understanding, explanation for them. Each conveys different things to different people at different times. All these symbols are not symbols designated by the Government at random. They have been carefully chosen due to their pervasive nature in all forms of art, philosophy, tradition, day to day activities and ethos of the land and its people. And the beauty is that, all of them hold good, because this land is so diverse and its culture so ancient, that as it has travelled along in time, at some point or the other, it has picked up all these attributes. Each of these symbols, needs to be cherished.

OM

The sound and symbol popularly associated with India and the Hindus of India, for millennia, has been OM. Every sloka -verse to the Divine in India, starts and ends with OM.  Indians regard OM, as the sound of the Divine, Voice of God.  But is it a sound associated with India alone? Also, is it a sound from only a few millennia? Why have Indians revered OM so? Why is OM such an important sound? OM is called Pranava, the Primordial Sound. Pra means prakrati, Nature. Nava means new. Pranava means that which is natural and ever new. That, which never ages, never dies or fades away. It means that the sound OM is always new and never fades away. It means that the sound OM is constantly echoing.

What is this Primordial sound that is constantly echoing around us, but that, which we do not hear? Indian knowledgebase, the Veda, explaining the process of Creation of the Universe, describe how the cosmic egg, a golden hued womb called Hiranyagarbha, broke open with a Big Bang. Hiranya means golden hued and Garbha means womb. In Samskrt, this bursting open of the cosmic egg is called Brahmanda Visfotak. Brahmanda means Universe, Visfotak means bang.

The Veda named the sound that emanated from this Universal Bang, explosion as OM. It is the Primordial Sound as sound itself started only from this point onwards. There was no Universe, no light, no sound, nothing before that. This sound was the first to emerge from the cosmic egg, much before anything else, including light could emanate.  It was not sound as we can hear with our ears. It was in the form of sound waves, vibrations that lay beyond the spectrum of hearing by human ears. The vibrations continue to echo and reverberate through the Universe even today. It is therefore called as, “the sound of the Divine”. It is represented by the syllable OM, as the closest resonating sound, which mankind can produce and hear. This fact was proven scientifcally, but accidentally, as recent as in the 1970s, when two physicists, Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson, stumbled

upon an electromagnetic radiation that steadily persisted in all directions and at all times.

Earth suspended in a Space pervaded with Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation Earth penetrated by the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation

This all-prevading, electro magnetic radiation was identified as the remnant from the Big Bang, from which the Universe had started, since many from modern science too, had by then come to a conclusion, that Creation process had started with a Big Bang, many billion years ago. The Big Bang Theory had become popular and the scientific community was on the hunt for some signs of the same.

Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson

This electromagnetic radiation was named as “Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation” (CMBR) and for its discovery, no doubt by accident, these two physicists, were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1978. Sadly, just like the primordial, unaudible OM, heard by the Rishi, Seers of India though and uttered audibly by Indians for millennia with its significance, has been falling on many a deaf ear in the scientific world. It has gone unheard so far.

It has gone unheard

•  that OM is not just a sound associated with India. •  that it is not a sound associated with a single religion, Hinduism, alone.

•  also that, it is not just a sound from over a few millennia. OM stands for the natural, sound associated with the entire cosmos. It is not a religious symbol or prayer of the Hindus of India. It represents the Universal Sound, which is as old as the Cosmos itself. It was born when the Universe was born.

It is this knowledge of OM that has been reverberating within India for millennia, which India has been keen to share with the world.  India associated this sound with the reverberating sound that emanates

•  when a conch is held against the ear, •  when a conch is blown, •  when a bell is rung, •  when a string is strummed or •    when

air from the navel, resonates within the vocal chords, between the pursed lips of man

The science, that an all pervading, ever reverberating sound was created during the process of Creation, was depicted by Indians through legends called Purana as well as in art, in the form of human like divinities. The process and principle of Creation was linked to a human like Divine form called Brahma and OM, the primordial sound was given the form of the son of Brahma called Narada, who could travel anywhere in the

Universe at will, across times, strumming a single stringed musical instrument.

Narada, the son of the 4 headed Divinity Brahma who symbolizes the process of Creation

Narada with his one stringed musical instrument, is the portrayal of Nada, sound.

Narada wandering freely in space

While many in recent times represent this sound as the 3 alphabets - A, U, M, in English, it has for millennia been regarded as a single syllable in scripts of the different languages across India and has been depicted in a common form. It comprises of the head of a stylized 3- pronged fork, laid horizontal or vertical, with embellishments.

Om in the different Indian scripts - Similar shape

Similar symbol for OM in Balinese too

As Pranava is ever new and never fades away, OM has been a resounding, ever alive, brand of India.

Swastika GOOD OR EVIL? An Auspicious Sign Swastika is a welcoming insignia in India.

It is drawn as a sign of auspiciousness and is painted on doorways of both homes and temples as well as on artifacts associated with the divine or with prosperity.

The Swastika Insignia on the entrance to Shri Lakshminarayan Temple, Delhi

   A Swastika Sign on the entrance to a home (highlighted for better visibility)

This symbol, is also found on remains found from ancient civilizations of the world. The connotation of use of this pattern as conveyed by these artifacts is the same as that in India.

Signed Authority to Abuse

This Swastika, however, came into much abuse, during Hitler’s 3rd Reich regime in the 1930s and 40s. The abuse of this symbol came out of the ideology of Hitler and his party of Ubermensch, Superior men - the ideology of the supposed “Aryans” being the superior race of the world.

      Hitler with the Nazi Logo, The Swastika Sign

Post World War II, this symbol came to be banned in Germany, owing to the atrocities committed on the Jews under this symbol and the horrific memories associated with it. The Jews look at this symbol as the very personification of the vile.

WORLD WIDE USAGE Prior to the abuse of this symbol by the Nazis, this symbol had been widely used the world over.

Boy Scouts The Boy Scouts movement used this symbol. Robert Baden Powell, the founder of this movement, in 1921 used this symbol to denote gratitude to those who had offered help to the Boy Scouts and thus became part of their brotherhood.

In Baden Powell’s own words, Swastika, was used by almost every civilization of the world, to denote good thoughts. Swastika had augered well for all. Hence, he wanted to use it as the symbol of fellowship in his movement.

     Robert Baden-Powell, founder of Boy Scouts and Guides in 1921 and Spine of his early Scouts Handy Book with Swastika as Symbol

       A Thank you letter from Robert Baden Powell dated 10-10-1923, along with a Swastika Insignia Thank you Badge in 10 carat gold issued between 1911 and 1923.

Another Thank you letter sent by the Baden Powells with a Swastika as a Sign of Gratitude

Words of Robert Baden-Powell in 1921 explaining why he chose the Swastika as a symbol of friendship

In Finland In Finland, Swastika has adorned their flags and other military equipment as their war emblem.

Blue Swastikas Painted on the Wings of the Aircraft - National Insignia of the Finnish Air Force The 2nd Finnish Aircraft in 13.3.1918 with this sign

 

Swastikas on the chain of the Order – White Rose of Finland, set up by Regent Mannerheim On the 1st Anniversary of the War of Independence, 28-1-1919

Swastika in use even after World War II President Kekkonen dedicating flags of the Air Force at Senaatintori on 4.6.1958

     Swastika in use in 21st Century President Halonen receiving a new FiAF ensign after the Bishop’s blessing on 4.10.2005, FiAF HQ Badge

Swastika adorning the Finnish Presidential Flag, designed by Gallen-Kallela

In UK

There are many Swastika signs all over the United Kingdom, which can broadly be classified as signs put up by the celtic people many centuries ago, on walls, floors, rocks etc. signs put up around between 1800s and 1900s but before 2nd World War, on buildings and floors in public spaces signs put up in Hindu temples and other places of worship even after the wars but as a religious symbol. It is only from the second world war, that Britain stopped using this symbol in its public and private spaces.

Swastika carved by Celts on a rock in Woodhouse Crag, Ilkley Moor, York in UK Source – T.J.Blackwell from

Swastika Symbol on the walls of the India House building in Aldwych, London built in 1930, now serving as office of the Indian Embassy in UK.

Swastika on the lower window arches of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Building in King Charles Street, London, built in 1868

In USA In America too, the Swastika sign can be found, associated with the military as well as a luck charm, to drive away evil and bring good luck.

The Navy Office Building in California in the shape of a Swastika – courtesy Google Maps

Swastika Insignia on US Army Boeing Planes – 55th Pursuit Squadrons in 1930s The USAAC became the United States Air Force in 1941

Matilde Moisant, of the Hill Air Force Base, a pioneer aviator and 2nd woman in US to get a Pilot’s licence. wearing a Swastika Badge in 1912 Courtesy – Smithsonian Institution Negative #73-3564

An early 1900s US Poster with Swastika as a Lucky Sign

Swastika Bridge – Gila Gravity Main Canal, Colorado, Constructed in 1907, as tribute to Native Indians

A Navajo Carpet with Swastika design from 1925

A Birthday Card in USA in early 1900s with Swastika as a Lucky Sign

Good Luck Token with Swastika to represent the 4 Ls of Luck, Love, Life and Light A Good Luck Postcard Designed in 1907 be E.Philips, a US Card Publisher

Text on the backside of the Good Luck Postcard explaining Swastika

Canada Mining towns in Canada came to be called Swastika, perhaps to invoke good luck in hitting the jackpot.

Swastika Railway Station

In Russia

Russian Passport of Soviet Red Army Members

A Swastika Sign on a Building in St.Petersburg

In China

In Mongolia The unspoken connect between Mongolia and India, can be seen in the Swastika that adorns the wall of the State Great Hural, the Parliament of Mongolia.

 

State Great Hural of Mongolia with Swastika design on wall panel Photo taken during address by Indian Prime Minister in 2015 – Courtesy Press Files

In Lebanon While all the instances of Swastika shown earlier are of fairly, recent times, the Baalbek in Lebanon is an ancient city that about 2000 years ago used to be the Roman centre for agriculture. Called the Heliopolis of the East, it was home to many grand structures built by the Romans, dedicated to the Gods Jupiter, Venus and Bachchus. Only the ruins of those great structures stand today, at Baalbek in Lebanon. In these ruins, we find Swastika engraved on the lentil design.  We see this symbol used here associated with good, auspiciousness, holiness even amongst those in the Eastern Mediterranean, more than 2000 years ago.

The ruins of the temples at Baalbek, Lebanon

A lentil with a Lion’s head and Swastika motifs below it at Baalbek

In Turkey Carved and inlaid wooden serving stands, tables from the Tumulus of Midas at Gordion, dating back to 8th century BCE, also show the usage of Swastika motif. The usage here also has connotation of wellbeing, good and auspiciousness.

  

Serving Stand from Tumulus of Midas at Gordion, Turkey with Swastika – 8th century BCE

IN S.E.ASIA Indonesia

Swastika Insignia at the Fountainheads (Gomukha) in Tirta Empul, Holy Spring of the Divinity Indra in Bali, Indonesia

Flag with Swastika at Ulun Danu Batur Temple, Bali, Indonesia

A House in interior Java with Swastika Insignia on Doorway

UNRAVELLING THE SWASTIKA We see through these examples across the world that Swastika had been widely used across civilizations. The source of the word and the imagery can be traced back to the Indus Valley, Sindhu-Sarasvati civilization, especially with the Harappan seal, which goes back to over 5000 years ago.

Indus Valley Seal with Swastika, over 5000 years old – in British Museum

The very word Swastika can also be traced back to Samskrt, the ancient Indian language. Swastika is a Samskrt word, which etymologically comes from Su + Asti. Su is good and Asti means to prevail. Swastika means “Let good prevail”. Swastika looks like 4 arms emerging from a centre and swirling in a particular direction. It resembles a rotating disc. Different civilizations have attributed varied reasons for the depiction of Swastika with 4 arms. Some have connected them with 4 primordial elements namely earth, water, fire, air. Some associate its 4 arms with the 4 directions, some with the 4 Veda, some with the 4 seasons and so on. While all these attributes may be true in a limited sense, the concept of Swastika includes all these and much more at a much higher plane.

PLANE OF SWASTIKA What else on earth does the form of Swastika depict? Not on earth! We have to look beyond the earth. Swastika represents the galaxy with its spiral arms, the home of the earth. Home of the Solar system too. Swastika gets its shape from the Milky Way galaxy of which we are a part, which is our home. It is the design of our galaxy.

Shape of rotating Milky Way Galaxy and Swastika

Even on a clear night sky, we can only see parts of our galaxy with the naked eye. Beyond that, its construct is not clear to our naked eye and cannot be seen from earth. Today with advanced astronomical instruments, observations from space and space photography techniques, we are able to understand that the shape of our Milky Way galaxy is a spiral disc with 4 main spiral arms radiating from the centre. The ancients had given this Milky Way, the name Mandakini, to denote that it moves slowly. Why should a galaxy and its movement be chosen as the symbol for Swastika, to denote well beingness and auspiciousness?

THE SWIRLING UNIVERSE The Universe is an epitome of rotation and revolution. Everything in the universe spins, rotates about itself as well revolves around its parent or principal centre of attraction. The earth spins and also revolves around the sun. The sun rotates and also revolves around the galactic centre. The galaxy spins and also revolves around the centre of the galactic cluster. On the lower scale, every manifested object on earth, living or otherwise, is a clustering of molecules, each of which is a cluster of atoms, each of which is a cluster of sub atomic particles going around the nucleus. The circles go on. So do the cycles. The universe is an aggregate of particles and revolutions.

SWIRLING SWASTIKA – A UNIVERSAL SYMBOL It is this principle of aggregation and revolution, that is represented by the Swirling Swastika.

Swastika is the symbol of the swirling, twirling Universe. It is thus a universal symbol.

SWASTIKA AND AUSPICIOUSNESS The Material Churn The spin of the earth, sun, galaxy etc. creates flow, movement - of not just people on earth, or the earth itself, or even the sun. It is of a different league. The rotation in the Universe causes a churn of both the visible matter and the invisible subtle matter and energies too, concentrated in pockets as galaxies. A galaxy is the hub where the process of manifestation from subtle to gross, to produce the materials of the Universe is underway. The galactic hub thus denotes the potential of all the material that is in churn and is yet to spring out as potential stars, potential planets, potential potential existence, potential life, potential wealth. It denotes the potential of existence, of being, of becoming – all of which means auspiciousness.

Dynamic Existence Movement is life. Life is dynamic. Change denotes the living. Static denotes nonliving. The “well being”, Su Asti of everything in this universe, flows from this movement, dynamism. Without this movement, the forces, this dynamism, there would be no metabolism, no growth, no wealth, no health, no life.  It is this potential and dynamism, which the ancients have tried to showcase through a Swastika. The Swastika denotes the understanding prevalent in the Indian thought of the workings of the Universe and its connect with life, its impact on life.

Decade of Aberration

Unfortunately, such an auspicious symbol was so horrifically abused for a decade by the Nazis, that it has created revulsion for generations across the world and this revulsion is likely to continue for a few more generations to come. This abuse has obliterated the real meaning of the symbol and the word Su Asti.

An Eternal mark Across the world, while the usage of this symbol and the word Swastika, were discreetly discontinued by the different people who were using it then, India has continued with its use of the Swastika as a symbol to usher in good fortune, health, wealth and prosperity. Swastika is believed to bestow Divya Dhrishti meaning Divine Vision. The way our ancients had envisaged the Swastika and divined its import, reveals their Divya Dhrishti. One needs to approach and see the Universe with a divine sentiment too, to understand the profoundness in the Swastika. Swastika is a brand that Bharat perceived, preserved and has practiced.

PART 4 - FEATURES

Tanks of Prosperity 1017 CE – AL BIRUNI WRITES ABOUT INDIA In 1017 CE, Al Biruni, the Persian chronicler of Mahmud of Ghazni visited India and wrote Kitab ul Hind, a detailed memoir of his travels in India and what all he saw and learnt here. Ironically, this book now serves as a source for Indians to learn about ancient India. But, how did Al Biruni know that he had left Persia and entered India? Al Biruni writes in Kitab ul Hind,

A typical village temple tank - Potra Kund, Tank at Mathura

Thus, when the travellers from the near west started encountering tanks strewn all over the land, especially temple tanks, it was a sure sign for them that they had entered the land of Bharat. This was 1000 years ago.

326 BCE – MEGASTHENES WRITES ABOUT INDIA

Travel route of Megasthenes

In 300 BCE, after Alexander withdrew from India, he left behind his diplomat Megasthenes as an ambassador. Megasthenes visited many places in India starting from the Punjab, to Mathura, to Patliputra - the capital of Magadha Empire and travelled deep down south, upto Madurai, the capital of the Pandya kingdom. Megasthenes had travelled through the heartland of ancient India.

His observations were recorded in his work Indika references and quotes from which are available in many subsequent works. On the subject of water harnessing practiced in the land in 300 BCE, he observes,

This shows that even 2500 years ago too, India was dotted with tanks not just for religious purposes but for irrigation also, which was why they could reap multiple harvests in a year.

Tanks Led to Prosperity Infact, the yardstick for measuring prosperity was the term Teen bhog, meaning 3 harvests in a year. Such tanks were called Pushkarni, as the word Pushkaram means to make fertile.

1600 CE – BRITISH WRITE ABOUT INDIA Coming to the last 400 years, when the British started ruling India, we find British records on the state of water bodies in India. According to these records, there were 53000 tanks in the 14 districts of Madras Presidency alone, comprising of the Cauvery, Krishna and Godavari river belts. The total of all their embankments ran upto 30000 miles and they were minimum 6 feet thick.

Satellite map of South India showing the numerous water tanks – Eri of Tamil Nadu, Kere of Karnataka and Cheruvu of Andhra Pradesh

Captain Sankey who was in charge of the water systems in the Mysore Province writes about the largeness as well as minutely intricate nature of the close to 18000 tanks in this province.

Captain Matthew Henry Phineas Riall Sankey, Chief Engineer, Mysore, 1868

This was in 1800s, just 200 years ago.

200 YEARS AGO - 9 LAKH WATER BODIES The British record that there were close to 9 lakh water bodies in India for the 6 lakh odd villages in the country. This meant that there were atleast 3 water bodies for every 2 villages. We thus see that right across, from 2500 years ago, until about 250 years ago, India has been known by its water bodies and irrigation system.

A Collage of a Few Types of Traditional Water Bodies of India

A UNIQUE FEAT Instead of just settling by the river banks alone, Indians had brought the waters to where they lived. By creating so many water bodies in their

villages, for storing rain water when it rained, they thus had annually self replenished water in their midst. A unique feat of a unique civilization!

A UNIQUE BRAND What could be a better brand of India if not these prosperity endowing Pushkarni? For, if it were not for these tanks, India would not have been prosperous consistently for so many millennia to churn out so many other brands to be known by. Tanks of water, not of war, can be considered as the greatest brand of India.

THE BRAND STEPS DOWN Sadly though, these tanks of water have been lost in the battle during colonization and later for modernization and urbanization. In the name of building cities, India has swallowed up its ingeneous, indigenous water bodies and is now looking for water to gulp down this reality. Today, even though they live in high rises, Indians are having to step down for their water. But the step wells are dry too as the feeds have been cut off.

A real step down for such a swell brand!

A dry Baori in Rajasthan

Ganga Even though India gets its name from the Sindhu, the Indus River, the river that has been the brand of India is the Ganga, Ganges. Coming down from the snowy heights of the Himalaya and flowing through the northern belt of India to join the Bay of Bengal in the East, this perennial river has been revered as the holy mother “Ma Ganga”, who washes away all sins, not only by the Indians but by many of the South East Asian civilizations too.

MA GANGA TO MEKONG The very name Mekong for the main river of South East Asia, is the Cambodian way of saying ‘Ma Ganga’ - ‘Me Kong’. The reverence of the South East Asians, for Ma Ganga, can be seen in Mekong, right from its name to the sculptures along the river that depict its legend. The sculptures tell the story of Ganga as she 1.  starts flowing from the feet of the reclining Maha Vishnu in the upper reaches of the hills 2.  flowing through the lower hills 3.  flowing over the large Shiva Linga etched on the river bed and 4.  then flowing over 1000 smaller Shiva Linga etched on the river bed.

Sculptures of Ma Ganga story in the upper reaches of Stung Kbal Spean, a tributary of Siem Reap river, which in turn is a tributary of Mekong, flowing through the Kuhlen mountains near Angkor in Cambodia

FROM GANGA SAGAR TO BAY OF BENGAL With both these Ganga rivers, Ma Ganga and Me Kong, draining into the Bay of Bengal, the Bay of Bengal, naturally and rightfully has been called the Ganga Sagar for many millennia, till the British in their maps started referring to Ganga Sagar as Bay of Bengal.

Map highlighting Ganga and Mekong draining into Bay of Bengal

KRISHNA BRANDS GANGA 5100 years ago, on 22nd November 3067 BCE, the Kurukshetra battle started between the cousins Pandava and the Kaurava. Also known as the Mahabharata war, it was a war to reestablish Dharma, righteousness and order, in the land.

Kurukshetra or the Mahabharata War between the Pandava and Kaurava

Before the start of the war, Krishna counsels Arjuna, the Pandava Prince, to clear his mind of the confusion around going to battle. This counsel, Upadesha came to be called as Bhagavad Gita, “the Song of the Divine”.

Krishna, as a charioteer, counselling Arjuna, the warrior – The Bhagavad Gita

In this Bhagavad Gita, Krishna identifies Himself with Ganga, saying of all rivers, the most praiseworthy is the Ganga.

Jahnavi is another name for Ganga. Krishna, thus had branded Ganga as the most exemplary river, 5100 years ago itself. If Krishna had referred thus to the Ganga, it goes without saying, that Ganga must already have been enjoying such a status, even before the times of Krishna.

It is perhaps this branding by Krishna and ancestors before Him, which made Ganga venerable and popular all over the world and inspired people to come to see her. Some made it and some like Alexander died with their wish unfulfilled. So, Ganga made her way for those who wanted to know more about her.

IN ROME’S FOUNTAIN 500 years after Alexander’s visit to India, in 200 CE, the Piazza Novona fountain was erected in Rome. The theme of this fountain was to show case four important rivers of the world. Three of the sculptures included the rivers that one can expect the Romans to have been naturally familiar with.

•  Tiber that flowed through Rome itself •    Rhine that flowed on the northern

side of the Alps, through Germania which was part of the Roman empire

•   Nile that flowed through Egypt with which Rome had close ties due to trade as well as Cleopatra of Egypt, who had a relationship with both Julius Ceasar and Markus Antony of Rome. For the Romans to commemorate these 3 rivers is therefore no surprise. What is surprising however is the 4th river that they have sculpted in this fountain. It is a sculpture depicting Ganges, that flowed far away from Rome, across continents, in India.

Piazza Novona in Rome depicting the 4 popular rivers of the world in 200 CE – Tiber, Nile, Rhine, Ganges

Ganga, far away in India, had found a pride of place in this fountain along with Tiber, Rhine and Nile. Ganga had superseded other prominent rivers of Europe and closeby Byzantine Empire such as the Danube, Elbe or even the Persian Empire rivers, such as Tigris and Euphrates, to be regarded as one of the 4 important rivers for the Romans. It reflects the image that the waters of Ganga had created outside India. It speaks of the power that the tales of Ganga’s waters had, to flow across continents, all the way to Rome at the foothills of Alps, from the foothills of the Himalaya to influence Greek, Roman and European thought 1800 years ago in 200 CE.

ON MAPS Maps of the East, by Europeans, right from the days of Strabo, in 25 CE to Ptolemy in 140 CE to Peutinger in 200 CE, have distinguished India by showing the Ganges.

Peutinger

Tabula Peutingeriana showing Indi by Peutinger in 200 CE

Map showing Gangeticus Sinus (The Gangetic Delta)

Ganga made her way not only to the seas of the Bay of Bengal but her name and fame had made their way all over the world.

•  Alexander’s wish to see Ganga flowing in 326 BCE, •  the erection of a fountain in Rome in commemoration of the 4 major rivers of the world with Ganga figuring in that list in 200 CE and

•  India being distinguished by the Ganges river on the maps of Europe right from 2000 years ago, are proof enough of her popularity around the world through the times. India was mapped by the Ganga. India was branded by the Ganga.

India delineated as “India Intra Gangem” and “India Extra Gangem” on either side of the Ganga by Ptolemy in 140 CE

Unfortunately, Indians, oblivious to Ganga having been a brand of India for more than 2 Millennia, have, in the last century, mindlessly desecrated the waters, the banks and the whole ecosystem of the river Ganga. From being the holiest river of the world, Ganga is talked about world over today, for being one of the dirtiest rivers of the world. “Verily - Ganga Maily Ho Gayi”.

The brand of India, Ganga, is now tarnished. Brands and products have their cycles. It is time now for the rejuvenation of both Ganga and her brand image.

Monsoon Rains -  Varsha, Varsha, Varsha

MONSOON - INDIAN RAINS Indian Summer and Indian Rain are popular world over and have formed the backdrop for many a song, novel and even fragrances. Indian rains are called Monsoon. It comes from the Persian word Mausam for weather.

VARSHA – VARSHA - VARSHA In India, the word for rains is Varsha. Interestingly year is also called Varsha in India and the land of India itself is called Bharat Varsha. Have you ever wondered why we call our country as Bharat Varsha?  Is there a connect between these three Varsha? In this whole world, after the Amazon forests, the one single land mass that gets highest rainfall consistently, year after year, is Bharata Varsha, which is India. The onset of monsoon rains, Varsha, which came same time every year, marked a year for the farmer in the agraian society of Bharat.  Hence Varsha also came to denote the time span of a year.

Thus we see a distinct correlation between rain, year and land. Rain is called Varsha. The year is also called Varsha. And the land over which this rain, varsha, rained prosperity, year on year, came to be called Bharat Varsha.

RAINS EVERY YEAR

The next question would be, Why does it rain on this land every year without fail?  What are the forces of nature that bring rain to this land every year unfailingly? In the month of May, there is summer in the Northern Hemisphere.  In the interiors of India, temperatures soar to 45 Degree Centigrade and more. Even in North America and the Sahara desert, the temperature range is about 45-50 degree Centigrade.  This extreme heat creates a low pressure over that region. During this time, it is winter in the Southern Hemisphere.  The great Australian desert is cooler and hence high pressure prevails there.

It is well known that winds always move from high pressure to low pressure. So, the cool winds from Central Australia, move in a northwesterly direction, towards the hot Sahara Desert

Winds moving from High Pressure Australia to Low Pressure Sahara, turn towards India at Equator

As the winds cross the equator they turn right in consonance with Nature, due to the earth’s spin. This is explained as Ferrell’s law.

Ferrel

Schematic Explanation of Ferrel Law

Picking up moisture along the way from the Indian Ocean, the moisture laden winds blow in towards India, thereby bestowing monsoon rains, Varsha, all over the land.

Monsoon Over India

The lifestyle, festivals, travels, education system, food patterns and so much more for the year, Varsha, have all evolved around these seasonal rains, Varsha in Bharat Varsha. India has been known world over for these rains and travellers to India used to plan their visits based on the flow and ebb of these rains.

RAINS DURING RAMAYANA TIMES 7100 years ago in the Ramayana epic, after slaying Vali, his brother Sugreeva ascended the throne of Kishkinda. As Varsha Rtu, the monsoon season, set in immediately after, they were unable to send different search parties to search for Sita, the abducted wife of Rama.

Rama Lakshman, Sugriva, Hanuman and Angada in consultation regarding end of monsoon

They had to wait out for 2 months, for the torrential rains to stop, before the search parties could fan out in the countryside.

RAINS DURING ALEXANDER’S TIMES When the Macedonian army of Alexander had come upto the Indus River, they were struck by the torrential, unrelenting monsoon rains. Such ferocity of downpower, they had not experienced, in Europe, Egypt or Persia.

Battle Between Alexander and Porus An oil on canvas by Nicolaes Pietersz Berchem, Source - Encyclopædia Britannica Online

RAINS AND BATTLE Karva Chauth This festival was observed by the Kshatriya women, the women from the warrior class, after the end of monsoon.

Women observing Karva Chauth Fast

For kings and their men went to battle, only after the monsoon rains had stopped. The wives prayed for the safe return of their husbands from battlefield, in the ensuing battle season. If one thought that a season for going to battle was only an ancient or medieval practice, here is something from the 1970s.

East Pakistan war In 1971 when India was being provoked by Pakistan, to enter into a war, the then General Sam Manekshaw, strategically delayed the start of war by 3 month, till the monsoon ended. In his words, during the Indian monsoon, it is difficult to know where the river bund ended and the fields started. It was just a sheet of water. The post monsoon war planning helped India, win a quick decisive battle to win over Pakistan and create the new country Bangladesh.

Pakistan Army Signing Treaty and Laying Down Arms After East Pakistan War in 1971

Monsoon for Warfare planning too Planning around Monsoon rains is not essential for agriculture alone but for travel and warfare too as far as India is concerned. This is as much valid today as it was in Ramayana times 7100 years ago.

BHARATHVARSHA - THE LAND BRANDED BY RAINS The way, Britian, Belgium, are known for rains for 10 months in a year, the way the Arabian peninsula is know for no rains, for couple of years at a stretch, the land of India is known for, unfailing seasonal rains, for 4 months in a year, from June to September. Coming year on year, unfailingly, these Varsha, Monsoon have been a brand of Bharat from time immemorial that they have lent their name Bharatavarsha to the land itself too.

The Himalayas THE DIVIDING RANGE

This profound statement was made by the profound Japanese scholar, Okakura Tenshin, in his book on Asian artistic and cultural history, “The Ideals of the East with special reference to the Art of Japan (1903)”. He mentioned this in the context of the common views on universality and spirituality, which bind the cultures of the East.

THE ABODE OF SNOW THAT BODES WELL One of the identification marks of India is the Himalayas in the north, a name that means “abode of snow” – Him is snow and Alaya, an abode, home. Stretching all the way from Afghanistan to Myanmar, this towering range of mountains has not only defined India’s boundaries but has also been a benefactor for India in many ways.

Himalayas – Stretching from Afghanistan to Myanmar Courtesy – Google Maps

Comprising of many peaks, reaching into the sky, this mountain range has been home to many, starting from being

•    the

very abode of the Divine couple, Shiva and Parvathi, metaphorically speaking, to

•  temples for a host of divinities, to •  ashrams, hermitages of various Rishi and Yogis, to •  mutts, seats of learning of various sects to •   caves of several sadhus and sanyasis, i.e. monks, renouncers of worldly pursuits, to

•  akharas, training schools of various ascetics and warrior clans, to •  hamlets of various hill people, locally called Pahadi, to •  fields, farms and orchards of these Pahadi, to •  grazing meadows, gauchars of their cattle, to •  valleys of flowers to

•  habitat of different species of wildlife ranging from Yak to Yeti •  and in recent times to •  base camps for mountaineers and trekkers, to •  hotels, motels and resorts for tourists, to •  hydel power stations, to •  military bases. HOME TO YATHIS AND YETIS Lurking in the heights of the Himalayas are elusive, human like beings called the abominable snowmen or Yeti. The word Yeti for the abominable snowman who has hardly been sighted, comes from the word Yathi. Yathi is a state of sainthood which is one of the highest and thus eludes even many of those who have taken to the path of asceticism. Yathi, Yathiraja, Yathindra, are all honorific titles given to great ascetics. Ramanuja, the Vaishnava saint from 1017 CE, is one such ascetic who had earned the title Yathiraja, king among Yathi. The Himalayas with its pristine snow covered peaks, has been the height of achievement for many ascetics, who have attained the pinnacle of their penance here. Elusive, hard to spot, known only from its foot marks, these beings, seeming like a recluse have been likened to Yathis in penance, eluding people in the Himalayas. The Himalayas have thus been home to those who are highly evolved physically, mentally and in spirit as well as to those otherwise. Stories continue to float around of sightings of supernatural beings to supernatural phenomena. A trip into the Himalayas changes one’s perception for sure. These ranges have therefore been a much sought after destination world over, for those seeking something different in life.

TOWERING PEAKS Nestled in these ranges lie the various peaks of the Himalayas such as Mt.Everest, Nanga Parbat, Nandadevi, Kanchan Junga, Dhaulagiri, K2, Neelkanth, Manaslu, Annapoorna, Fish Tailed or Machapuchare and so on, known world over for their towering heights and for the sporting challenge they offer to mountain climbers.

A Himalayan Sunrise

The tallest among them all is Mt.Everest which is not only the tallest among the Himalayan peaks but also the tallest peak of the world. Lying in the country of Nepal, the Mt.Everest in the last few centuries has invoked images of the Indian subcontinent. But how did a Himalayan peak get an English name?

MT.EVEREST - FROM 8848 METRES TALL TO A MERE 6 FEET HEIGHT In the year 1818, the ‘Great Trigonometrical Survey of India’ was started by the British administrators to survey the Central Himalayan Range.

The Great Trigonometrical Survey, 1818

In the year 1850, a British officer, Andrew Waugh, in this department, was assigned the task of measuring the height of Himalayan peaks. He identified the highest peak in the Himalaya to be the one which was 29,035 feet above sea level.

George Everest

Andrew Waugh decided to name this tallest peak in the British Survey Records as Mount Everest to honour his superior, George Everest, the then Survey General of India and the Superintendent of the Great Trigonometrical Survey.

Pandit Nain Singh

One of the Indians who assisted the survey was Pundit Nain Singh. He is one of pioneers of the fieldwork of the Trigonometrical Survey of India. Pandit Nain Singh intervened and told Andrew Waugh that this peak did have a name and it was Sagar Mathe in the local language and Chomolungma in Tibetan language. Sagar here means sky. Saagar means sea. Sagar in Sagar Mathe stands for sky. Mathe means forehead. Sagar Mathe means “one whose forehead reaches up into the sky”.  From this very naming process, it clearly suggests to us that the locals already knew that this peak was the highest amongst the Himalayan peaks.

Andrew Waugh, however, in a manner typical of a boss, eager to play up to his boss in turn, brushed aside the existing names and continued with the name Mount Everest to honour his superior, George Everest. And the name Mt.Everest came to stay since then, for the tallest peak of the world.

Chomolungma – the Darjeeling train

But with the people, the locals, the old name still resonates in the mountains. The mountain train in Darjeeling is called Chomolungma, the original name of Mount Everest. In the brochure of Nepal tourism, even to this day, Mount Everest is referred to as Sagar Mathe. Sadly, a beautiful, lyrical and meaningful name of the world’s highest peak as, “the forehead extending towards endless skies” has been suppressed, done away with and reduced to the name of a 6 footer called George Everest, to appease him.

What is in the name? Like Sagar Mathe for Mt.Everest,

•   Paariyatra Parvata meaning the mountain hard to travel across, for Hindukush,

•  Thrivishtup meaning land above three folds, for Tibet, •    Kedarnath, from Kedar

meaning a flat meadow covered with

water, Badrinath, from Badrikavan for the area where there was a van, a grove of Badri fruit, a type of berry, each peak or valley in this range was meaningfully named so that, calling it by that name itself, conveyed its topography or some other characteristic feature. Such appropriate words for names of people, places, animals, things including peaks, reveals the heights to which this civilization had reached, in its ability to understand and communicate everything around them, effectively.

THE PEAKS SPEAK

The way the peaks and the grandeur of the Alps bring in the imagery of Switzerland, the Himalayas and its many thousand peaks, speak of the land that lies to its south, namely India. Himalayas have been synonymous with Indian knowledge system, spirituality, rivers, wealth and culture.

HIMALAYA - THE BENEFACTOR Himalayas not only evoke images of India and its people, but the Himalayas have shaped the Indian land, the people and their minds. This range of mountains has been a benefactor of India by

•  Blocking the rain bearing clouds that blow in from the southwest to cause rain over the north of India

•   Preventing cold draughts of wind from the north from crossing over into India

•   Supplying water perennially through the many thousand rivers, rivulets and streams that originate from its glaciers

•  Fertilizing the plains of north India with its mineral rich alluvial soil

•   Presenting the people of India with special fruits and medicinal herbs Cleansing the minds of those who dare to set foot on its slopes to list just an obvious few.

Images of Switzerland that lies nestled among the Alps

Images of Switzerland that lies nestled among the Alps

HIMALAYA – THE SIBLING OF INDIA There are many facets to these mountains which can be called the sibling of India as this subcontinent and these mountains were born at the same time. India in its present shape and location has existed as long as the Himalayas have and will continue to enjoy flourishing, as long as these mountains remain where they are. If it were not for India being located where it is, near the equator, on the earth, it would not be the first point of transit inland, of the South West Monsoon, rain bearing clouds, from the Arabian Sea. And if it were not for the Himalaya blocking these South West Monsoon clouds, India would not receive bulk of the monsoon rains it receives consistently, year on year, making it one of the fertile lands of the world. It is the Himalaya coupled with the location of India on the earth which make India veritably the meritorious land, Punya Bhumi, as it has always been considered by our ancients. Himalayas are more than a brand of India.

Epilogue There were many a thing that went from India as a traded commodity or a shared knowledge. These were brands sought after by the global community till a few centuries ago. But sadly today, most of these are the forgotten brands of Bharat. Whereas, each of these facets of India that we have seen here and many more still, are worthy of being celebrated even today as the distinct signs, icons of India. For, not only are they unique to this land, in form, in life or in concept, they continue to exist and can be seen all over India even to this day. They speak of a style - a style of thinking, a style of doing, a style of living, all of which have come down from generation to generation, crossing the span of time and transcending the realm of physical space. They thrive as the living signs of Bharat, continuing to live as the culture of India. It is upto the present generation now, to keep them living as brands of India, for the coming generations too. When History meets Tradition and Tradition meets Science and Science meets Nature, Can we advance as truly mature peoples.

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Table of Contents

  Dedication   Benedictory Note   About Bharath Gyan   About the Authors   About Autobiography of India   Preface     Thought Leadership From India     Seeking Seers     Many Migrants     Slaves and Scholars     Travelling Monks     Tireless Traders     Slain Soldiers     Planted Peasants     Persevering Pioneers     Proficient Professionals     Guiding Gurus     All Men Great and Small     Leads From India   Foreword   Acknowledgements

PART 1 - LED TO INDIA   A Land of Learning     The Arabic Quest     The Chinese Quest     The Greek Quest     Takshasila- The 1st International University of the World     Nalanda – Another International University     Other International Universities   Knowledge Centre     The Robust Education System

PART 2 - LED BY INDIA   Samskrt – A Basis for Western Thought     Samskrt Studies in Europe     An Element of Wonder     Veda, the Fountainhead     Samskrt thought a foundation     Dara Shikoh – Du Perron Route   Samskrt – A Basis for World Tongue     Vocabulary     Idioms and Phrases   Modern System of Education from Madras     Taken from Madras     Egmore Goes to England     Key Take Aways By Bell     Universities in England     Non Violent System of India     Acknowledgement Due     Lancasterian System of Instruction     Given Back to India   Rhyme and Reason     Avvaiyar’s Aathichudi – Tamil classic rhymes     Hindi Rhymes     Veda – Source of Rhyme and Rhythm     Land of Morals and Rhymes   Fables and Values     Children’s Fascination for Animals     Pasu Pakshi Katha – Animal Fables of India     The Journey of Fables from India     Fables – A Fabulous Brand of India   Kamasutra   Kissing – A Secret On the Lips     A Blame Game     Kissing – Not a World Affair     Tracing the First Kiss     Historical Kisses     Technique of Kissing     Etymology of Kiss     Speaking the Language of Love     Kiss - A Single Act With Many Messages

    Kiss – A Brand Not to Be Missed   Rhinoplasty -  India’s Answer to Shaming     Surpanaka’s Shaming     Sepoys’ Shaming     The First Rhinoplasty Of The West   Ayurveda – The Lifeline of India     Surgeon - Practicing Medicine With Knife     Physician - Practicing Medicine With Plants     Counsellors - Practicing Medicine With Words     Varieties Of Ayurveda     Tracing The Legacy Of Ayurveda     A Subtle But Gross Contrast     Ayurveda – The Knowledge Of Life     Many Firsts     Breathing     Hridayam – A Heart Stopper     Twin birth   Medicine along with Buddhism     Ayurveda to China     Ayurveda in Thailand     Ayurveda in Central Asia     Ayurveda – Treated as a Brand of India   Inoculation In India     Inoculation in India     Invocation with Inoculation     The Western Invention     Inoculation Seen as Intervention     Inoculation Indoctrinated Into Medicine   Horse Breeding     Salihotra – A Horse Poet     Salihotra’s Legacy     Horses in India 5100 years ago     Topsy Turvy   Ahimsa – Might is Not Right     The British Might In Early 1900s     Turning Topsy Turvy     The Ironic Weapon     What is this Ahimsa?     Ahimsa Rahasya – Secret of Ahimsa

    Solidarity Movement, Poland     Non Co-operation in South Africa     Martin Luther King in America     A Place for the Oppressed to Express     Statue of Mahatma Gandhi – 21st Century Global Icon for Ahimsa     Recurrent effectiveness of Ahimsa     Isms     Ahimsa for Future?     Soft Power, the New Age Paradigm     Ahimsa, where Right is Left     Ahimsa  – Non violent, Not Passive     Khadi – A Soft Tool of Ahimsa     To Bear and Brand in Our Mind   Yoga, A Universal Brand From Bharat     The Roots     The Practice     Yoga Travels World Over     World Yoga Day   Philosophy   Spirituality     The Essence of Spirituality     Striking A Balance     From the Land of Thinkers, Guru and Masters      An Unbalanced War     Spiritual Weapons     Ever Relevant – An Art, A Practice, A Technology     The Transcending Spirit

PART 3 - WHO LED INDIA?   Guru     A Long Lineage     Untraceable Knowledge     Why did India Need Gurus?     Famous Personages, Famous Guru     Guru – The Conscience Keepers of Society     Heavy with Benevolence and Wisdom     The Guiding Gurus     Foremost Guru     Fine Levels in Guru

    Guru Parampara – An Over 7100 Year Old Tradition   India’s Beautiful Tree   The Brand Called Bharat     A Wave of Brands     In Medieval Ages Otherwise   Epilogue

Autobiography of India BRAND BHARAT Vol 4 LEADS FROM INDIA D.K.HARI D.K.HEMA HARI BHARATH GYAN SERIES Bridging Worlds Thru Knowledge Experience The Knowledge Of India Original title :  Brand Bharat Vol 4 - Leads From India First Edition : September 2017 ISBN - 978-93-85254-75-8 Copyrights 2017 © Bharath Gyan & Sri Sri Publications Trust All rights reserved. Editing, Illustrations, Graphics & Layout :

Virendra Singh Thakur, Rahul Kaimal, Manjunath Fattepur, C.Jeyakar and Pooja Bhatia - Bharath Gyan Studio Published by : Sri Sri Publications Trust Art of Living International Centre 21st km, Kanakapura Road, P.O. Udayapura, Bangalore - 560082. INDIA Email: [email protected] Website: www.sattvastore.com Toll Free : 1800-258-8888 No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher. Printed In India by

Dedication

This entire series, “Autobiography of India”, is dedicated to Aditya and Varun, our twin, 5 year old nephews, representatives of the future generations, to whom we want to leave behind this legacy – knowledge about their civilization and its ethos. Aditya is a name for the Divine Sun and Varun is a name for the Divine Rain. Aditya and Varun are constant reminders of how blessed this land, Bharatavarsha is, to receive bountiful rain and shine consistently. Rain and Shine are what our ancestors had leveraged ingeniously to make this a long-lasting, prosperous civilization. They were a role model for millennia! Aditya and Varun seem to convey this message from the Sun and the Rains.

Leverage us, your rain and shine, To stay Prosperous and Fine, For generations in line All the way through time!

We can see a Rainbow, Indradhanush, only when Rain and Shine come together! Rainbow seen from the Art of Living, Bengaluru, Photo Courtesy - Sameer Mehta

Benedictory Note

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Founder, The Art of Living

India is the cradle of humanity and knowledge of all kinds flourished holistically here from time immemorial. Science and Spirituality were never in conflict in this country and that is why Her ancient wisdom is timeless. India scaled the peaks of philosophical thought and art while also being a land of abundant prosperity for centuries. Most Indians are not familiar with

the brilliance that existed here and attracted attention from Europe, West Asia and South East Asia across times. DK Hari and Hema Hari have put in years of research to uncover India’s ancient legacy, which is presented in this series called ‘Autobiography of India’. I am happy at their efforts to revive unknown and unique aspects of our history. My blessings and best wishes for all their noble endeavors. 9 September 2017 Bengaluru, India

About Bharath Gyan

Bharath Gyan is an endeavour to bridge old and new worlds by repurposing knowledge from the past, for the present and future, so that it can be experienced and applied. Indian knowledge, her ethos and global ties are of special focus in this interdisciplinary and rational, civilizational study. Bharath Gyan presents a wholistic perspective of India in a manner appealing to the modern mind. Bharath Gyan has been collating specific, scientific knowledge of India, using ancient knowledge sources as well as modern scientific tools and methods. The knowledge of the Indian civilization is available scattered in various forms – books, manuscripts, oral tradition amongst scholars, various art forms, customs and traditions of the land.

The current generation is faced with a barrier while reaching out to this knowledge due to the limited access to such sources. The ancient languages, the style of expression used and their approach to the subjects which differ from the present way of expression, pose a challenge too. In Bharath Gyan, as part of our quest for the specific scientific knowledge and practices of the civilization, we have come across many stories, ideas, views, theories, factual events and statements. With the help of traditional scholars with a modern bent of mind and modern scientists open to traditional knowledge systems, we have endeavoured to carefully sift through all this data, with an inquisitive, rational, logical and scientific mind to understand the knowledge from a fresh interdisciplinary perspective. The outcome of this analysis is the compilation of Bharath Gyan. Over 15 years, spanning across 108 subjects, the independent facts and data collated, self validate and corroborate each other beautifully in this compilation, as pieces of a jigsaw. Bharath Gyan, is a knowledge foundation that brings this knowledge out through engaging mediums, so that it can be easily understood and enjoyed by all, across the world. The objective is to present this knowledge and wisdom, from a present day perspective, with relevance to current topics of interest and tribulations faced by India as well as the world. Besides filling the readers with wonder at the not-so-commonly known  facets of our ancient civilization, it is hoped that this knowledge and approach of the ancients will kindle or aid future research for the benefit of science and mankind. Can we make the past converge with the present for the future? Ours is perhaps not the first effort in this direction, neither should it be the last … Encouraged by His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Bharath Gyan - Art of Living is an initiative to take this compiled knowledge, to the community at

large. Our website www.bharathgyan.com provides more insights into our activities.

About the Authors

Authors, D.K.Hari and D.K.Hema Hari

D.K.Hari and D.K.Hema Hari are founders of Bharath Gyan, a civilizational study initiative to compile and present the knowledge of India, its traditions, its culture, its global ties - in short, its ethos, from an Indian perspective. The Hari couple have travelled extensively to over 30 countries and visited museums, expositions and other attractions worldwide to understand those civilizations, their culture and knowledge. It was this exposure that motivated this husband-wife duo of management and IT professionals to turn into research collators and conceptualize “Bharath Gyan” as an endeavour to fill the void in the showcasing of the knowledge, practices and culture of the Indian civilization across the millennia. They collate information on the knowledge in India through the ages and disseminate it for suitable appreciation and application.

Their method to collating this knowledge is purely driven by questioning. Allowing questioning to lead thought and search, has yielded this collection, which is again presented through questions and answers, using multimedia technology for effective sharing of information and grasp. With factual content on 108 different subjects on the state of knowledge in India, its traditions and its sustainable practices compiled over 15 years of dedicated research, the Hari couple have evolved into subject matter experts on the overall understanding of India across ages from over 8000 years ago to the present. They have given a few hundred lectures across India and the globe, to wide audiences ranging from the research community, to educational institutions, to Corporates, social organizations and in various conferences on technology, management, history, tradition, culture and religion. Based on their research, they have authored till date, 22 books and produced 5 documentaries as well as many short films that span a wide spectrum of disciplines, such as: Creation -  Srishti Vignana (a book on the science of Creation from Indian thought) A trilogy on Historicity of Rama º  Historical Rama º  Ramayana In Lanka º  Ayodhya – War and Peace A trilogy on Historical Krishna º  Dating of Krishna º  Footprints of Krishna º  Facets of Krishna

•  You Turn India (on the secret behind the  prosperity of India for millennia)

•   Indo-Japan A Connect Over Millennia (on the ties that these 2 ancient civilizations have shared across the times)

•   Telugu Talli – Her Unknown Side - Facets of Telugu Culture and Prosperity

•  Understanding Shiva (a book that explains the Shiva Tattva) •    2012 – The Real Story (that shows the connect between the Indian and ancient America)

•    Triple

Eclipse 2009 (that presents an intriguing side to the phenomenon of 3 eclipses occurring back to back within a month in the decade between 2009 to 2019)

•  Historical Rama (Film in English, Hindi, Tamil and Kannada) •  Creation – Srishti Vignyana (Film in English and Tamil) •  Understanding Shiva (Film in English) •  Wonders of Indian Astronomy (Film in English). They have started penning a monumental series called the “Autobiography of India” comprising of many multi-volume titles, of which, 2 titles have been published. Brand Bharat (A 5 volume title about how India was a Brand for many things in the past and how it can position itself as a Brand in future too) º  Made in India º  Roots in India º  Unique to India º  Leads from India º  Future from India Breaking The Myths (A 4 volume title about the various myths that have shrouded people’s perception of India and what the reality is.) º  About Identity

º  About Society º  About Prosperity º  About Ability They are active on social media too.

About Autobiography of India

Autobiography of India. Why this name for a book? How can a country write an autobiography? How can one person or in this case, two individuals write the autobiography of a nation? To clarify, we all know that a biography of a person is written by another, after studying the activities, experiences and the turning events in the life of this person. In the case of a person’s autobiography, one pens one’s own thoughts, views and experiences. Now, in the case of a nation, a country, a civilization, they are looked at, as living entities too. Don’t we refer to India as a mother and don’t the Germans refer to their land as a fatherland? A nation lives, experiences and grows through its people. The people of a nation, form the family of the nation, its children. In that sense, when we, the children of this nation, this country, this civilization, write about our family, our ancestors, our society, our nation, our country, our civilization, we are but, writing our own Autobiography, as well as that of our nation, India. Autobiography of India is not separate from our legacy. And, we are fortunate to have such a long legacy. But, it is so long and continuous, that we are going to have to narrate it in themes, to keep the continuity going across ethos and time.

Autobiography of India thus, is developing into a series of themes and a wonderful experience. Further, each of the themes in this series too, has had to be arranged as a multi-volume book, keeping in mind the ease of handling and reading, by one and all. Autobiography of India, as a series, is thus an endless endeavour. For, we are narrating the story of how we have come to be what we are today, going as far back in time as our collective knowledge will allow us to, in order to see what our ancestors had done, to see us safely into, thus far in time – i.e. their future. But, what is the value of this journey, if we cannot bring back leads from them, on how to live in our future so that, someday our progeny too will proudly travel down memory lane to reach upto us. Autobiography of India, the story of this living civilization, will continue beyond our lives, as the next generation starts to live and write, from where we leave off. Hopefully what they add to the story then, will be success stories based on our learnings and from where we would have left off.

Preface

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP FROM INDIA Both, the products made and the ideas shared, besides creating a brand for India, aided the very spread of Indian thought and thought process across the world. This is something that India can be rightfully proud of. For, it is thought process that shapes the evolution of thought, sciences, practices and lifestyle, which in turn, have a bearing on the pace of evolution of mankind. If there are a few civilizations or nations that can proudly say that it has offered something to the evolution of the thought process of humanity, then the Indian civilization does earn a pride of place, perhaps right on top. But how did this happen? Who carried these thoughts? Who were these great Indians, who had provided this thought leadership?

SEEKING SEERS The various Rishi – Muni of the land who have been travelling far and wide, in search of new knowledge as well as to share their knowledge.

MANY MIGRANTS The people who migrated after the desiccation of the Sindhu Sarasvati rivers to as far away as West Asia, Europe, North Africa and South East Asia, carrying India with them along with the tales and legends of India. We see traces of their sojourn in the similarity of heroes, so called “mythological characters”, nature of worship, Nature worship, chants, festivals, language and crafts.

Similar festivals (Diwali and Hanukkah), Similar Heroes (Hari Krishna and Heracles) Similar Temples (India and Egypt)

SLAVES AND SCHOLARS

Slaves and Scholars being taken across Hindukhush by raiders from the Near West

The scholars, women, peasants and even royals, who were forcibly taken away as captives by the invaders who came from the Near West, Central Asia and Greece, carrying India in their memories along with the burden of slavery on their heads. We see traces left behind in the records of those lands as well as translations of their scholarly works into Arabic, Latin and French.

TRAVELLING MONKS The Buddhist monks who travelled far and wide from Central Asia in the west to East Asia and South East Asia carrying India with them along with the message of the Buddha. The Buddhist temples, traditions and divinities are resounding proofs of this commemoration.

Buddhist Monks travelling in all directions to spread Buddhism

TIRELESS TRADERS The continuous, unabated waves of traders who have been going on trade expeditions to the far away lands such as Americas, Africa, Egypt, Arabia, Persia, China, Japan, South East Asia,  Central and West Asia, from the East and West coasts of India for centuries and millennia, carrying India with them along with their merchandise. We see traces of their tireless trade in records from those lands, evidences of the products and the unchallenged prosperity of India for millennia.

Items traded from India -  Spices, Sugar, Steel, Silk and Cotton among others

SLAIN SOLDIERS The army men who were forced to go with the British all over the world, to fight for them and help them expand their empire, with the Portuguese as far as Japan to help them carry out missionary activities there and with  such other colonizers, carrying India with them in their heart and on their broad shoulders. We see traces of their services and sacrifices in monuments erected for them in far away lands. The Royal Pavilion at Brighton in UK being one of the most elaborate one to even a neat and solemn cemetery tucked away in the hills in Malaysia or by a quaint river in Thailand. At Brighton, England

The Royal Pavilion at Brighton, UK

Injured Indian soldiers at the makeshift hospital in Royal Pavilions’ Music Room in 1915

At Taiping, Malaysia

Cemetery in Taiping, Malaysia with slogan “Their Name Liveth For Evermore”

Graves for India War Heroes at the Taiping Cemetery

At Kanchanaburi, Thailand

Commonwealth War Grave at Kanchanaburi, Thailand

Record at Kanchanaburi of how prisoners of war worked to build the Bridge on the River Kwai

Plaque for Indian Soldiers who laid down their lives erecting the Bridge Across the River Kwai

The Bridge On The River Kwai Made into a popular film by same name

River Kwai, flowing at Kanchanaburi

PLANTED PEASANTS The plantation workers who travelled to most tropical lands, as indentured labour for the British and other European masters, carrying, preserving and propagating India in these far away lands  amidst challenging conditions. We see traces of their migration and successful retention of their culture against adversities and hardships, in the far and widely spread diaspora of Indians.

Indian and African indentured labourers toiling in Sugarcane plantations in the Caribbean Source – A 19th century lithograph by Theodore Bray, courtesy Tropenmuseum, part of the National Museum of World Cultures

PERSEVERING PIONEERS Right from the times of the masseur, Deen Mahomet of the 1750s, who was the inspiration behind Shampoo in England, to the drivers, house maids, nurses, restaurateurs, small time businessmen who travelled to different lands in search of opportunities in the wake of unsettling times in their states, carrying and delivering doses of India to all those they came in contact with. We see lingering traces of their entrepreneurship in the number of Indian facilities and blue collar workers dotting the cityscape of most major cities of the world.

Indian Entrepreneurs and Workers Across the World

PROFICIENT PROFESSIONALS The doctors, scientists, professionals, industrialists in various fields who travelled in the last few decades, to different continents starting with the West to all the way in the East, showcasing their Indian brains as they helped their hosts advance as well as exposed their Indian brethren to the possibilities of the new era. Traces of their excellence can be seen in the honours conferred on them and the global institutions they have managed to lead.

GUIDING GURUS The ceaseless and quiet flow of Indian traditional experts in art, religion, philosophy, Yoga and Ayurveda across the ages, who have been quietly

sowing the seeds of Indian tradition and implanting the subtler aspects of India, where ever they go. Proof of their tireless ambassadorship can be seen in the number of artistic Indian temples and spiritual centres across the world and the popularity of Yoga, Ayurveda and Spirituality as one the most sought after brands of India today. India is praised as a civilization that won over the world with its culture, without sending an army over. In India, this guiding principle came to be called

Indian temples spreading the message from India, world over

ALL MEN GREAT AND SMALL Today, one can thus see Indian disapora, who over 3 waves, have spread all across the world. Those who migrated millennia ago, blended so homogenously with the local inhabitants such that what showcases their Indian origin is the similarities we see in language, legends, festivals and some traditions. Those who migrated in the last 400 years, can be distinguished by their Indian identity, roots, language and customs that they have retained and kept

alive in these foreign lands besides owing their allegiance to the foreign land. Their physical connect with India lies in the occasional visit to their roots. Those who migrated in the post Indian independence era stand out for having blended seamlessly into the global culture of the modern era, yet having retained their bonds with India through kith and kin left behind and the day to day customs, food and lifestyle they have carried and practiced with them on a day to day basis, sometimes preserving them in a time warp, more than what even Indians in India have managed to do. Every one of these Indians, who dared to cross the seas, has provided thought leadership to the world in their own way, great or small. Over and above all these Indians, there are the foreign travellers who have visited India on one pretext or the other such as – adventure travel, trade, administration, knowledge, war and such others. They have been carried back stories of what they saw, heard and used on their travels besides carrying back what manuscripts, merchandise, souvenirs and even prisoners of war. All of these Indians and foreigners have held the torch to India as the real brand ambassadors of the many brands of India through the ages.

LEADS FROM INDIA This book “Leads From India” is one among the volumes of the Brand Bharat compendium of the Autobiography of India Series in the Bharath Gyan collection – Vol 1, Made in India Vol 2, Roots in India Vol 3, Unique to India Vol 4, Leads from India Vol 5, Future from India

Part by part, section by section, it probes into what the brand “India” really meant for the foreigners. Led to India, traces what led people to India in the pre Christian era, much before even the colonial conquests. Led by India, delves into what it was that had that kept India fresh in the memories of the west even when it went through a period of Dark Ages between 500 CE to 1300 CE, to come searching for India, soon after?  It seeks out that subtle matter from India, which had inspired and led the intellectual development of the world during renaissance. Who Led India?,  eventually reveals the secret behind who were those who led India to such a state that she could lead others. It also sets the stage for what to expect from India in future.

Foreword

Acknowledgements

We have been singularly fortunate to have been born in this land of ancient wisdom and seers. We owe a lot to our parents who have brought us into this world and provided us with the right education, upbringing and guidance. The values and traditions of this ancient civilization inculcated in us by our family and teachers are what have formed the basis for our work at Bharath Gyan. We are indebted to our family and friends for their continued support and encouragement in our endeavour. Having embarked on our quest, many scholars, thinkers and students of the knowledge of India have come forward and helped us in our collation of the Bharath Gyan knowledgebase. Some have helped by offering data, while some others, through their questions that made us think and look for the data. Many traditional scholars have patiently tolerated our inquisitiveness and have laboriously searched and retrieved from the ancient texts, the data we had requested of them and explained the same to us in simple layman terms. Without their mastery over old and new, their knowledge, their mind-set and support, this bridge from the ancient to the present day would never have been built. Then faced with the task of dissemination, many friends and experts have come forward to help review our works and take it to stages of production. We owe a lot to their support without which our compilation could not have seen the light of the day. We are indebted to His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar for the faith reposed in us and our work and for offering us a platform, to share the knowledgebase we have collated, with the community at large.

We would be failing in our character, if we do not acknowledge more importantly, the unseen forces which have connected us up with these right sources of information and noble people just in time, just as we were looking for the information and help. The list is therefore very long and words fail us to thank everyone sufficiently. Hence we take refuge in the all encompassing words of the 18th century Indian poet Saint Thyagaraja – Entharo Mahanu Bhavulu Anthariki Vanadanamulu There are many noble persons as well as ancestors (behind this work) and we salute them all.

PART 1 - LED TO INDIA

A Land of Learning

The knowledge of India was sought after by different civilizations of the world through millennia.

THE ARABIC QUEST Arabs and Persians have continuously sought this knowledge. Many of the texts of India were translated into Arabic and Persian and from there they kept making their way into Europe.

THE CHINESE QUEST The Chinese have sought this knowledge and transported it back to China. Xuan Zang (Huien Tsang) was a Chinese scholar who visited India during the rule of Harsha Vardhana. He travelled all over India and even spent time at Nalanda University. He was so impressed with this knowledge that he carried back a whole lot of manuscripts when he returned to China.

Even after Huien Tsang returned to China, he kept up his communication with India. There is an interesting communication between Huien Tsang and Prajnadeva that throws light on the flow of texts from India to China.

Xuan Zang (Huien Tsang ) being welcomed in China on his return from India in 645 CE

Huien Tsang enroute to China had lost many of the manuscripts. So, he requests Prajnadeva, his old friend from Nalanda University to send him some.

Communication from Huien Tsang to Prajnadeva

THE GREEK QUEST Around 323 BCE, Aristotle, Alexander’s teacher, had instructed him to bring back works and scholars of this land if he ever made it upto India. We see through the times, scholars world over have sought out knowledge from India.

TAKSHASILA- THE 1ST INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF THE WORLD A Beacon To The World Shining as a torch-bearer, for an international University of repute, was the Takshasila University of Bharat, which flourished until 455 CE.

Attracting Students From World Over Takshasila University was so popular, that it attracted the best of students, not from within Bharat alone but also from neighbouring civilizations. Students from China to Southeast Asia to Arabia, to Persia, Kashgar, Central Asia to Rome, came to Takshasila to study. This truly made it the 1st international university.

Takshasila University in India – attracting students for Ayurveda from Rome to China

Understanding Takshasila The word Takshasila, comes from, Taksha, ‘to be incisive’ and sila, ‘the whetstone used to sharpen a blade’.

A Whetting, Sharpening Stone – A Takshasila

The minimum age for entry into this university was 16 years, which means, students came here only for advanced studies. They came here to complete their education and not to begin it. The popular subjects of this university were, Medicine - Ayurveda Military, strategy – Dhanurveda Arts, Music, Fine Arts – Gandharva Veda

Jeevaka, the Physician Among the students of Ayurveda, the prominent student who made it big, was Prince Jeevaka, son of King Bimbisara, who went on to become the personal physician of Gautama Buddha. Jeevaka the physician was so famous that his statue finds prime place in front of the Buddha shrine in the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand.

Jeevaka, Patron Hermit of Medicine, Wat Phra Kew, Grand Palace, Bangkok

Locational Advantage - On Trade Route Takshasila was ideally located on the ancient trade route. Infact, it was at the meeting point of 3 busy trade routes of the ancient world. This locational advantage helped in The fame of this University spreading to all lands along these routes

Making it easy for students to come from other civilizations on these trade routes Raising funds for the University from the prosperous trade across times.

Takshasila, at the intersection of 3 Trade Routes

Beginnings of Takshasila – From Mahabharata Times The beginnings of this first University of the world, goes way back into the mists of time. This city was named as Takshasila, after king Taksha, who conquered this region and ruled these parts. The Mahabharata epic, was first recited at a huge Yagna performed here by Janamejaya, the son of Parikshit, the grandson of Abhimanyu and the great grandson of Arjuna, one of the Pandavas, who fought the Mahabharata war. A Yagna is a focused effort with purpose, an assemblage for rituals, All this should have happened close to the Mahabharata period of 3000 BCE, for, the 4th generation from Arjuna, who shed his mortal coils in 3031 BCE, should have been around 2950 BCE, taking 80 years for 4 generations from 3031 BCE.

An International University With this great Yagna, which had called in, a large assemblage of scholars, this place naturally evolved into a place for scholars and men of learning. Since then Takshasila, has shone like a beacon for higher education, across the land, across civilizations, for nearly two and half millennia. Has any university enjoyed such excellence and allure, is a moot point? No wonder then that they called it a Vishwa Maha Vidyalaya, literally meaning a Great, Global Abode of Learning, an International University. While it was called an University, it was infact a complete town of learning, a University town to be precise. The pupils stayed at the house of the teacher, preceptor and paid for their boarding and lodging in cash or in the form of service to the teacher and his family. Monasteries in this town too took care of students.

A Gory End

Aerial View of the Ruins of Takshasila

Sadly though, this University, along with its name, fame, manuscripts and libraries, was razed to the ground by the Huns. This university, was attacked and destroyed by the Huns in 455 CE and it now lies as ruins near Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.

A Glorious History -If an university, destroyed way back, over 1550 years ago, had attained such levels of fame that it had spread world over, then just imagine,

•  how many years it would have taken to earn this status? •  how important the subjects taught there would have been? •  how well it must have taught? •  how well it must have functioned? •  how much wealth would have gone to support it?

•   how much wealth the land would have had – monetary wealth and knowledge wealth?

NALANDA – ANOTHER INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY From where Takshasila left off, the Nalanda University took over. From Huien Tsang’s records, we learn that, when he came to Nalanda in 630 CE, there were 10000 resident students there from India, Sri Lanka, Tibet, China, Japan, Korea, Sumatra and Java. There were 1510 teachers and 1500 workers within the campus and the Chancellor then was Sila Bhadra Maha Thera, who was a foremost Buddhist scholar.

    Xuan Zang (Huien Tsang) and Silabhadra Maha Thera

Strictly by Admission Test Only Admissions to Nalanda, were by Oral exams and the scholars who examined the applicants were referred to as Dvara Pandita, Dvara in Samskrt means door, entrance. Only 20% of foreign and 30% of Indian applicants used to pass the entrance tests and qualify for admission. Caste, creed, nationality were no barriers.

World Class System The University was supported by revenue, from the 100 odd villages that surrounded it.

From this, we can see a University that was truly world class and a well entrenched system of higher education in India, in great demand all over the world.

Nalanda University

OTHER INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITIES Nalanda or Takshasila were not the only centres of learning in India. Seats of learning were strewn across the length and breadth of the land. Some like the Nalanda or Takshasila were institutions established by certain kingdoms while in other cases, such as Kasi or Varanasi, Kanchi, Ujjain etc. the entire city itself was a seat of learning with scholars of different schools having made it their home. India had a brand image of a land of learning, education, universities and knowledge.

Knowledge Centre

For India to have thrived as a learning centre with many seats of knowledge across the land, it implies that fundamentally, knowledge must have been cultivated and handed over across generations and across the land, in a methodical manner. For knowledge to be transferred from generation to generation in different parts of the land, what is essential is a robust education system. This robust education system is the delivery mechanism for knowledge. For, if this does not exist, then knowledge will be available only in patches and spurts. That it has been sustained across the land tells us clearly that there was a robust education system in place, to impart this knowledge without break, generation after generation. What was this robust education system like?

THE ROBUST EDUCATION SYSTEM It was a multi tiered system. Starting from the

•  Pathashala (non residential school) to •  Gurukula (residential school) to •  Vidyalaya (high schools) to •  Mahavidyalaya (colleges) and to •  Vishwavidyalaya (universities), Bharat had a well organized system of education, catering to the aspirations of every citizen of the land and the needs of every profession as well as the nation as a whole. The multi tiered education system of Bharat

Ancient Universities of India

The villages of India, before the British, were dotted with Gurukula, basic education schools. Every region and kingdom prided in the Mahavidyalaya, the higher learning institutions that were nearby at hand. Besides, India was also renowned for its Vishwavidyalaya, Universities, such as Nalanda, Takshasila and learning centres such as Varanasi, Kanchipuram, Chidambaram, Prayag, Ujjain, Mathura and so on. It was such a beautiful deep rooted system of the land, that Mahatma Gandhi called it “A Beautiful Tree”.

Takshasila was destroyed by the Huns in 455 CE. Nalanda was destroyed by Bhaktiyar Khilji in 1037 CE. It is after the destruction of these that people across the world understood what a University was and what had been destroyed. Soon the idea of a University permeated to the west and to Europe.

Till 1000 CE, the whole of West Asia, East Asia, South East Asia, Central Asia and Europe had looked at India as the land of knowledge, with a quest for knowledge and an education system that imparted the knowledge. Bharat was a brand that was associated with education and knowledge.

PART 2 - LED BY INDIA

Samskrt – A Basis for Western Thought

From medieval times, once Europe came in direct contact with India, the intelligentsia of Europe showed particular interest in the knowledge of India, most of which was enshrined in the Samskrt language. A galaxy of thinkers and scientists delved into this language, this knowledge and Indian culture as it emanated from this knowledgebase. It would not be off the mark to say that Samskrt and Samskrti have shaped European thought. How do we come to this conclusion?

SAMSKRT STUDIES IN EUROPE Sam means good, well. Krt means to do. Samskrt is the language which is well done, well refined, well structured. Samskrti refers to a refined, well informed way of doing things. The term Samskrti denotes the entire cornucopia of Indian knowledge, tradition, culture, literature, arts, ethos, values, morals which were in sync with Nature and their application in day to day life. Samskrt is a language. It is a vehicle to express Samskrti. Wherever Samskrt goes, Samskrti travels too. By the early 1800s all major universities of Europe had a Chair for Samskrt Studies. As an outcome of their research and through their interactions, these chairs collectively came to the opinion that the till then held view of Hebrew being the source of all European languages, needed to be changed. Their perception was changed and they started recognizing  that instead it was Samskrt that was more like the mother language. Consequent to this, a shift happened from Hebrew to Samskrt. This led to further studies in Samskrt. This was not limited to language or philosophy

alone. The students who flocked to Samskrt literature covered all disciplines including sciences. Infact, by the 19th century in Europe, some of the best minds pursued Samskrt studies or were influenced by Samskrt literature. We can see this from the number of “modern” scientists and thinkers, who had learnt Samskrt and waded through Indian traditional knowledge to deepen their intellect – Voltaire

Schopenhauer

Henry Thoreau

TS Eliot

Schroedinger

Oppenheimer

Carl Jung

Emerson

Hegel

Neils Bohr

Leo Tolstoy

Mark Twain

Heisenberg

To Name a few

J. D. Salinger

................

Each of them has left behind their impression of this knowledgebase directly in their comments. The impact of the Indian knowledgebase on them, can also be seen directly or indirectly in what they produced in their respective spheres.

Immanuel Kant

Immanuel Kant (1724 - 1804), who was a propounder of Transcendental Idealism and influenced several thinkers of Europe with his contributions in the field of metaphysics, epistemology, ethics and aesthetics and thereby almost every philosophical movement after his times.

Kant was influenced by the Gita as his ideologies were similar to Krishna’s message in Gita of Free will, morals and duty but as applied to the context of his land, people and times. Kant too speaks of not seeking the fruit of any action but to do one’s duty as it was the intention behind the act that mattered. Kantian ideology of ethics and code of conduct was like the Gita for post medieval Europe. Kant’s ideas had a great impact on many thinkers who followed him, who it is interesting to note, had taken to Samskrt studies too.

Wilhem von Humboldt Source-University of Berlin

Wilhelm von Humboldt (1767- 1835), who was a Prussian minister of education and a brilliant linguist who had learnt Samskrt. He is credited with having founded the science of general linguistics and the renowned Humboldt University of Berlin. The Bhagavad Gita made such a great impression on Wilhelm von Humboldt, that he commented that this episode of the Mahabharata was “the most beautiful, perhaps the only true philosophical song existing in any known tongue ....perhaps the deepest and loftiest thing the world has to show.” He said he was grateful to God for having made him get acquainted with this language and the Gita. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schelegel (1771 – 1829), a German poet, philosopher, historian and dramatist, who with his brother Augustus von Schelegel, pioneered the Romantic movement in European writing, based on physical and spiritual love.

Friedrich Schlegel by Josef Axmann (1829)

Friedrich Schlegel learnt Samskrt, founded Samskrt studies in Germany and set up printing press to publish Bhagavad Gita and Ramayana. Friedrich edited a publication in German, on the Language and Philosophy of Indians. He was a specialist in Indo-Aryan studies and comparative philology. Friedrich von Schelegel was of the opinion that Indian culture was superior to Western culture, its language older and that Samskrt was so old that the Indo-Europeans must have originated in India and he called them Aryan. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 1832 )a German poet who took to Samskrt plays, especially by the poet Kalidasa. He was also influenced by Friedrich von Schlegel’s work on Samskrt and romanticism.

Wolfgang von Goethe by Stieler in 1832

Arthur Schopenhauer (1788 – 1860), a German philosopher and author, who influenced by Indian Samskrt literature, maintained that “the truth was recognized by the sages of India”. He in turn influenced many other thinkers such as Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Thomas Mann and so on. Arthur Schopenhauer

Franz Bopp (1791 – 1867), a German by birth, who was greatly influenced by Samskrt and Indian thought from

Franz Bopp By Rudolf Strauch

Theodor Goldstucker

A Young Max Mueller By Walker & Cockerell

an early age itself and loved Samskrt for its sake, apart from the culture and knowledge in its literature. He also studied Arabic and Persian and was the first professor of general linguistics and Asian Culture in Berlin. He opined that while Samskrt may not have been the mother language of the Indo-European languages, it was the one closest to it. Theodor Goldstucker (1821 – 1872), with not many portraits available easily, was a German Samskrt scholar, who on the invitation of H.H.Wilson, moved to London as professor of Samskrt in University College London. He was founder of Sanskrit Text Society and part of many learned bodies. Theodor Goldstucker along with H.H.Wilson influenced Samskrt studies in England. Max Muller (1823 – 1900), a German born, London based philologist and orientalist who formalized the academic field of study of India as Indology, translated the Veda into English in 45 volumes and published many other works based on his theories of India. His translations and theories influenced the mindset of English readers around the world and British officers deputed to govern the colonies. Indian mindset to this day also bears the influence of his theories and thought. Mark Twain (1835 - 1910 ), the renowned American whose quotes are even today maximum quoted. Mark Twain had this to say about India.

“India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grand mother of tradition. Our most valuable and most astrictive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only!” Mark Twain by Mathew Brady, Source - US Library of Congress

Albert Einstein by Orren Jack Turner, Source – US Library of Congress

Erwin Schroedinger

Albert Einstein (1879 – 1955), the German born theoretical physicist, credited with having shaped 20th century thought with his Theory of Relativity, who said that, “I have made the Gita and the Samskrt literature the main source of my inspiration and guidance for the purpose of scientific investigation and formation of my theories.” Erwin Schroedinger (1887 – 1961), the Nobel Prize winning quantum physicist from Austria, who gave an equation for the dual, particle and wave nature of light. He remarked that, “The multiplicity is only apparent. This is the doctrine of the Upanishads.” His last book “Meine Weltansicht – My View of the World” was based on Vedanta. T.S.Eliot (1888 – 1965), the renowned American born, English poet, playwright and social critic, who said that his poem “The Waste Land” written in 1922 was inspired by his reading of the Upanishad. He ends this poem with the Samskrt mantra, “Shantih, Shantih, Shantih”.

T.S.Eliot

The list goes on ... It is interesting to note how most of the names in this list are mainly from Germany or nearby German speaking areas. It is noteworthy that much of the philosophy, art and sciences of post medieval, Industrial Revolution period Europe had been influenced by the Germans who in turn acknowledge being influenced by Samskrt and Indian Samskrti, tradition, civilization.

AN ELEMENT OF WONDER Fundamentals of Elements in Nature

Dmitri Mendeleev, Photo Courtesy – Wiki

Much of Chemistry today, owes its structured development, to the discovery of the Russian scientist Dmitri Mendeleev, a chemist and an inventor. Mendeleev’s contribution to science has been the identification of the structured logic behind the differing characteristics of the different elements in Nature.

He not only identified the characterists of elements known during his times, which were 56 in number then, as against the 118 known today, but also arrived at a framework to group and arrange them logically, based on their characteristics. Furthermore, he also postulated the rule for discovering more elements, based on which, he himself predicted the existence of elements unknown then, which were discovered later by others, confirming the validity of his postulate. He thus laid the table for understanding and exploring the chemistry in Nature. His arrangement of elements came to be called Mendeleev’s table and is one of the first lessons in Chemistry today. It was called a periodic table, as his way of arranging the elements, in order of increasing atomic weight, exposed a repeating pattern in the nature of elements in Nature.

An Elemental Pattern in Nature

The highlights of this table includes arrangement of the naturally occurring elements such that

•  elements with similar behaviour are grouped together in columns •    for example, alkaline metals, alkaline earth, basic metals, semi metals, non metals, transitional metals, halogens, noble gases etc.

•  elements in the lead rows are considered as “typical” for the group •    for example, Sodium as a typical alkali, Chlorine as a typical halogen, Helium as a typical noble gas etc.

•   subsequent rows contain elements that exhibit the same pattern of traits, like the typical elements

•    the

table could be extrapolated to predict existence of newer elements in Nature based on this pattern.

Discovery of the Periodic Table Mendeleev discovered this Periodic table in the year 1869. The story behind this discovery is that, while playing with his cards, on each of which he had jotted down details of each element, he suddenly realized that they could all be arranged in a 2 dimensional array pattern of growing atomic weight and similar trait. Working further on this idea, he finally laid the elements out as a Periodic Table. Indian scientists, well versed with Samskrt, such as  Dr.Subash Kak as well as linguists such as Prof.Paul Kiparsky, to name a few, present one more side to Mendeleev’s work, which shows the influence of Samskrt on it.

The Inherent Design in Samskrt The Samskrt alphabets can be split into vowels called Swarah, meaning that which make sound and consonants called Vyanjanam, meaning that which help in shaping the manifestation of the sound.

The Swarah or vowels can be heard by themselves, whereas the Vyanjanam or consonants cannot be heard unless joined with a swarah.

Alphabetical List

English

In English language the five vowels are A, E, I, O and U. These vowels are interspersed in the midst of the twenty-six alphabets and their placement has no particular reason. A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P,Q,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,Z Likewise, the consonants too in the English language, are not only placed in an adhoc sequence of form and sound, but also make varied ending sounds such as

•  B which has an ending sound like “ee” in Bee, whereas, •  F which has a different ending sound like in “deaf” and •   J,K etc. which have yet another ending sound like ay in “Hay” and so on... . Samskrt On the contrary, the organization of alphabets in the Samskrt language is not haphazard but exhibits a well designed pattern. It is a pattern where the alphabets are laid out in the form of a table / chart.

Vowels, Swarah – The Sound Producers The vowels come first as the top two rows and are referred to as the ‘life’ alphabets, for, they give life to every word. The sounds of the vowels are made from the throat by modulating the air that rises from the navel.

Consonants, Vyanjanam – The Sound Chisellers After this come the consonants, vyanjanam, in the sequence in which their sounds are produced - from the throat, the palate, the roof of the palate, the teeth and the lips. The details can be seen from this chart.

Sound Production in Mouth Place of pronunciation (shaping of the sound)

Consonant Series (illustrated combined with vowel a)

Throat

Talu

Ka

Palate

Talu

Cha

Cerebral Murdha or Roof of Palate

Tha

Place of pronunciation (shaping of the sound)

Consonant Series (illustrated combined with vowel a)

Teeth

Dhanta

Ta

Lips

Oshta

Pa

The consonants only define the various positions of the tongue within the buccal cavity, the mouth. When the sound from the vowel flows through the buccal cavity, this simple vowel sound is morphed based on the position of the tongue and how it regulates the flow of sound. Thus, it is only when the consonants are combined with the vowels, that these consonants produce the different audible, alphabetical sounds. Further to this, there are consonants arranged based on whether they are nasal, semi nasal, sibilant (i.e. hissing sound), aspirate (sound of exhalation of breath).

Samskrt Alphabets in Devanagari, grouped by their sounds and characteristics

The grouping is made based on   Prayatna, Effort made to produce sound   Sthan, Location of tongue   Bala, Force with which sound is released   Kala, Duration of sound The segregation of the vowels at the head of alphabets sequence is one among the many masterstrokes of the Indian civilization, many thousands years ago. This gave the Samskrt language a structure right from the stage of alphabets itself. This arrangement has been explained by Panini, the grammarian, as the order in Samskrt.

This is very much akin, to how Mendeleev explained the order in Nature, found manifested in the nature of naturally occurring elements.

Panini, The Samskrt Philologist – An Illustration

Influence of Samskrt on Mendeleev

As we go down the Samskrt Alphabet table (Varnamala), the time taken to pronounce the alphabet, directly increases. Each row is called a Varga and denotes a group of consonants with a commonality in how the tongue has to be moved within the mouth, which determines the effort and time to produce the sound. As we go right across the Samskrt Alphabet table (Varnamala), the force with which the sound is released, also increases. The Samskrt Varnamala table is a 2 dimensional array based on columns of increased aspiration of air while pronouncing and rows of decreasing area of contact of tongue with the contours of the mouth. The Periodic table is also a 2 dimensional array of elements. It is also arranged in rows of increasing atomic number of the element as well as columns which denote families or grouping of elements based on their properties and atomic structure. In other words, just as Panini showed order in Samskrt alphabets based on their point of articulation and level of aspiration, Mendeleev showed order in naturally occurring elements based on their atomic weight as well as their properties determined by their valency or atomic structure. Comparison of the Periodic table and the organization of alphabets in Samskrt, along with how exceptions have been handled in both cases, has led many linguists as well as scientists to the conclusion that Mendeleev was influenced by Panini’s grammar rules, as he worked on unravelling the order in Chemistry. The fact that for many years, one of Mendeleev’s friends in the University of St.Petersburg, where he was teaching Chemistry, was Prof. Otto Böhtlingk, a professor of Samskrt, who was working on the second edition of his book on Panini, as Mendeleev was working on his text book of Chemistry and the Periodic table, favours and increases the possibility of their conclusion.

Samskrt Embedded In The Table They also arrived at this conclusion seeing how Mendeleev had predicted some of the elements yet to be discovered then and had given them Samskrt based names using prefixes such as eka, dvi, tri etc.. Some of the elements he had predicted then include,

•  Eka-aluminium which became Gallium on discovery •  Eka-boron which became Scandium on discovery •  Eka-silicon which became Germanium on discovery •  Eka-manganese which became Technetium on discovery •  Eka-tantalum which became Protactinium on discovery •  Dvi-tellurium which became Polonium on discovery •  Dvi-caesium which became Francium on discovery •  Tri-manganese which became Rhenium on discovery Nothing could be more clinching than this, to show that Mendeleev knew at least some Samskrt. For,

•   he had used the term eka meaning 1 in Samskrt to name the new elements which were similar to Boron, Aluminium, Silicon, Manganese, Tantalum etc. but were 1 scale, 1 level higher in their structure and energies.

•  he had used the term dvi meaning 2 or twice in Samskrt to name the yet to be discovered elements, which were similar to Tellurium, Caesium but were higher in scale of their structure and level of energies by 2 times.

•    he

had used the term tri meaning 3 in Samskrt to denote a new element that would be 3 times higher in scale than Manganese. While in other cases, the multiplicity factor in retrospective seems to have fitted in with the orbital levels, in the case of Rhenium which was originally named Trimanganese, the orbital level is only 2 times higher. But if we see the atomic number of Rhenium, 75 is indeed 3 times that of Manganese, 25.

Further Clinchers

Linguists like Prof.Kiparksy also find close similarity between Mendeleev’s Periodic table and the introductory verses, called Shiva Sutra or Maheshwara Sutra, in Panini’s grammar work Ashtadhyayi. But this premise has met with reservation from some quarters, for, their question is how could Mendeleev have known about the Shiva Sutra? There was no scope for him to interact with followers of Shiva or experts in Panini, sitting in Russia. Tucked away by the shore of the Caspian Sea which borders Russia, is the city of Baku, which lies presently in the country of Azerbaijan. It had maintained strong ties with India.

Baku in Azerbaijan, by the Caspian Sea – A Trade Gateway between Russia and India

Scroll at Ateshgah, highlighting the connect between India and Baku

A  15th century map in Ateshgah, highlighting the route between India and Baku.

A region, rich in oil fields, this city had flourished as a centre for Fire Worship from more than 2 millennia ago. The natural gases emanating from the oil wells there kept and continue to keep the holy fires burning in the Ateshgah, one of the oldest Fire Temples of the world, located in this city.

This Ateshgah in Baku, was a favourite pilgrimage centre for the Vedic fire worshippers from India, many of whom were Samskrt scholars and priests. Panini and his Shiva Sutra would have been one of the most elementary of Slokas, verses, known to them. Records have it that these priests had stayed and officiated here as the main priests of this Fire Temple. Such visits from India had gone on even in the 1800s.

Memories of A Hindi Priest at Ateshgah

One of the models of an Indian priest in the Ateshgah to remind of the Indian connect

View of Ateshgah with rooms for priests and pilgrims along the wall and the fires burning even today

Perched on the outer wall, at the main entrance to this Ateshgah, is a cabin, in which had stayed a Russian chemist called Dmitri Mendeleev. Mendeleev had come to Baku first in 1862 and then many times subsequently to investigate the composition of Petroleum and help local oil producers as well as the Nobel brothers, Ludvig and Robert, who had stakes

in Baku’s oil fields, overcome technical as well as economic issues in oil production.

Old Photos of the Ateshgah, with many oil wells around it.

Mendeleev established the first oil refinery of Russia as well as the first pipeline from Baku to Batumi to export oil and kerosene into Europe and laid the path for petroleum based industry to grow in Russia. He was the first

to propund that it was better to refine oil closer to where it was to be consumed than where it was mined. The oil industry, Surakhani of Baku, owes a lot to this chemist, who worked out of his cabin at the Ateshgah, when in Baku. This fact, infact, is displayed with pride, in the halls of this hallowed Ateshgah.

-Scroll at the Ateshgah, Baku, displaying Mendeleev as visitor to the Ateshgah in 1862, 1870 and 1886

The Ateshgah, Baku

View of the room at the Ateshgah, in which Mendeleev had stayed during his visit to Baku -D.K.Hari and D.K.Hema Hari standing below this room

It was at this time, between 1862 to 1870, that Mendeleev was also working on his textbook to explain Chemistry and his search for the eluding pattern in naturally occurring elements. A success, that he was to attain in 1869. In the words of Mendeleev himself,

Living in the same temple premise in Baku’s Ateshgah, where there were rooms for resident priests, pilgrims and those engaged in penance, Mendeleev would have had many opportunities to interact with the Samskrt priests. No doubt, the energy from the chants of these Vedic priests, in the energy filled, Fire Temple of Baku too, would have influenced Mendeleev’s subconscious mind. Is the similarity in the tables a coincidence then? It is now, a widely accepted fact, that the Periodic Table of Elements has had its inspiration in the alphabet ordering in Samskrt - Varnamala. The influence of the Varnamala of Samskrt and the Shiva Sutra of Panini on developments in science cannot be overlooked, for they still continue to inspire many similar works in science even today. There are many research scholars like Kiparsky, such as Germany’s Wiebke Petersen, who have been studying Panini’s Ashtadyayi and Shiva Sutra for breakthroughs in modelling language frameworks for Information Science.

VEDA, THE FOUNTAINHEAD The very foundation for the knowledge behind the Indian Samskrti, i.e. Indian practices, is the Veda, which was composed in Samskrt. The very word Veda comes from Vid meaning to know. Vidya means knowledge. The importance accorded to Veda even in recent times in the modern world, can be seen from the observations of two prominent scientific minds of the 20th and 21st century.

Oppenheimer’s Opinion J. Robert Oppenheimer, American Nuclear Scientist, father of the “Atom Bomb” had this to say,

J. Robert Oppenheimer, Father of Atom bomb

Kalam’s Quote Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam, former President of India, an Aerospace Scientist and Administrator, popularly known as the Missile Man of India for having developed ballistic missiles and launch vehicles, claims,

Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam, former President of India and a foremost Aerospace Scientist

SAMSKRT THOUGHT A FOUNDATION What this brings out is that, many of the thinkers who shaped European and American ideas, were influenced by Samskrt studies. Some of the people who laid the foundation for the modern western thought had passed through Samskrt studies themselves or had been influenced by those who in turn had been influenced by the language Samskrt and the literature in Samskrt. How did Samskrt literature reach the European universities?

DARA SHIKOH – DU PERRON ROUTE

The credit for this, surprisingly should go to Dara Shikoh, the Mughal Prince.

Dara Shikoh, was the son of Shah Jahan the Mughal king and is Queen Mumtaz Mahal, after whom the Taj Mahal has been built.

Taj Mahal

Dara Shikoh was the heir apparent to the Mughal throne, till his brother Aurangazeb, publicly disgraced and beheaded him.

Dara Shikoh, in 1657, had translated close to 50 Upanishads from the Samskrt originals into Persian as Sirr-e-Akbar  , “The Greatest Mysteries” which the French orientalist, Anquetil Du Perron, who visited India between 1755 and 1761, translated from Persian into French and into Latin, under the title “Oupnek’hat.” “Oup-ne-k’hat” was a foreign pronunciation of “Upa-nishad”. This Oupnek’hat was praised by Schopenhauer as a work that gave him complete consolation.

Samskrt and the sciences, philosophy and spiritual essence of India thus reached Europe and have thus been instrumental in shaping modern Western thought. While study of Samskrt among the thought providers, substantially came down in the later half of the 20th century, an undeniable fact is the strong base that Samskrt studies have provided to modern western thought.

In 1st Millenium of Common Era Not just modern western thought, Samskrt has had a hand in shaping ancient Persian and Greek thought to the West, knowledge of Cambodia, Java and other S.E.Asian lands to the East and China to the north, as well. From India to Persia In 250 CE, the eldest son of the famous Persian king Ardeshir, Shapur I also known as a builder and a patron of knowledge, sought out Indian knowledge. Shapur I’s contribution to Persia in those days of his rule was the construction of dams and bridges, forts and towns as well as development of industries and trade. This Shapur I had Greek and Indian works on sciences translated into Middle Persian and even incorporated them into the Avesta. This was during the 3rd century CE.  Again during 6th century CE, one of the Persian kings held in high esteem by the Iranians even today, Khosrau I, referred to as Anushiravan the Just, who ruled Persia then, also has recorded his acceptance of knowledge and culture from India. An open minded ruler, interested in justice, knowledge, philosophy, Khosrau I had held knowledge and customs from India in high regard and amalgamated it with Persian knowledge systems. He used to send ambassadors and gifts to Indian kings to request them to send scholars and philosophers to teach in Iran. He had many Samskrt works in Philosophy, Sciences, Mathematics and Medicine translated into the Persian language of his times. In his words,

In the 6th century CE, Persia, under Khosrau I’s rule, opened its doors to Greek refugees who came, lived in Iran and assimilated the knowledge amalgam that Khosrau was creating from a mix of Indian, Iranian, Greek and Armenian knowledge systems and literatures. This amalgamation had brought about a renaissance in Central Asia during those times. Bimaristan, hospitals with separate wards for different pathological diseases as described in Ashtanga Hridaya, a text compiled by Vagabhatta on the Indian Ayurvedic tradition could be seen being set up for the first time in Iran then. Ashtanga means 8 divisions. Hridaya means heart. It denotes a system with 8 divisions at its core. Bimari meaning disease in Persian and stan for place in Samskrt, forming Bimaristan itself shows an amalgamation of tongues. The language Urdu which has exercised a great influence on Hindi of India, itself came up as an amalgam of Persian, Turkish, Arabic, Pali, Hindi and Samskrt. The word Urdu is similar to the word hordes. Urdu was a language that evolved in the barracks of the multilingual hordes who came as part of the military of the invaders from the Near West which comprised of people from Turkey, Persia, Arabia, Afghanistan and slaves from Africa who were with these invaders.

From India to S.E.Asia Samskrt from India travelled to S.E.Asian lands under many pretexts. It went along with Tamil, Oriya and other eastern languages of India during the Chola rule in the 10th century CE and trade connects in subsequent centuries. Earlier it went to these lands along with the desire to learn Ayurveda, Astronomy, Mathematics and other Indian sciences. Samskrt teaching schools were setup in Java where students aspiring to learn in India would undergo training in Samskrt language before they made their way to the Universities of India where fluency in Samskrt was a test they had to pass. The examiners who conducted such entrance exams to check eligibility of aspiring students were called Dvara Pandita literally meaning “Scholars at The Entrance”. This is pretty much the way students from India flock to English training institutes to learn English so that they can pass IELTS (International English Language Test System)  or TOEFL (Test of English as Foreign Language) to gain eligibility to study in UK or American universities respectively today.

   

Dvara Pandita Verifying Credentials – An Artist Illustration

Even prior to that, from the days of Rishi Kaundinya and Rishi Markandeya, patron Rishi of these lands, Samskrt travelled to these lands along with the Veda. From India to China Samskrt went to China mainly through scholars who have come repeatedly to India to gain knowledge. The period during Emperor Harshavardhan’s rule – 5th – 6th century CE, was the peak window of this exchange. Samskrt and Samskrti thus has been a far reaching export from India.

Samskrt – A Basis for World Tongue

It is not just the ideas that came from this language, Samskrt. Samskrt language has lent its vocabulary to other ancient languages of the world such as Greek, Latin, Mayan, Persian, Mandarin Russian, Japanese. The linguists now collectively call some of them as Indo European languages. There are many words having similarity, the count of which could run into many thousands. The European languages claim their roots from Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Aramic. The language and the literature in these languages are traceable back to 500 BCE or to 1000 BCE. Not much beyond that is known about them today. The Samskrt language, literature and the events mentioned in these literature are all dateable to 3100 BCE and 5100 BCE, where 3100 BCE was the period for the last compilation of the Veda and 5100 BCE for that of Ramayana. This puts back the antiquity of the Samskrt language, which was then called by its earlier name Bhasha and Vak, by a few more millennia. This antiquity gives it the position of being the mother language. The linguists are on the look out for a proto Indo European language, which could be the mother of all these languages. Various postulates from an earlier language to the Lithuanian language have all been floated for many decades. Till such literature and a language is identified, Samskrt, because of its voluminous repository and the antiquity of the events that it portrays as first hand report, is the only available language that can now take the slot of mother language.

VOCABULARY

This means, the reason for the similarity of words, in the vocabulary, found in other Indo European languages, could well be because they all had their origins in Samskrt. It also implies that the whole host of common vocabulary, which runs into 1000s of words, similar across 100s of languages in Asia, SE Asia, Central Asia, Europe and even in the ancient central American civilizations and Polynesian civilizations, have a distinct stamp of Samskrt in them. Each of these words traces its origin to its mother Samskrt and to the land where it came from, Bharat. For example, words

•  Mother from Mathru for mother in Samskrt •  Dam from Damyam meaning to restrain, withhold •  Donate from dhaana meaning to gift •  Navy from Nav meaning boat, ship •  Numbers

Phonetic similarity in Numbers 1 to 10 between Samskrt and many European languages

IDIOMS AND PHRASES It is not just words that we see similarity in. We also see complex contexts or idioms, having percolated across languages from either Samskrt or from Indian connotations and practices.

Spinning a Yarn The roots of the idiom “Spinning a Yarn” for someone who weaves a story can be traced to the Samskrt word Sooth meaning string, yarn, thread. Sootradhar is the Samskrt word for the central character of a story, one who leads the act. Soota were a class of people who were narrators. Soota was also the name given to charioteers as they controlled the horses with the reins. Suta is also the word for a child as the child was once connected to the mother through the umbilical cord. Thus, in the Indian connotation, story telling and yarn were connected and this thread seems to have been carried forward in the idiom “spinning a yarn” for weaving a story.

A Nose Cut The roots of the association of a nose-cut for a shameful act can be traced back to the age old Indian practice of cutting someone’s nose as a punishment for infidelity or for a shameful act. It goes back to the Ramayana times, 7100 years ago. Many have theorized on how the nose is a body part associated with beauty and hence cutting off the nose meant bringing shame to them. But the simple fact underlying this form of punishment is that, in India nose surgeries were a common affair. Indians were adept at this surgery and hence a nose cut was a form of punishment which would shame the individual but he/she still had recourse to rectify it. It was not an irreversible or fatal punishment.

Rhythm

This word can be traced to the Samskrt word rta, meaning order, pattern. Rtu / Ritu is the word used for seasons in India since seasons have a certain pattern, order in which they repeat. Rhythm which is tempo is also the frequency or pattern of beats.

Heart Heart itself can be traced to the Samskrt word and concept of Hrdayam. Hrdayam in Samskrt, means heart. It comes from three roots, namely:

•  Hr from harati, to take •  Da from dadati, to give •  Yam from yama, to control, regulate. •    Hr+Da+Yam – Hrdayam is that

which takes, gives and

regulates flow of blood in the body. The English word “Heart” is traced to the Germanic and Old English “Heorte”, the Dutch word “Hart” and the German word “Herz” which in turn is also connected with the German and Latin word “Cord” and the Greek word “Kardia”. How can one connect Hrdayam with Kardia? It will be interesting to note that it is common to find the syllable Ha morphing into the syllable Ka as it travels across civilizations. Even within India, one can see this happening between Tamil and Samskrt. For example the name Guha in Samskrt is pronounced as Gugan in Tamil. Hrdayam / Hrdaya becoming Kardia in Greek is therefore not a disconnect anymore. Heart of the matter is that we have discussed here about heart and a few other examples. But there are countless similarities like this which make it impossible to list out, in a few pages. Vocabulary, language and contextual expressions of many languages, world over, owe their etymology to India.

While it may look preposterous and even overbearing to say such a statement or thought, unless a name, form, flow, vocabulary of the precursor, proto Indo European language is found, all present Indo European family languages firmly point to Samskrt as their mother language.

Antiquity Valmiki, the author of Ramayana, is considered as the Adi Kavi, first poet of this language. As he lived contemporary to Rama, the period of Valmiki is 5100 BCE. For poetry to have come forth, the language, vocabulary, grammar should have already existed. This also places the antiquity of Samskrt to over 7100 years ago, making it distinctly possible to have been the mother languages of many languages of the world.

Esperanto Couple of decades ago, there was an attempt to come up with a world language, borrowing words from different common languages. This effort gave rise to a language they called Esperanto. Esperanto means one who hopes. Esperanto was a project initiated by L.L.Zemenhof in 1887 to create an International Auxiliary Language. The goal was to create an easy, flexible language for international understanding. Many linguistic experts from all across the world joined hands and worked on this project for many years. It stayed a dream though.

Given the possibility that Samskrt could have been the mother language of many languages, world over and that its vocabulary and idioms still pervade through the modern languages, it accords Samskrt the status to be the natural link language of the world, when the world realizes that it needs one. Until then, every time we utter words from the common vocabulary or use idioms and phrases that have common origin, they speak of the brand called Samskrt, from the land called Bharat.

Modern System of Education from Madras

TAKEN FROM MADRAS While over millennia, many world over came to India to learn, the British went one step further. They decided to take the system back to England with them to educate their children. The man who did this, lies buried in Westminister Abbey. He was Dr.Andrew Bell. As a reminder of his contribution, the epitaph on his tomb reads, “The Author of the Madras System of Education”.

Dr.Andrew Bell

Monument to Dr.Andrew Bell at West Minister Abbey showing Bell surrounded by students

Andrew Bell of East India Company landed in India in 1787 to deliver religious lectures to the orphaned children of soldiers. He started the Male Military Orphan Asylum of Madras, in Egmore, which lies in the heart of Chennai today.

Male Military Orphan Asylum, Egmore, Madras (now Chennai)

Teaching Using Economic and Simple Tools Searching for teachers for his school, Bell came across a Malabar school teacher, teaching his students by tracing letters on wet sand. The other way to teach writing was using a piece of chalk on slate. These simple systems of teaching how to write, using economical, erasable aids, were borrowed by his Male Military Orphan Asylum school.

Class Monitor - Leveraging Older Students Bell saw Gurukula in the villages of India, where older students minded and taught the junior students. From there, he borrowed the concept of a Class Monitor for his school and John Frisken became the first monitor for the Male Military Orphan Asylum Madras. Thus was formed the basis for the system of education in the Male Military Orphan Asylum at Egmore, Madras.

EGMORE GOES TO ENGLAND

Insignia of the Madras College, Egmore, England

Having come to India with just £128, Bell returned to England having made £25,935 in India. With this, he purchased 415 acres of estate, named it ‘Egmore’ after Egmore in Madras, where his Male Military Asylum had been located, back in India. Along with another Englishman, by name, Mr.Lancaster, Bell started The Madras College in England.

KEY TAKE AWAYS BY BELL Group Study In the Indian Gurukula, one of the popular ways of learning was through Group Study, which again was incorporated into the system of education introduced by Bell.

Nursery Rhymes One more method of educating children, inspired from India, was the concept of attractive, short and sweet Nursery rhymes.

The key points for teaching basic education, taken by Bell, from Madras, India were: 1.  Learning to write on sand or erasable slates 2.  Class monitor 3.  Group study 4.  Nursery rhymes 5.  Non Violent System of Teaching

Concepts from Indian Education System that found their way into British Education

If the design of the basic education system was taken from India, then what was the prevalent system of education in England then?

UNIVERSITIES IN ENGLAND England had Universities such as Oxford and Cambridge. But, they were meant for teaching Theology, which had been in vogue for many centuries since the 1300s.

    Cambridge University and Oxford University

There was no national level elementary teaching in England then. England did not have Parish schools then. The first such elementary schools were introduced only in 1850, that too under the Factory Law where on certain days of the week, children had to be enclosed in a school for 3 hours each day. A typical such English school room was about 10 ft x 15 ft, which typically accommodated 75 children, who gabbled something unintelligible. An interesting observation to substantiate this comes from Sir Charles Dickens, in his work Nicholas Nickleby in 1838, where he writes,

Charles Dickens’ portrayal of an English Classroom in 1838

NON VIOLENT SYSTEM OF INDIA In contrast, the system of education followed in India, was based on a nonviolent approach to disciplining the children. Standing in a corner.

Squatting

holding

ears

with hands passing between the knees. Commonly called a Murga pose, meaning to look down like a fowl.

Situps.

Confined to classroom during meal time. No fines. School Punishments in India

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT DUE This system of simple, non-violent method of education impressed Bell and was introduced by him in England. It soon became popular there and started spreading throughout England. When controversy ensued over the originality of the idea, it was found that Bell had borrowed it from India without due acknowledgement. Brigadier General Alexander Walker, nicknamed “the Butcher of Saurashtra” settled this issue by writing,

LANCASTERIAN SYSTEM OF INSTRUCTION This system of basic education copied from India and introduced by Bell at Egmore, England, spread throughout England and Europe. But, it now spread in the name of his contemporary, Mr. Lancaster, as the “Bell-Lancaster System” or simply as the “Lancasterian System of Education”. It spread all the way to America too and became a popular and economic method of teaching. So much so that, the system of education itself became a subject for research. It became the system of instruction in Free Schools of America.

Joseph Lancaster  - An Illustration from Our World’s Greatest Benefactors, 1888

The New York Free School – A Sketch

“The Lancasterian System of Instruction in the Schools of New York City” – submitted for Degree of Doctor of Philosophy by John Franklin Reigart in 1916, published by Columbia University

The contents of this book, speaks volumes for the evidence of travel of the Indian techniques of instruction to England and thence to America – especially those of monitor system, alpahabets, sand writing and milder forms of punishments.

Table of Contents of “The Lancasterian System of Instruction In Schools of New York City”

Table of Contents of “The Lancasterian System of Instruction In Schools of New York City”

Table of Contents of “The Lancasterian System of Instruction In Schools of New York City”

Sketch showing usage of slates in the Lancasterian System of Education

A Sketch of the Monitor System in Lancasterian System of Education

GIVEN BACK TO INDIA This “Lancasterian System of Instruction” acquired a local flavour and came back to India in the 1900s as the English system of education to replace the original, well-designed, native system of education, which had by then been systematically wiped out by the British in India, to brand India as a land of the illiterate. Little, did the people of India realize then, nor are they aware of it even today, that it was Madras, which had given the School Education System to Europe in the first place. The Indian way of simple, economic, non-violent, but effective education, had held the attention of the world. Bell’s tomb in Westminister Abbey bearing the epitaph “The Author of the Madras System of Education” bears testimony to India’s contribution to the

schooling system.

Rhyme and Reason

One of the first lessons taught to a child is a nursery rhyme. The usage of nursery rhymes in the modern system of schooling is an import from India. Dr. G U. Pope was one of the noted British educationist of India who had made Bangalore and Madras his base.  He is noted for having translated into English, Thirukkural and Thiruvasagam, the anchors of divine poetry in Tamil.

Dr.G.U.Pope - Statue at Bishop Cotton School, Bangalore where he was Warden.

Observing the teaching of rhymes in India, G.U.Pope had remarked,

AVVAIYAR’S AATHICHUDI – TAMIL CLASSIC RHYMES What Dr. Pope was referring to in this statement, is the Aathichudi, the timeless classic of Tamil learning for children. Aathichudi was composed by Avvaiyar a Tamil poetess who educated the people and rulers on good values through her simple yet profound one-liners.

Avvaiyar, the grand old Tamil Poetess

Aathichudi in Tamil is a collection of simple verses where every verse starts in the Tamil alphabetical sequence. Each verse speaks of noble deeds that must be practiced by children through their life, thus inculcating values from early stages of life itself. In the order of the Tamil language vowels A, Aa, I, Ii, U, Uu ..etc. the Aathichudi verses flow as,

These could well be described as the earliest nursery rhymes of the world, for, Aathichudi goes back to well over 2000 years ago.

The concept of Aathichudi, which educates a child to give, to share, to possess a calm and demure demeanour in their lives and so on, is a far cry from the nursery rhymes such as Jack and Jill which leave one searching for the message in the rhyme. Meaningful poetry for educating children from their early years have been existing in all regional languages of India.

HINDI RHYMES For Consonant Ka - 

For Consonant Da –

VEDA – SOURCE OF RHYME AND RHYTHM With an ancestry of learned poet seers who had set the sublime cosmic knowledge itself to rhyme, rhythm and melody in the form of the Veda and allied texts, it was natural for Indians to leverage rhyme, alliteration and other poetic forms of a language to ensure penetration of short but message packed lines into the tender minds of children.

LAND OF MORALS AND RHYMES India has been known as a land of morals where even in the form of rhymes, morals have been impressed upon tender brains right from the nursery itself.  Nursery rhymes too, as a teaching aid went to England along with the Madras System of Education. Set to English words and contexts, they came back to India along with the English System of Education. Now, it is the

English Nursery rhymes that are taught to children of all languages in India, right from their pre-school days. For no rhyme, nor reason, the local rhymes with a reason have been relegated to the bottom of the list as an optional subject of study. The concept of teaching rhymes to build vocabulary, mind and character, was a brand from this land.

Fables and Values

Who has not read comics in their childhood? Especially those that have morals stories in them? More so, those, with animal characters having sentiments, attitude, values, wisdom, good and bad habits? Amongst the new generation, which child is not growing up watching cartoons on television and which parent is not encouraging them to watch those which have moral values in them? This was the same scenario atleast a couple of millennia ago too in India.

CHILDREN’S FASCINATION FOR ANIMALS It is not just the modern day children who have a fascination for animals, animal stories, animal cartoons, animal artifacts. A fascination, which is now being exploited commercially through zoological as well as zoomorphic characters and products. Children in the ancient world also had this fascination for animals. It was this basic children- animal attachment, which led to Pasu Pakshi katha, animal bird stories, being spun in ancient India, which spread worldwide to equally fascinate the children of other civilisations as well. India was the forerunner in coming up with animal character based stories. They were stories that had moral value content in them. They were stories designed to motivate children to follow their favourite characters in their lives as they grow up. The authors of these wonderful stories had realized that it is animal stories that captivate children.

Hearing is Seeing

The main difference between then and now is that besides imparting moral values, the stories in days of yore also stirred up the skill of visualization in the children. For, these were tales that were narrated orally and not so much visually. Each child visualized the story and the characters based on its imaginative skill. Each narrator painted the story based on his / her narrating skill. Each story had something of value to be passed on to successive generations. Each story was based on the collective experiences and wisdom gathered over many generations. Such stories came to be collectively called fables. That, which were fabricated based on fictitious and animal characters but which conveyed an essence of real life.

PASU PAKSHI KATHA – ANIMAL FABLES OF INDIA Children in India, even today are treated to various forms of depictions of the fables of the Panchatantra, Hitopadesha and Jataka tales. These are collectively refered to as Pasu Pakshi Katha in Indian literature, for it is the animals, that form the central characters in these stories. Pasu means animals, Pakshi means birds and Katha, stories. It is in the form of interactions amongst animals or with mankind that values are passed on the listener in these Pasu Pakshi Katha.

The Jataka Tales Would you believe that is possible to simplify and condense highly philosophical messages and the essence of righteous living and cosmic order into cartoons? But it has been so in India, not just from recent times, but from millennia.

While India has generated many works that provoked deep thought, India has also been a forerunner in the art of condensing such profound messages into simple stories revolving around animals and men. An example of simplified works of high philosophical and moral content, is the Jataka. The Jataka are serious Buddhist works but depicted in a lucid manner. The Jataka tales are a compilation of moral stories with animals and humans as main characters. They are stories about Gautama Buddha in His earlier incarnations as a Bodhisattva, when He had gone through the forms of different animals, birds or humans. The Jataka tales recount how in those incarnations, through various incidents, the Bodhisattva spread values of life and the cosmic rules. These stories, are based around the city of Varanasi in North India, where Buddha gave His frst sermon after attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya. There are 3 main categories of Buddhist canons, grouped as Pitaka. Pitaka means a basket. Sutta-Pitaka, Vinaya-Pitaka and the Abhidhamma-Pitaka are the 3 canons, jointly referred to as Tipitaka i.e. 3 pitaka. Each, contain different Jataka like the Sasa Jataka, Kunala Jataka, Dhumakari Jataka and so on. But the main and popular ones come from Sutta Pitaka’s 10th chapter called Khuddaka-Nikaya. The Jataka are commonly accepted to be around 550 in number. Yet given the fact that there were many Bodhisattva across millennia and each Jataka is based on the life of a Bodhisattva, one can assume that there could be many more which may have gotten lost with the passage of time. They were transmitted orally, from one generation to another, until they were formally documented as part of the Buddhist canons, the Tipitaka, in Samskrt and Pali languages. These Tipitaka were compiled and documented after the PariNirvana of Gautama Buddha. i.e. after Gautama Buddha attained liberation. They were

compiled at Rajgir where the first Buddhst council was held after Buddha passed away. Buddha’s times can be dated to 1800 BCE. This makes the Jataka one of the oldest animal tales, fables of the world. Come 21st century CE and the Jataka tales continue to mesmerize the people of India, irrespective of their ages. In storytelling, the way to relate to the reader, is through well-known or familiar characters. The Jataka with their fantasy of talking animals, animals with sentiments just like us soon mesmerized children and adults alike, all over the world.

Panchatantra Panchatantra is a collection of tales authored by Pandit Vishnu Sharma. Pandit Vishnu Sharma was entrusted by Raja Amarasakti, the king of Mahilaropyam, a kingdom mentioned to be in the south of India, to groom his 3 sons who were dimwitted, difficult to handle, with short attention spans. Pandit Vishnu Sharma decided to captivate their attention by narrating tales and to instill values and wisdom using the incidents, interactions and individuals of the stories as an example. When in no time, these princes were found to have blossomed into cultured individuals, the fame of this collection spread, as did the stories, which were then formally written down in Samskrt. The stories were grouped into 5 collections, which came to be called Pancha Tantra. Pancha means 5 and Tantra means technique / system.  The Pancha Tantra taught life skills to the listener through stories based on the many Niti Sastra of India. The Niti Sastra works are fundamentally guidelines and tips on the science and art of living in a harmonious, sustainable society. The Pancha Tantra fundamentally built the character of an individual and clarity of thought to discern how to act in various situations in line with the character of the civilization and principles of the cosmos. The Pancha Tantra thus comprised of

1.  Mitrabheda - Separation of friends 2.  Mitrasamprapti - Gaining friends 3.  Kakolookiyam - Crows and Owls 4.  Labdhapranasha - Loss of Gains 5.  Aprikshitakaraka - Imprudent actions Between them, through illustrative stories on friendship, trust, kindness, courage, wit, greed, foolishness and so on, they educated people on how to behave with different people and in different situations.

Hitopadesha Another popular collection of animal based stories is the Hitopadesha collection. Hitopadesha is a collection of fables in prose and verse form. Composed mainly in Samskrt language, they were designed to elucidate statecraft to young princes and nobles, in a simple format. Hita means that which is beneficial. Upadesha is counsel. Hitopadesha means Good Counsel. Hitopadesha  was composed by a poet Narayana  during the reign of king Dhavalachandra believed to be from eastern part of India. As mentioned by Narayana himself, Hitopadesha was created to encourage proficiency in expressing using Samskrt (samskrta uktishu) and also wise conduct (Niti Vidiyam). Like the Panchatantra, Hitopadesha too uses birds, animal and human interactions to create interest and convey moral values. But the treatment of the stories here differs from Panchatantra, which it resembles in form. In his introductory verses, Narayana mentions that he is indebted to the Panchatantra indicating that the Hitopadesha were composed after the Panchatantra. Panchatantra and Jataka have thus influenced many works and people in India. Hitopadesha in turn, has also further influenced the minds of many generations of royalty then and children now, in India.

THE JOURNEY OF FABLES FROM INDIA Stories have a way of crossing boundaries quickly especially if they are captivating. These interesting animal fables from India over time, travelled far and wide across the globe. The fact that the Jataka, Panchatantra and Hitopadesha form the source of most of the Animal fables of the Indo European languages and also in Arabic / Hebrew languages, was first postulated in 1924 by Franklin Edgerton an American linguist, who was born in 1855.

Portrait Photograph of Prof.Franklin Edgerton, Source – University of Pennsylvania Digital Archives

Edgerton was a professor of Samskrt at University of Pennsylvania in USA, Yale University in Britain and Benaras Hindu University in Varanasi, India. He is remembered for his literal translation of the Bhagavad Gita. Since then, much research has taken place on this subject of India. The common conclusion being that, many of the local fables of each land,

developed from the original Samskrt works of India, in the 600 year period between 100 BCE to 500 CE, incorporating older fables. But there is no ambiguity about their flow from India. Some trace the Panchatantra collection of stories, to 3rd century BCE. But, some of these stories are also found in the Veda, which were last compiled 5000 years ago in 3100 BCE. Also, Pandit Vishnu Sharma too was narrating these stories based on recollection of older, oral stories floating around in India, over many generations across many millennia. This makes the Panchatantra, the oldest set of fables in the world today, with its tales and values going back to over 5000 years ago.

The Travel of Panchatantra The first book of the Panchatantra, called Mitrabheda, “Separation of Friends”, highlighted how even a strong friendship is vulnerable to the crafty machinations of outsiders, by using 2 jackals called Karataka and Damanaka to highlight this point. Karataka, meaning “horrible howler” and Damanaka meaning “victor”, “one who cannot be constrained”, are 2 sly jackals who work to break the strong friendship between a lion king and his minister, a bull. The stories with these 2 jackals which made up close to 45% of the entire work, became very popular among the people. Their name and (ill) fame travelled so far and wide, both within and outside India, that they became the defacto brand ambassadors of the Panchatantra.

To Arabia These stories of Karataka and Damanaka travelled to Arabia and to Persia during Anushirawan Khosrau’s times in 6th century CE, when his Chief Counsellor Buzurgmihr introduced Khosrau to these stories. Karataka became Kalilah and Damanaka became Dimnah in Arabic, and the story collection came to be called “Kalilah wa Dimnah”. Kalilah wa Dimnah was translated into Arabic, from a Pahlavi original by Ebn al-Moqafffa, where the Pahlavi version can be traced to the original Samskrt Panchatantra. To Persia Khosrau I was so greatly influenced by these moral value stories that they spread throughout Persia and came to be translated into many Persian versions as Andarz, a class of wisdom literature. The term Andarz, denotes the type of literature, which contains advice and injunctions for proper behavior in matters of administration, daily life or religion – the root of the common Hindi / Urdu word Andaaz which denotes behavioural style. In a wider sense Andarz denotes the whole range of wisdom literature which present educative material in a style that is attractive and accessible to even those without specialized education. The 15th century Persian work became popular as “Anvar-i-Suhaili”, “ Light of the Canopius”. To Europe – Aesop’s Fables From Persia and Arabia, they entered the western world, eventually resulting in a similar collection that became popular as Aesop’s fables. Panchatantra went into the Greek language, where 21 of the Panchatantra stories are included in the “Aesop’s Fables”.

Start of 1485 Italian Edition of Aesopus Moralisatus Source – European Library of Information and Culture

A Collector’s Edition of Aesops Fables in å Times

In Arabian Nights Even the 1001 Arabian Nights, while they were not written in India, follow the “ story in story” pattern of the Panchatantra tradition. And of course, the Arabian Nights themselves start with the phrase, “ There was once a King of India” .

An Illustrated Book of Arabian Nights Stories

The Travel of The Jataka Being a part of the core Buddhist canonical texts, the Jataka stories, which highlight ancient Indian Dharma, way of life, spread all across South East Asia and Central Asia along with Buddhism.

FABLES – A FABULOUS BRAND OF INDIA All along the route, wherever these fables from India travelled, they kept sowing the seeds for such fables in local languages of those civilizations. To date, they continue to fire the imagination of artists leading to their depiction in evolving mediums. Today we have comics, but these fables, their characters, meaningful names, enthralling narrators, vivid imaginations, were the comics for the children of the world, for millennia and centuries. These colourful stories,

were created with morals in them, to stir up imagination and realization in all. Cartoon industry is a big money spinning industry today world over with careers being built on learning the art of creating animal based stories, learning to illustrate them and finally to animate them. Despite all the money and effort being poured into this industry, parents today only end up complaining about how their children are getting spoilt watching these cartoons. But, animal based stories from India like the Panchatantra, Hitopadesha and the Jataka have held the rapture of many generations in India and world over across millennia. And, have we ever heard of any one complaining of these? Infact, today’s cartoon industry also tends to fall back only on these stories when they run out of imagination. There is no denying that fables have been one of the most entertaining, educating and animated brands of India. They still hold a lot of opportunity for India and Indians with a creative hand and mind.

Kamasutra

One of the most popular books of India internationally is Kamasutra. 

It has been loosely translated as a sex manual, as an aphorism on sex.  But in India it finds place in mainstream literature and is not treated as an “under the blanket” book. In no other civilization of the world do we have a book on the subject of sex, which is so popular and more importantly, treated as a treatise of the land. If you look through the ages, at the medieval world in the west, sex had been looked upon as a taboo and even labelled as the original sin.

Depiction of Adam and Eve committing the original sin – in paint and stone

  In contrast, in India, the union between a man and woman to beget a progeny has been looked upon as a noble deed. The Upanishads, the fountain head of Indian knowledge, describe the act of sex as,

In the temples of India, not just in Khajuraho, the depiction of buxom women, depiction of embraces between figures of both genders and other acts of sex have been chiselled widely and vividly. 

Sculptures adorning the walls of Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh

Sculptures adorning the walls of Khajuraho, MadhyaPradesh

In contrast, one of the hallmarks of the Victorian era was Puritanism and Prudishness whereby sexual intimacy was not a subject to be displayed or discussed openly. In 1850, Richard Francis Burton, a Diplomat and British adventurer, who came across a copy of the Kamasutra in India, enjoyed shocking his fellow

Britons with frank explicit ideas on sex he had gained from it. He presented it as ancient wisdom from the Indian mystics.

Richard Francis Burton

He and his league translated Kamasutra from Samskrt to English. In the process, they took liberties with the translations added own notes made the content more explicit embellished with explicit drawings

•  drew near impossible coupling positions. End result, the mysticism was taken out of the Kamasutra and it became an erotic guide instead. For a world coming out of the Victorian Era, such a translation was titillating. Editions and commentaries sprouted in every language and every country, becoming bestsellers. Kamasutra was originally authored by Mallanaga Vatsyayana as a guide to procreate and get good progeny. Over time however, people have embellished it with their own ideas and variations in various art forms.

Kamasutra has been a brand that Bharat has flaunted unabashedly, yet practised with a poise.

Kissing – A Secret On the Lips

A BLAME GAME “The Workers Daily”, a Chinese newspaper in Beijing, wrote an article about ‘Kiss’ in 1990.

Workers Daily – Chinese Paper

“The invasive Europeans brought the kissing custom to China, but it is regarded as a vulgar practice which is all too suggestive of cannibalism.” World over, every land blames Europe for introducing kissing to their civilization. The truth is quite different.

KISSING – NOT A WORLD AFFAIR

Not widely known A study on kissing habits show that among the traditional tribes of the world, less than half of them are aware of mouth kissing.

In New Zealand In New Zealand, the Maori, the local tribes greet each other by rubbing their noses.

Maori Tribe Greeting each other

In Eskimo Land An Eskimo Kiss called kunik actually involves smelling each other’s cheeks.

An Eskimo Kiss – Smelling the Cheeks Picture taken during a Nalukataq dance at Barrow Alaska by Floyd Davidson, Source - Wiki

The Lapp Kiss Lapps of Finland are so liberal that both males and females bathed together in nudity, yet mouth kissing was not practised. Mouth kissing was not a custom known to many native tribes of Africa, Pacific and Americas. They did not know about mouth kissing till their contact with European explorers. So how and when did mouth kissing become popular?

TRACING THE FIRST KISS Charles Darwin One of the works traceable on Kiss is by Charles Darwin. During his voyages, Darwin observed many a thing and recorded them. Apart from his famous book, “The Origin of Species”, where he speaks about Evolution, Darwin also wrote another book called, “The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals”. In this work, he writes

“kissing is replaced in various parts of the world by the rubbing of noses”.

Charles Darwin

The expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals

Martin Von Kemp Martin Von Kemp who lived between 1642 and 1683, wrote a 1040 page encyclopaedia on kissing – “Opes Polly Historicum….de Oculis” in which he listed 20 different varieties of kiss, some of them being, Kiss bestowed by superiors on inferiors Hypocritical Kiss and so on.

The German Language

German language has words for 30 different types of kisses. One of them is even named Nachkussen i.e. “A kiss to compensate for all the kisses that have been missed or omitted”.

The Most Unlikely Place to Look For A Kiss But going further back, one finds detailed mention of kissing in one of the most unlikely places that one would ever look for - ancient Indian texts. Not one, but various texts of India dating to over 5100 years ago, corroborate each other with records of kissing.

HISTORICAL KISSES Hypothesis of Vaughn Bryant

Vaughn Bryant

Vaughn Bryant, Anthropologist at Texas A&M University traces the origin of kiss to India to around 1500 BCE. Furthermore, he traces its spread from India to Europe. According to Bryant, “Kiss spread to West with Alexander the Great, when he visited India in 326 BCE”. Not just hard steel, but soft kiss too

We know that when withdrawing from India, Alexander asked for and received 100 Talents of Indian steel from the Indian king, Raja Pururava, called Porus by the Greeks. But it seems that Alexander took a lot more. For, he not only took hard steel from India but also the technique of soft mouth kissing too. Could this have been true? Did India practice mouth kissing 2500 years ago?

Veda seals the Lips

The Vedic scriptures that were last compiled in 3100 BCE, i.e. 5100 years ago, contain descriptions of lovers kissing – “setting mouth to mouth”.

Mahabharata - Not Just About War Mahabharata too, a historical record of events that happened over 5100 years ago, contains mention of affectionate mouth to mouth kiss. This shows that kissing had been practised in India 5100 years ago and hence had found expression in Indian literature of those times.

TECHNIQUE OF KISSING

Kama Sutra’s Instructions for Passionate Kissing

Kama Sutra

There are over 30 varieties of kisses explained in different text of India. 8 of them are of the passionate variety which are detailed in Kama Sutra. The Indian literature Kama Sutra, one of the early, explicit texts of the world on the practice of Sex, not just mentions 8 types of passionate kisses for different occasions but also gives instructions on how to “carry out” these types of kisses.

Seven of the Eight Types of passionate kisses

ETYMOLOGY OF KISS

In English and German The old English word for Kiss was Cyssan, which is traced to the German word Kuessen.

In Greek This in turn is said to come from the Greek root Ku as in the Biblical Greek word Proskuneo meaning to kiss, primarily the feet of the holy, as in reverence. Mouth to mouth or face against face passionate kiss was called Kataphileo in Greek where Kata denotes against or opposite each other and phileo denotes love, kiss.

In French Mouth to mouth, deep kissing was given the name “French Kiss” in English by the English and American soldiers returning home after World War I, only in the early part of 20th century. They were imitating the French who were known for this adventurous, amorous practice.  The French coined an official French name for this style of kissing only in 2014. They now call it Galosher, meaning to kiss with tongues.

In Italian Earlier the French themselves called mouth kissing as “baiser Florentin”, meaning a kiss in the Florentine style. Baiser means a kiss in French. Florentine is Florence in Italy. This means that this was not a native French practice too. The French were only imitating the Italians of Florence. Where did the Florentine Italians pick this practice from?

In Latin It is interesting to note that the French word for kiss “baiser” traces its root to the Latin word basiero, basio, which in turn is also related to the Aromanian word bashu, bash, bashari.  It makes it further interesting when we note that bhasha is the word in Samskrt for that which is spoken with the lips. A loquacious person, who speaks a lot, is called bhashik in Samskrt.

Aromanian is a language which is a variation of the Romanian tongue of the Balkans and is spoken by the people of north and central Greece as well as Macedonia. Incidentally Macedonia was where Alexander had come from. Alexander, who is traced to have been taken in by mouth kissing from India. His soldiers took it back to Macedonia, Greece in 326 BCE, wherefrom it percolated into rest of Europe.

In Samskrt It is therefore likely that Samskrt’s basha, “that which flows out from one’s lips” and Aromanian Bashari as well as Latin’s basio, meaning “that which is done with the lip” connect the Indian Mouth kiss, French Deep Kiss and the Italian Florentine Kiss, in word, spirit and act.

SPEAKING THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE There are many words in Samskrt to denote a kiss. Chumban is the most common. From this, comes Chumbaka, the word for magnet in Samskrt. Magnet is that which attracts and clings on to iron. Magnet is therefore referred to as chumbaka, meaning the kissing stone, the attracting one.

Iron Filings Sticking to a Magnet, Chumbaka

There are many words in Samskrt to denote the intention of the kiss or the region being kissed, such as forehead, cheek, eye and so on. There are also very specific words to denote kissing the mouth and to kiss passionately such as,

•    Parichumba

and Achumban meaning to go beyond casual kissing, to kiss passionately or amorously

•  Mukhagrahana – literally meaning capturing the mouth / lips •  Mukhasvada – literally meaning tasting the mouth / lips •  Mukhasava, adharamrut – meaning nectar of the lips •  Asyandhaya – meaning to suck or kiss the mouth. The notion of sucking comes from the root syandha, meaning to ooze, drip, flow, pour forth, discharge liquid and the likes. It denotes a kiss, oozing of passion, love as well as juices of the mouth, saliva. India it seems, has not been in want of words to describe a kiss, nor has it been in want of knowing how all to kiss.

KISS - A SINGLE ACT WITH MANY MESSAGES There are many types of kiss.

•  When parents kiss their children, it means something. •  When parents kiss each other, it has a different meaning. •  A gambler kisses the dice for luck. •  Jews kiss the Torah. •  There is the Catholics’ kiss of Peace. •  There is also the kiss of betrayal Betraying Through Kiss and Tell When Judas identified Jesus, after the Last Supper, it was through a kiss. Perhaps this marked the beginning of the usage of the phrase “Kiss and

Tell”.

Judas identifying Jesus with kiss

An Infectious Act While mouth kissing is an infectious, irresistible act between two people attracted to each other, it is also a sure shot way of infecting the other with one’s own afflictions. According to scientists, about 80 million bacteria are transferred from one mouth to another during a passionate kiss.

KISS – A BRAND NOT TO BE MISSED World Kiss Day is observed on July 6th every year with an aim to make us appreciate a kiss in its own right.

Anthropologists across the world are still divided over whether mouth kissing came into practice due to basic instinct or due to “kiss feeding” where mothers used to chew food and then pass it to the baby’s mouth, much like how birds feed their young ones. But we see that mouth kissing was not a basic instinct of all world cultures. This act of lovemaking was given a fillip by the people of India, from where it spread worldover and clung on to become the defacto sign of sensuality. Tribes from various parts of the world did not and still do not practice mouth kissing. Until Alexander’s tryst with India, mouth kissing was unheard of in Europe. But from the earliest literary reference in the Veda and later in the Kama Sutra and many erotic temple sculptures of India, we find that India’s lips were never sealed on this lip locking act.  India has been open about this act of not just platonic kisses but also of passionate kissing. Yet despite such an explicit description as well as display of eroticism, Indians as a civilization do not seem to be associated with kissing or sex. As

can be seen from Chinese records, it has been Europe that has been blamed and continues to be blamed for showcasing vulgarity. This implies that India’s practice of the art of love must have had a sense of balance, a sense of decorum, a sense of propriety, a sense of modesty. A balance that had come about for, while India had open depictions of acts of sex, this was also counter balanced with volumes of work on societal conduct, morals, marriage, the goals of life, role of people in family, society, role of sex in life as well as recommendations for punitive action for immoral behaviour and infidelity. Kiss is a brand of India but there was nothing in it that was amiss.

Rhinoplasty -  India’s Answer to Shaming

SURPANAKA’S SHAMING The year was 5076 BCE, about 7100 years ago. It was in the deep and dense forests of Dandakaranya. Danda means to punish and Aranya means forest. Dandakaranya got its name as it was a harsh and punishing forest. It is the stretch of forest that used to cover Central India, vestiges of which are still found smattering the central landscape of India. Rama, the young and handsome, exiled prince of Ayodhya, with his, beautiful wife Sita and ever vigilant younger brother Lakshmana had made this forest their home during their 14 year exile. This Dandakaranya forest was part of the kingdom of Lanka, ruled by the fearsome Rakshasa king Ravana. Once, while wandering through the Dandakaranya forest, Surpanaka, the Rakshasa sister of Ravana spotted Rama and Lakshmana with Sita. Bewitched by Rama’s radiant looks, she assumes the form of a beautiful damsel and proposes to Rama. Rama turns down her proposal and asks her to check with Lakshmana instead. When Lakshmana also declines, Surpanaka loses her cool, her assumed beautiful form and charges towards Sita to harm her out of jealousy. At this juncture, Lakshmana pulls out his sword and chops Surpanaka’s nose. Mind you, he does not maim her in any other way other than chopping off her nose to shame her. This incident made her incite Ravana into kidnapping Sita, eventually leading to Rama waging a war on Lanka and killing Ravana inorder to rescue Sita.

Lakshmana Cutting Surpanaka’s Nose - An Illustration

The place where this shaming of Surpanaka by a Nose cut took place, came to be called Nasik, from nas for Nose. The act of shaming, in the various languages of India, literally translates to a “Nose Cut”, for example Naak kaatna in Hindi. Perhaps it has its contextual  roots in this incident from 7100 years ago. But if this was a common form of shaming, 7100 years ago, it implies that a Nose cut for shaming or adultery must have had its roots even before 7100 years ago. But why cut the nose for shaming? What was the rationale? We need to go forward in time to 1790s to see the reason.

SEPOYS’ SHAMING In August 1794, The Madras Gazette carried an incredible story.

Cartman Cowasjee and the 4 Sepoys – An Illustration

It was about an Indian cartman and 4 Indian sepoys who were fighting as part of the British army against their own brethren. These 5 men were captured by Tipu Sultan’s army and their noses were chopped off as a sign of infidelity to their motherland.

Tipu Sultan

These 5 men went to the house of a potter in Pune, who surgically fixed their noses and they walked out with repaired noses. Step by Step nose repair procedure

The surgeon’s name was mentioned as Maratta Vaidya Kumhar - Maratta as Pune was the land of the Marathas, Vaidya since he was a man of medicine, a surgeon and Kumhar as he was a potter by birth. This was reported by two travelling British doctors - James Findley and Thomas Cruso who, during their travels, were astounded to witness such a new, advanced surgery unknown to the world, being done in the house of a potter. They came to Madras, which was then the centre of British power in India and wrote this article in The Madras Gazette. This article was later reproduced in The Gentleman’s magazine, a popular magazine of London, in October 1794.

Gentleman magazine

THE FIRST RHINOPLASTY OF THE WEST This article fired the mind of young 30 year old surgeon, J.C. Carpue. He got hooked onto the story, collected more data from Indian traders in England

and also from the records of two other Italian surgeons, who had earlier tried this procedure with information from Indian traders in Italy. Armed with this information, Dr. J.C. Carpue  performed the first nose surgery, Rhinoplasty operation on October 23, 1814 in England.

Dr.J.C. Carpue

The fact that the procedure of Rhinoplasty surgery was an Indian offering to the world, among many other surgeries, has been expressed by Prof. A.A. MacDonell and Sir. William Hunter of the University of Glasgow.  

The Book and Comment of Prof. A.A. Macdonell

Royal Australasian College of Surgeons’ Museum in Melbourne too acknowledges the source of Rhinoplasty, plastic surgery, to have been India, 2000 years ago. While commenting how the practice of surgery, especially plastic surgery grew due to the World War I, the Museum states that India had already been practicing these surgeries about 2000 years before this period too. That it was a common enough surgery in India then.

The exhibit on Rhinoplasty at the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons’ Museum, Melbourne

The plaque at the exhibit

This form of Nose surgery, had been practised in India for many centuries. The father of surgical procedures in India was Susruta.

Susruta, an artist impression

Similarly, in Ayurveda, the one who pioneered medicine, was Charaka, the physician. Charaka also came to be the generic title for the physician who goes from home to home, village to village, treating people. It comes from “char” meaning to move.

Charaka – The wandering doctor - A clipping from a painting by the Russian painter, Nicholas Roerich

It is not only Charaka, the physicians, who travelled and treated people. The knowledge of Indian medicine, Ayurveda, also travelled and reached far off lands to register India as a land of medicinal sciences.

Ayurveda – The Lifeline of India

Susruta and Charaka are only 2 from the galaxy of Ayurveda practitioners of India who have not just treated patients but have been responsible for the development of the fields of surgery and general medicine as an ethical, wholistic practice. Infact Charaka himself is not one but a class of Ayurvedic physicians. Ayurveda had divided the practice of medicine into 3 major branches, a modern trend too.

SURGEON - PRACTICING MEDICINE WITH KNIFE Surgical Procedures and Instruments Susruta categorizes surgical procedures into 7 main activities – Indian Terminology

Modern Medical term

Chedya

Excision

Lekhya

Sacrification

Vedhya

Puncturing

Esya

Exploration

Ahrya

Extraction

Vsraya

Evacuation

Sivya

Suturing

Susruta does not stop here but goes on to list 101 varieties of blunt instruments and 20 kinds of sharp instruments that were used during his times for performing these surgeries. They are identifiable with instruments used today such as forceps, tongs, scalpels, catheters, bougies, trocar, syringes, speculums, needles, saws, scissors, lances, hooks, probes etc. They

were given names based on their appearance of beaks or mouths of birds and animals.

Instruments Mentioned By Susruta

Instruments Mentioned By Susruta

Instruments Mentioned By Susruta

Instruments Mentioned By Susruta

Types of Injuries Further more, injuries sustained, especially during battle, which needed medical attention were also categorized as falling under 6 types.

Type of injury

Name

Severence of part or whole limb

Chinna

Puncturing into hollow viscus

Bhinna

Puncturing solid area

Viddha

Uneven wound

Ksata

Crushed wound

Picchita

Superficial abrasion

Ghrasta

Incidentally the same classifications hold good even today, save for the addition of a new category called Gunshot wound. It is not as though these were some very complex medical terminologies. These terms and this kind of classification was common knowledge among people as can be gleaned from the fact that the phrase Chinna – Bhinna for “tearing anything / anyone into pieces”, is used in common parlance even today.

Suturing Techniques Susruta not only categorizes wounds, the types of surgical procedures, the kinds of instruments to be used for surgery but also seals it up with the ways to suture after the surgery. He identifies 4 major ways of suturing with which many surgeons of today also concur, as the prominent methods. The suturing material was made of flax, hemp and bark fibres while animal sinew was used for tying blood vessels. Susruta’s descriptions and classifications indicate a systematic approach to practicing surgery and the advanced state of surgery during those times. This is something that could have been gained only with practising it and observing patterns over a long time.

Types of Suturing Practised By Susruta

Infact, while the rest of the world were at a loss till the 19th century in preventing fatal peritonitis due to rotting of internal suturing thread in abdominal surgeries, India was successful in its internal suturing. The trick lay in the use of mandibles of Bengal black ants which not only would get absorbed by the body but were rich in Formic acid, a natural antiseptic too.

Use of Mandibles of Bengal Black Ants in Internal Suturing to prevent fatal Peritonitis

But what about the patient’s pain during surgery? If they had been performing surgery from a long time, they would also have learnt to do it in comfort. Sammohini was one of the herbs used for administering anaesthesia before surgery while Sanjeevani is listed as a herb used for reviving one, who is in an unconscious state. Incidentally Sanjeevani was the herb, that was sought for, by Sushena, the physician in Rama’s army 7100 years ago, to restore Lakshmana’s consciousness after he was knocked down by Ravana’s son, Indrajit’s weapon. Here are 2 independent texts, Ayurvedic texts and Ramayana, ratifying the same use, for the same herb, by the same name. Susruta Samhita also contains listing of 700 herb based medicines. The Wellcome Library in Euston, London, which is one of the premier institutions on the history of medicine, acknowledges the contribution of Susruta to the field of surgery, with a plaque in his honour, in its central hall.

PHYSICIAN - PRACTICING MEDICINE WITH PLANTS

      Charaka and His Charaka Samhita

Charaka, the forerunner to all physicians, not only of India but of the world, as we shall soon see, left behind his compilation called Charaka Samhita, which is a collection of theme based chapters that present a logical and rational discussion on illnesses and their treatments.

Charaka’s Pioneering Contributions The far-reaching contributions of Charaka to the field of medicine include, 1.    Advancement of basic concepts in medicine - He refined medical knowledge and placed it on a sound, scientific footing. 2.    Development of a rational attitude – He laid emphasis on proper co-relation of theoretical knowledge and practical skill. 3.    Organization of Symposia – For advancement of knowledge and research, he adopted a method of discussion among experts. 4.    Psychosomatic approach – He propounded an integrated approach to analysing the cause of illnesses with the tenet that mind affects body and vice-versa. 5.    Individual Constitution – He brought in the awareness that man is not a machine and as such each one’s constitution should be understood and treated specifically and not be handled in a uniform manner.

6.  Specialization as disciplines – He divided Ayurveda into 8 well demarcated specialties. This was further elaborated by another equally renowned physician called Vagbhata in his Ashtangahrdaya, a foundational work for Ayurveda today. 7.  Importance of Nature – He laid emphasis on Swabhavoparama (Swabhava uparama) i.e. synchronizing one’s body and nature with Nature, to repose in Nature. Uparam means to merge or synchronize. Swabhava is nature. 8.  Emphasis on promotion of health and prevention of disease – He gave Ayurveda and the system of medicine a lofty goal – i.e focus more on promoting good health to prevent diseases thereby reducing the need for treating diseases. 9.  Scientific study of drugs – His focus on promoting good health did not take away focus from finding cure for diseases. He is known for his understanding and documentation of various medicinal herbs.  To ensure the spread of all these tenets of medicine as well ensuring fitness of the population, he instituted the practice of wandering physicians, who went from village to village educating and equipping people to live a healthy life, free from diseases.

Lineage Charaka states that his work is based on 6 other standard authors such as, 1.  Agnivesa

4.  Parasara

2.  Bhela

5.  Harita

3.  Jatukarna

6.  Ksharapani

Thus Charaka Samhita is by no means the 1st treatise on medicine, rather it reflects the advanced state of medicine even during his times. Much of all this knowledge of medicine can be traced to the Atharva Veda. Charaka wrote down or caused to be written down, much of the knowledge of medicine which had been coming down for ages.

Charaka traces the lineage of his knowledge to Agnivesa, Athreya and from thereon to Brahma.

A Radical Work Charaka in his Charaka Samhita took a rational view to medicine. Even though his work contains the knowledgebase of Atharva Veda, it does not begin with an invocation to any deity, nor does it contain any Puranic theology. Infact, Bhagavata Purana devoted mainly to Devakiputra Krishna, lists him among the Rishi. His work does not mention Sakya Muni – Gautama Buddha, nor Ashoka and his hospitals nor Kanishka, indicating that it preceded all these important personages of Indian history. His work is so popular that there are more than 33 commentaries on Charaka Samhita so far and it continues to be popular among physicians till date.

A Wholistic Philosophy to Practicing Medicine Charaka explained medicine using equivalence between the Cosmic universe, the Human universe and the Botanical universe. Charaka’s alignment with Nature in practicing medicine can be seen in the manner in which he has juxtaposed 3 worlds, namely that of

•  cosmic physics and chemistry with •  physiological chemistry and biology and also with •  botanical chemistry and physics. According to Charaka,

Nobility to Medical Profession Charaka reinforced in the minds of the medics, the four corner stones of medical practice.

One of the valued contributions of Charaka can be seen even today in the form of the Hippocratic Oath that graduating doctors take today.

A Medic’s Oath as taken today

The idea behind it is very similar to the oath formulated by Charaka millennia ago

A Medic’s Oath as formulated by Charaka

Fragment of Papyrus with Hippocratic Oath from 3rd Century CE Source - Wellcome Images, a website operated by Wellcome Trust, a global charitable foundation based in the United Kingdom.  Library reference: WMS 5754, Photo number: L0034090

Opinion on Hippocratic Oath

COUNSELLORS - PRACTICING MEDICINE WITH WORDS

Besides these doctors who treated people with knives and plants, i.e surgery and medicines, Ayurvedic texts also speak of doctors who treated patients with words. They are akin to the class of medical professionals called Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Counsellors etc. today. Why, even Spiritual Gurus, who heal people by faith, yogic and meditative practices would also qualify to come under this category and there would have been no dearth for such healers then.

VARIETIES OF AYURVEDA Ayurveda of yester years was specialized into many branches.

Ayurveda of yester years was also sought after by many for Tantric cures, which it inherited from its root, the Atharva Veda. Similar Tantric methods are also said to have been practiced by the Egyptian King called Nectanebus who lived during the times of the Macedonian, Alexander the Great. Even during the times of Greek writers such as Quintus

Curtius, he was rumoured to have used such Tantric practices remotely, for the wellbeing of Alexander.

TRACING THE LEGACY OF AYURVEDA Shiva The texts of Ayurveda trace their origin, knowledge to Shiva. The word “Shiva” here while it does mean the divinity of Shiva, it means so in the context of Shiva meaning mangalam, auspiciousness. Auspiciousness is the potential to become or evolve into something and hence Life which keeps evolving is regarded as most auspicious in Indian thought.

Shiva

Opposite of Shiva is Shava meaning “motionless, lifeless”. From this word “Shava” we get Shavasana, an asana where one lies down motionless. Shava, a lifeless body in Indian thought  is considered inauspicious as it lacks any potential to do anything or evolve.

Shavasana

Shiva as a divinity, a Tattva, thus represents the life giving potential in the Universe. The knowledge of life which Ayurveda is, emanates from the understanding of this potential, i.e. Shiva, Shiva tattva.

Brahma This knowledge of life then was transmitted onto Brahma. The word “Brahma” starts with Brh, which means to grow big, huge, to evolve. Life in this world, this universe has grown beyond one’s grasp since this creation. Life is an ever growing feature. It keeps evolving with the Universe and Time. The knowledge about life and how it manifests itself, is also an ever growing feature, evolving as living beings evolve, as diseases evolve and knowledge of science evolves. It is this ever growing nature of life and its knowledge which is symbolically represented as Brahma.

Brahma

Indra This knowledge then is traced down to Indra. The word Indra means “senses, the sensory knowledge”.

Indra

The knowledge that comes to us from our sensory perceptions of life and its well-being is Ayurveda. Hence it is regarded as being transmitted through Indra.

Ashwini twins From thereon this knowledge comes down to the Ashwini twins who are regarded as the divinities for good health.

Ashwini twins

Ashwini twins are called Nasatya in the Veda. Satya is the Absolute Truth, which is One. Nasatya means that which is not absolute or One. It is dual. It is twinned. It is contextual, with reference to. We see the existence of such a beautiful twinning principle in the relevance of Ashwini twins to Ayurveda. The definition for Ashwini twins in Ayurveda text is, Hitha Ahara Mitha Ayasa Mitha Ahara Hitha Ayasa It translates as, Affordable food, appropriate exercise Affordable exercise, appropriate food Ashwini twins represent the need for balance in maintaining good health. They stand for the balance between Diet and Lifestyle Rest and Work Nourishment and Treatment

Prevention and Cure. Ashwini twins represent the twinning key to good health.

Bharadawaja

Maharishi Bharadwaja

From the Ashwini twins, this knowledge of Ayurveda is traced down to Maharishi Bharadwaja who is an epitome of twinning in Indian knowledge system. The word “Bharadwaja” itself has many interesting and relevant connotations in this context here. Enjoying Dual Benefits The word Bharadwaja can be seen as comprising of three parts – Bhara meaning “to bear”, Dwa for “two” and Ja which besides “birth” also stands for “enjoyment”, “to own”, “to have the benefit of”. Bharadwaja is “one who bears the benefit of two”, “one who has 2 aspects”, “one who bridges 2”. Two of what? Bridging Levels Maharishi Bharadwaja stands for the step when the knowledge of Ayurveda crosses over from the sublime principles underlying health, to the care of the physical body, to keep it in good health.

Maharishi Bharadwaja is the one who bridges the two sides – the sublime knowledge of the principles of working of a body and the physical body itself, be it the body of the cosmos or the human body or even the body of machines. For, Maharishi Bharadwaja is considered as the father of many bodies of knowledge such as Medicine, Mathematics, Astronomy, Optics, Physics, Aeronautics, Mechanics and many more. Flag Bearer There is another simple way to look at Bharadwaja. Bhara means “to bear, to carry” and Dwaja means “a flag”. So, Bharadwaja means “a flag bearer” too. Flag bearer is also a forerunner, a torch bearer, a beacon for others to follow. Maharishi Bharadwaja, enjoys the distinction of having been a torch bearer, a forerunner, a guide for most branches of formal knowledge in ancient India. Almost all disciplines of study, list Bharadwaja as the first to have brought to light that branch of knowledge. So in that sense, he naturally came to be called the “Flag bearer” or Bharadwaja. Bharadwaja – The Oriental Skylark Bharadwaja as a common noun, stands for the bird, Oriental Skylark which are fairly common in India.

Bharadwaja – An Oriental Skylark, Alauda Gulgula in the outskirts of Chennai Photo Courtesy – Dr.Arun Kumar, India Nature Watch, Oct 16, 2009

In the case of the bird, the Oriental Skylark, one can see a small crest on its head which resembles a flag. This little bird is no doubt a flag bearer like Bharadwaja the Maha Rishi. Though a small, non-descript bird, an Oriental Skylark enjoys the dual benefit of 1.  being able to rise up quickly from the ground and go upto 600m high and 2.  being able to sing as it flies, unlike most other birds which sing or give out calls only when perched. Moreover its song, which sometimes can go on for as long as it flies, comprises of a string of discrete syllables. Each bird can produce close to 400 distinct syllables and each has its own unique pattern too. Thus a skylark song sounds like someone busily trying to say a lot of things. Infact, to our modern age ear, it sounds like the squeaky, garbled sounds we

hear when listening to someone speaking in an out of tune radio station. Also since a skylark rises to heights quickly and sings as it flies, it becomes invisible to the eye but its song is heard creating an effect as though the sky is saying something. Since skylarks start singing at the first hint of light, when everything is quiet and day is just dawning from night, a skylark and its song is a symbol of hope, cheer and good. The skylark has therefore been eulogized a lot in English poetry for this special, dual ability as well as for being a harbinger, a flag bearer of hope. Maharishi Bharadwaja – A Flag Bearer in Bridging Heavens And Earth The proper name, rather title Bharadwaja for a person, thus was given to one 1.  who is a flag-bearer and also 2.  who bears, who enjoys 2 abilities, especially to do with, i.  throwing light or enlightening by saying orteaching ii.  as he straddles levels – high to low, from sublime knowledge in the skies to solid bodies on the ground. From Bharadwaja, the various branches of Ayurveda were farmed out to different Rishi such as

•  Athreya – for medicine, whose student was Charaka •  Dhanvantri – for surgery, whose student was Sushruta •  Palakapya – for Hastayurveda, medicine for elephants, Hasta •  Gotama – for Gavayurveda, medicine for cows, Go •  Salihotra – for Ashvayurveda, medicine for horses, Ashva

Dhanvantari

Dhanvantri stepping out of water

Good health in Indian thought is embodied by a divinity called Dhanvantari, also regarded as the physician of the Divinities.

Puranic legends symbolize the emergence of Dhanvantri as stepping out of the waters holding the Amrita Kalasa, the nectar of life in one hand. In Greek language this Amrita is expressed as Ambrosia. Phonetically and semantically similar. This depiction is to remind one that for good health, what is essential, is the balance of waters, not just in one’s body, but on the whole earth as well. The name Dhanvantri has the syllable Dhan in it meaning wealth. Traditionally, it has been good health which has been looked up to, as being the real wealth. And, the knowledge of this good health is Ayurveda.

Wholistic Healthcare From the above, it dawns on us that the knowledge of Ayurveda is not just medicine for cure, but is a wholistic understanding of health, both physical and mental. Maintaining the equilibrium of these, along with waters in the body and waters in Nature is the primary facet of good health. Ayurveda is a conceptual canvas for not just for medicine alone but for handling all 4 prescribed aspects of life such as

•  Dharma – virtue •  Artha – wealth •  Kama – enjoyment •  Moksha - liberation And none of these is possible without a healthy body and a healthy mind. Good health is vital for all of these. Good health and a good life in Indian thought has been regarded as achieved by the interconnected 5 – Ayurveda, Yoga, Spirituality, Philosophy and Dharma. And, these were woven into traditions to enable a systematic practice in day to day life. At the same time, each of these branches were also systematically studied and developed to further knowledge, tradition and practice.

Systematic Study, Understanding and Practice Both Susrutha and Charaka have held forth on how to administer medicine to patients.

This implies that these doctors of the past would have conducted enormous research to Understand the patterns and symptoms of the diseases Learn about the properties / composition of many different plants Link the properties of a plant as a cure for each disease Test and measure the right dosage that can cure and not harm. In modern parlance, these are steps followed as part of Drug Discovery, Development and Clinical Research too. Indian doctors and chemists of the past were busy conducting clinical trials and documenting their findings, which is how we have to come to possess this readymade knowledge.

What is also astounding is how close WHO’s definition of health comes to Ayurveda’s.

Definition of Ayurveda

WHO’s Definition of Health

Ayurveda’s Definition of Health

Ayurveda thus developed into 2 areas of focus.

Ayurveda is thus also described as

A SUBTLE BUT GROSS CONTRAST While there may seem many a similarity between Ayurveda and modern medicine and many may have been concepts or practices that have found their way into modern medical practices, there is a fundamental difference in

thought and approach, which acts as a barrier in the fruitful coming together of the two. It is the notion of Cause and Effect.

Cause and Effect Our modern understanding of the body is that, it is because of the working of the organs such as heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, intestines etc. we live. When they cease to work, our life ends. Ayurveda and Indian thought has a subtle but grossly different take on life. Life comprises of 5 basic life forces concerned with the basic pumps of the body 1.  Prana which controls respiration 2.  Apana which controls excretion 3.  Vyana which controls circulation 4.  Udana which controls ingestion 5.  Samana which controls digestion Between them, they maintain exchange of air, water, food and wastes with the outside world and circulation of gases, fluids, enzymes, minerals and nutrients in the form of blood internally to keep the muscles, tissues and bones in good condition for the body to be able to act and react on its own. All of which make up the signs of life. Let us take Prana. While, we may be wont to say that the lungs expand during inhalation to fill itself with air and contract during exhalation to empty itself, the same is viewed as the action of the Prana force, which makes the lungs expand to take in fresh air and contract to empty the waste air. Hence the control of this controlling force, breath control is called Pranayama, Yama meaning to control, to regulate. Likewise, in the case of Apana, while, we may be wont to say that the intestines or bowels move to excrete wastes, the same is viewed as the action of the Apana force which makes the bowel and bladder push the wastes out of the body. It comes from Pana in Samskrt meaning to keep, to hold. Hence the word Pana in Hindi for acquire and keep, or Panai in Tamil, Malayalam

for a pot or vessel as it keeps or holds. A-pana thus is the opposite of keep, meaning to throw out, let go. Vya means to spread. Vyana thus means to circulate. Vyana is the force that makes the blood vessels and other capillaries, circulate blood and other secretions. Ud means to rise up, the upper part. Udana is to do with the upper tract of the digestive system, movement of food in upper tract as well as movement of food going up and down i.e. swallowing, reflux, regurgitation and vomiting. Sama means good, balanced, equal, mid, whole, right etc. Samana is that, which holds the middle, which is in good, correct measure, which is the whole etc. Samana is the force that works between the Udana and Apana, maintains balance between hunger and fullness, between eating and excreting, which directs all the intake from outside and secretions from inside, to assemble and blend together, in the right measure, in the stomach, to create the right broken down form of the food, for the good of the body. Samana force is the whole, sole and soul of the process of digestion.

Pra means special and natural. Prana is the naturally born and special life force, which is the ultimate as far as life is concerned. The presence of absence of this force determines the presence and absence of life in a body. Only this force is under conscious control of a human and a Yama or regulation of this force can effect a balance in all the other forces of the body. Hence, the importance given to Pranayama as a form of remedy in Ayurveda. Since this control comes with the alignment of mind, body  and breath, to bring in an alignment of all other life forces too, it is a form of Yoga, as Yoga means a union. The indicator for the balance and working of these life forces are the three indicators produced in every body, called Vata, Pita and Kapha, termed as the 3 Dosha, the TriDosha.. Dosha means blame, affection, cause. These 3 indicators point to the cause of malfunction in the body. They indicate what is to be blamed. Hence they are Dosha. Likewise, Dhatu for example, is not the same as tissue, as is commonly equated. It is more of a functional trait which by its etymological root, is the root principle for cells and tissue that make up the gross body, that, which gives it mass and weight. Thus between the 5 basic life forces, the 3 Dosha and Dhatu, they cause the body organs to function in a certain individualistic manner of each body which in turn influences the individual’s character and behaviour. What an individual respires, ingests, digests, circulates and excretes influences his/her health and character. Hence Ayurveda has laid emphasis on the kind of food and environ one should eat and dwell in, in order to lead a life in sync with one’s work and social needs.

Subtle and Gross Thus even above the gross functioning aspects of the body, there lies a layer of subtle as recognized by Ayurveda. Allopathy, the present day, global form of medicine practice, with origins in the western civilizations, regards the body as the human, which functions by

virtue of its physical composition and organs. It is a purely gross approach to science. In Ayurveda, a human has a body which is under the effect of the subtle, innate biological life forces that are in continuum with external cosmic forces. It is a subtle to gross approach to science just as the cosmos is believed to be under the influence of cosmic principles at work in the Sankhya thought of India. The human of the body, with his / her mind and actions from both past and present, as well as harmony with the cosmos can influence his/her life forces and thus take the body to a state of good health. Knowledge of all this and the techniques of balancing and curing, is the science called Ayurveda.

AYURVEDA – THE KNOWLEDGE OF LIFE As the name suggests, Ayur means life and Veda is knowledge, so Ayurveda, simply put, is the knowledge of life. It is not just knowledge of life. It is also to do with understanding life, with a focus on maintaining good health and thus leading a good life. “What it takes to maintain good health, both from preventive and curative aspects, in consonance with Nature” is Ayurveda. Hence the way to good health must also lie within Nature. Ayurveda is thus a system of knowledge of the nature of Nature and nature of humans for maintaining good health of both humans and Nature. Every land has its own traditional system of medicare. Ayurveda is that of the Indian civilization. It is a specialized branch of knowledge, which has been coming down from over 7000 years and more, nurturing the well-being and longevity of the Indians’ civilization.

MANY FIRSTS The Indian school of medicine, Ayurveda, has many credible and creditable discoveries to its credit which it has shared with the world in various fields.

Some of the Pioneers and Their Milestone Contribution

Some of the Pioneering Fields of Medical Sciences, Research and Treatment from Ayurveda

BREATHING

Charaka in his Charaka Samhita itself, had stated that an average, healthy human takes 16 breaths per minute and 22636 breaths per day, reflecting the observational, researching and mathematical capabilities of the ancients. Modern observations are similar.

HRIDAYAM – A HEART STOPPER The English Heart

William Harvey, Portrait by Daniel Mytens, 1627 at the National Portrait gallery, UK

In the field of cardiology Willam Harvey, the English physician, is credited with having explained the function of the heart, blood supply and thereon.

This was in the year 1628 CE. It was such a vital breakthrough in anatomy in the West that William Harvey’s name continues to evoke deep respect in the medical world, even today.

William Harvey’s  Book – “Exercitatio Anatomica de Motu Cordis et Sanguinis in Animalibus”  i.e. On the Motion of Heart and Blood in Animals, Source – Digital copy at RareBookRoom

Ayurveda’s Hrdayam

Hrdayam, Heart

In India, Ayurveda has had a deep understanding of the function of the heart from many millennia ago. The very word “Heart” in the English language has its root in the Samskrt word Hrdayam. This word Hrdayam has three components to it, Hr, Da and Yam. We know today that Heart is an organ that pumps and circulates blood throughout the body. Let us look at the etymology of Hrdayam. Syllable

Verb

Meaning

Hr

Harati

Takes

Da

Dadati

Gives

Ya

Yayati

Circulates, moves

The word Hrdayam has, in its formation itself, the description of the primary function of the heart, which is – to take, to give, to circulate. Hrdayam, by itself is a technical word, rich in meaning and denoting the functionality of the object it stands for. The name heart, in turn is derived from this functionally meaningful Hrdayam.

TWIN BIRTH

When twins are born, Ayurvedic texts clearly state that the child born second is elder and the child born first is younger. This is because the child born second is conceived first and gets its life, Jeevan first. It therefore has to be the elder. In Indian thought, Life, Living and Learning do not start only after coming out of the womb. They start from the moment of conception. The Indian native law, the traditional law, taking this cue from Ayurveda, also has, in its tenets of law that the child born second is elder and has the legal rights of the elder one.

Twins in womb

A whole host of details on conception, and development of foetus is discussed in an exhaustive treatise named Garbhopanishad. This also indicates that, in the Indian system each branch of knowledge or practice was not separate but inter twined with other branches to lead a wholesome life. Twinning of Medicine and Law is just one example. The field of Ayurveda has many more such interesting, intricate details as well as milestone achievements in evolution of human civilization and knowledge. It is a brand worth living for.

Medicine along with Buddhism

The international universities of India, such as Takshasila and Nalanda, to which, students from China and many parts of Central to South East Asia, flocked to study Buddhism, also specialized in teaching medicine, Ayurveda. Hence, most Buddhist scholars were also well versed in medicine and Ayurveda also went along, wherever Buddhism went. The medical knowledge gained from India, was put into practice in many lands.

AYURVEDA TO CHINA The names for the popular Chinese treatment systems of Acupuncture and Acupressure can be traced to the English word “Acu”, which comes from the Latin word Acus, for needle, pinpoint. The English word ‘acumen’ for sharp focus, penetration and ‘accurate’ for precise, also has the same root. But these two branches of Chinese treatments, Acupuncture and Acupressure, can be traced to the Indian Ayurvedic branches of Suchi Ayurveda and Marma Sthana Ayurveda respectively.

Marma Sthana and Suchi Ayurveda Suchi means needles and Marmam means sensitive, hidden in Samskrt, while Sthana is location, spot. Marma Sthana points to the vital spots in the body that are sensitive to pressure and transmit the effects to the vital organs that they are connected to.

    Acupuncture

Acupressure Spots on the Sole

Both these traditional branches of medicine have a history of continuous practice in India till date.

As history is narrated, knowledge transfer of Indian systems of medicine to China, can be traced to the Indian Buddhist master Bodhi Dharma from Kanchipuram, South India settling down in China. In brief, Bodhi Dharma travelled eastwards from Kanchipuram with an objective to spread his way of Buddhism, focused more on meditation and improving mind strength enough, to influence physical strength and capability. As retold, during his sojourn, he arrived in some remote villages of China facing constant threat of raids from neighbouring lands as well as outbreak of mysterious diseases for which they had no cure. He also saw Buddhist monks who in their pursuit of spirituality had ignored their physical health and were weak to even eke out subsistence in the harsh terrains of their monasteries. He realized that besides teaching Buddhism to improve spiritual stability, he would have to impart the knowledge he had gained from his schooling in India, of, physical training to improve physical capability medical training to improve physiological ability and mind training to improve mental faculty. Further knowledge share occurred with more travel by Buddhist monks and scholars, between India and China and infusion of local practices. From all of these emerged monasteries where the monks gained skill of martial arts, techniques of spot cure as well as spot defence such as acupressure, acupuncture which in India system were practiced as Marmam, meaning, the secret spots, herbal and other types of treatments for diseases, which gained fame world over as the Chinese system of medicine. Thus along with Buddhism, Dhyana (Zen) taken by Bodhi Dharma and martial arts (Kung Fu, Karate), medicine, especially Acupuncture and Acupressure, also travelled from India to China via the Buddhist monks and students.

AYURVEDA IN THAILAND

Another sitting example is at the west entrance of Wat Phra Kew, the main temple attached to the Grand Palace at Bangkok, Thailand, in the form of a bronze statue popularly called “The Hermit Doctor”.

Jivaka The locals refer to this statue as their patron of medicine, an Indian hermit Jivaka, who gave them Yoga and herbal medicine and hence offer prayers and other offerings here, to get cured of illnesses. This Jivaka was none other than the personal physician of the Buddha. This statue at the front of the temple is placed on a stone pedestal, with another pedestal in front, bearing a stone mortar and pestle - an indication of how he practiced medicine with herbs, he used to grind.

Jivaka, Patron Hermit of Medicine, Wat Phra Kew, Grand Palace, Bangkok

Paediatrician An interesting practice in Thailand is also the common practice of referring to a paediatrician as KumaraVaidya, a pure Samskrt term, out of vogue even in India today. Kumar means a young boy and Vaidya, a doctor. Indeed, an apt way to refer to a Paediatrician!

AYURVEDA IN CENTRAL ASIA The popularity of Indian medicine, Ayurveda, can also be gauged from the discovery of a set of manuscripts on Paediatrics, in the deserts of Kashgar, in the northern slope of Himalayas in the year 1795 CE. Kashgar is a city in the westernmost part of present day China. Also known as Kashi in China, it lies at the confluence of Tajikistan, Krygyzstan and China.

Kashgar, where Navaneeta Kum, popularly known as the Bower’s Manuscript was discovered

Bower’s Manuscript Discovered by an English man called Bower, these manuscripts are now referred to as the Bower’s Manuscripts and are presently preserved as part of the collections of the Bodleian Library in Oxford. Copies can also be found at the Wellcome Library in Euston, London.

The Bower Mansucript, translated by A.F.R.Hoernle in 1891, published by Archaeological Survey of India

A set of legible images of the original manuscript presented in this book

Navaneeta Kum These manuscripts, dating back to 350 CE, contain Navaneeta Kum, a treatise on Navaneeta, meaning children, which was authored by Kashyapa, a disciple of Buddha and the teacher of Jivaka. Kashyapa was the author of Kaumara Bhritya, the treatise containing Questions and Answers between Kashyapa and Jivaka on the ailments that afflict children and their cure. With Buddha having lived around 1800 BCE, i.e. 3800 years ago, Kashyapa and his disciple Jivaka, can be regarded as the first paediatricians of the world. Jivaka’s doctrines for doctoring children, too went wherever Buddhism went. The Thailanders are not off the mark when they address Jivaka as their patron of medicine.

AYURVEDA – TREATED AS A BRAND OF INDIA All these substantiate that Ayurveda was widespread across Asia. Ayurveda was a very specialised branch of knowledge in India and had attracted students from world over, from Rome to China, to study in the various Universities of India, in particular at Takshashila, in the north. We see that Ayurveda was treated as a brand of Bharat for many millennia. In contrast, Allopathy has been a brand of the west only since the last couple of centuries. With a surging preference for Ayurveda as an alternate form of medicine world over and the discoveries of newer remedies based on ancient manuscripts on Ayurveda, Ayurveda will continue to be a life long brand of Bharat.

Inoculation In India

INOCULATION IN INDIA In India, the disease of Small Pox had been prevalent through the ages. There was a regular system, whereby the physician would go around inoculating the people with cow pox, which they called as “Govasoori”. This has been recorded by the early British officers in India. Dr.John Zephaniah Holwell, Fellow of the Royal Society, was a surgeon and an employee of the English East India Company serving as a temporary Governor of Bengal. He was also one among the first few Europeans to study Indian antiquities. Dr.J.Z.Holwell studied the Indian inoculation system of Bengal in 1760 and lectured in the London Royal College of Physician in 1767 about the “antiquity of Inoculation in India.”

Commenting on the effectiveness of the Indian system of routine inoculation, he writes in 1767,

This goes to show how the Indian ancestors not only had preventives and cures for certain diseases regarded dreadful even by today’s standard, but had also evolved schemes whereby in a manner systematic, they had kept at bay, such epidemics. In 1731, Ro.Coult in his record, “An Account of the Diseases of Bengal” dated 10th February 1731, mentions how the physician, Dunantry of Champanagar, by the Ganges, gave inoculation, Tikah as known locally. He writes about the method followed by a Dunantary, physician of Champanagar, by the Ganges. Dunantary is his way of writing Dhanvantari, the local terminology for a physician, as the divinity for Ayurveda is called Dhanvantari.

Illustration of a Dunantary inoculating a villager

Ro.Coult writes about the steps as.

INVOCATION WITH INOCULATION Invoking Sithala Devi

It is interesting how ancient Indians had associated a divinity for Smallpox and dreadful diseases of its likes. Sithala Devi was a Nature divinity who was prayed to, inorder to cure and keep the patient cool, during affliction of this disease. The word Sithala means the one capable of cooling. Giving the patient cool substances for intake or application after offering it to Sithala Devi, was one way of ensuring that the food and other regimen were kept cool, as required.

     Sithala Devi – Illustrated as a village medicine woman and as a Divinity

Donkey for a Divinity? The divinity, Sithala Devi is depicted sitting on a donkey. One may wonder why a donkey? Donkey’s milk, was considered by ancient civilizations as being beneficial for alimentary and cosmetic purposes.  Donkey’s milk, was used as cure in many ailments and for cosmetic use such as effacing wrinkles in the face, rendering the skin more delicate and preserving its whiteness, all of which would help in Smallpox like skin infection. Research has classified donkey’s milk as being closest to human milk, in that, being low in protein and fat and being high in lactose.

Ancient civilizations were in the know, of the benefits of donkey’s milk. Cleopatra, the Egyptian Queen, Poppaea Sabina, Roman Emperor Nero’s wife and Pauline Bonaparte, Napolean Bonaparte’s sister are all famous personages in ancient history who had used donkey’s milk to bathe considering the benefits it rendered to the skin. Even today, donkey’s milk is used by a few, in the manufacture of soaps and moisturizers. Strange that a popular way in Tamil, to chide a child who keeps crying unnecessarily and then ends up laughing, is to tease it by saying

Kazhudai means donkey in Tamil and Malayalam. It is about how, an irritated baby can be calmed by giving donkey’s milk, which can soothe irritations in skin, stomach, headache etc. It is also a pun on how, a laughter mixed with weeps, sounds like a donkey’s bray. Even today, in Tamil Nadu, donkey’s milk is given to newborn infants, within first few days of their birth, to improve their immune systems and aid their voice development.

Relief and Hygiene The offerings to Sithala Devi include tender coconut milk, rose water, sandalwood paste, Neem leaves, all of which are traditionally used as cooling and relieving agents, in the case of a Smallpox, Chickenpox, Herpes kind of skin afflictions.  In other depictions, she is shown carrying a broom, a dustpan, a bowl to gather the swept up dust, (fallen scabs in this case, equated to a type of

Indian lentil called Urad Dal) and a pitcher of purifying Ganga water. All these implements in her hands, emphasize the aspect of hygiene to be maintained during such skin infections, which can be contagious through the scabs that are shed.

Sithala Devi – The Coolest One Typically, invocations to Sithala Devi were made during the onset of Winter and Spring, a window of change in season, which can give rise to skin infections. Winter, which gives rise to dry skin conditions and associated infections and heat of spring, which gives rise to Smallpox, Chickenpox kind of infections. The 8th day from Holi, the spring festival of colours, is observed as Sithala Devi day, the day to invoke Sithala Devi to guard against skin infections, both from virus as well as from the use of colours perhaps on the body. Special cooling food is prepared without fire and consumed to keep body cool and prophylactic doses of deterrants to such virus is administered. In southern India, especially Tamil Nadu, it is the month of Aadi, JulyAugust, which was when Smallpox, Chickenpox afflictions used to be rampant. Hence, the practice in Aadi, of cooling the body down with Koozhu, a porridge made of millet and fermented over 2 days, to make it a coolant. To make this health practice a staying habit and an effective one at that, it was given a flavour of tradition and devotion, by first offering the Koozhu to Mariamman, the southern form of Sithala Devi. This practice is still vigorously carried out in Tamil Nadu even today in the month of Aadi, on Sundays, the day in veneration of the hot Sun. Southern India has a different cycle of summer and monsoon as compared to North India. Hence, the time window of such afflictions of diseases and invocations of the Divine naturally varied. What a cool way to use a cool divinity to blend Nature’s natural cycles along the lines of a human body’s physiology all across the land? Ofcourse, in present times, with the change in eating habits and balance of environment around, such afflictions strike all over the land, all through the year.

Whole of India refers to such afflictions as a visit of the Divine Mother even today. Pox is referred to as Ammai in South India and Mata in North India –

•  Chinna Ammai or Choti Mata (Small Mother) for Chicken Pox, a milder manifestation of the infection

•   Periya Ammai or Bari Mata (Big Mother) for Small Pox which is a more severe manifestation of the infection

•  Vilayattu Ammai (Playful Mother) for Measles as it is not such a serious infection. It is strange that India chose severity to grade the affliction while in modern system of medicine, it is the size of the pox that gave it the name Small Pox. Whole of India was aware that such afflictions should just be waited out patiently with natural ways to keep the patient clean, cool, comfortable and the immediate surroundings and people quarantined to prevent further spread of the disease. An advice, which is offered even today in modern Medicare. Such houses used to be singled out by the hanging of Neem leaves and smearing of Turmeric around, both of which are proven antiseptics and deterrants to flies and insects. While on one side such infections are rather distressing to the afflicted person and immediate family, such visitations of the affliction are considered even today as divine and a blessing in India, for, it has been common knowledge among people from millennia that once afflicted, the person develops antibodies, which give immunity for life usually. We find an inseparable connect between Mariamman, Mari, Marubai, Mata, Sithala Devi and their connect with chickenpox and smallpox all over India. Infact, the famous locality Matunga of Mumbai itself is an acronym of the name “Marubai Tekdi Gaon”, a cluster of villages in Mumbai around a small hillock, Tekdi in Marathi, which was renowned since 1700 for its temple to Sithala Devi or Marubai.

Shri.Marubai Gaon Devi Temple, Matunga, Mumbai and the Deity inside

Maintained till 1990s as a small village temple amidst the buildings and bustling roads of Mumbai, it is only recently that this temple was renovated into its present form. Matunga having developed into a locality of many South Indians from the 40s, this temple with the name Marubai for the deity, was also frequented by the South Indians, seeking their Mariamman. If all these is not uniform knowledge, culture and tradition that unites people into a civilization, then what else can be?

If this is not a scientific practice in the garb of tradition, then what else can be? If this is not a tradition to be proud of, then what else can be?

THE WESTERN INVENTION The records of the inoculation system in India, were taken to the East India library in London, as part of the East India system. Around that time, in England, many doctors were trying to find a cure for Small Pox. Edward Jenner in England, must have had access to these papers or to people who would have read the papers of Coult from India. He applied the techniques suggested and introduced Small Pox Vaccination to England in 1796. He coined the term Vaccination for this since the Latin term for “Cow” is Vacca and this process of inoculation used the pock from the udder of the cow.

Edward Jenner Vaccinating a child

INOCULATION SEEN AS INTERVENTION What was being done, easily, effortlessly, effectively, village after village in India, for many millennia, met with severe resistance in England. Many opined that Vaccination, which changed the course of destiny of people by preventing them from getting afflicted by this disease, was in a

way intervening in the dispensation of fate by Providence. They felt that such acts went against the tenets of Christianity and an act of Sin.

INOCULATION INDOCTRINATED INTO MEDICINE But nothing could prevent the eventual adoption of Vaccination by the western system of medicine from where it came back to India in its modern avatar. The mark of a Vaccination, inoculation is a mark of ancient India’s advanced forethought and preventive medicinal practice. It is one of the earliest instances of the use of prophylactics in health care for vaccination remains one of the greatest prophylactics the world has ever known. Why do we still think of our ancients as primitive?

Horse Breeding

Today, if you ask someone to say the first word that comes to their minds after the word horses is uttered, it is most likely that they would say Arabic. Horses from Arabia are considered to be the best in the world. One of the most followed books for horse breeding around the world, including in India, is the Arabic book ‘Salator’. What do Arabic horses have to do in a book of brands of Bharat?

SALIHOTRA – A HORSE POET Prior to the Mahabharata period, i.e. more than 5100 years ago, there lived in India, a Rishi, a Maharishi to be precise. His name was Salihotra. Maharishi Salihotra authored a work called Turgarna Sastra also known popularly as Salihotra Samhita.  It was a very comprehensive work, comprising of 8 parts, 120 chapters and 16000 sloka. And what did this great Maharishi fill this voluminous compendium with? Only practical farriery and complete science of horses, right from, Breeding Watering Feeding Training

Stabling to Grooming.

SALIHOTRA’S LEGACY Dealing with the branch of Ayurveda catering to horses called Ashva Ayurveda, Ashva meaning horse, Salihotra, in this work, detailed care in health and disease and gave elaborate description of diseases that horses are susceptible to and their treatment. Maharishi Salihotra also composed 3 other works on horses;

•  Haya Ayurveda (Haya is Horse in Samskrt) •  Ashva Prashasana (Guidance on Horses) •  Ashvalakshana Sastra (Science of Characteristics of Horses) Indeed, he was an authority on horses! Infact his name, Salihotra itself is a poetical word for a horse. He seems to have earned this name due to his work on horses. Salihotra Maharishi lived prior to the Mahabharata period which dates to about 5100 years ago, around 3100 BCE, since Nakula the Pandava who also was an expert on horses and had authored works on caring for horses was a disciple from the school of Salihotra Maharishi. This Nakula himself was an author of Ashva Sastra which documents medicines for ailments commonly afflicting horses such as, Cough Indigestion Diarrhoea Skin disease Apoplexy Madness. All of these look like common ailments likely to be faced by man or animal.

Salihotra Maharishi, we find, had two other renowned disciples. Jaya Datta Suri who authored Ashva Vaidyaka which focussed on Breeds of horses Preferred features in a Stud for riding or drawing carriages Foaling Lactation Diet for a horse

•  Surgery for a horse The other disciple was Kalhana who wrote Salihotra Sarasa Muccaya. This work was translated into Arabic and made its way into Arabia, where it became popular as Salator, for Salihotra.

HORSES IN INDIA 5100 YEARS AGO If Salihotra Maharishi and many others had to compile such a large work on just horses, then it implies, That India 5100 years ago had that many horses and horses were important to Indians. That horses were native to India and the native breeds had been understood and leveraged well That horse breeding was a honed art and science in India from over 5100 years ago That Arabs and Persians sought the knowledge of caring for horses from India as evidenced by the translation of Salihotra Samhita into Salator India had been known for its use of horses along with elephants, both for peaceful purposes as well as for war. This brand of ancient Bharat was destroyed when the British declared Indian horses inferior as it was beyond the British officers’ capability to control and ride the Indian breed of horses.

The easy way out for them was to state that the Arabian horses were superior and thus officially establish them in India while relegating the sturdy, native breeds such as Kathiawadi, Marwari, Manipuri and so on, as inferior, to end up today pulling tongas, Victorian horsecarts, for tourist rides. The irony is that, India today has forgotten Salihotra Maharishi, Salihotra Samhita and the native breeds of horses. It today imports horses from Arabia as the best horses and ‘Salator’ as the manual and guide to care for horses.

TOPSY TURVY Each land has horse breeds, which are native to that region, its weather, vegetation and topology.  India too had breeds native to India for many a millennia which were excellent for Indian conditions. India was further advantaged by the fact that the knowledge to care for horses in general was left behind by the earlier generations. Horse care, horse breeding, horse training were all the forte of India until we chose to forget our traditional texts and started importing the translated versions of the same as Salator from Arabia. Rishi Salihotra’s Salihotra Samhita or Turgarna Sastra from the stables of India, unknown to many, are a long forgotten brand of Bharat. Horse is a powerful reminder of all that India stands to lose in the global race for innovation, sustenance and power, every time Indians choose to demean their native knowledge, wisdom, skills and resources.

Ahimsa – Might is Not Right

THE BRITISH MIGHT IN EARLY 1900S In 1911, King George V, visited Delhi, which was when the capital of British India had been shifted from Calcutta to Delhi. The popular catchphrase then, of the haughty British officers was,

This was because the British controlled New Zealand, Hong Kong, Australia in the East to Canada in the West. The British Empire thus stretched from the East to the West of the globe.

Wide spread power of British Empire

TURNING TOPSY TURVY

Within the next few decades, this same British Empire started disintegrating. Militarily, the British were a very strong force. They were on the winning side of World War I and World War II. They had the forces of the empire, enlisted with soldiers from their colonies of India, Africa, other parts of Asia and so on. Yet, the supremacy of the British, as a world power, was turned upside down within a few decades, not by a military might that was superior to the British but by a different source of power, led by an unarmed, frail man popularly known as Bapu or Mahatma Gandhi. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was his full name and Mahatma means great soul. We have all heard that Gandhi used the tool called Ahimsa, to gain independence for India. How was this possible? Ahimsa is non violence.

THE IRONIC WEAPON Unarmed, but equipped with techniques of Ahimsa, non violence and Satyagraha, to stay with the truth, he successfully checkmated the might of the British forces.

Mahatma Gandhi extolling the values of Ahimsa

The supremacy of the British came crashing down, colony after colony within a few decades. It was an irony that one of the mightiest of the Empires was toppled without weapons. With just a simple but powerful tool called Ahimsa.

WHAT IS THIS AHIMSA? Himsa means “to hurt others wilfully, physically and mentally”. The English word “heinous” seems to have its etymological roots in the word Himsa. Ahimsa means “not to hurt others willfully, physically and mentally.”  In other words, Ahimsa is Non Violence in thought and deed.

Antiquity of Ahimsa Ahimsa, the thought of not to hurt any other creature, is innate to the Indian civilization. While people immediately associate Ahimsa, non violence with Mahatma Gandhi, Gandhi in his autobiography, “My Experiments with Truth”, says

Autobiography - My Experiments with Truth

Veda

Ahimsa goes back not just to the time of Gandhi but goes back to the times of Buddha, Mahavira Jaina and the Veda. In the Veda, we find a Vedic verse which translates as,

The concept of Ahimsa is mentioned in the Veda, Sastra, Smriti, Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam and many ancient texts in local languages. Atharva Veda defines Ahimsa as

Mahabharata Ahimsa is mentioned as the foremost Dharma, knowledge and penance in Mahabharata. When we say Mahabharata, people immediately think of the Kurukshetra War. Even in this scenario of imminent battle, the value of Ahimsa is extolled in Shanthi Parva, the chapter on peace.

Veda Vyasa dictating Mahabharata to scribe Ganesha

Buddhism and Jainism Mahavira and Buddha also spoke about and practiced Ahimsa.

Gautam Buddha and Mahavir Jain

AHIMSA RAHASYA – SECRET OF AHIMSA Ahimsa, non violence is often derided as a sign of weakness. Contrary, Ahimsa comes from inner valour. It does not come from cowardice or softness. It comes from collective strength, courage. Which is why, in the case of Mahavir Jain, the last Jain Tirthankara, even though He advocated Ahimsa as Vardhaman which was his original name, He was given the title Maha Vira meaning the “great courageous one”. Vir means courageous, brave. Mahavir - “person of Great Valour”. For, it takes courage to practice Ahimsa. The power to be able to resist the forces of might without weapons, without violence has to come by hardening oneself enough and this has to come from within oneself. It has to be acquired by walking the rigorous path of simplicity, truth, love, righteousness and virtuosity.

Ahimsa therefore has to be accompanied by Satyagraha, staying with truth, righteousness to gain power. This is the Moola Mantra, founding principle of Ahimsa. All this takes inner valour, inner strength and inner courage. When each individual in a society practices Ahimsa, collectively, the society acquires the strength and power capable of toppling the mightiest of the might, like it did to the British Empire.

Ahimsa, a difficult path to tread Mahatma Gandhi in his own words, warns that while the idea of Ahimsa is noble, it is by no stretch of imagination an easy path to tread.

Ahimsa – more difficult than walking on the edge of a sword

Mahatma Gandhi used Ahimsa as a tool to fight colonialism in 1930s and 1940s. Taking the lead from the Mahatma, a whole host of leaders across the world used the tools of Ahimsa and Satyagraha, to overcome colonial or racial oppression in their land, with a sense of rightfulness.

SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT, POLAND

While many today may see the tool of Ahimsa as outdated, the fight against communism in Poland was fought on the principle of Non Violence, Ahimsa by the Solidarity Movement led by Lech Walesa. Communism had its vice grip on half of the world then. After leading Poland through a Non Violent struggle against communism, Lech Walesa led the reconstruction of a non communist Poland. This Solidarity movement led to the fast demise of communism in Eastern Europe over the next decade. Lech Walesa received Noble Peace Price for having led a peaceful movement during turbulent times.

Lech Walesa, the former President of Poland

Emblem of Solidarity Movement

Ruminating on the movement, Lech Walesa expressed that,

Lech Walesa, a true admirer of Mahatma Gandhi further went on to say,

NON CO-OPERATION IN SOUTH AFRICA South Africa carried on the despicable policy of Apartheid, Apartness, well into modern times in the 1980s. Mahatma Gandhi as a young barrister at law in 1920s had questioned the prevailing apartheid law system of South Africa by launching his non-cooperation movement, the path of Satyagraha.

Nelson Mandela in a Prison Outfit

Nelson Mandela who carried forth the torch of protests lit by Mahatma Gandhi in South Africa, was incarcerated in jail for 27 years. It was the will of the leaders, the hope of the people and their absolute faith that apartheid policy can be overcome only by the soft power of Ahimsa as taught by

Mahatma Gandhi, which served successfully, as the beacon during their struggle for ousting apartheid from South Africa.

MARTIN LUTHER KING IN AMERICA

Martin Luther King Jr.

In 1960s, Martin Luther King Junior led the Afro-Americans of America to freedom from slavery, both in deed and in thought, to a period of equality for one and all. He has also expressed in his works that he took the non violent struggle route drawing inspiration from the Ahimsa policy of Mahatma Gandhi. Rev. Jesse Jackson, an American Civil Rights activist while delivering the Gandhi Memorial Lecture in 2008, speaking about Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi said,

Rev. Jesse Jackson alongside statue of Mahatma Gandhi

Superpower America held together by Ahimsa John Lewis, Congressman of Georgia, USA, while referring to Dr. King as ‘one of the most courageous persons the Civil Rights Movement ever produced’, says,

John Lewis

It is this Non Violent Movement of Civil Rights, inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and Ahimsa that has held a super power like America together as recently as in 1960s.

A PLACE FOR THE OPPRESSED TO EXPRESS Today world over, when people congregate to oppose oppression in a non violent manner, it is usually under a statue of Mahatma Gandhi. His statues can be seen from Canada, in the North West of the world map to New Zealand in the South East.

STATUE OF MAHATMA GANDHI – 21ST CENTURY GLOBAL ICON FOR AHIMSA The spread of Gandhi statues across the face of the world, is not only amazing, but also thought provoking. Oppressed people across nationalities, religions, regions, had looked up to him with hope. In this modern commercial world, money and power are God. Gandhi had neither - money nor power. But, he was an epitome of soft power – Truth, Sathya. Besides acknowledging the leadership offered to the world by Mahatma Gandhi, these statues in a way are also a mark of salutation to the principle of non-violence, Ahimsa. The way Mahavira was synonymous with Ahimsa for the last 2 millennia in India, for the modern world, it is Gandhi who is synonymous with Ahimsa.

Statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Wellington Railway Station, New Zealand

RECURRENT EFFECTIVENESS OF AHIMSA The Ahimsa movement had its effectiveness in the 1930s and 1940s in India, which led to the cascading effect of dismantling colonialism the world over.

The equal right for blacks that was fought under the leadership of Martin Luther King Jr in 1960 in America also had Non Violence as its basic tool to fight the unequal policy of the land then. The non violent resistance movement of Solidarity in Poland, following the principle of Gandhiji, started the dismantling process of Communism in the 70s and 80s, in Eastern Europe. In South Africa, the Apartheid, the Apartness policy was torn apart by the non-cooperation movement, again inspired by Gandhi’s Ahimsa principles. From Colonialism to Communism to Capitalism to Racism, the Soft Power of Ahimsa has had its recurrent effect not just in India, but in different parts of the world repeatedly.

ISMS The world has gone through many “isms” – colonialism, capitalism, communism, commercialism, consumerism, racism, terrorism and many more. The next “ism” that the world looks forward to is humanism. This humanism is the real soft power of humanity. It is a judicious blend of

•    Dharma,

which is living upto one’s true character in relation with others,

•   Satyagraha- Satya means truth. Graha means to occupy, to take hold of. The planets are called Graha because of the particular place they occupy in space. Satyagraha thus means to act decisively from the space of truth and

•  Ahimsa, non-violence. A good blend of all these will lead to Shanthi, peaceful nature which is the most powerful thought, deed and action that humans can achieve in unison.

Shanthi Shanthi Shanthi Chanting Shanthi Shanthi Shanthi three times, at the end of every prayer in India, is for peace in thought, word and deed. Peace is what every creature in this world is yearning for.

AHIMSA FOR FUTURE? Mark Juergensmeyer, a Professor of Sociology and the Director of Orfalea Centre for Global and International studies, at the University of California, has researched and recognized the influence Ahimsa has for the future too and written about it in his books.

He writes on the utility of Ahimsa as a weapon of the future.Some of the relevant extracts from his books include,

SOFT POWER, THE NEW AGE PARADIGM Today, we have coined the term “soft power”, as a new jargon.

Unlike the brutal force exuded by the guns and bombs of hard power, soft power is the power to corner the opponent without using military might. Soft power is the power held by virtue of monopoly, control or influence that one can exercise over others. It is a power that is hard to overcome without getting destroyed in the process. Soft power is harder than hard power as it can keep a check on the use of hard power.

Ahimsa, a potent Soft Power Among the range of soft powers that people speak of, Ahimsa is a potent one. It has had its influence, its effectiveness in the near past, in unshackling the world of colonial power. It has its use in the near future as well in the turbulent times that the world is passing through, where the motto seems to be an eye for an eye, which will only result in making everyone blind. Ahimsa shows an alternate path. If a consistent use of Ahimsa and Satyagraha was able to prevail over centuries of colonial tyranny, what other classic example can there be of Soft Power against Hard Power, if not for Ahimsa?

AHIMSA, WHERE RIGHT IS LEFT In a war, the victor is not the one who is Right, but the one who is left. Whereas, in a war fought with Ahimsa, it is staying with the Right, the Truth, Satyagraha, all the way through, which will give might. The one who stays with the “Right”, will be left. Ahimsa is adhering to what is Right, with a corner stone principle of not hurting the other.

AHIMSA  – NON VIOLENT, NOT PASSIVE Ahimsa is the practice of non violence. But Ahimsa is not passive in nature. Nor is Ahimsa submissive in nature.

Mahavir Jain Mahavir Jain, one of the early proponents of Ahimsa, did not teach Ahimsa as a principle to be submissive. It was an act of valour to go to extreme lengths to avoid harming the minutest of living organisms.

Ashoka

Ashoka

Ashoka preached Ahimsa only from a position of strength, after he had ascended to become the all-powerful king and after he had realized his folly of Himsa.

Gandhi

Gandhiji travelling all over India and gathering support

Similarly, Mahatma Gandhi too, toured all over India, got to know the land, established friendship with leaders in different parts of the land, before

starting his struggle of Ahimsa. Mahatma Gandhi’s Ahimsa policy was also from a position of strength.

KHADI – A SOFT TOOL OF AHIMSA Gandhi innovatively used Khadi as a tool of Ahimsa and Satyagraha. Khadi is home spun yarn. By espousing the quiet spinning of Khadi, even under utmost duress, Gandhiji gave the people a thread by which to hold on to the abstract Ahimsa. Not only that, this mass spinning turned the wheel around and revitalized the whole cotton industry which brought in a sense of self-belief in the people. This innocuous Khadi, which is not a brutal weapon, became a powerful symbol of throwing out the colonial yoke. Khadi is a “Soft, Spin Power” that literally turned the wheels of this country around, towards freedom.

Khadi-A symbol of Ahimsa Gandhi and followers spinning Khadi cloth for the nation with earlier versions of the Indian flag – An old print from R.U.V Press, Ghatkopar, Bombay

TO BEAR AND BRAND IN OUR MIND It is 65 years from Mahatma Gandhi’s times. Memories of India’s freedom struggle are a blur now. It is hard to believe today that the world came out of colonial oppression, not through might but through the tools of Ahimsa and Satyagraha. Ahimsa has had its positive impact right through the ages not only in India but across the globe to this day. Ahimsa is a tool for the future too wherever and whenever the hand of oppression rises. Ahimsa, a soft power, has been a powerful brand of Bharat from time immemorial and along with Satyagraha is one among the weapons that India is well known for. Ahimsa is a brand that doesn’t hurt to own and be proud of.

Yoga, A Universal Brand From Bharat

THE ROOTS Yoga, the latest rave across the world, comes from the root Yug, Jug which means to align. It is the same root as for the word “Yoke” which is used to align bullocks to pull a cart.

The root of the word Yoga and its practice, lies in India.

THE PRACTICE Yoga is not just exercise or postures.

Yoga, as the name suggests, is the practice by way of which mind, body and breath are aligned to achieve a state of harmony with each other and to become homogeneous with the cosmic consciousness - a state that brings with it a sense of freshness, energy and calm, a sense of balance of the various senses and emotions.

The extent of harmony and balance maintained, defines the depth of insight the Yogi has gained. In a simplistic form, it is a structured combination of

•  Asana - exercise postures for the body, •  Pranayama – regulating energy through control of the breath and •  Dhyana - meditation for the mind, along with maintaining physiological, psychological and sociological  hygiene through Yama (control / abstinence) and Niyama (adherence) and other guidelines.

Vasishta imparting Yoga Vasishta to Rama – An Illustration on Art of Living CD Cover

A 7100 Year Old Structured Practice If we look at the postures in Yoga, many of them can be traced to the postures maintained by a child effortlessly with its flexible body. Every child in that way can be regarded as an expert in Yoga. However, Yoga as a structured practice by the adults can be traced to India to atleast beyond 7100 years ago. This can be ascertained from the fact that Rama’s spiritual Guru, Vasishta, counselled and groomed Rama’s mind through the treatise Yoga Vasishta. One of the longest texts in Samskrt after Mahabharata, Yoga Vasishta forms an important text for Yoga and Advaita Vedanta (Non duality). Rama’s birth datable to 5114 BCE, makes Yoga Vasishta and the concept of Yoga, atleast 7100 years old. From the timeless Veda, we can see that Indians have been in the habit of this continuous practice to keep both mind and body fit. Antiquity can be seen both in art and text. In art, we can see a continuity of Yoga practice right from Mohenjodaro and Harappan times in the form of terracotta Yogic posture figurines.

As far as texts go, across the times, illumined minds have given structure to this practice, through a large body of texts, thereby giving Yoga practice, a breath of fresh air every few generations. Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra which goes back by many millennia, has been a forerunner and guide in all this.

An idol of Patanjali

Yoga to the East Yoga went to the East from India along with Buddhism more than 2000 years ago, for Dhyan, meditation lies at the heart of Buddhism. A sitting example is at the west entrance of Wat Phra Kew, the main temple attached to the Grand Palace at Bangkok, Thailand, in the form of a bronze statue popularly called “The Hermit Doctor”.

YOGA TRAVELS WORLD OVER This structured practice of Yoga has now travelled and become popular world over as one of the preferred forms of keeping body and mind fit with one move.

Yoga to Near West A look into the past shows that even Sufi saints from the Near West, Sultans and Mughal kings have interacted with Yogis, with an open mind inorder to learn of the good aspects of Yoga from its master practitioners.

Yoga to Far West The visit of Swami Vivekananda to US in 1893 was a kick off point for Yoga in the modern international arena. Yoga kicked off and spread as a big brand in the US and worldwide.

Jivaka, Patron Hermit of Yoga and Medicine, Wat Phra Kew, Grand Palace, Bangkok

The locals refer to this statue as their patron of medicine, an Indian hermit Jivaka, who gave them Yoga and herbal medicine and hence offer prayers and other offerings here, to get cured of illnesses.  This Jivaka was none other than the personal physician of the Buddha.

This statue at the front of the temple is placed on a stone pedestal, with another pedestal in front, bearing a stone mortar and pestle - an indication of how he practiced medicine with herbs, he used to grind. Further more, many Yoga postures can be seen displayed by statues in the gardens of Wat Pho, the temple adjacent to the Grand Palace in Bangkok, which houses the Reclining Buddha and is home to the original Thai massage. Housing many plaques with inscriptions on the pressure points in the human body, this temple from a long time has been renowned as a study centre for Ayurveda including Thai style of massages and Yoga.

Statues depicting Yoga Postures at Wat Pho Temple in Thailand, Bangkok The statue, 2nd from left in the 2nd row, just under the large leafed plant can be seen doing Pranayama, breathing exercise, with his hands on his waist

Yoga, Now a Global Brand It was Paramahamsa Yogananda and then Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Sri. Krishnamacharya, Sri B.K.S.Iyengar, their disciples and Gurus such as Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Baba Ramdev, who have literally taken Yoga to the world.

WORLD YOGA DAY In response to India’s proposal, June 21st of every year, which is the day of Summer Solstice, i.e. the day when the Sun is seen longest in the sky, the day when daylight is maximum, has been declared by UN on 12th December 2014, as World Yoga Day. It is an apt day to be chosen as a World Yoga Day for every Yoga session typically starts with Surya Namaskar, the reverence to the Sun. What could be a better day than a Summer Solstice, the day when the Sun is in its peak to revere and celebrate the connection between our body and the Sun. It is the connection which drives the very metabolism clock in our bodies. What is even more amazing is that, the proposal from India to the UN, to declare June 21st as World Yoga Day was seconded and co-sponsored by an unprecedented number of 175 nations out of 193. This is a remarkable feat,

for it is the 1st time that so many nations have unanimously voted for a declaration in the history of UN General Assembly and that too within a record 3 months of the proposal having been put up in September 2014. This in itself is proof of the universal acceptance of Yoga.

These were the words with which India described Yoga and garnered this support. No wonder then that people across the globe, across times have therefore held and continue to hold Yoga in high respect and demand. The need for Yoga and the benefits of Yoga are as universal, as is our breath and our desire to be in union with the divine. Yoga is a universal brand from Bharat which has the potential to align all bodies and minds, across the world, towards the common goal of self realization, oneness, unity and peace.

Philosophy

It all starts with the questions “Who am I?” and “Where did I come from?”. There have been many, who have spent their lives in pursuit of an answer to this deceptively simple question. It has been so in all civilizations and more so in the Indian civilization. Indian philosophy is generally expressed as Vedanta, in common parlance. Veda means knowledge, Anta means pinnacle, end. Vedanta is regarded as the pinnacle of knowledge. This is because in the Indian thought, philosophy and the sciences are intertwined. They have not been considered as parallel branches. The term parallel is used here to mean that they do not meet/converge. In Indian thought, they are intrinsically intertwined. This is the Vedantic view. By far, one of the greatest philosophical discourses given to mankind, was the one delivered by Lord Krishna to Arjuna, at the battlefield of Kurukshetra, on the morning of 22nd November 3067BCE. It came to be called the Bhagavad Gita, “Song of the Divine”. This dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna has been a 5100 year old brand of Bharat.

Krishna delivering the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna

Since then, there have been many outstanding philosophers, born forth from the lap of India, who have left their indelible mark on the philosophies of Indians. For present times, one of the more recent milestones in the philosophical scene of India was the explanation to the Vedanta and the Bhagavad Gita by Adi Shankara, called Shankara Bhashya, composed by Adi Shankara around 580 BCE.

Adi Shankara

From them all, have cumulatively sprung forth, so many questions and answers to these questions, that this land has been looked at by scholars world over, as a land of philosophers. We have seen how Samskrt language was a brand of India, sought after by philosophers to the scientists of post medieval Europe, who have all drawn inspiration from the Bhagavad Gita and many other texts. Many philosophers subsequently have charted out formal paths to arrive at the elusive truth giving rise to schools such as,

•  Advaita,

•  Visishtadvaita, •  Dvaita and combinations of these, such as Dvaita-Advaita, as well as Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism etc. Some of these gave rise to religions while yet others added refinements to existing religious practices. In all, they gave rise to many sects and subsects in India such that India has become a place with many well defined paths leading to the realization of Truth, distinctive forms and formless forms of Truth and committed seekers, believers and non-believers in the Divine Truth. Naturally, this land has also given birth to many guides, many Guru and many followers, who have relished seeking knowledge and savoured sharing the same. From all this, has come forth a subject called Oriental Philosophy. Which other civilization can boast of philosophy as their brand?

Spirituality

THE ESSENCE OF SPIRITUALITY While Philosophies tend to analyze and explain, Spirituality lends experience and enlightenment. While Philosophies refine thought further and further, resulting in sects and subsects, Spirituality refines attitude to encompass all into a common oneness. Any definition of spirituality will be less than acceptable or wholesome, for, spirituality is an experience – an experience of “oneness” with the “Divineness”, an experience of the Divine in Oneself. People can accept or reject a philosophy, based on their upbringing, their beliefs, their training and such factors, whereas Spirituality lies at the heart of every theology, as well as atheism. Spirituality deals with the spirit, the essence of every existence – the existence of the universe, the existence of this world, the existence of life and the existence of the very self.

STRIKING A BALANCE Man innately craves for peace and happiness. They are man’s natural state of being. But, immersed in the activities of day to day living, as well as relationships, man accumulates stress and soon is in distress.

The enlightened ancients of India had mastered ways to “de-stress” to avoid distress. They had learnt through experience that a mix of

•  looking after oneself through Yoga •    looking

after others through Seva (Service) with Bhava (compassion)

•  looking after the Divine through Bhakti (Devotion) built over a foundation of knowledge can bring about a sense of balance in one’s existence. They had also lived with a fine balance of looking after the Divine in Bhakti, devotion and invoking the Divine to look after them in Sharanagati, surrender. A balanced existence will know how to take pain and joy with equanimity. Such a balanced state of being is

•  inclusive – embraces a wholistic picture. •  steady - not disturbed easily and takes a balanced decision on all matters.

•    light

- not weighed down by stress, worries and sorrow and keeps spirit lifted at all times.

This state of equality and equanimity, keeps one equally calm, composed and collected at all times. Experiencing true bliss comes nearer then.

FROM THE LAND OF THINKERS, GURU AND MASTERS India in local thought is often referred to as Punya Bhoomi meaning a meritorious land. True to this allusion, time and again, great spiritual masters and thinkers have taken birth on this land to unite people across religious barriers through Spiritual oneness. Along with the various exports from India and knowledge about India, this Spirituality too, found its way to lands far and wide.

To Ancient Greece In one of the early interactions between the west and the east, Aristotle the great philosopher asked his student Alexander, not for gold or diamonds from India, but if possible, to bring back a spiritual master from India. It shows that even before the times of Alexander, i.e. 323 BCE, the land of India was already well known for its spiritual masters. Rishi Kalyan from India, accompanied Alexander back to Greece in deference to Aristotle’s  request. He came to be known as Calanos in Greece and is credited with having spread Indian knowledge in Greece. There many more such outflows from India to the west either in Indian person or through Indian texts and practices.

To the Eastern World Similarly, it was Bodhidharma, a spiritual master from Kanchipuram, South India who went to China from India taking Buddhism and Dhayanam, meditation with him. It was another master, Bodhisena from India, who then took it further into Japan. The Dhyanam / Dhyan morphed into Chan and Zen Buddhism, as it spread across China and Japan.

Rishi Kaundinya took Indian spirituality to Cambodia. Rishi Markandeya took it to Java, Sumatra, Bali and other parts of Indonesia which was then collectively called as Suvarnabhoomi Island. Ashoka’s son Mahinda and daughter Sanghamitta helped its spread in Sri Lanka.

To the Modern World Swami Vivekananda, with his address in the World Religious Conference in Chicago in 1893 is one among the many who made a spiritual impact on the recent generations, both in the West as well as back home in India.

To the 3rd World Mahatma Gandhi, in his freedom struggle against the mighty British Empire, had used indigenous, Indian weapons such as Satyagraha and Ahimsa. These tools of non violent, passive but unrelenting resistance, in turn, emanate from spirituality.  It was this foundation of Spirituality that aided India in her successful freedom struggle. It was one, which substantially helped India in overthrowing the empires of the 20th century – the British Colonial Power. The freedom movement of India was akin to a Spiritual Tapasya, penance, not only for Gandhi, but for the thousands, lakhs, millions and crores of people who followed Gandhi too. For, they did not look at it as a path to freedom alone but as a path in Sprituality. It was a path shown not just for India but for all peoples of the world, where the British and other colonial powers had usurped the land and resources and established colonies and countries that eventually became poor and came to be called 3rd world or under-developed countries. Thus, both East and West have looked to India for Spirituality. India has been a time honoured centre for spirituality, a position it continues to hold even today.

Spread of spirituality from India

AN UNBALANCED WAR While it seemed so natural and simple for the Indians who were practicing it, it seemed to be an unequal game for the colonial British administrative masters. They were out of depths in this battle as they were unfamiliar with the path of Spirituality and did not know how to deal with Mahatma Gandhi and the Indians who were practicing it. This was beautifully brought forth by

a series of cartoons in the 1940s collected and produced in the book “The Life of Mahatma Gandhi” by Louis Fischer.  They have been coloured here for better readability.

Cartoon 1 - In 1911, the English were world rulers. But within a short time the table had turned. Gandhi was able to infuse courage among the Indian people.

Cartoon 2 – The British were uneasy and not very sure of how to deal with this man. He was a dangerous and uncomfortable enemy.

Cartoon 3 – Gandhi places Viceroy Linlithglow and Secretary of State, Amery, in a quandary.

SPIRITUAL WEAPONS These cartoons exemplified the nervousness and confusion, which were the state of the British mind in front of Gandhi.

Cartoon 4 – Bharath Mata. India became free men. The body still wore shackles; but the spirit had escaped from prison. Gandhi had turned the key.

A fear aptly summarised by Gilbert Murray in 1918 in his advice, where he describes Gandhi as a dangerous man. Such was the potent power of Gandhiji’s spiritual weapons, Ahimsa and Satyagraha.

EVER RELEVANT – AN ART, A PRACTICE, A TECHNOLOGY So Spirituality is not something that was practiced by the Vedic Rishi of India alone. Also, Sprituality is not something where one only closes one’s eyes and meditates all day through. It is a practice of developing one’s mind for practical, peaceful yet powerful applications in solving day to day problems. It is a practice that gives mental strength to maintain and stick to a righteous way in life. It is a practice that has more relevance in the modern world. It is for this secret that the world has been looking up to India for many millennia. Spirituality is the art of living in good spirit. Spiritual guides have abounded in this land and have guided people onto a spiritual path. It is these masters who have transcended philosophies and sought to unite people under a common goal of seeking universal love. Every region of this land, every era has had spiritual masters. Today too, some of the well known spiritual masters of the world, are from India or have a deep Indian connect. Today, in our midst, we have one such master, H.H.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, whose message of spirituality has reached over 150 countries of the world.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Founder, Art of Living

As He puts it,

THE TRANSCENDING SPIRIT It is this inner technology of peace and bliss, which the rest of world had sought, for millennia, when they sought the knowledge from India. It is this technology, which the world needs and is seeking, even today.

The Tricolour Flag of India

The upper band of Saffron colour, in the tricolour flag of India, represents this Spiritual character of the Indian civilization - a spirit that transcends time, race, religion and all other forms of divisions in mankind to unite and live in harmony. There can be no doubt that Spirituality is a brand of India. How many countries, lands or civilizations, can claim spirituality as its brand except Bharat? India is indeed fortunate to have sprituality as her brand. It would be our loss, if we do not use it to better our lives and that of others around us.

PART 3 - WHO LED INDIA?

Guru

A LONG LINEAGE Be it Yoga, religion, philosophy, spirituality, art, sciences, weaponry, good governance or vocational skills, the route to gaining any of these, as advocated by Indian thought, is through a Guru. The Indian education system has leveraged the principle of Gurus to keep the system of education and knowledge transfer going through millennia. It came to be called the Guru Sishya Parampara, where each successive generation traces its knowledge to a lineage of Gurus, all the way back to one or the other of the many Vedic Rishis, who had lived many millennia ago and left behind schools of learning and guide to living.

UNTRACEABLE KNOWLEDGE One of the popular phrases in India is to compare rivers and Rishi by saying that “Rishi Moolam and Nadi Moolam are not traceable.” Implying that both rivers and the lineage of Rishi / Guru are not only long, but even though the path of the river or the lineage of a Guru can be traced to a source, a spring or a fountainhead, the source of that which is flowing through them – the actual water or knowledge, is still untraceable. For, both in case of water and knowledge, one cannot pinpoint the exact source, the exact owner or the exact time of creation, as they keep circulating over and over again in this world.

WHY DID INDIA NEED GURUS? One of the oft repeated phrase as well as an oft adhered to psyche, is veneration to 4 entities in this order-

•  Mata – Mother •  Pita – Father •  Guru – Guide •  Deivam - Divine Why do Indians venerate these 4 entities? To stay connected with their roots. Each one of these 4, provides an individual, a connect with his/her roots, from a different perspective of existence. Mother – through womb for flesh and bodily existence Father – through genes for familial and social existence

•    Guru

–through knowledge for sustenance and civilizational existence

•  Divine – through soul for spiritual and blissful existence. In all this, it is the Guru who is the established conduit for the flow of knowledge to transcend time and space and flow across generations and civilizations. It is the Guru, who for an individual, provides the recall to all the collective knowledge in the Universe. In India, it has been a trend to have various well meaning and rounded Guru, called Kula Guru i.e. Guru for the family, dynasty. The Kula Guru officiates as priest, friend, counsel, advisor, bouncing board to add clarity to one’s thoughts and actions.

FAMOUS PERSONAGES, FAMOUS GURU The people of India, have been blessed with innumerable Gurus, who have walked the length and breadth of this land, imparting integrated, wholistic knowledge to all, across the times. Every one in this land, who has walked through the history of this land, be it a ruler, a saint, a commoner or even a divine incarnation, has had and

continues to have a Guru to look up to for guidance.

5100 BCE – Guru of Lord Rama Rama learnt a lot about warfare from Rishi Vishwamitra and Bharata had Rama’s advice to guide him for the 14 years of Rama’s absence. But the position of the Kula Guru for Rama, was held by Rishi Vasishta. Dasaratha and Rama had Rishi Vasishta as their Kula Guru. Infact, it was not just for Dasaratha and Rama, but Rishi Vasishta was the name of the Kula Guru for the entire Ikshvaku lineage, the lineage from which came Rama, denoting that the Guru Parampara, lineage of Guru-Sishya, was a long running dynasty too. The Guru Parampara, lineage of Rishi Vasishta and the dynasty of Ikshvaku, Surya Vamsa, were closely bound with each other.

3100 BCE – Guru of the Pandava and Kaurava Similarly, during Mahabharata times, Dhritharashtra had Bheeshma and Vidura as his counsel. They all, also had Rishi Veda Vyasa himself, as a part of the family. We are also well aware of the ill intended directions given by Shakuni as a guide to Duryodhana, the Kaurava. Dronacharya was the teacher for the Pandava and Kaurava. Yet, it was Kripacharya who was the Kula Guru for the Kuru dynasty, showing that the role of a Kula Guru was beyond that of a teacher and guide. Later, when the Pandava separated from the Hastinapur kingdom and became a separate entity, they chose Dhaumya as their Kula Guru. Dhaumya was the priest who performed the marriage of Draupadi with the Pandava, performed the many Yagna undertaken by the Pandava at their capital Indraprastha and even accompanied them on their exile.

3100 BCE – Guru of Lord Krishna Krishna went to Rishi Sandipani’s ashram to study. He also learnt further under Rishi Ghora Angirasa as listed in the Chandogya Upanishad. Yet, the personal Kula Guru of Krishna and His brother Balarama, was Rishi Garga or Garga Muni. For, Rishi Garga was the Kula Guru of the

Nanda dynasty, in which Krishna was broughtup. It was Garga Muni, who infact, gave Him the name “Krishna” when He was a baby.

450 BCE – Guru of Saint Adi Shankara Adi Shankara, who propounded and established firmly, the Advaita school of thought, is venerated as one of the main Gurus of many a religious orders today. Adi Shankara himself needed a Guru to initiate him and this Guru was Guru Govinda Bhagavatpada of Omkareshwar, who in turn had Guru Gaudapada as his Guru.

300 BCE – Guru of Emperor Chandragupta Maurya Chanakya is held in reverence, as the Guru for administration and politics. Chanakya as a Guru to Chandragupta Maurya, taught him the various arts of administration, warfare and social welfare. He was also Chandragupta’s political advisor and helped him strategize the plan for expanding his kingdom. Later in life, after he renounced his kingdom, Chandragupta took up Jainism. At that stage in life, Bhadrabahu, the Jain monk was his spiritual Guru.

1017 CE – Guru of Saint Ramanujacharya Similarly another Guru of India, was Ramanujacharya who propounded and established the Visishtadvaita school of philosophy, all across India around 11th century CE, also had a Guru. He was Yamunacharya also called Alavandar, from Srirangam, one of the prime Vaishnava temple town in South India.

1510 CE – Guru of King Krishnadeva Raya In the south, Krishnadeva Raya, the emperor of the Vijayanagar Kingdom had Sri Vyasatirtha, the great poet saint from Mysore, belonging to the Udipi Madhwa sect as his Kula Guru.

1650s CE – Guru of Maharaj Chhatrapati Shivaji

Chhatrapati Shivaji, the valiant king who founded the Maratha Empire, had Sant Ramdas as his Guru and advisor. It is not only kings but even social thinkers and leaders who have benefitted from Guru and advisors.

1900s CE – Guru of Mahatma Gandhi In recent times, Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation himself, was influenced by three thought leaders, His spiritual Guru, Shrimad Rajchandra, a Jain poet, philosopher and thinker His political Guru, Gopalakrishna Gokhale His conscience keeper, Rajaji.

GURU – THE CONSCIENCE KEEPERS OF SOCIETY The Guru, advisors or influencers, immersed in the ethos of the land have been the sagacious, conscience keepers of the society. They have held the well being of not only the leaders of society in their mind but also that of the common people, the culture and Nature in mind, which has found reflection in their counsel to their followers. Guru are thus more than teachers, for whom there is a specific word, Acharya in practice. Gurus are often reverentially addressed as Swami, meaning “Master”.

HEAVY WITH BENEVOLENCE AND WISDOM Guru is described by a few, to come from the 2 syllables Gu and Ru, where Gu represents darkness and Ru, light. Gu Ru is one who dispels darkness around and propels one towards light. The traditional perspective is that, Guru means the weighty one, one that attracts everything towards itself. This is why thought leaders, teachers, spiritual guides whom people flock to for advice, guidance and learning are

called Guru. Guru is one who is filled with knowledge, wisdom and compassion. Guru attracts people with his benign presence. The word Gurutva Akarshana that denotes gravitational pull in Samskrt comes from this weightiness denoted by the word Guru. The concept of gravity and the word gravity in modern science seem to have roots in this Gurutva Akarshana. It is all this that gave Jupiter the name Guru too, since Jupiter is the heaviest of all planets. It exerts maximum pull on other planets, to the extent that it deflects the subatomic particles emitted by the sun during solar flares towards itself, thus protecting the earth from their harmful effects.  The asteroids in the asteroid belt, also called the Kuiper Belt are also kept in place due to the pull of this mighty Guru. The root Gur in Guru denotes the act of lifting, pulling. Guru is therefore one who lifts up someone not literally but metaphorically from one level of knowledge based existence to another, higher level. Guru are those who elevate the mindset, thinking, intellect, spirit and hence the overall stature of people who come within their ambit. Guru thus is a benefactor for mankind in both literal as well as metaphorical sense. The word Guru in present times, is used world over, as a modern term for referring to someone who is an expert or a guide. Guru is understood as one who shows people the path to follow and guides them in their journey through life.

THE GUIDING GURUS While in common parlance, the honorific “Guru” is used loosely for a teacher, a guide, an expert and even a friend, the word Guru has many layers of meaning, the role Guru has many level of functions and

•  the tradition of Guru has come through many generations. For Body and Soul In Indian thought and way of living, it is when a soul has matured sufficiently enough to be able to relate meaningfully to the different bodily senses, that a human form is attained. Such a human life gains the means and opportunity to

•  experience bodily existence as well as realize spiritual existence. Siksha Guru Towards living through bodily existence, i.e. sustaining its own well being, that of Nature and other beings around, a human life needs to learn various knowledge, skills and abide by the path of Dharma. The Guru /  Acharya who teaches and guides one in achieving these objectives is a Siksha Guru. Diksha Guru Towards realizing its spiritual existence, i.e. its own subtle self, for which it needs to turn its attention inward and observe both the inside and the outside too, the human life needs a Guru, a guide. The Guru who can lead one on such a path towards observances and paves the way for self-realization, for a better leveraging of the self, in relation to the cosmic forces and for a betterment of the life of oneself and others around, is called a Diksha Guru. In short, a Diksha Guru is one who paves the way for an individual to leverage the bodily existence to better the spiritual existence and vice-versa.

Siksha and Diksha Thus while Siksha Guru could be as many in number, based on the life skills and knowledge one wishes to learn, the Diksha Guru is typically one. The Diksha Guru, usually also rolled into a Kula Guru, has been the preceptor of the family, initiating one into various traditional observances in the interest of the welfare and prosperity of the family and society. These Gurus ensured that good vibes pervaded in the minds of their disciples, which would bring good around them. At times, even though the Siksha Guru has held a higher stature in public life than the Diksha Guru of some of the prominent personalities of this land, the Diksha Guru have still been accorded the respect due to them.

FOREMOST GURU

VedaVyasa

One of the foremost and forerunner of all Guru is considered to be Veda Vyasa, the reverential name for Rishi Krishna Dwaipayana, who compiled

the Veda, Purana, Mahbharata and established many schools across the land, to propagate them, 5100 years ago around 3100 BCE. It is the lineage of Gurus starting from Vyasa till present, which is recited by various religious and spiritual orders, mutts, as part of their invocation to their Guru. Vyasa here is not limited to the most recent Veda Vyasa of 3100 BCE. Vyasa here refers to the steady line of Vyasas who have been compiling and rearranging knowledge appropriately for the generation of civilization during their times, to absorb, benefit and pass on to successive generations. It is in the honour of the Vyasa, Rishi Krishna Dwaipayana, Veda Vyasa and in honour of all the Vyasa who have come down since then as well as those who set the trend before him, that his birthday – the full moon, Poonima, in the Indian month of Ashadha i.e. July-August, is celebrated as Guru Poornima.

FINE LEVELS IN GURU The civilization thus had reached such fine levels of human development that fine grained distinctions were drawn even amongst teachers, mentors and guides. While Adhyapak, Upadhyaya, Sikshak, Acharya are all terms that define the role played by a teacher, the term Guru was used to denote a more comprehensive role, related with a larger sphere of activity. A Siksha Guru meant a knowledge giver. A Raja Guru meant a political guide. A Kula Guru meant a family preceptor. A Dharma Guru meant a socio, religious guide. A Sat Guru denoted a wholistic guide for society. The Upanishads define the signs of a Sat Guru, a true Guru as what are called the five Guru Lakshana. A true Guru, Sat Guru is defined as one, whose presence causes

•  Knowledge to flourish – Gnana Raksha •  Sorrows to diminish – Dukha Kshaya •  Joys to well up without reason - Sukha Aavirbhava •  Abundance to dawn – Samriddhi All talents to manifest – Sarva Samvardhan All these tend to happen effortlessly and naturally due to the presence of a true Guru amongst people. All these happen not for the benefit of the Guru but for the benefit of the people around, the benefit  of society.

GURU PARAMPARA – AN OVER 7100 YEAR OLD TRADITION These Lakshana have been upheld and kept alive in this land by the Guru through the Guru-Sishya parampara, tradition. This tradition has been going on, unbroken, even much prior to the time of Rama, i.e. 7100 years ago and more. Guru are those, whose influence has extended beyond geographical bounds to keep this civilization on track, for millennia. For example, even while Adi Shankara came from Central Kerala in South West India, His Guru, Guru Govinda Bhagavatpada came from the banks of the river Narmada in Central India. This one instance also stands as a classic example for how, not only did the system of seeking a Guru transcend across the geography of the land, but how the culture and knowledge of this civilization was uniform and one across such a vast expanse of land. This uniformity is such that, despite coming from lands in different geographies, despite the many separate kingdoms, distinct rulers, different languages and diverse customs in between, the master an the disciple could

find each other and establish a conduit that has withstood not just for their generation but for generations to come. The word “Guru” is a brand that has travelled through the world and also found its way into the dictionaries of English and other languages. Guru is a brand ambassador of India, attracting many seekers from other parts of the world. India has been and will continue to be for the world, a land of Gurus.

India’s Beautiful Tree

If the Guru Parampara of India is a system with deep roots, going way back into the realms of space and time, many of the thoughts, ideas, knowledge and products which have made a big difference to mankind and shaped the world to what we see today, have their roots in India as we have seen. Knowledge is likened to a great Banyan tree, which has deep roots that keep it standing firm on ground against adverse weather. At the same time, its branches keep spreading far and wide, sprouting aerial roots which reach out to the ground, to form new trees. Both, by virtue of its firm hold in the soil as well as its ability to keep sprouting newer trees alongside, a Banyan tree lives a long life and covers a lot of ground, thus covering both, space as well as time. Knowledge too, like the Banyan tree keeps spreading from person to person and keeps evolving into newer branches / disciplines of study with time. True knowledge, like the Banyan tree, goes deep down and keeps the individual well rooted and well grounded. It anchors every other form and branch of knowledge that evolves. And, it is a marvel indeed that such a huge mighty tree comes from just a very small seed, which is nothing, but hollow and empty inside. A timeless truth, which was revealed to Shweta Ketu by his father,  Rishi Uddalaka as recorded in the Chandogya Upanishad. The mighty tree starts as a small sprout. In the case of knowledge too, each tree of knowledge grows with just the sprouting of the desire to know, to learn and to teach.

Sadly, the roots of India’s Banyan tree of knowledge, were dug up and left exposed, as a policy during the British rule of India. It was replaced, but by an Oak instead. This caused the indigenous knowledge systems to dry up and wither away, with only a few branches spared here and there. Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the Nation had referred to this tree of knowledge in London, as “a Beautiful Tree”.

India has a huge task ahead of protecting the branches that continue to live and to also trace the roots of this huge tree, to see if they can be revived once again.

The Brand Called Bharat

The Brand called Bharat, India, Inde and what it meant to the world has been summed up beautifully by Will Durant, the American Historian who lived as recent as between 1885-1981. “It is true that even across the Himalayan barrier, India has sent to the west such gifts as grammar and logic, philosophy and fables, hypnotism and chess and above all numerals and the decimal system.”

A WAVE OF BRANDS Coffee is a brand of Ethiopia. Brazil also claims to have its own brand of coffee. Italy and Ireland have their own and so does Turkey too. One commodity called coffee is a brand common to many lands. In contrast, in the case of India, one finds that India had many “assets and facets” as its brands and these brands were unique to India for millennia. It was not just one product or one work that went from India. It was wave after wave of merchandise, of thoughts, of literature, of art, of cuisine, of lifestyle and of people.  It was author after author, translation after translation, for century after century, spanning more than a couple of millennia, over which the Indian thought has travelled overseas, both east and west, in subjects as diverse as -

Indian thought has had a substantial influence in creating the foundation of a knowledgebase in the west, which in turn formed what we call the modern science of the western civilization.

Wave after wave of Indian influence

IN MEDIEVAL AGES OTHERWISE It is hard to say, for how much longer the world would have continued to live in medieval times, if it were not for this strong scientific foundation from India. A fact openly acknowledged by many a prominent thinker of the West, as we have seen. It was the influx of this scientific thinking of India, into the West, that has at every crucial juncture, acted as an impetus, as a catalyst, to create the modern thought, the modern sciences, through which we call ourselves the modern civilization. All this has been in the past. What about the present and the future?

Epilogue

As we have seen, while many were led to India and India has led many civilizations around the globe with its thoughts and practices, India herself was led by an unbroken tradition of Guru Parampara. The word Paramapara, which is commonly used for tradition, denotes something that goes “beyond and beyond”, from Para meaning beyond. It is the Guru of India, who have guided the people of India, Para and Para, beyond and beyond, in time and space, in thoughts and deeds, in stature and nature, in life and for afterlife. Guru is not “a” person, an individual, but stands for a timeless tradition, an ageless sentiment, a selfless commitment and a limitless engagement to uplift people, rather civilization or shall we say, even humanity, to expand their hearts and minds and understand what it is to be born as mankind, with a heart and mind inorder to act like humans and play their part in the vast play of the cosmos. India has had many words to denote Gurus such as

•    Prajapati,

as people leaders, who have led mankind out of adversities at the dawns of various major epochs

•  Daksha, as dexterous, skilled guides, who have led civilizations to flourish and mature in their own indigenously skilled ways

•    Manu,

as mind leaders, who have led societies to conduct themselves in a noble order to sustain themselves and their progenies

•    Acharya,

as practitioners,  who have taught communities through practice different paths to tread, different technqiues to use, to live and attain the state of completeness

•   Guru, as the lifting force, who keep rising every now and then to raise individuals and their minds to a state of being able to understand themselves and the role they have to play in this larger game of existence. It is a Parampara of all such Guru that has led India to see Science in Spirituality and develop a Spiritual approach to Science. It is such a Guru Parampara that has led India to give all it has and take only what it needs. It is such a Guru Parampara that has led India to grow culturally than offensively. Such an ably led India, no wonder had a lot to offer to others who came to its doorstep seeking one thing or the other, whether material or immaterial to riches. taken with acknowledgement or surreptitiously taken correctly or erroneously given voluntarily or through guile received first hand or through a chain. All of these have however, collectively influenced the world in many ways. Some have come back to India in a new form to undermine or overwrite the Indian ways too.

Some have also enriched India, in their own way. But the question uppermost in everyone’s minds now will be, in the coming decades and centuries, where India is seen to be growing as a power to contend with, what is going to be India’s role? What are going to be her contributons? Will she just be a power centre or a thought leader too? Will India also have to wait and watch to see where she will go or will she take steps in the right direction now?

When History meets Tradition and Tradition meets Science and Science meets Nature, Can we advance as truly mature peoples.

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Table of Contents   Dedication   Benedictory Note   About Bharath Gyan   About the Authors   About Autobiography of India   Preface     A Giving Civilization     A Mindful, Mind Exercise     Future From India   Foreword   Acknowledgements

PART 1 - DIVERGENT IMAGES   Upto 1800s CE – A Land of Many Treasures     A Land By Many Images     But One Identity   1900 CE – A Mystical India   2000 CE – A Slum India   How India Lost Its Shining Brand     Accounts of Witnesses To The Loss     Poverty stereotyped     3 Waves of Plunder

PART 2 - FOCUS, INDIA   India - A Brand of Resilience     Land of Inexhaustible Wealth     Land With Inherent Capacity     Internal Mobilization Of Resources     Resilient India     Unbranding The Slum India Image   Making, The Indian Way     Make In India     The Scaled Up, Hyped Up Models of Today

    Caught in a Swirl     Looking Back to Re-learn     We Must Have Done Something Good     Something Good To EMULATE   The ECO-ECO Mindset     Ethos of the Indigenous ECO-ECO Mindset of India     Economically Viable, Ecologically Friendly     Ecologically Viable, Economically Friendly     Which Eco to Choose?     Why not both, Economically and Ecologically Viable?     or even better   Making Contrasts     The Killing Dyeing Industry     Ironing out Differences in Iron and Steel Making   BIG Vs Small     A Lopsided Global Model     The BIG Message in Small Measures   Intensive Vs Extensive     Footprint and Foodprint of Elephants     The Voracious Greed of Humans     Extensive Instead of Intensive     Small Yet Elephantine     A Small But Widespread Secret     A Cue from the Indian Q & Q Brand     Actually Small But Virtually Big     Bigger And Bigger For Smaller And Smaller     Blending Big and Small     Rebranding Small Scale As Extensive     Moving from Centralism to Decentralism   Decentralism     Extensive Manufacture Vs Intensive Manufacture     Aggregation for trade Vs Aggregation for production     Local End to End Production Vs Global Linear Assembly     Horizontal Range Vs Vertical Scale     Mitigating Risk to Industry     Priority to Ecology over Economy   Success Records From The Past     The Indian Way- The Way Forward   EXIIM – Extensive, Indigenous, Industrial Model

    A Convergence Of Economy And Ecology     Roots Of India’s Exiim   5Ts     India’s Millennia Old Norms     The 5T Principles     Tradition     Technology     Trade     Talent     Truth   Essence of Brand Bharat - A “Leading” Brand     A Thought Leader     Giving What Is Sought     Brand Rebuilding

PART 3 - AWAKEN THE MIND   Race Of The World     Renaissance     Post Renaissance     Travel Era – A Reconnaissance Era     Trade Era – A Raid Era     Navigation Era – A Colonizing Era     Industrialization Era – An Automation Era     Investment Era – A Capitalizing Era     Computational Era – A Crunching Era     Communication Era – A Far Reaching Era     Information Era – A Socializing Era     Knowledge Era – An Aggregating Era     Mind Era – A Transcending Era   Steering Mind In Futuristic Science     Futuristic Science     A Cornucopia of Mind based Knowledgebase     A Long Understanding of the mind     Concept of a Mind Leader     Indian View of Evolution – Mind and Form     On Mind Powers Of Ancient Indians     Veda – A Mind Engineering Marvel By Itself     Balanced Use Of Gross And Subtle Power     Availability of Literature

    Power To Develop Mind Power     So Much Scope   Age of Indian Ideas - Now     Sandhi, A Window of Transition     At a Cusp, Sandhi     Contributions Thus Far     ToMorrow – What Will It Be?     An Open Book With An Open Mind   Offering Indian Thought To Shape Thinking

    India’s Thinking Process     De Bono’s Lateral Thinking With 6 Hats     India’s Thinking In 6 Ways     The 39 Thinking Tools     By The Mind, In The Mind, For The Mind   From Mind Era To Space Era     A Space Age Calendar     A Space Age Teleportation System     A Space Age, Age Defier   Mind Matters     A Jumping Mind     Taming The Monkey With An Elephant     Power Of The Elephant     Mati, The Mind Power   Mind Vs Matter     An Eternal Fight     The Mind Continuum - Brahman     2 Modes Of Existence - Dvidha     5 Levels Of Needs  - Motivational Theory     5 Layers Of Existence – Panchakosha Model     Scaling The Peak – Layer By Layer   Mental or Fundamental     Physiological And Psychological     Closed Vs Open

    True Vs Perceived     Mind Vs Space – Brahma And Brahman     Brahman And Braahmanaa     Jnana And Karma     Science Vs Technology     The Mind Science Triad     Body And Mind – A Tango   Fundamental Difference Between West and East     Difference in Mindset     West Consumes East     Mind Science Vs Physical Science   Modern Vs Western     The Trend     The Reverse Flow     Steadfastness     A Remix     A Lead To Follow

PART 4 - KNOW YOUR STRENGTH   Offer Based On Own Strengths Than Other’s Constraints     Putting into Perspective     In Retrospect     An Introspection     A Prospect     Becoming Mindful   Rebrand from Inquisitive To Innovative     Historical Inquisitive Nature     Need For Indigenized Innovativeness     Never Dull, Only A Lull

PART 5 - SHIFT YOUR STAND   Bharat – Built On A Different Paradigm     The Striking Difference     Indian Paradigms     The Integrated View     One World Family     The Brief Message     Need for Paradigm Shift     Bharat Paradigms

  Bharat – To Lead Paradigm Shifts     Break Stereotype of Old is Outdated     Shift Paradigms To Shift Leadership     Shifting Paradigms, Layer By Layer   Paradigm Shifts At Ground Level     From Artificially Synthesized To Nature Given – The Next Natural Step     From Non-Vegetarianism To Vegetarianism – The Next Meal     From Chemical To Natural Farming – The Next Field     From Take All To Share 1/3 rd - The Next Ratio     From Damming To Diverting Waters – The Next Path To Follow     From Raw Materials To Finished Product – The Next Set Of Exports     From Power Shortage To Surplus – The Next In Empowering     From Curbing To Cleansing Pollution – The Next Clean Act     From Intensive To Extensive – The Next In Making     Fundamentals Of The Fundamental Level     Boldly Go Where No Machine Can Go     For Goodness Sake   Shifting Paradigms At A Social Level     A Cascading Effect     From Centralism To Decentralism – The Next Core Philosophy     From Centralized To Decentralized – The Next Governing Decision     From Gender Equality To Gender Complementary – The Next Balance     From Man To Woman Centric Society – The Next Pivot     From Nuclear To Joint Family – The Next Family Circle     From Population Burden To Capital – The Next Capital Asset     From Borrowing To Saving Society – The Next Fine Nuance Of Finance     From Poverty Eradication To Prosperity Generation – The Next Strategy     From Urban To Rural Centric Planning – The Next Outreach Plan   Paradigm Shifts To Align The Mind     From Exercise To Yoga – The Next Work In     From Hard Skills To Soft Skills – The Next Skillset     From English To Samskrt – The Next Language Of Science     From Global To Local And Seasonal – The Next Menu     From Fast Food To Fine Food - The Next Dining Style     From Globally Western To Indigenously Modern – The Next Trend   Paradigm Shifts In Science, Knowledge and Awareness     From Gross To Subtle – The Next Leap In Science     From AFTER To BEFORE Creation - The Next Beginning     From Puranics To Genetics - The Next Application To Stem Forth

    From Ritual To Spiritual – The Next Act     From Closed Ip To Open Mind – The Next Door To Be Opened   Culmination of All Paradigm Shifts     Need For A Silicon - Silica Connect     From Existence To Ecosistence – The Next Stable State     From Taking To Giving – A Shift We Owe   Brand Offerings From India For Future     Setting Direction     Offering Solace To Humanity     Sky Is The Limit     Rising Above Earth     Rising Minds     The Brand Wagon Of India - Then And Future

PART 6 - LEAD AGAIN, INDIA   Bharat – A Sustaining Brand     Bharata – Relishers Of “Bha”     Lead Through Leadership   India of the Future     India Of The Past – A Green And Grey Matter     Bharat was Hard as Metal and Soft as Petal     A Mature Civilization Then     A Ripening India Now     India’s Soft Power     India Of The Future - A Steel and Gold Matter   Epilogue     India, A Giving Civilization     No Ill-Will     Give She Will, Again

Autobiography of India BRAND BHARAT Vol 5 FUTURE FROM INDIA D.K.HARI D.K.HEMA HARI BHARATH GYAN SERIES Bridging Worlds Thru Knowledge Experience The Knowledge Of India

Original title :  Brand Bharat Vol 5 - Future From India First Edition : September 2017 ISBN - 978-93-85254-76-5 Copyrights 2017 © Bharath Gyan & Sri Sri Publications Trust All rights reserved. Editing, Illustrations, Graphics & Layout : Virendra Singh Thakur, Rahul Kaimal, Manjunath Fattepur, C.Jeyakar and Pooja Bhatia - Bharath Gyan Studio Published by : Sri Sri Publications Trust Art of Living International Centre 21st km, Kanakapura Road, P.O. Udayapura, Bangalore - 560082. INDIA Email: [email protected] Website: www.sattvastore.com Toll Free : 1800-258-8888 No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher. Printed In India by

Dedication This entire series, “Autobiography of India”, is dedicated to Aditya and Varun, our twin, 5 year old nephews, representatives of the future generations, to whom we want to leave behind this legacy – knowledge about their civilization and its ethos. Aditya is a name for the Divine Sun and Varun is a name for the Divine Rain. Aditya and Varun are constant reminders of how blessed this land, Bharatavarsha is, to receive bountiful rain and shine consistently. Rain and Shine are what our ancestors had leveraged ingeniously to make this a long-lasting, prosperous civilization. They were a role model for millennia! Aditya and Varun seem to convey this message from the Sun and the Rains.

Leverage us, your rain and shine, To stay Prosperous and Fine, For generations in line All the way through time!

We can see a Rainbow, Indradhanush, only when Rain and Shine come together! Rainbow seen from the Art of Living, Bengaluru, Photo Courtesy - Sameer Mehta

Benedictory Note

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Founder, The Art of Living

India is the cradle of humanity and knowledge of all kinds flourished holistically here from time immemorial. Science and Spirituality were never in conflict in this country and that is why Her ancient wisdom is timeless. India scaled the peaks of philosophical thought and art while also being a land of abundant prosperity for centuries. Most Indians are not familiar with the brilliance that existed here and attracted attention from Europe, West Asia and South East Asia across times. DK Hari and Hema Hari have put in years of research to uncover India’s ancient legacy, which is presented in this series called ‘Autobiography of India’. I am happy at their efforts to revive unknown and unique aspects of our history. My blessings and best wishes for all their noble endeavors.

9 September 2017 Bengaluru, India

About Bharath Gyan

Bharath Gyan is an endeavour to bridge old and new worlds by repurposing knowledge from the past, for the present and future, so that it can be experienced and applied. Indian knowledge, her ethos and global ties are of special focus in this interdisciplinary and rational, civilizational study. Bharath Gyan presents a wholistic perspective of India in a manner appealing to the modern mind. Bharath Gyan has been collating specific, scientific knowledge of India, using ancient knowledge sources as well as modern scientific tools and methods. The knowledge of the Indian civilization is available scattered in various forms – books, manuscripts, oral tradition amongst scholars, various art forms, customs and traditions of the land. The current generation is faced with a barrier while reaching out to this knowledge due to the limited access to such sources. The ancient languages,

the style of expression used and their approach to the subjects which differ from the present way of expression, pose a challenge too. In Bharath Gyan, as part of our quest for the specific scientific knowledge and practices of the civilization, we have come across many stories, ideas, views, theories, factual events and statements. With the help of traditional scholars with a modern bent of mind and modern scientists open to traditional knowledge systems, we have endeavoured to carefully sift through all this data, with an inquisitive, rational, logical and scientific mind to understand the knowledge from a fresh interdisciplinary perspective. The outcome of this analysis is the compilation of Bharath Gyan. Over 15 years, spanning across 108 subjects, the independent facts and data collated, self validate and corroborate each other beautifully in this compilation, as pieces of a jigsaw. Bharath Gyan, is a knowledge foundation that brings this knowledge out through engaging mediums, so that it can be easily understood and enjoyed by all, across the world. The objective is to present this knowledge and wisdom, from a present day perspective, with relevance to current topics of interest and tribulations faced by India as well as the world. Besides filling the readers with wonder at the not-so-commonly known  facets of our ancient civilization, it is hoped that this knowledge and approach of the ancients will kindle or aid future research for the benefit of science and mankind. Can we make the past converge with the present for the future? Ours is perhaps not the first effort in this direction, neither should it be the last … Encouraged by His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Bharath Gyan - Art of Living is an initiative to take this compiled knowledge, to the community at large.

Our website www.bharathgyan.com provides more insights into our activities.

About the Authors

Authors, D.K.Hari and D.K.Hema Hari

D.K.Hari and D.K.Hema Hari are founders of Bharath Gyan, a civilizational study initiative to compile and present the knowledge of India, its traditions, its culture, its global ties - in short, its ethos, from an Indian perspective. The Hari couple have travelled extensively to over 30 countries and visited museums, expositions and other attractions worldwide to understand those civilizations, their culture and knowledge. It was this exposure that motivated this husband-wife duo of management and IT professionals to turn into research collators and conceptualize “Bharath Gyan” as an endeavour to fill the void in the showcasing of the knowledge, practices and culture of the Indian civilization across the millennia. They collate information on the knowledge in India through the ages and disseminate it for suitable appreciation and application. Their method to collating this knowledge is purely driven by questioning.

Allowing questioning to lead thought and search, has yielded this collection, which is again presented through questions and answers, using multimedia technology for effective sharing of information and grasp. With factual content on 108 different subjects on the state of knowledge in India, its traditions and its sustainable practices compiled over 15 years of dedicated research, the Hari couple have evolved into subject matter experts on the overall understanding of India across ages from over 8000 years ago to the present. They have given a few hundred lectures across India and the globe, to wide audiences ranging from the research community, to educational institutions, to Corporates, social organizations and in various conferences on technology, management, history, tradition, culture and religion. Based on their research, they have authored till date, 22 books and produced 5 documentaries as well as many short films that span a wide spectrum of disciplines, such as: Creation -  Srishti Vignana (a book on the science of Creation from Indian thought) A trilogy on Historicity of Rama º  Historical Rama º  Ramayana In Lanka º  Ayodhya – War and Peace A trilogy on Historical Krishna º  Dating of Krishna º  Footprints of Krishna º  Facets of Krishna

•  You Turn India (on the secret behind the  prosperity of India for millennia)

•   Indo-Japan A Connect Over Millennia (on the ties that these 2 ancient civilizations have shared across the times)

•   Telugu Talli – Her Unknown Side - Facets of Telugu Culture and Prosperity

•  Understanding Shiva (a book that explains the Shiva Tattva) •    2012 – The Real Story (that shows the connect between the Indian and ancient America)

•    Triple

Eclipse 2009 (that presents an intriguing side to the phenomenon of 3 eclipses occurring back to back within a month in the decade between 2009 to 2019)

•  Historical Rama (Film in English, Hindi, Tamil and Kannada) •  Creation – Srishti Vignyana (Film in English and Tamil) •  Understanding Shiva (Film in English) •  Wonders of Indian Astronomy (Film in English). They have started penning a monumental series called the “Autobiography of India” comprising of many multi-volume titles, of which, 2 titles have been published. Brand Bharat (A 5 volume title about how India was a Brand for many things in the past and how it can position itself as a Brand in future too) º  Made in India º  Roots in India º  Unique to India º  Leads from India º  Future from India Breaking The Myths (A 4 volume title about the various myths that have shrouded people’s perception of India and what the reality is.) º  About Identity

º  About Society º  About Prosperity º  About Ability They are active on social media too.

About Autobiography of India Autobiography of India. Why this name for a book? How can a country write an autobiography? How can one person or in this case, two individuals write the autobiography of a nation? To clarify, we all know that a biography of a person is written by another, after studying the activities, experiences and the turning events in the life of this person. In the case of a person’s autobiography, one pens one’s own thoughts, views and experiences. Now, in the case of a nation, a country, a civilization, they are looked at, as living entities too. Don’t we refer to India as a mother and don’t the Germans refer to their land as a fatherland? A nation lives, experiences and grows through its people. The people of a nation, form the family of the nation, its children. In that sense, when we, the children of this nation, this country, this civilization, write about our family, our ancestors, our society, our nation, our country, our civilization, we are but, writing our own Autobiography, as well as that of our nation, India. Autobiography of India is not separate from our legacy. And, we are fortunate to have such a long legacy. But, it is so long and continuous, that we are going to have to narrate it in themes, to keep the continuity going across ethos and time. Autobiography of India thus, is developing into a series of themes and a wonderful experience.

Further, each of the themes in this series too, has had to be arranged as a multi-volume book, keeping in mind the ease of handling and reading, by one and all. Autobiography of India, as a series, is thus an endless endeavour. For, we are narrating the story of how we have come to be what we are today, going as far back in time as our collective knowledge will allow us to, in order to see what our ancestors had done, to see us safely into, thus far in time – i.e. their future. But, what is the value of this journey, if we cannot bring back leads from them, on how to live in our future so that, someday our progeny too will proudly travel down memory lane to reach upto us. Autobiography of India, the story of this living civilization, will continue beyond our lives, as the next generation starts to live and write, from where we leave off. Hopefully what they add to the story then, will be success stories based on our learnings and from where we would have left off.

Preface A GIVING CIVILIZATION India has been a “Giving” civilization for Millennia. India had been giving even till early 1900s. But India has stopped giving in the last few decdes, since Independence. For, in the opinion of her own children, “India has nothing much to give”. “Either it has been taken away by the plunderers.” “Or it has vanished due to disuse by Indians themselves.” “Further, India is so backward in thought, that it is not relevant in today’s world or future.” To top it all, neither do Indians know what India has to offer. Nor does the world know what to ask for. Furthermore, many Indians do not even know that they have been giving the world so much, all these years, for millennia. The Brand called Bharat is a standing example of a people who have been natural givers, starting with the most common and simplest act of giving, which is teaching. It is the most enriching act too, as it causes growth with each giving.

A MINDFUL, MIND EXERCISE Having seen all that the indigenous Bharat stood for in the last many millennia, let us now see what India as an evolved civilization can offer in the coming centuries and more. Right from learning about

what India stood for what India’s strengths are what India’s successes have been what all India still has, to offer to herself and the world as well as what the world stands to gain from India in the context of the future, this is going to be an exploration of what India can “Give the world” now, for a future, whose future itself will lie in “Leveraging the Mind”, from the trend in which the world has evolved in the last few centuries, since Renaissance.  This is a journey that has to be undertaken with an “open mind”, as it is all about removing the misconceptions in the mind about India, her state of mind and about the power of human mind in general.

FUTURE FROM INDIA This book “Future From India” is one among the volumes of the Brand Bharat compendium of the Autobiography of India Series in the Bharath Gyan collection – Vol 1, Made in India Vol 2, Roots in India Vol 3, Unique to India Vol 4, Leads from India Vol 5, Future from India Step by step, section by section, chapter by chapter, it develops the understanding of what the brand “Bharat” really encompassed and what the brand “India” can really be. Divergent Images throws light on the diverging images of India held by the world, right from its position as a Brand Leader, to the metamorphosized India in recent times, as the rest of the world has been assuming leadership.

Focus, India brings to fore the in built resilience in India, from her habit of rising like a Phoenix each time, in the face of adversity. Awaken The Mind, is all about bringing to mind, India’s understanding and leveraging of the Mind. Know Your Strength is a section that confronts the mind with the picture of how India is losing her strength in chasing others’ dreams, instead of staying put and building her own real fort, Durg with her strengths. What are her strengths by the way? This section highlights the fundamentals of Indian thought which had distinguished India from othes and set it up as a brand leader of the world, a position she had held for millennia.  Shift Your Stand places the form that future brand offerings from India could take, based on India’s strengths. It puts forth ideas that India can singularly ride on, to make India a sought after brand once again. It first lists the paradigm shifts that India will have to make, to achieve all this. Lead Again India, finally places how India has the wherewithal to position herself as a brand leader for thought leadership once again, whch was the essence of Brand Bharat, provided she dares. But what does India have to dare to do, to get there?

Foreword

Dr. Vijay P Bhatkar Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan Maharashtra Bhushan Architect of India’s first Supercomputer,’Param’ Chancellor, Nalanda University, National President Vijnana Bharati, VIBHA, Founder Chancellor, India International Multiversity, Former Chairman of the Board of Governors, IIT Delhi, Former Member of the IT Task Force constituted by PM, Former Member of the Scientific Advisory Committee to PM, Founder Executive Director, C-DAC (Centre for Development of Advanced Computing), India

I consider it a rare privilege to pen a Foreword to “Brand Bharat - Volume 5, Future from India”, in the ‘Autobiography of India’ series, authored by D. K. Hari and D. K. Hema Hari, husband and wife duo, who have embarked on a civilizational study of India, originally and rightly called as Bharat. The word Bharat in Sanskrit connotes the land of people who are joyfully engaged in the pursuit of knowledge. The Hari couple have

travelled across the length and breadth of India and also across the world reaching out to over 30 countries and collated knowledge about this great country with a recorded history covering a period of over 10,000 years. To narrate this epic history, the authors themselves became one with their motherland Bharatmata and spoke out her story of life thus far. The story of India is the story of her countless children spanning over ten thousand years. It is a grand story that will inspire and, not only inspire but, transform its readers inside out. Although each Volume of this Autobiography is unique and enlightening in its own unique way, Brand Bharat - Volume 5, Future from India is its crowning glory! It’s a pathfinder for India’s future. It is widely believed that the 21st century belongs to India. As prophesied by Swami Vivekananda in 1897, India will gain independence after 50 years and hundred years later Mother India will reclaim her ancient glory and start emerging as Vishwaguru – the world teacher, showing the direction of peace and enlightenment to the entire humanity. This book brings a lot of clarity to the direction in which India can move forward. With technology there is no end to the possibilities and innovations. With an outlined path in front of us, it makes it easier to focus and innovate in that direction. And if that path happens to be one, coming from a proven, millennia worth success story, then nothing like it. We are now seeing the emergence of India as a Vishwaguru, a world leader. A Vishwaguru is one who shows the vision of the future world, to the present world. A Vishwaguru is one who enlightens. Does not give resources but shows the path to resources, makes one resourceful. A Vishwaguru lifts you from a path leading to destruction and sets you on the right path leading to overall good and well-being of all. I am very happy with the overall direction shown by this book. It encompasses varied aspects of living, right from cutting edge technology to pure science to conservational acts to societal thought to spiritual and cosmic mind-set. In an era where we are merely following possibilities and trends without forethought, it gives cues to the areas in which we can innovate and how principles of Indian Vedic thought can help in kindling the imagination for

such innovations to emerge. It also gives the rationale for these directions based on the success of India in sustaining itself and its values since many millennia. This book contains within it, the potential for a whole lot of original works and innovations to manifest. It contains within it, a path to India becoming a VishwaGuru once again. If I were asked to choose just one word to define Brand Bharat, I will choose it as ‘Vishwaguru’. I congratulate the authors, D. K .Hari and D. K. Hema Hari, in producing such a seminal and original work and wish all the readers the very best in picking up clues from the thoughts expressed herein, for making a difference to themselves, India and the world at large. September 13, 2017 Pune

Acknowledgements We have been singularly fortunate to have been born in this land of ancient wisdom and seers. We owe a lot to our parents who have brought us into this world and provided us with the right education, upbringing and guidance. The values and traditions of this ancient civilization inculcated in us by our family and teachers are what have formed the basis for our work at Bharath Gyan. We are indebted to our family and friends for their continued support and encouragement in our endeavour. Having embarked on our quest, many scholars, thinkers and students of the knowledge of India have come forward and helped us in our collation of the Bharath Gyan knowledgebase. Some have helped by offering data, while some others, through their questions that made us think and look for the data. Many traditional scholars have patiently tolerated our inquisitiveness and have laboriously searched and retrieved from the ancient texts, the data we had requested of them and explained the same to us in simple layman terms. Without their mastery over old and new, their knowledge, their mind-set and support, this bridge from the ancient to the present day would never have been built. Then faced with the task of dissemination, many friends and experts have come forward to help review our works and take it to stages of production. We owe a lot to their support without which our compilation could not have seen the light of the day. We are indebted to His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar for the faith reposed in us and our work and for offering us a platform, to share the knowledgebase we have collated, with the community at large. We would be failing in our character, if we do not acknowledge more importantly, the unseen forces which have connected us up with these right

sources of information and noble people just in time, just as we were looking for the information and help. The list is therefore very long and words fail us to thank everyone sufficiently. Hence we take refuge in the all encompassing words of the 18th century Indian poet Saint Thyagaraja – Entharo Mahanu Bhavulu Anthariki Vandanamulu There are many noble persons as well as ancestors (behind this work) and we salute them all.

PART 1 - DIVERGENT IMAGES

Upto 1800s CE – A Land of Many Treasures A LAND BY MANY IMAGES Greeks called it the Land of Ganga. Persians called it the Land of Sindhu. The Chinese had called it a Land of Wisdom. The Arabs had called it a Land of Precious Things. The Turks went on to name Spices after this Land of Spices. Francois Bernier and many others had called it a Land of Abundance. Marco Polo called it a Land of Millions – Gold Coins, Fertile Lands, People. Will Durant had called it a Land of Tolerance, Gentleness and Understanding. We ourselves have called it a Land enjoying Sunlight, where people relish knowledge and which rolled out metals. Each one came to India for different things. Each one saw India as a land of many treasures. No wonder then, they named all the new lands and people they came across in their search for India with somethings similar to India, as a something to do with the name India, such as

•  West Indies •  East Indies •  Red Indians •  Indonesia and so on.

BUT ONE IDENTITY Yes, this has been the image of the one and only India, across ages, for millennia. Right from

•  Steel and Zinc to •  Sugar and Spices to •  Ships and Rockets to •  Diamonds and Pearls to •  Cotton and Weaves to •  Dyes and Perfumes to •  Music and Chess to •  Yoga and Veda to •  Maths and Science to

•  Crafts and Technology to •  Philosophy and Spirituality to •   what not, have been the goal of those who came to India across millennia. India had been supplying all these consistently too, until the 1800s. India was verily the Brand for everything, except terror and violence.

1900 CE – A Mystical India

In the 1900s, the word India to the rest of the world meant Maharajahs The Taj Mahal Elephants Snake charmers Magicians Cows and Poverty to say the very least. It was an image of a mysterious land.

Everything in India was very different from what one got to see in the countries of the West.

2000 CE – A Slum India The image of India in 2000s CE has undergone a sea change. Everything, elsewhere in the world, can now be seen in India too. But it comes with its contrast.

•  Wealth contrasted with poverty. •  Intelligentsia contrasted with illiterate. •  World class industries contrasted with tin shed workshops. •  Skyscrapers contrasted with pavement huts. •  Crowded cities contrasted with abandoned villages. •  Sparkling gated communities contrasted with filthy slums. •  Global brands contrasted with cottage industries. •  Latest fashions contrasted with traditional. •  World class malls contrasted with pawn shops. •  Luxury sedans contrasted with fish cart vehicles. •  Global standards contrasted with local conditions.

Added to all these are also facets that have become distinctive of India, such as

Beggars Corruption Indiscipline Heckling Communalism Garbage Water shortage Poverty and Slums. While India is a developing country and Indians claim it to be an IT power, it is to be borne in mind that India is sought after more for Its Information Technology services than for its Intellectual Property - IT over IP Its Technical support than for its Technology Solutions - Tech Support over Tech Lab Its low cost Services than for its high quality Products – Economical over Exclusivity. In short, India is sought after today, more for its low cost labour and large market, than for the reasons for which it had been sought after for millennia: Its intellect Its knowledgebase Its high quality produce Its high ethics and ethos. While India is the market for the world today where low quality, rejects are dumped, the world had been India’s market then, for its high quality produce. India was the supplier for the world - not of cheap labour but high quality products and high valued knowledge.

It is rather unfortunate that in a time span of just 2 centuries, a billion buck brand, built over 2 millennia, has come buckling down. India is no doubt rolling in millions today, but is still known as Slum India. In these changed circumstances of the 21st century, what can India give the world? To answer this question, let us first understand what wrought about this change?

How India Lost Its Shining Brand Consistent image of India, across the world, across millennia, had been one of a land of prosperity as we have seen. It had been a land that had been continuously prosperous from the very memory of mankind. All this turned upside down in the 350 year of colonial rule, from when it acquired an image of a land of poverty. All this poverty and impoverishment is only relatively recent in the last couple of centuries.

ACCOUNTS OF WITNESSES TO THE LOSS A Grand Old Man’s Verdict

Sir. Dadabhai Naoroji

The observation of Sir. Dadabhai Naoroji, a member of the House of Commons, London and later, a founding figure of the Congress movement for freedom struggle of India, drives home this point further. Sir. Dadabhai Naoroji, called the Grand Old Man of India, who lived between 1825 – 1917, studied the state of India under the British for 50

years, from 1867 to 1917 and delivered many speeches and wrote many essays and books. In one such book, “Poverty and Un-British Rule in India”, giving detailed values to the plunder, he highlights how:

The Book – Poverty and Un-British Rule In India

•   The British rule was the greatest curse with which India has been afflicted

•    From

the richest country in the world it made India the poorest country in the civilized world

•  It was continuous impoverishment and exhaustion of the country •  This drain of wealth from India was the principle and basic cause of the poverty of the people

A Visitor’s Unavoidable Remark It is this plunder, which made Robert Montgomery Martin, a historian and a visitor to Eastern India in 1835, remark,

    Montgomery Martin and The Book, The Indian Empire

Will Durant’s Branding of the British Rule Will Durant, the great American thinker, branded the British rule of India as “the greatest crime in all history.”

    Will Durant and The Story Of Civilization – Our Oriental Heritage

In his book, “The Story of Civilization – Our Oriental Heritage”,Will Durant wrote in 1930:

Such was the level of plunder of India under the British rule.

De-industrialization of India Another research was carried out by Prof. David Clingingsmith and Prof. Jeffery G. Williamson.

This is the conclusion that Prof. David Clingingsmith and Prof. Jeffery G. Williamson, of the Harvard University have brought out in their work, “India’s De-industrialization in the 18th and 19th century”, which speaks eloquently of the impact of 200 years of British colonial rule in India.

    Prof. David and Prof. Jeffery

POVERTY STEREOTYPED Unfortunately, over the last 100 years various articles, reports and books about India have repeatedly described India as a poor country. The images of India that have been flashed across the world showcase poverty. This has given a common perception to people at large, the world over that, India has always been a poor country, which is why India is categorized as an underdeveloped or developing country. Fortunately, these stereotypes and nomenclatures have started changing since the last 3 to 4 decades.  But the image of beggars still continues to haunt India.

Poverty in India - As seen across centuries A scene depicted in a 19th century English Newspaper

3 WAVES OF PLUNDER The economic history of India, of the last millennium, from 1000CE, can be slotted into three waves of plunders.

•  Plunders from the Near West between 1000 CE and 1600 CE •   Plunders from the Far West, the colonizers, between 1600 CE and 1947 CE.

•  Plunders by Indians themselves, from 1950 CE onwards.

While Sir.Dadabhai Naoroji cites the plunder by the British as the main cause for India’s poverty, much of India had already been through a few plunders between 1000 CE and 1600 CE. These were the plunders from the Near West. After Sir.Dadabhai Naoroji and the British times, we find that India is still being plundered. This time by its own citizens through a new form of plunder called “Corruption”. But aren’t we missing to read what lies between these lines and the plunders? Are we not failing to realize that between each of these waves, there had also been a period of resurgence, as otherwise there could not have been wealth generated, for it to be plundered again and again?

PART 2 - FOCUS, INDIA

India - A Brand of Resilience The knowledge that so much wealth has been plundered from India each time, even after the previous wave of plunder, gives us three pointers for the future: 1.  India is an inexhaustibly rich country. 2.  The people of this land inherently have the capacity to generate wealth quickly. 3.    The wealth came from internal mobilization of resources and not plundering others.

LAND OF INEXHAUSTIBLE WEALTH

Col. Alexander Walker

That, this land has internally got the capacity to generate inexhaustible wealth, has been best brought forth by the statements of Col. Alexander Walker Col. Alexander Walker had annexed Saurasthra for the British, in a 30 year bloody battle, which had earned him the sobriquet “Butcher of Saurashtra”.

Col. Alexander Walker, in his letter to James Mill, a historian, on 8th April 1820, writes about the proverbial riches of India as,

LAND WITH INHERENT CAPACITY That, the people of this land, inherently have the capacity to generate wealth quickly is evident from the fact that the wealth of this land was generated from trade.  And for a rich trade, there has to be copious produce. And for a copious produce, there has to be thriving industry. And for a thriving industry, there has to be sufficient raw material, labour, skills and technology. All of these were the inherent capacity of India.

INTERNAL MOBILIZATION OF RESOURCES That, the wealth was generated by internal resource mobilization and not by plundering others is evident from the fact that India produced and traded in products whose raw materials were native to the Indian soil. These raw materials were the strength of India as also the technology for converting them into finished goods.

The technology was so honed and perfected that the products produced were one of a kind, not available elsewhere, were of high quality and of relevant use. This speaks volumes for the resources within India and the ingenuity of the common Indian folk then. More than all this, the fact that this was a sustained production and trade for over 2 millennia indicates that, whatever technology and strategy they had adopted was ecologically sustainable too, for otherwise how could they have kept supplying to the world for over 2 millennia?

RESILIENT INDIA It was the cumulative effect of 1.  sufficient resources within the land 2.  sufficient labour, skills and technology to manufacture and 3.  sufficient navigational prowess to trade that earned India riches and made India so resilient, as to keep generating wealth after every wave of plunder. Can India unbrand herself from a slum image to reflect this resilience instead?

UNBRANDING THE SLUM INDIA IMAGE The knowledge of India’s resilient nature should give the youth of this land enough reason and purpose to have confidence in the wealth generating capacity of their land and its indigenous systems and techniques. The success over the last 50 years itself proof enough. This confidence should help them in engaging themselves in making this land prosperous once again for their own benefit and for the benefit of the generations to follow. It is India’s chance at erasing its slum image and a way to regain its lost glory, name and fame.

Will India take the chance and make it?

Making, The Indian Way MAKE IN INDIA The new slogan that India is using to brand itself on the world horizon in recent times, is “Make in India”. India is now consciously making the move from being predominantly a service or raw material supplier over the last few decades, to becoming a prominent producer and exporter. India is now going all out to woo foreign players to come and setup manufacturing shops in India to produce at low costs. At this crucial juncture, it will be prudent for India, to leverage its proven success in the past at manufacturing, trading and building a brand, to make the right choices in, What to make? Where to make? Which way to make? Why make this way? How to make a name?

THE SCALED UP, HYPED UP MODELS OF TODAY The model of industrialization, trade, economy, practised today is based on large economic structures and models developed with a focus on investment and returns than on meeting genuine needs with a focus on dependence than on self sufficiency with a focus on borrowing than on restraint.

From the times of the industrial revolution era onwards, over the last couple of centuries, these philosophies, these practices and these models have been honed to become the hallmark of developed economies. Theories, have been written and models have been built. Fellowships, Recognitions and Awards have been given, including the Nobel Prize in Economics, for propagating these Economic Models.

CAUGHT IN A SWIRL But Nature does not behave as per models. Rather, models are developed to emulate natural behavior of humans and everything around, i.e. Nature. Trade is a natural phenomenon that has shaped civilizational history. Trade takes its own natural course as civilizations evolve. With new ideas and practices from all across the world, coming to light because of their success stories, many of these models of economics are being questioned, challenged and even changed. There has been a debate in the last few decades over the benefits of BIG vs small. One after another, some of the leading thinktanks are coming up to say that all the economic models that people have constructed, one on top of the other, over all these years and the manner in which nations have been upgraded or downgraded, based only on economic indicators, are no longer valid. Which means that, in the coming years, there is bound to be a major shift in the very over-sized economic structures, which have been built on overinterconnected, over-sensitive, over-reactive economic models, which lead to a domino effect of repeated recessions across the globe. This is the capitalist model, which is being questioned now. The communist model has already failed. Its toned down version, the socialist model, too, is under severe strain, due to the burden of socialism payouts. What is the way forward then?

LOOKING BACK TO RE-LEARN A Proven Model In Sight We have seen how, whatever the model that was practised in India, had proven itself to be sustainable and flourishing, not just for decades, but for centuries and millennia. Whereas, the new economic models proposed by the economists, seem to have short life spans of just a few decades. Much the way, Samskrt and Indian thought gave impetus in shaping European thought in the 1700s and 1800s, it is time the veil over India is parted, to reveal the proven ways that had shaped her and infuse a whiff of fresh thought into world economy, from the Indian perspective. The model, which had kept the Indian economy nourished for millennia. What was this Indian model? What makes it worthy enough to be resurrected and replicated?

WE MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING GOOD The fact that India had sustained its prosperity, its name, fame and brand across millennia means that the model that had been followed by generations and generations of Indians for millennia had been a sustainable one. It must have been a solid, repeatable model as otherwise it would not have generated all round prosperity, all across the land. This brings to mind, a few lines sung by the remarkable, American singer cum actress, Doris Day, in the timeless musical “The Sound of Music”.

Lines from the musical “The Sound of Music”

All the name, fame, brand and grandeur of India till about 300 years ago, could not have come from nothing. Not so long ago, in our past too, our ancestors must have done something good.

SOMETHING GOOD TO EMULATE Legends, Tales, Tradition, Culture and Factual Records tell us that this “good” was the Indians’ institution of an ingenious, indigenized, integrated mindset, which we shall call “ECO-ECO”  mindset for short, -  “Ecologically Viable and Economically Friendly”. A study of the ethos of the Indians reveals that the Indians had made a success out of sustainability as they had internalized sustainability into their ethos, practices and lifestyle. This then makes this mindset worth adopting once again, not just by Indians alone but the world family too! Let us orient ourselves with the ethos behind this ECO-ECO mindset of India.

The ECO-ECO Mindset

The ECO-ECO Mindset - Both Ecologically and Economically balanced

ETHOS OF THE INDIGENOUS ECO-ECO MINDSET OF INDIA For starters, you will see that the priority of viability and friendliness have been interchanged from

•  “Economically Viable and Ecologically Friendly” to “Ecologically Viable and Economically Friendly”.

Eco-Eco Model contrasts

ECONOMICALLY VIABLE, ECOLOGICALLY FRIENDLY One uses the term “Economically Viable” today inorder to measure the ROI, Return on Investment, after pumping in monies for: Producing chemical or artificial produce From chemical or artificial inputs Using artificially generated power With automated machinery and processes In artificially maintained environs To be sold electronically For consumption in other artificial products or usage and For disposing in such a manner so as to not affect Nature.

Today’s Ecologically Friendly Mindset after ensuring Economic Viability

Nature comes at the very end, after all the economic ROI. Hence it is also called “Environment Friendly” after ensuring the “Economic Viability”.

ECOLOGICALLY VIABLE, ECONOMICALLY FRIENDLY Whereas in the traditional “Make The Indian Way”, “Ecological Viability” was the measure of the Return on Investment made by Nature, in the process of:

•  Producing Natural Products •  From Natural raw materials •    Grown naturally using

Sun, Rain, Earth and Intelligent Sustainable Techniques of farming

•    Leveraging

Manual Workforce and skills suitably instead of

displacing it

•  Encouraging travel and physical contact in trade to enable global cross pollination of thoughts, values and practices

•  For natural uses and •  For disposal by Nature herself.

Ancient India’s Ecologically Viable Mindset along with Economic Profitability

Whereas in the traditional “Make The Indian Way”, “Ecological Viability” was the measure of the Return on Investment made by Nature, in the process of: It was more than “Ecologically Viable” for they were allowing Nature to do her job and in the bargain were gaining health and wealth. Infact, the returns were therefore a lot more than just being “Economically Friendly” like for instance:

•   Continuous green cover on land due to sustained cultivation of raw materials.

•  All round development of villages as centres of manufacturing of the natural produce.

•   All round physical health of the populace as they were kept fit with all the manual labour in Natural habitat, vis-à-vis just standing and monitoring machines in polluting and harmful factories.

•  Positive benefits of a sustained green cover such as more rains, more water, cooler climate, more moisture, more flora, more fauna, more oxygen, less pollution, less Ozone depletion and the likes.

•  Good cultural exchanges due to trade with far and near lands It seems to have been sustainable for the ecology, economy as well as every entity in the economic and cultural chain.

WHICH ECO TO CHOOSE?

Economically Viable and Ecologically Friendly Or

Ecologically Viable and Economically Friendly

What “viable” really stands for? In modern times, we find that the word “viability” has a connotation of more than “feasibility” or “practicality”. It has an additional association with “profitability”. In that, it denotes the returns obtained, over and above what has gone in. So, when one says

“Economically viable”, what one is actually wanting to convey is that, one expects more than what one has ploughed in. Economic viability actually goes many steps further. Not only does it connote a notion of profitability, viability is also driven by an underlying ethos of multiplicity wherein, the measure of profitability has to be atleast many times more than what has gone in.

Unsaid and Implicit Connotation of the term “Viable”

What “friendly” really stands for? Likewise, the term “friendly”, functions more as an antonym of “enemy” than as a synonym of “gracious” or “benevolent”. In that, the term “friendly” is used to convey that one is trying one’s best to prevent or do as much less harm as possible in one’s pursuit of enriching oneself. It does not necessarily mean that one is really being benevolent or acting in other’s interest. Given all these hidden implications, how does one decide which Eco should be treated as viable and which Eco to treat as friendly?

WHY NOT BOTH, ECONOMICALLY AND ECOLOGICALLY VIABLE? We have seen a gradual transition from the ancient ethos of Ecologically Viable and Economically Friendly to Economically Viable and Ecologically Friendly ethos of the Post Renaissance world.

From Ecologically Viable, Economically Friendly to Economically Viable, Ecologically Friendly

What we, especially Indians, at the crossroads of time, technology and tradition should venture to fashion, is a Mindset that is both Ecologically and Economically Viable.

Economically and Ecologically Viable – Both balanced equally

This can evolve only when we dare to adapt our practices to suit our environs and culture. This can then become a paradigm for each land to adopt and adapt according to their own environs and culture using their own ingenuity and innovativeness. It is all about working with the belief that sustaining Ecology will automatically keep Economy sustained too. It is all about flipping the jargon “Economically Viable and Ecologically friendly” to “Ecologically Viable and Economically friendly”,

in the philosophy that a sustained Ecology will keep Economy sustained and thereby prosperity.

OR EVEN BETTER

The ECO-ECO Mindset – Economically & Ecologically Viable

For, prosperity is not only about economic wealth and comfort alone. It is to do with the physical, mental, financial, cultural and spiritual wellbeing of the people and their environs too. It is to do with arriving at the right balance between Economy and Ecology. It is to do with arriving at the right balance between mankind and Nature, of which man is also a part.

Making Contrasts THE KILLING DYEING INDUSTRY Natural Dye Production From dyeing clothes that drape us, to paints that drape the walls and a whole spectrum of colouring needs in between, that one can imagine, India’s Dye industry had produced and exported natural dyes from varied plant sources. Plants had to be cultivated and processed using manual labour to extract the natural dye, which when used did not harm the environment. It was a village industry, spread all across India. Families were not separated. Social fabric was not destroyed. Health was not compromised – neither of the producer nor of the consumer. Nor of the soil, waters or air!

Chemical Dye Production Consider chemical dyes which are produced centrally in huge chemical plants, bordering cities, for want of labour and other infrastructure. They use intermittents / chemicals as raw materials to produce yet another chemical as dye for clothes, for paints and even uses such as food colours. This dye when produced, contaminates the water and environs around the chemical plant and when used further down the consumer chain, contaminates the water and environs around those users too. They also harm the health of the workers in the chemical plant and of those who come in contact with it or consume it one way or the other. Micro organisms living in the soil too are not spared either. The chemicals in paints that run off the building walls during rains, have now been shown to contaminate the soil, ground water as well as the water bodies that these

rain waters run off to, where they collect along with lead and other contaminants that they carry along. Not only do the chemical dyes leave behind a stain on ecology, they also strain the social fabric of the nation, the civilization itself. Due to such large scale industrial practices families are either displaced or split, having to relocate themselves near such factories in search of labour and livelihood.

More Than Pests Dying From Pestilent Pesticides An extension of the chemical dyes / paint industry is the chemical fertilizers and pesticide industry. If we take the case of chemical pesticides, for example, statistics reveal that close to 55% of chemical pesticides used in India today, are used up, in just cotton farming itself, which constitutes only 5% of the land under cultivation in India. So much chemicals going into so little proportion of land! What a lopsided picture? Imagine the concentration of chemicals going into one industry, being sprayed in one small fraction of the entire land in the country and on just one product alone! Imagine the number of people suffering from allergies and reactions due to constant contact with fabric, woven with such chemically treated cotton! The manufacture and use of chemical and petrochemicals seem to be paving the ground for a grave future.

IRONING OUT DIFFERENCES IN IRON AND STEEL MAKING Modern Steel Making

A modern steel plant spewing out dust, polluting smoke and gases

The ecosystem of a steel plant today typically comprises of a large plant and a township that develops around the plant. The plant and the township is located close to a coal mine and employs a large workforce of miners and labourers. But the environs in this township is one dominated by coal and sinter dust. The air is heaviest, laden with pollutants released by the flue gas emanating from the plant’s chimney stacks which contain Carbon di oxide, sulphur di oxide, nitrogen oxides and some minute particulate matter. There is also a huge quantity of waste water due to the continuous casting and rolling of the steel.

Age Old Steel Making Contrast this with the small foundries in many villages of India. There were lakhs and millions of such foundries spread all over the land which cumulatively met the demand of locals and the world market then.

   

Each furnace was capable of turning out 1 ton of bar iron per week. A survey in 1700s, records that a sampling of about 10000 such Iron and Steel furnaces from all over India showed that each furnace was producing about 20 tons of steel annually which means a cumulative production of 200,000 tons i.e. 2 Million Tons (MT). In 1850 CE, 192,000 tons i.e. 1.9 Million Tons of Wootz steel was exported from a single port of India itself - the Machilipattinam port in the Coromandel Coast. Imagine the total amount of steel produced and exported in India those days. No wonder India had been the largest exporter of steel the world over then. In comparison, India’s annual production of steel in 2013 was just 79 MT. India today stands 4th in the world pecking order for the amount of steel produced. China tops the list with production in the order of 700 MT, Japan comes second with about 120 MTs while US comes 3rd. Korea is close behind with about 69MT.

Why this slide?

Steel or Ore? For, instead of exporting Indian made steel and giving further opportunities of employment to the Indian populace, India exports its iron ore instead, with which others make their steel. India is the fifth largest exporter of iron ore in the world exporting about 50 to 60 % of its total iron ore production to countries like Japan, Korea, Europe and Middle East with Japan as the biggest buyer, accounting for about 3/4th of total exports. Ironically, Japan ranks 2nd in Steel production and export globally, while India ranks only 4th.

The Irony in Steel Manufacturing Another irony is the way this topsy turvy imbalance is perceived. The increasing demand for iron-ore in the domestic market for producing and exporting more steel from India is seen as having an adverse impact on iron-ore exports. Look at it this way. India, from being a brand of exporter of highest quality Wootz steel, instead finds itself branded as an exporter of iron-ore today. There have even been periods in recent Indian history when India has imported iron-ore instead. India’s monopoly and reign over the world with its high grade Wootz steel is now, not even a memory. What a slide!

Traditional Iron Smelting Units Steel manufacture and Coal/coke go hand in hand. Infact, lot more coal is needed than iron ore to produce steel. So more often, we find large scale Iron and Steel plants located closer to coal mines than iron mines as the needed iron ore can be transported.

In the traditional Indian Steel making model, the small scale iron smelting units sprung up around places which were rich in iron ore such as Warangal, Gulbarga, Karimnagar in Andhra Pradesh, Bastar, Dhar and other regions in Central India, Kodumanal near Salem in Tamil Nadu, parts of Karnataka, Bengal, Orissa, Rajasthan and so on.

Standing Tall As Mute Witnesses to India’s Iron Trade Jharkhand, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Goa account for over 95 per cent of the total reserves of iron ore in India and are the chief exporters of iron ore from India today instead of being primary centres of the world for steel production like before. For example, the Chitradurga belt of Karnataka was renowned for its steel industry in yester years.

a-Iron-Ore Mined Today

b-Coal Deposits

c-Steel Plants in India Today

Take a look at the following map now, showing the rust proof, ancient iron pillars erected by the skilled metallurgists of India.

Map of India showing where ancient iron pillars have been discovered - some still standing tall, some fallen, along with locations where iron ore deposits are found in India

Most of these rust proof pillars stand tall even today as mute witnesses and proof of the fact that ancient India had honed its iron and steel making industry where there was iron ore. Nothing can be a better evidence for the sanity, superiority, sustainability and sagacity in the Steel making industrial practice of indigenous India. But unfortunately, these pillars have stopped speaking as we have stopped listening.

BIG Vs Small A LOPSIDED GLOBAL MODEL The model of industrialization, world over today, reflects the division of the world into,

It is a model that leverages advances in transportation and communication technology, to enable it to produce and sell across lands, so that the above differences can be leveraged to make gains in a legal manner. It is a model driven primarily for economic gains where Money is Power and economies of scale and automation are leveraged for securing high economic returns. In this model it is not uncommon to find investors from developed economies, investing in developing foreign lands where land, labour and law are conducive to produce in an “economically viable”, rather, profitable

manner. These products are then sold in markets which offer them pricing advantages to make larger profits. It is a model built on differences in valuation of the currency, money power of different nations which enables higher gains due to trade of currency too along with trade of produce. Products are chosen keeping “economical gains” in mind rather than “ecological friendliness”. The investors go laughing all the way to the bank, as their land, their surroundings and their health is not affected. The production is not on their land and market too is not their land. They only enjoy the returns reaped and the final finished good. Ironically, the monies that many of the developed foreign economies invest in developing nations for production, are monies that originally came their way from plundering the same developing nations, the erstwhile colonies such as India. It is a model driven by greed than need! It is a model that leaves behind large footprints all over the globe. And the world welcomes it in the guise of development and economic growth. In India, the nett result of such a trend is the emergence of huge, mechanized, manufacturing plants which centralize production into a few pockets. This is in lieu of the traditional, proven model of India, with a large number of smaller, indigenous, skill oriented manufacturing units strewn all over the land wherever necessary raw materials and skills could be sourced locally.

THE BIG MESSAGE IN SMALL MEASURES The BIG highlights in the industrial and trade practices followed by India over millennia have been,

•  small footprint,

•  small scale industries in villages, •  producing suitable products with local natural resources •  using a local labour force •    naturally

skilled in the industry having grown up in it and having wholesome expertise honed over generations,

•  but collectively generating output comparable to the present. It was a decentralized production and trade model then. This is vis-à-vis,

•  Large footprint, •  large scale industrial plants near cities, •    producing

by transporting raw materials from across the country or other countries

•  using labour force imported from villages •  naturally inexperienced in modern automated technologies and learning just one task in the entire manufacturing process,

•    not

to speak of the damage to the social as well as the ecological fabrics.

It is a centralized production and trade model now. This new world model of centralized manufacturing has given rise to many detrimental side effects in societal and familial model, besides ecological damages such as, the displacement of people from their traditional farm lands and vocations

the displacement of families to aggregate in cities, around the factories the shift from producing to servicing.

Intensive Vs Extensive The erstwhile industrial model of India was akin to the natural feeding pattern of a free roaming elephant. Elephants roam in herds. They have a voracious appetite but they hardly destroy the forests they live in. How is that so and how does it relate to India’s industrial model?

FOOTPRINT AND FOODPRINT OF ELEPHANTS Elephant herds keep moving around in their habitat which is a wide area within the forest. They do not confine themselves to any one spot for long. Such strolling paths of the elephants are called Elephant Corridors.

Elephants moving along Elephant Corridors Photo Source – Nature Conservation Foundation, ncf-india.org

Elephants eat extensively, tearing down a few branches from each tree as they move along through the wide span of their habitat. They do not eat intensively in one area alone.

Also, as they pass by, they fertilize the forest ground with their large quantities of dung. Hence, by the time the elephants return to the same spot in their corridor, the vegetation gets enough time and nourishment to sprout back. The fodder is once again ready for the elephants. This is Nature’s way of ensuring that the green cover of the forests is not destroyed due to the voracious appetite of the large herds of these huge creatures.

THE VORACIOUS GREED OF HUMANS Whereas humans in the modern era, for their factories, manufacturing plants with large investments, exploit resources intensively in just one area, sucking dry its natural resources, in every sense of the word, irreversibly and irrecoverably! Even Nature, who managed to safeguard herself from the voracious appetite of the huge elephantine creatures, stands vulnerable in front of the rapacious greed of the small built humans.

EXTENSIVE INSTEAD OF INTENSIVE The ancient Indian model of widespread industry was an ECO-ECO model, Ecologically Viable and Economically Friendly. The balance between Economy and Ecology was maintained and sustained well through many footprints, which were but, small and spread out wide.

SMALL YET ELEPHANTINE These small industries akin to industrious ants, collectively were elephantine in strength.

Small Yet Elephantine

That was the production footprint of the past for many millennia and could probably be resorted to in the near future as well. This is a model which is easily implementable, with the present day advances in communication and transportation. It will be a better use of these advancements, than for maintaining large footprint, centralized production setups.

A SMALL BUT WIDESPREAD SECRET The extensiveness of small scale industries, whose non-intensive style of production conserved ecology and the wide spread network of tradesmen and merchants, whose concerted aggregation of the produce consolidated economy, were the source and secret of India’s sustained prosperity. Together, they produced and supplied enough for themselves and the world.

A CUE FROM THE INDIAN Q & Q BRAND

There is an erroneous understanding that cottage industries mean low production and low quality. There can be nothing farther from the truth. The Indian production model and the range of productions that India was famous for, shows to us that even as a small footprint model they had not only satisfied the needs of the local community but had met the demands of the whole world, in quality and quantity. These, were products of world class which had built India as a brand, both, for supplying the quantum that the world had demanded and in quality that was the best in the world.

The Q & Q Brand

Many of the top automobile & other manufacturing industries of the world depend on India for its iron ore and other sources of raw materials. They have honed their capabilities over years of undisturbed supply of raw materials from India. Many of the “proficient” experts engaged in manufacturing elsewhere in the world, are from India. India is now having to woo these industries to come and manufacture in India. Very soon, it should lead to a Queue, to come to India, but “to buy, that which has been manufactured in India’s own land, in its own indigenous way, with its own resources”.

ACTUALLY SMALL BUT VIRTUALLY BIG Vicious Cycle of Chasing Big or Small It is a civilization of contrasts that we live in today.

•  Huge industries •  Huge markets •  Huge infrastructure •  Huge economic models •  Huge academic models •  Huge cities •  And huge armies to protect all of these. All these huge entities have come up, just so that we can start manufacturing smaller and smaller things, especially such as electronic gadgets, for our daily comfort.

BIGGER AND BIGGER FOR SMALLER AND SMALLER In a way, we have gotten into a vicious cycle where:

•   The need for making smaller and smaller gadgets is driving us to create larger and larger structures to develop and maintain them.

•   And, to keep these larger and larger structures in good health, we need the smaller and smaller gadgets again. In the end, we are losing our own health and also making many of the species of the world extinct as well. We have evolved into working in a way that

•  more and more know less and less of the whole •  less and less gain more and more from that whole.

It is a process driven, assembly line style of knowing and working in smaller scopes so that the entire picture and knowledge rests with a vested few. The end product coming out, is often, also a finer and finer, niche creation that fewer and fewer can afford or really need. In the end, it is all about working with minute scopes and knowledge that the big picture is lost from the horizon.

BLENDING BIG AND SMALL One probable way to blend the big and small, can be the indigenous Indian model that had survived well till the 1700s, for well over 2000 years and more, probably even 5000 years and more. It is an “extensive” model of

•  Planning as one big unit but •  Producing extensively as many smaller units. REBRANDING SMALL SCALE AS EXTENSIVE Perhaps the nomenclature of this model as a small scaled, industrial model is what has prevented its recognition and acceptance, due to the negative connotation that goes with small. It is the tag “small” which has prevented them from making the “Big” difference. It is time now to change the name of the debate from “BIG vs small” to “Intensive vs Extensive”. The word “Extensive” gives a bigger connotation of economy and wealth as well as trade and spread. The Extensive Scale manufacturing carried out in India, with its million small scale units, has the elephantine size and strength to match or even better today’s BIG scale model and could be positioned in world economy as an alternate model, a more sustainable way to produce which blends

•  Big and Small scales •  Intensive and Extensive patterns •  Modern and Traditional merits. MOVING FROM CENTRALISM TO DECENTRALISM After the world’s experiments with Feudalism, Socialism and Capitalism and being confronted with the reality of having to accept a 2 degree rise in Global temperature, perhaps we are now ready to look for the next alternative to global practice of industry and economy. In the process, if we care to look in the direction of India to seek tips from ancient India’s sustained prosperity, perhaps, the next paradigm in industry and economy could evolve to be Decentralism, the ideology which India had practiced at its core.

Decentralism We are all very familiar with the term Decentralization. Is Decentralism any different from Decentralization? Do we need Decentralism if we already practice Decentralization? The fundamental difference starts with the scope of these terminologies. While Decentralization has relevance to organization and reporting structure, Decentralism is an all encompassing paradigm. In that, it is an idealogical shift from large centres of production set up to derive economies of scale as well as all the lifestyle and ecological implications that arise from it.

EXTENSIVE MANUFACTURE VS INTENSIVE MANUFACTURE Decentralism is the philosophy of Extensive Manufacturing by scattering production units across the land to minimize ecological footprints. This is as opposed to the philosophy of Intensive Manufacturing by centralizing operations at certain fewer locations, for certain huge resource advantages and exploiting those resources intensively at those locations, without weighing the resource advantages and cost comprehensively by factoring in the socio-ecological impacts.

AGGREGATION FOR TRADE VS AGGREGATION FOR PRODUCTION Decentralism is the principle of “Aggregating produce from across the hinterland for trade” versus “Aggregating raw materials from across the land for manufacture”.

It is focussed more on aggregating smaller quantities for trade in large volumes than on aggregating all possible resources in any one place for production in large volumes. It is the philosophy of letting smaller units produce goods wherever they can be, with utmost quality, to the best they can, with least stress to themselves, family, society and environment. It is about many traders, collecting such produce, at trading centres closest to them, to trade across the globe, collectively in large volumes.

LOCAL END TO END PRODUCTION VS GLOBAL LINEAR ASSEMBLY Decentralism is the practice of industry wherein the process leads to a finished consumer good as opposed to producing just one of the components of a consumer good. It is the practice of building end to end skills than building stamina for repeating intermediate steps alone. It is the practice of adding all value at one location than that of forwarding smaller components for value addition as it moves along for assembly elsewhere – a practice known as Linear Value Addition.

HORIZONTAL RANGE VS VERTICAL SCALE Decentralism is to do with forethought of thinking through the entire product manufacturing process and producing complete, ready to use, consumer products in lower quantities with minimal wastage and maximum reuse and cross application. This is as opposed to implementing a limited process for just a component alone, ignoring reuse, cross application possibilities and waste and wastage implications to produce niche parts in large volumes. It is to do with scaling one’s production unit horizontally to build range of skills and give higher value addition even if it is in low volumes, as opposed to scaling one’s production facility vertically to deepen expertise in producing niche parts in large volumes quickly and economically.

Decentralism is a paradigm that inherently nurtures innovation in process and design, over standardization of process and parts to enable an assembly line approach.

MITIGATING RISK TO INDUSTRY Decentralism is a conservative approach of conserving not just Nature but also the technology to produce. Since the end to end skills lay with each manufacturing unit / team, the risk to the industry as a whole, from geological, climatic , human and social causes is spread thin. It gets mitigated by the the widely spread knowledge of manufacturing which can keep the flow of produce going from one corner or the other. In contrast, the development of niche technologies, all in one place, puts the entire industry and final product too at risk from all elements of Nature and mankind. The practice of securing Intellectual rights, further increases the risk of the entire product vanishing, in case of destruction of the facility and its knowledge to produce even the smallest part in the chain of product assembly.

PRIORITY TO ECOLOGY OVER ECONOMY Sustaining Ecology for Sustained Economy Decentralism is the psyche of according priority to Ecology over Economy.

Success Records From The Past Steel Trade of India The archived records of The Dutch East India Company tell us that,

This record tells us quite a few things: 1.  There were huge exports done from the Machilipatnam Port then, just over 300 years ago. In a short span of 11 years, such a large quantity of quality steel was exported from Machilipatnam (Masulipatnam). 2.  Navigation expertise must have been high. For such large exports to have taken place, the port itself should have had the capacity to handle so much trade. This could not have come about, all of a sudden. It would have grown gradually over the years, the proof for which lies in the records of trade between India and other lands across the ages. 3.  There were a large number of steel production facilities in Andhra Pradesh. All of a sudden, so much export cannot take place, unless there already existed a wide production facility across the land of Andhra Pradesh. This tells us that in almost every village of the land, steel production was a prosperous trade. 4.  The steel was a high quality steel.

The Dutch wanting to import 1,50,000 tons of steel itself speaks highly, of the quality of steel produced at the village level. 5.  There was a good inland trade and transportation network. Without the existence of an effective local trade network, a Dutch Trading House could not have procured so much heavy steel in a matter of 11 years. This speaks of the existence of a good inland trade as well as transportation network.

Proof of the Pudding Lies In its Eating

British Railways

In 1907, the Tatas were trying to set up the Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO) in Mayurbhanj, against all odds, to revive the Indian iron and steel industry. Sir Frederick Upcott, the Chairman of the British Railway Board, out of arrogance and contempt, then remarked,

Sir. Dorab Tata

“Do you mean to say that the Tatas propose to make steel rails to British specifications? Why, I will undertake to eat every pound of steel rail they succeed in making!”. In 1916, during World War I, Tatas successfully exported 1500 tonnes of steel rails to Mesopotamia. It was the turn of Sir Dorab Tata to now exclaim, “If Sir. Frederick had  carried out his undertaking, he would have had some slight indigestion.” This success of the Tatas, ushered in the next wave of Iron and Steel manufacturing in India which has grown from strength to strength.

Cotton Trade of India Similar is the case with Cotton and textiles.

Again, one of the major exports from the old ports of Machilipatnam as per the Dutch East India Company records of the year 1680s was cotton. As per these records, in a 5 year period between 1684 and 1689 CE, the Dutch had exported from the port of Machilipatnam, 1,12,00000 i.e.1crore, 12 lakh pieces of cotton textiles to their colonies and other parts of Europe. In textile industry, Piece is a term of measurement, like ream. One crore is the Indian term for 10 million.

Chart of cotton piece goods exports from India - from the Dutch records

Cotton Export From Machilipatnam

If a single company were to buy 1 crore 12 lakh pieces in 5 years, then one can imagine the overall volume of trade and therefore the overall quantity of production of cotton goods, not only for foreign exports, but for local consumption too, in every village, in the hinterland of Machilipatnam.

THE INDIAN WAY- THE WAY FORWARD With making the Indian way, in each of the villages, it may appear to have been a small scale industry. Yet, collectively, it seems to have been a huge industry with mass production capacity. A wonderful, small eco-footprint model, yet ultimately achieving a target comparable with the modern, mechanized industries of today. India should woo foreign powers with its Made in India capability. But it should be with the fine print of “Make the Indian Way”. India has plenty of

•  natural resources, •  large tracts of cultivable land, •  huge supply of young, healthy workforce, •  knowhow to make natural, value adding products and •    a ready market in the world which is ready and

eager for

natural, organically produced produce. All its needs for India today, is to reorganize its thinking and a few main policies such as industrial, agricultural, irrigational and trade policies. Let us choose to do it, the proven Indian way. The road ahead encompasses making the right choices for making wealth and taking the right steps for safeguarding the wealth. The slogan of India should henceforth resound as “Make In India, But The Indian Way”.

Making the Indian Way should infact act as a beacon for the world to follow.

EXIIM – Extensive, Indigenous, Industrial Model A CONVERGENCE OF ECONOMY AND ECOLOGY An Extensive, Indigenous, Industrial Model, EXIIM, (to be pronounced as “exceem”) model was what had kept the Indian Export-Import graph scaling upwards for millennia. It was a model based on

•  small footprints •  decentralism and the innate nature of Nature.

It was not an imposed manmade model based on power, rather it was

•   a model, where one’s duty to care for Nature took precedence over one’s rights on Nature’s bounty.

•    a

model, where community wellbeing took precedence over one’s own individual rights to the wealth of the civilization.

•   a model that was extensive in spread but inclusive such that it included even the smallest aspect of every small link, whether

living or non-living, in the entire chain from production to consumption to sustenance.

•    a

model that was ecologically sensitive and economically successful.

•  a model that was in union, Yoga, between Economy and Ecology.

ROOTS OF INDIA’S EXIIM

This shows that this land and civilization, have had a successful time tested, humanistic, ecologic, economic, administrative and management model, all rolled into one. That, it was a model, which had kept the civilization viable, vibrant and sustainable, not just for a few decades as the current economic models look at, not even for a few centuries but for the last 7 millennia and more.

We thus have plethora of models to draw from across times, across the land such as: Pushkara Model Rama Model Ravana Model Bheeshma Model Vidura Model Kautilya Model. The word Dharma and some of the ancient works we mention here of Rama, Bheeshma, Vidura etc. are not religious in nature. These are economic administrative models that they had espoused clearly during their times. What we see, is a continuity in the basic thought of economics and administration across millennia, from Pushkara to Chanakya, spanning over 5 millennia, from 5000 BCE to 2000 CE. For the present day world, Chankaya himself is ancient. These texts predate him by 5000 years. Imagine the antiquity of these models practiced over time and fathom the depth of their thought!

5Ts INDIA’S MILLENNIA OLD NORMS India was not outperformed for millennia. It had ruled the world for millennia. But India’s route to prosperity and economic status was no secret. It was a simple case of playing by the rules. Not rules laid down by any king, emperor or saint. They were rules that were unwritten norms. They were rules that formed the core ethos of this civilization. They were the rules called Dharma, in local parlance.

THE 5T PRINCIPLES Their adherence to Dharma made them follow 5 “T” principles in their day to day living as well as industrial and commercial practices.

TRADITION They ensured that they followed their ancestor’s traditional practices which had proven to be successful and sustainable both commercially and environmentally.

TECHNOLOGY They adopted the traditional practices with a good understanding of the science and technology in those traditions.

TRADE They followed the Indian principle of Artha which encouraged people to generate wealth as long as the wealth was generated using rightful means and was put to use in a rightful manner. Such wealth was called Artha, as Artha means “Means” – “Means” or “resources” to do something Meaningful. Therefore, to generate this meaningful wealth, Artha, in a rightful manner, they chose to follow their ancestors in turn. They followed their ancestors’ small footprint, ecologically sustainable model for development, but at the same time, ensured development of good networking and navigation / transportation infrastructure, to collect the small amounts of produce from all across the hinterlands and to trade in large quantities, across the country and with far off lands. They thus segregated skills as well as knowhow for manufacturing versus trading.

TALENT They preserved talent by making sure that this understanding and skill were nurtured and passed on from generation to generation, beautifully and dutifully as family vocations.

TRUTH They upheld truth and integrity in all their actions and interactions. They did not violate trade privileges to over power and conquer their trading host civilizations or markets. Thus they ensured that they did not kill the goose that was steadily trading with them and laying the golden egg in return. These 5 Ts were the bedrock for their sustained economic and cultural prosperity.

This gave them the ability to rise up again and again, even after being felled repeatedly, due to vicissitudes of time.

Essence of Brand Bharat - A “Leading” Brand A THOUGHT LEADER From all the various brands from Bharat, we see that India is not just an ancient civilization or a continuing civilization, but had been a leading civilization of the world. India had not only been a trade leader of the world but also a thought leader for the world.

GIVING WHAT IS SOUGHT This act of giving what people seek, at the right time is verily the Brand called “Bharat” and it is this trait that the world had looked up to, as knowledge and riches from India. It is the quest for direction and what this land can give, that propelled all to search for India, all over the world, resulting in their setting foot on lands, unknown to them hitherto. These were lands, whose people they ended up calling as Red Indians or lands that they ended up calling as West Indies, East Indies, Indonesia and so on. Sadly, the awareness of such a great brand called Bharat, Inde, Indies, India has slowly dipped in the last half a century. Ironically, it is since India became free and independent, that memories of this brand have been slowly fading away from the minds of both Indians and the others, world over.

BRAND REBUILDING If India has to become the thought leader for the world again, Indians have to first be aware of that, which were their strengths, which were their pride and which formed their brand. It is for Indians to remind the world of what India’s strengths were and what their strengths can be again, when the clock turns a full circle and the world needs a thought leader again. It is for Indians to let the world know that India will always be there to meet that need then. India has to effort to bring forth, awareness of the “leading” brand called Bharat which can lead the world when the world starts to look for alternatives, which they are likely to do sooner than later. Why would the world start to look for new ways and what could be the new offerings from India then?

PART 3 - AWAKEN THE MIND

Race Of The World RENAISSANCE If today, we say that we live in a scientific world in the 21st century, it is because of the Renaissance that happened in Europe between 1300 and 1500. The progress of science and the ensuing industrial revolution in Europe in the next few centuries was to turn the destiny and culture of many civilizations across the globe and the fate of the world itself. This Renaissance era was not just for painting and art, but more importantly has to be associated with the unshackling of the mind and the advent of scientific reasoning in Europe. During Renaissance, a few thinkers however, unshackled themselves from the vice grip of the medieval church and dared to question dogmas. Scientific experiments and their results, from then on, came to be accepted, instead of pre-medieval and medieval views being thrust on society, as unquestionable word of God. It was a period of earnest questioning that led to the many significant scientific discoveries of that period. In the last 500 years, consequent to the Renaissance, we have made significant advances in the field of sciences. Various branches of sciences have evolved, maturing into deep reservoirs of knowledge, leading to diverse applications and change in the way of life.

POST RENAISSANCE The march of technology which started off in the centuries post Renaissance, with the industrialization of Europe, is only going to accelerate in the coming few centuries. It has its big positives. It also has its own negatives, in that, it is only widening the disconnect between man and ground realities, along with Nature. A brief look at how the world, has progressed in the last few centuries will help us understand ourselves, others and technologies better, to prepare

ourselves for what is to come next, based on trends. For India, it will also act as a guide to point to the direction India must head towards, to be aligned and reap benefits in the future, in the race for prosperity, sustainability and security. The world, post Renaissance in Europe in 1500s, has walked in and out of various eras successively. It is not as though each era stopped after the next era took over. The earlier eras take on the hue and colour of the successive eras. The initiatives of all previous eras get steered towards the goal of successive eras. Innovations and ideas synergize in each era, since each era has after all emerged as a result of the need from the previous one.

TRAVEL ERA – A RECONNAISSANCE ERA This era, in a way, can be said to have been the trigger for subsequent eras to have followed. This era, starting in 1200s, was marked by people from Europe embarking on travels to see the world and to learn of what lay beyond their dominion. It was an era where Europe started exploring beyond the Mediterranean seas using ocean based navigation and it continued to newer and newer horizons. A few notable ones include, 1290s CE Marco Polo

Explored and reported about Central Asia, South East Asia and India.

1487 CE

Bartolomeu Dias

Explored and charted sea route upto west coast of Africa.

1492 CE

Christopher Colombus

Sailed westwards from Europe looking for India and found West Indies.

1497 CE

Vasco da Gama

Charted sea route to India from Europe, around the continent of Africa,

1499 CE

Amerigo Vespucci

Took over from where Colombus left off in West Indies and went upto Brazil on the American land mass. Hence its name America after him.

1770 CE

Captain Cook

Explored the Pacific lands – New Zealand, Australia, Micronesia, Polynesia.

1850s CE Sir Richard Francis Explored source of Burton River Nile in Africa.

What they discovered was that, there was a lot of wealth and knowledge outside of Europe. This widened the horizon of Europe. It opened the world to Europe.

TRADE ERA – A RAID ERA This was an era that brought focus on Trade between Eastern and Western halves of the world. Trade between the East and West had been going on for many millennia over both land routes as well as sea routes, originating from the East to the West. Europe, started to focus on sea based trade, once the land route across Asia to Europe was blocked by the Turks. This period starting 1500s, kicked off the trend of hard negotiations, trade hegemony, plunder and colonization of the East by the West.

NAVIGATION ERA – A COLONIZING ERA From the 1700s onwards, the Western world was taken up with navigation. It was an era where colonies were set up to facilitate transportation of the loot from the colonies took predominance. Large ships started riding the seas during this era based on resources, technology and labour from the colonies.

India has had a big hand in developing the navigational capability of the world. Large, ocean going ships of wood, the likes of which, till then, were used by Indians in the Indian and Pacific Oceans and the Persian Gulf to trade, began to spread their sails for the colonizers and sail across all the seas and oceans. European ships, but built by Indians, started growing in size rapidly with growing greed, decade upon decade eventually leading to the mega iron ships that we have today. Along the line, also came railroad and later airways which furthered the transportation era.

“A Fleet of East Indiamen At Sea” - Painting by Nicholas Pocock in 1800s. Largest ship in centre is Hindostan

This era in world history, caused a shift in the manner of movement of goods, from trading to claiming to even colonizing and warring.

INDUSTRIALIZATION ERA – AN AUTOMATION ERA Then came the question – why transport products from other lands to the west? Why not produce them locally itself for quicker access? With the 1900s, came the era of industrialization. Different innovations and inventions succeeded one after the other in a rapid succession to find ways,

•   to replace the sparse manual labour in the western world with mechanized and automated manufacturing,

•    to

replace the locally unavailable natural raw material with artificially synthesizable chemical raw materials and

•    to

break the northern barriers of natural daylight and climate cycles, to maximize hours of productivity.

This led to sprouting of large industrial plants and a culture of consumerism and capitalism. World trade patterns started shifting from manmade, natural, essential products to machine made, synthetic, luxury goods and instead of products from tropics to Europe and the West, focus on products from other regions to tropics with raw materials from tropics to Europe and the West but most importantly, fuel from deserts which had no use for them until then, to the mechanized and transport dependent, industrial regions of the world.

INVESTMENT ERA – A CAPITALIZING ERA How can industrialization work without capital? With industrialization, investment also came into focus – though it was with monies gained from exploits. Monies earned by squeezing blood out of lands such as India, led to a spurt in banks and investors in Europe and soon the trend spread across the world. These investors had to be backed by under-writers, insurers, guarantors etc. Soon an entire virtual world based on real money emerged, to take vested control of the industrialized world. Some regions chose to exert control through profiteering as Capitalists, while others chose to exert control through sharing as Communists and

Socialists. The world was polarized between the Capitalists and Communists, who were ever at war. Money started to rule the world. Money started to play the lead role in power play. Money, as a separate entity, also started to move across the world in the form of payments, loans, aids, funds, deposits and many other innovative forms.

COMPUTATIONAL ERA – A CRUNCHING ERA How can simple humans keep track of so much raw materials, finished goods, fuel, monies and hence people too, moving across the world? So many and such large numbers too! The last 70 years has been the era where numbers have played an important role – be it in money, in data, in analysis, in reports, in elections, in census etc. Creating and evolving machines to crunch numbers and that too quickly, correctly, in large volumes has been the Mantra. Not only have more numbers been crunched using complex algorithms since then, but the size of the machines have also over time gradually been crunched to miniscule, micro and nano sizes to enable all to have access to this data.

COMMUNICATION ERA – A FAR REACHING ERA What is the point of crunching numbers and creating data instantly if they cannot be shared immediately and quickly? The last 30 years have been witness to the speed at which the modes of communication across cities, towns, countries and across the world have changed.  Mankind has scaled and ridden the waves of telecommunication to bridge earth, sky and the seas to break barriers of distance and instantaneously communicate with each other to trade, share data, share news and conduct business. From a discrete set of lands, the world became a web of connections.

INFORMATION ERA – A SOCIALIZING ERA But why waste all the space in Space? Especially when we have the technology to reach and use Space, as well as the means of transforming what the eyes see and the ears hear too, into a form, fit for traversing through Space so that it can reach far and near, in the same way that we saw and heard it! Around the year 2000 CE onwards, from communication for just the barest minimum and business needs of transmitting data, technologies of the world started synergizing on Information sharing. This era has seen a synergized development in communication and interface technologies to share information and socialize with others, entertain ourselves and experience the world from where we are. The information super highway has brought in change in the way we learn, interact, respond, research and understand each other and much more.

KNOWLEDGE ERA – AN AGGREGATING ERA Now, what does one do with all the information one gets? Based on the logical progression of mankind, technology and information over the last hundred years and more, many thinkers and scientists of the world have been postulating that the next logical era which will take this world by storm, will be an era centred around knowledge - a Knowledge era. It is but a natural transition since, after some time, the brain, bombarded by all sorts of information will start seeing connections and from that will emerge knowledge.

Knowledge - A “Ware” Knowledge Era need not necessarily mean a window when everyone starts to explicitly read, study, research and accumulate knowledge. That will no doubt happen as it has been and has to, but with a few. In the current world context of looking at evolution of lifestyle since Renaissance, a Knowledge Era denotes a phase where the urge to know will

dominate people’s minds and the global context will go towards fulfilling this urge to know using appropriate sciences, technologies, art, culture etc. This era will be characterized by an urge to know the “whys”, “hows” and the “whats” behind anything and everything connected with one’s day to day living and the goings on, around the world. The urge to share what one has learnt, with others will gain momentum. Core to this urge to share, will be an underlying need to shake, wake and make others aware of the truth, to break myths, falsehoods and hegemony and urge people to check the wrong. We have already entered this era, where people want to know what is going on around them, with them and how they can act to make their life and world better.

Propelling Technologies We have earlier had technologies called knowledgeware to enable conscious collection of Knowledge. But now, Knowledge itself will become a “ware” for making people aware of everything inside, outside and around them. Digital technologies have ensured we get there by enabling a seamless sharing of information - . information that is gained either from sensing devices, propagating servers or sharing people. Digital platforms such as Social Media, Mails, Collaborative platforms, Portals and Apps, Digital Libraries are all taking knowledge to people without their knowledge, in the name of tools for staying in touch, selfservicing, working from remote etc. We will only see more and more forms of knowledge and more and more forms of connecting, sourcing and sharing that knowledge – both formally and informally. All this does not mean that the only Technology will be IT. It only means that the theme of the next few decades will be Knowledge Sharing and all other technologies and industries, while evolving in their respective spheres, will also ensure that they are in synergy with the theme of the era. Those who can create the curiosity to know and satisfy it will lead the world in this era. 

For example, airplanes, trains, cars etc. will make connectivity during journey, a basic offering than a luxury as trends are already showing up Self-driving bicycles and cars that have learnt artificially, sense and share information with surroundings and know how to drive on their own and transport people safely Virtual teachers, doctors, lawyers, consultants who “know” the latest developments in their subjects, current rules of engagement and more importantly know your background or capability to guide you suitably media exposes and trials due to quick and easy share of real life events, as they happen increased consumption and share of tips and knowledge bytes, provided they are in a captivating Audio / Video / Animation format. Digital technology becomes the platform using which each industry makes its own advancements and interfaces with other collaborators, aggregators and end users.

A Graceful Exchange If one were able to physically see the high volume of data travelling in the form electromagnetic waves around us, one will see ourselves enveloped by a dense cloud of data signals. It is a wonder that we are able to see through it, without it blocking our vision. In Indian thought, knowledge has been represented as the feminine divinity Sarasvati, meaning one who flows with a grace. Saras means graceful, saras is also a water body. Sarasvati is wedded to the divinity Brahma, where Brahma denotes the expanding Space and evolution of matter to fill the Space.  Is it any wonder that knowledge has now come to be electromagnetic waves, flowing gracefully, transmitted across space, from one device to another?

We have started to look up to the sky for knowledge. We have started tapping the sky for knowledge. We have started listening to the voice coming from the sky.

The All Knowing Machine With more and more of such knowledge having traversed through space and machines, we will also see more and more machines endowed with knowledge, more than what each man will know. This era will soon give way to machines becoming the all-knowing and the go to point for everything. Right from giving you directions to go wherever they advice, they will drive you there, tell you what to buy, what to eat, what to read, what to see or hear, when to sit, stand, sleep, wakeup, how healthy you are, when and where to seek help, what you possess, to what you owe and where you can be found. The machines will know more about you and others in your life too. The machines will also make you an expert who knows to do everything, right from

•  cooking – not just meals but also deals, •  fixing – not just plumbing but hearts too, •  painting - not just walls but also 3D art, •  printing - not just paper but also 3D objects, •  modelling – not just clay but your wealth too, •  building – not just homes but also automobiles and satellites, •   tapping - not just water but also communications and body too when ill. All this, merely by virtue of what machines and services you have access to not just from proximity but from remote too! Underlying layers of knowledge will get abstracted and man will become insulated from all lower layers of knowledge. 

In short this will be an era where one does not have to know, to know.

Summing Up The Knowledge Era The smarter ones amongst us, will leverage these machines and their knowledge to profit from it as they steer the world towards a more aggregated and synergized use of technology /products, in a more meaningful and relevant manner. This era will keep moving more and more towards aggregation –

•  aggregation of technologies, •  aggregation of resources, •  aggregation across industries as well as •  aggregation of the advancements spurred by all the eras so far, to make offerings of services or products in a local, relevant and timely manner. For, information when aggregated, in a way, becomes knowledge. It will be hard to hail any individual nation or civilization as a leader of this era. Every nation, every individual on this planet will be an equal player in this world of aggregation. Power will also shift. From being vested with a few entities, it will be the aggregated power of vociferous individuals, which will influence the direction of the world.

A Take Away If one sees minutely, all this step by step processes from data crunching, to mining information out of it, and connecting information to gain knowledge are the result of many complex algorithms. It will be interesting to know that

•  right from the very name Algorithm, named after the Arabic scholar Al Khwarazmi, called Algorismi by the West, who translated Indian techniques of calculating based on decimal number notation, into Arabic and which was further translated into Latin as “De Numero

Indico” by Adelard in 12th century CE, thus introducing the West to the technique of algorithm itself,

•   to Srinivasa Ramanujam, the great mathematician from India of the early 1900s, credited with finding ways to solve complex equations,

•   to Srinivasa Varadhan from India of the late 1900s, credited with finding algorithms to statistically predict / know in advance,

•   to the millions of programmers across the world, sitting and writing algorithms to make the machines know and work suitably, India has been playing a key role in the knowledge and problem solving domain, with or without its knowledge. What next then?

A Thinking Mind Of what use is knowledge, if it cannot open up the mind? From knowledge, comes thinking, questioning, seeking and discerning. The centre of activity shifts from the storing brain and the knowing intellect to the thinking mind. The world will enter the portals of the Mind Era.

MIND ERA – A TRANSCENDING ERA Makings of A Thought Leader By the start of the Mind Era, people would have been equalized by the capacity of their machines and the knowledge and capability it puts within their reach. It is only the creativity of their mind which will now distinguish them either incapacitate them or empower them. Ironically, machines themselves are capacitated only by the creativity of human mind, but of a few only though. Saturated with knowledge bases and heavy duty technologies in all spheres, it will be the subtler aspects of sciences, technology, knowledge and living, which will come to be looked up to as special, in the era likely to emerge from this knowledge era. Having offloaded much of routine processes to the

all-knowing machines, the human mind is now ready to look at newer horizons. The new horizon will be the Mind itself, going by how Science is beginning to go beyond the gross and how various fringe disciplines that twin modern Science with subtle, ancient practices are increasing in number. Yoga is one such example which was in the fringes a few decades ago but has now come into the mainstream all over the world.

The Eluding Knowledge After having focussed and advanced sufficiently in technology in the last half a century, it will become the turn of Science to take precedence again. Profound and game changing matters, such as dark matter, dark energy, antigravity, anti-matter, multiverses, teleporting, mind, consciousness, emotions, intuition, sound, matter, life energies, death, Time, diversity and so on, continue to still elude the grasp of physical sciences. These have been dominating man’s mind for centuries now. Many of these matters are in the realm of subtle dimensions – in size, energies, form. Almost all of these are beyond even man’s imagination, leave alone machines’ calculation. It is in search of this knowledge that the world would have found the need to move towards a Mind Era. The Mind Era can be said to have truly set in, when the present glass ceiling in science and technology gets broken with the power of the mind. And it is in this direction, towards the mind, that India can offer to steer the world. One has seen how it is access to knowledge from India that has shaped the scientific temper of the West. One can show how it is access to Indian manuscripts, knowledge and products from India that has triggered many of the inventions during the World Wars and Industrialization era. Likewise, it can again be the thought of our ancients, available in the compendium of Indian manuscripts and practices, which can throw more

light to ignite the minds For the Mind Era, India can position itself to be a civilization that has been offering continuously in this field of Mind Sciences. If India wants to be re-establish itself as the thought leader of the world, this is the most opportune and ideal window of time. But for this, India will have to apply its own mind and strategize as to what it can offer to the changing mindset of the world. Looking at India’s strengths, based on 1.  what it made from its soil, 2.  what took roots in its soil and 3.  what still stay unique on its soil, India’s advantage lies in how it can 1.   Leverage its familiarity with the mind to open up new dimensions of  post modern, Futuristic Science, 2.    Model its offerings on factors arising from India’s strengths than from other’s constraints and 3.  Build its offerings using indigenous paradigms proven successful on Indian soil than be constrained by imported paradigms, not proven anywhere yet. All it will require is the will and dare.

Steering Mind In Futuristic Science FUTURISTIC SCIENCE Just as the cosmos, Science, the knowledge of its functioning too can be broadly viewed to have gone through various stages of evolution in the last 10000 years, since the end of the last ice age, i.e since the start of the present glacial melt down.

•  Cosmic Science – Before Common Era (Before 2000 years ago) •  Traditional Science – Pre Renaissance Era (2000 to 500 years ago) •  Modern Science – Post Renaissance Era (500 to present times) •   Futuristic Science – Post Modern Era (yet to take off, from Mind Era onwards) While the era of Modern Science has belonged to the West, much of Cosmic Science and Traditional Science have all shown a deep rooted trace to India. India also seems to have it in her to steer most of the developments in Mind Science and is a better bet to do so too.  Futuristic Science and Post Modern Era can belong to India. Why is India better poised to steer the world in Futuristic Science, in the Mind Era?

A CORNUCOPIA OF MIND BASED KNOWLEDGEBASE No other civilization in the world has continuously been researching on the mind and meticulously recording it in palm leaf manuscripts, in legends, in applications, in various other forms, including the mind itself, for over 7000

years continuously. There is a cornucopia of information on understanding the mind and engineering it.

A LONG UNDERSTANDING OF THE MIND India has had a long history in the understanding of the mind, with generation after generation having transmitted it down the line.

CONCEPT OF A MIND LEADER Mana, the mind The very words “mind”, “man”, “human” etc. are rooted in the word Mana for mind, which differentiates man from the rest of the animals, giving human race the classification Manava, one who knows to use his mind.

Manushya Manushya is another word for humans but with the connotation of people. Manushya are humans with a more humanistic, humane mind.

Manu In Indian thought the leader of man, Manava is a Manu. Manu is not a king, but is a thought leader. The fundamental idea is that, in every civilization, emerges a thought leader who will lead them from one level of existence to another. i.e a leader who will guide people when the needs of time change, when the civilizational focus changes from one theme to another.

Manvantara The flow of time in Indian thought is also measured as Manvantara, i.e. the period between 2 Manu. Antara means inter, intervening, between. Manu + Antara is Manvantara, the intervening time between 2 Manu. This measure may be on an astronomical scale based on cycles of the Sun or it may be based on earthly scales of evolution of civilizations. Both are similar units differing in time span. The fact that the time between 2 Manu has been taken as a milestone measure, shows the significance given to thought leadership in Indian thought.

Many Manu What is compelling in the story of Manu, is how, many civilizations have a Manu like story and all have names that sound similar, besides being thought leaders of their respective cultures.

•  Minos of Crete •  Moses and Musa of Israel •  Menes of Egypt •  Manes of Persia •  Mannus of Germany •  Menu, the Indian Law Giver Manu, as referred to, by the English.

What distinguishes the Indian concept of Manu from the others is that, Indian thought lists not one but many Manu, atleast 14 and identifies them with unique names. #

Manu

Meaning of Name

1

Swayambhuva

Self-risen

2

Swarochisha

Self – illumined

3

Uttama

Peaking

4

Tamasa

Dark coloured

5

Raivata

Brilliant

6

Chakshusha

Visible

7

Vaivasvata

Colour changing

8

Savarni

Colourful

9

Daksha-Savarni

Earthy and Quick Acting

10

Brahma-Savarni

White and expanding

11

Dharma-Savarni

Destroying

12

Rudra-Savarni

Fiercely hot rays

13

Deva-Savarni

Glowing rays

14

Indra-Savarani

Rainbow coloured and sensual

Each Manu has a name that means something specific, for instance,

•  Daksha means one who is quick and dexterous, •    Indra for one who is endowed with all Senses,

colourful as the

rainbow The time span of 14 Manvantara is referred to as a Kalpa. The cycles of 14 Manvantara keep repeating, one Kalpa after another. In the astronomical scale of measurement, 1 Kalpa is the lifespan of a Sun. True enough, looking deeper at the cycle of 14 Manvantara and the names of the Manu, also reveals a connection with the nature of light – its visibility, colour, intensity, heat etc. The nature of light seems to be progressing from origin through successive stages of darkness, brilliance, visibility, colour, heat to glow and so on. The current Manvantara in the Indian thought, is that of Vaivasvata Manu. Vaivasvata means the son of Vivasvan, i.e. one who has a nature of changing frequently. It comes from the root Vivas meaning to change / don – abode, clothes, form etc. Vivasvan is another name for Sun, whose light is subject to colour change say, typically at dawn, dusk etc. Thus from the point of view

of the astronomical scale, we are in an epoch where we can see the light of the Sun changing colours. In other scales of measurement, each Manvantara or each Kalpa denotes major milestones in evolution which affect human thinking, living and hence need a Manu to lead the people out of the rut. Vaisvata Manvantara in this scale seems to denote a time window when civilizations change colours rapidly – their culture, thoughts, ideals, goals, looks, values, priorities etc. and its seems to be a quite, close enough description of the trend today. Rather than ask, “what has been changing in the world in recent times to make this window a Vaivasvata Manvantara”, it might be easier to ask the question, “What has not been changing in Vaivasvata Manvantara?” and answer it with “Nothing!.” It has always been acknowledged in Indian psyche that change is what is permanent in this world. Vaivasvata Manu denotes such an epoch in mankind’s evolution where such changes are fast and rampant.

INDIAN VIEW OF EVOLUTION – MIND AND FORM The Indian way of looking at Evolution has been to look at it not only as an evolution of physical form but also as an evolution of mind. Hence, Evolution is expressed by the word Parinama, meaning that which is the effect, which is the result, which is a change. But an effect has to be caused. What causes the effect?  It is a mind which sees a need and has an urge to satisfy the need. The effect may eventually manifest in a change of form or change of a gene internally or a change in lifestyle. But it is the mind from which stems the need to shift and to change. India has therefore showcased evolution by selecting 10 avatars, incarnations of the divinity Vishnu to show how life has evolved and sustained itself on earth using both physical transformation as well as the shift in mindset

‘Indian thought has thus given equal importance to both physical transformation and mindset change as aspects of Evolution, Parinama.

ON MIND POWERS OF ANCIENT INDIANS The various Rishi, the Muni, the 18 primary Siddhars, the various Guru such as Vasishta, Vidura, Uddhava, Ashtavakra, Patanjali etc. had all understood

and leveraged mind power successfully. They have also expounded on how to harness the mind to reach the subtle even with a gross body, much of which literature is still available today.

VEDA – A MIND ENGINEERING MARVEL BY ITSELF The Veda themselves are a sound, living proof for the mind engineering feat of Indians from over 5100 years ago. Firstly, the Vedic verses themselves were so designed that 1.  Their sound intonations create the right vibrations and modulations in body, atmosphere, mind and consciousness, needed to achieved the desired effect 2.  The verses are composed meaningfully to conjure up the principle or desired state in one’s mind when recited 3.  The verses, in their short and crisp lines, convey the scientific fact which the Rishi was able to visualize 4.  The verses are sheer poetry with strict grammar too 5.  The verses have an appropriate rhythm to create the right mood in the being and the surroundings as well as sustain the modulations of sound. All these above could not have been achieved using a weak mind and intellect. But what makes it a greater marvel, is the ingenuity of their minds in devising a way to preserve its correctness across millennia and that too using intangible media such as brain and oral medium. Since it is hard to express sound intonations in script, to prevent the Veda mantra sounds from being limited and distorted, thereby not being effective, the Rishi had designed for it to come down orally, generation to generation, rather than writing them as scriptures.

Lest the Veda Mantra words themselves get corrupted during oral transmission, they had also designed a self, error detecting recitation scheme to flag off the errors and indicate how to correct them, much like the error detection and correction techniques used in encryption of communication messages today. The Rg Veda, focussing on the mind, was encoded in maximum different ways to ensure its perfectness. This design of the Rishi has withstood the test of time and the Veda have come down to us without distortion of sound, word and meaning. The test is the same manner in which Veda are recited all across India.  This is truly a world marvel in mind engineering.

BALANCED USE OF GROSS AND SUBTLE POWER Furthermore, despite possessing all this technical capability and capacity, an analysis of the Indian civilization shows them to have exerted prudence and balance in the deployment of these technologies. The esoteric ones were set aside for extreme needs such as transcending human contexts, wars, natural calamities, life & death etc. whereas for down to earth needs such as transport, navigation, farming, metallurgy and other industries etc. they had been content with deploying “gross” technologies. The need for cultivating a balanced mind and judicial temper even before the development of the prowess to exert mind power cannot be ever under estimated.

AVAILABILITY OF LITERATURE Yet another peek into ancient Indians’ minds reveals their handling of abstract Sciences and Technology. India has produced many works that dwell upon how to formulate theories, proofs, logic, rational thought, debate, documentation etc. all of which helped them advance in abstract subjects such as Mathematics. All of these, plus more, become essential in the pursuit of a domain that is intangible, i.e. the mind. Does anyone have to labour more on the latent understanding of the mind in India and hence its ability to steer the field of Mind Sciences for

the future?

POWER TO DEVELOP MIND POWER One has seen how it is access to thought and knowledge from India that has shaped the scientific temper of the West. One can also show how it is access to Indian manuscripts and knowledge from India that has triggered many of the inventions during the World Wars and Industrialization era. With all its strength in dealing with the mind, India can steer the world in developing Mind Power too.

SO MUCH SCOPE 5% Vs 95% Many reports from a decade ago suggested that we tend to use only 5% of our brain. While neuroscientists have debunked this claim, showing how all regions of the brain fire with signals when activities have to be performed, they however accept that of all the cells in the brain, only 10% of the cells are neurons. The remaining 90% are called glial cells which only encapsulate and support the neurons. The functioning of these glial cells is however yet unknown. If we do not know about the working of 90% of the brain, how do we know if we are using those functionalities or not? Are we capable of using them or not? So, we may be using all regions or parts of the brain but not to its full potential. There seems to be close to 90% of the brain’s ability that we are perhaps not putting to use today. And knowing how only a few amongst us show exceptional capabilities, as prodigies, the claim that an average person uses only 5% of his brain’s known capability, seems to hold good.

Given what all the brain is currently capable of with just this 10% of known functionality, the remaining 90% is a huge unknown and unused potential of the brain which holds potential for a vast scope of further research and utilization for mankind. The brain may not and need not grow bigger in size. This brain size is ideally sized, designed and evolved for this species of Homo Sapiens, for this planet, for this Solar System. Hence more brain power has to come, not from a bigger brain but from better utilization of the same brain. Furthermore, it is another fact that, neurons associated with similar function, tend to cluster together. For example, neurons associated with the thumb and the forefinger are found next to each other since they often work together. Those associated with vision, hearing, walking etc. all form individual clusters.   Neuroscientists further admit that while they can identify and map the neuron clusters associated with individual functions, they have as yet, not been able to uncover how these different clusters, spread all over the brain collaborate to form consciousness. They tend to conclude that consciousness, rather than being a specific, single location in the brain, is a collective effect of the activity of the neurons. Here, in India’s civilizational practice of harnessing mind and consciousness, perhaps lies the mapping to this 90% unknown functionality. It is a practice that had fathomed the depth of the brain, mind and consciousness and fashioned it into systematized techniques to harness different forms of energies, not just decades or centuries but millennia ago and for millennia to come. Indians still practice the technique of Avadhana, meaning “paying attention”.  From Avadhana comes the popular word Savadhan, meaning attention. There are many in India even today who demonstrate ability to multiplex attention across multiple subjects simultaneously. Some can multiplex 10 subejcts - Dasavadhani, some even 100 – Shataavadhani etc.

Avadhana is an ability that can be gained through training, indicating India’s understanding of mind and ways to control its workings. Why not use the Indian mind to explore and leverage the remaining functions of the brain?

Indra – Vrtra Fight In Puranic lore, in the fight between Indra, the Deva  and Vrtra, the Asura, which happened in the Cosmic Egg, Hiranyagarbha, before Creation, it was the act of Indra overcoming Vrtra, that led to Creation. In Vedic thought, it was the act of Indra, the sensory power, collective mind power, collective consciousness, overpowering the cloud like, resistive, holding back, inertia like Vrtra, which led to Creation. In modern scientific terms, it is described as the case of matter overcoming anti-matter which caused the Creation to spew out of the Cosmic Egg.

4% vs 96% After all this research, cosmologists now say that of all the matter estimated to be contained in the cosmos, we know of and are able to account for only 4%. The balance 96% of matter is unknown to us, which for lack of any other term is defined as Dark Matter, Dark Energy etc. Understanding of this Dark Matter, Dark Energy et al, seems to have been discussed as Kala, Kali, Kala Bhairava and so on, in the voluminous treatises of India’s Shaktaism school of thought.

5% and 4% The correlation here of average person’s utilization of only 5% of the brain and knowing only 4% of the Cosmos is interesting indeed. The 5% of the brain’s capability that we use has been focussed mainly on the gross. The 4% of the cosmos that we know is also only the gross matter. The gross, thus seems to make up only 5% of existence as well as knowledge of it. The overwhelmingly enormous 95% is what needs to

fathomed by the mind. Perhaps, it will happen in the oncoming Mind Era, Thinking Era, Space Era.

0 to ∞ - The Hidden Potential The knowledge of this 5% of matter itself is comprised of many things that the Indian civilization has shared with the world - from 0 to Infinity and many a things in between, albeit, with many a twists in between too. And we have still, only scratched the tip of the iceberg as afar as India’s influence on the world is concerned.  At the risk of sounding pompous, if it takes so long to go through just the interesting bits of what our ancestors had contributed to the world, which has still kept the human brain utilized at only 5 to 10% of its capability, then imagine how much longer the list will be in future, when the brain starts using a lot more of its capability based on further inputs from India! Our descendants will find it very tough to track and keep count. If the just 5% of utilization of brain’s capability has caused so much of developments in the fields of Sciences and Technologies, which in turn have had such a great impact on trade, commerce, lifestyle etc., then imagine what the start of utilization of the remaining 95% of the brain’s capability can do! If the just 5% of utilization of brain’s capability and all that it has given birth to, have happened with waves of thought from India, then imagine the potential that the beginning of utilization of the remaining 95% of capability, has for India and for the world! Also imagine how much more will have to go from India to kick start this leap! For, this is going to have to be a giant leap for mankind since all this capability of the brain so far, has been used mainly in the realm of gross, a more tangible space. But we seem to have hit a ceiling here. To cross over into the remaining 95% zone is going to need a different mindset, literally.

Age of Indian Ideas - Now SANDHI, A WINDOW OF TRANSITION Indian concept of Time tracking connects any two disparate entities using a beautiful concept called Sandhi. Sandhi is the joining of two places, two periods or two activities. In the context of Time and Evolution, Sandhis are those time windows, when this world sits on the cusp of a transitional phase, from one epoch to another - not just in spatial location in the Cosmos or in material technologies used by mankind, but more importantly in the Mindset of the human race.

AT A CUSP, SANDHI We are in a period of such a Sandhi, which in a way, can be said to have started when the West was initiated by India, about 100 years ago, into awareness of the mind and ways to harness it. Its logical conclusion will be reached only when the glass ceilings that prevent harnessing the mind power are broken by mankind. Having ignited the minds, India had better take the world to this logical state. A few in the realm of cutting edge Science today, have started to become aware of this ceiling.

CONTRIBUTIONS THUS FAR India has played a significant role in each Era.  Renaissance

New Thought

Travel Era

Goal for travel itself was to discover India

Trade Era

The various exotic goods to trade in

Navigation Era

Ships, shipwrights, sailors and teak for the ships

Industrialization Era

Money for starting industries

Investment Era

Market to buy goods produced

Computational Era

Brains to develop solutions

Communication Era

Labour to produce and market to penetrate

Information Era

Community in sheer numbers and groups to create and use information

Knowledge Era

Intelligence to devise innovative applications

Mind Era

Mindharnessing Mindset

TOMORROW – WHAT WILL IT BE? Across all eras, it has always been a continuous race in this world to capture the largest market, for the longest time. Even today, while the governments of every nation is busy fighting its problems of today, its think tanks are busy strategizing to preparing itself for tomorrow. The question is the uncertainty over what the morrow will be like and whether one has what is needed to ride it. Other Oriental nations such as China, Korea, Japan and to some extent Russia too, are quietly developing their strengths, both inside their land as well as across the world, in anticipation of the era when the power balance will shift to the East. Each is focussing on their traditional strengths. China is quietly spreading Confucianism as it keeps pushing its idea of One Belt One Road (OBOR). Russia is trying to establish antiquity and hence greater power and claiming a Russian Veda is one way. South Korea is trying to woo the world with sheer technology

Japan is silently marching ahead with Zen and Kaizen, even as it continues to beautifully balance old and new with Shintoism, Buddhism and Zen. The goal seems to be, making these ideas, which are on the fringes of the modern world today, a mainstream idea in decades to come. The forthcoming eras will take on the nature of the winner of the silently pitched battle between the East and the West for centre of power.

AN OPEN BOOK WITH AN OPEN MIND Anything closed can be broken down. It is that, which is open, will survive. For, there is no wall to break. It can assimilate everything well, as well, as it can disseminate too. Abrahamic thought of the West, which was closed to the idea of Mind and Science, lost in the battle with modern Science. Modern Science which is closed to the idea of Mind, will stand to lose if it does not open up to acknowledging the Mind and the subtle world. Subtle does not necessarily mean smaller and smaller in size, subatomic sizes etc. Subtle has to be approached as that which does not have a size to be measured. It can only be perceived and experienced. Indian thought, Oriental thought, Brhmic thought, has always been an open school - no walls, no boundaries. Just an open mind that can expand to accommodate ideas from all around and which in turn has shared what it has, with everyone around.

In the forthcoming Mind Era, India can lead the world with its open mind to modern science as well as its millennia old open books and practices of knowledge of the Mind.

But mind you, India has to do it with an open eye this time around!

Offering Indian Thought To Shape Thinking

INDIA’S THINKING PROCESS India has a word, Anvikshana, for thinking, researching, examining, probing. Anvikshana is the process to scrutinize. Aanvikshiki is a person with a logical mind, a questioning mind. It comes from Anu, meaning to break into smaller, atomic parts and ikshana, akshi, vikshana, all of which mean eye, to see. The idea of thinking, the thought of thinking itself has been taken to a very high level with Anvikshana. Many people have spoken about it explicitly, such as Charaka, the wandering physician across ages, Chanakya, the mastermind administrator and royal counsel par excellence who lived around 350 BCE. Many have practised these techniques without speaking about it too.

    Chanakya, The Master Administrator and Charaka, The Master Physician

DE BONO’S LATERAL THINKING WITH 6 HATS For the current generation, one of those who has made initial forays and a name for himself in the field of thinking, is Edward de Bono, a Maltese physician, psychologist and an authority in the field of creative thinking, innovation and teaching of thinking as a skill as well as one who introduced the concept of Lateral Thinking. With thinking tools and techniques such as 6 Hats of thinking, more than 70 works and hundreds of lectures, he brought the modern world to focus on the process of thinking. From those very early days of modern day pursuit, thinking technology has been moving slowly, from the fringes, into mainstream research.

Edward De Bono’s Trademark Photo Source - www.edwarddebonofoundation.com

A Summary View of the 6 Thinking Hats technique of De Bono

INDIA’S THINKING IN 6 WAYS Ancient India, from millennia, had differentiated 6 schools of thought for envisioning the real. They together were called Shad Darshana. Darshana means view, vision and Shad is 6. 1.    Vaisheshika or “Atomism”, i.e. breaking up a subject into constituents and examining them individually 2.    Nyaya or “Logicism”, applying logic to arrive at the true conclusion 3.    Samkhya or ennumeration of the various cosmic principles in the subject 4.   Yoga or union of body, mind and breath to transcend physical limitations and see the real phenomenon 5.  Mimamsa or rituals, done as per the Veda to grasp the real fact using the mind and intellect 6.  Vedanta or metaphysical speculation / debate on what the real fact could be. It is to be noted that Yoga was listed as a specialized branch of Darshana, i.e. way to think and visualize.

The prominent scientists of ancient India who had practiced such formalized methods to rationalize and conduct scientific enquiry include,

•  Gautama •  Kanada •  Panini •  Charaka •  Susrutha •  Kapila •  Tolkapiyar (Tamil) •  Kavindracharya Sarasvati … But sadly today, 1.  Vedanta is just food for the soul 2.  Mimamsa is no longer practiced truly 3.  Nyaya stays confined to texts 4.  Vaiseshika has been reduced to almost extinction 5.    Samkhya and its application, is known to and understood by very few numbers and 6.  Yoga, though the most popular today, is used limitedly as a set of physical and mental health tools. Much of these works are taught today as subjects of philosophy than for application in Science and Technology discipline to develop a research oriented mindset. If we are to start looking at twinning the gross and subtle to understand the cosmos as it really exists, then it is these texts which contain the pointers and can show the way. For, they were originally designed for use in seeing and understanding Creation, i.e for science, from both the subtle and gross perspective. The key to thinking and research in Mind Science lies here.

India itself will have to wake up to this fact and give full throttle to applying these schools of thinking for scientific enquiry rather than limitedly to philosophy alone. It has to realize the latent advantage it possesses, which can position it in a vantage point for achieving singular breakthroughs in Futuristic Science as well as for gaining thought leadership status in the world of Futuristic Science. If the domain of Modern Science is the West today, Futuristic Science can belong to India.

THE 39 THINKING TOOLS Besides these 6 ways to think and see, India also had developed tools to aid techniques for thinking, working and documenting rationally, logically, technically and scientifically.  This collection of tools is known as Tantra Yukti. Tantra as we know is technology, technical, technique. Yukti means aid, tools, device to compose, develop such technical works, especially those that deal with the abstract. Tantra Yukti is a collection of 39 guidelines on how to handle research in Sciences and Technology contributed across time by scientists such as

•  Charaka •  Susrutha •  Kautilya •  Indu •  Arunadhata •  Neelamegha …

India’s 39 Thinking Tools

BY THE MIND, IN THE MIND, FOR THE MIND

All these tools and methods were used not only for thinking but for research too. They are tools that have been honed by the mind, in the mind, for the mind.

From Mind Era To Space Era The Mind Era has to sooner or later give way to Space Era. For, as mind expands, it extends into Space and beyond. In a world divided politically, with boundaries sealed tight, leaving no room for mass migrations any more, Space is going to be the only solace, which will be able to provide space on demand. It will become easier to go out into Space than to a neighbouring country especially. Advanced communications will ensure families and friends can continue to be in touch just as if one were away in foreign travel on earth. All the continuing advances from the previous eras in the fields of mathematics, physics, astrophysics, aeronautics, mechanics, electronics, biomedics, economics, informatics etc. will converge in the mind to open up Space to mankind. With years rolling along, man’s preparation for invading Space will only intensify. The number of manned missions to Moon and other planets and their satellites will increase as we go down our generations in future. But the demands of the Space Era are going to be something far too difficult to imagine today. There however are clues in Indian knowledge system that can prepare the mind for the Space Era needs, such as right from keeping time to keeping age to keeping looks etc. 

A SPACE AGE CALENDAR The world has seen many calendars. Europe had a Pagan calendar which was replaced by a Julian calendar which was later replaced by the Gregorian calendar. The Americas had a Mayan calendar which was later replaced by the Gregorian calendar.

Arabia was following an earlier Arabic calendar, which was replaced by the Hijra calendar. Likewise, Persia had its own calendar before the adoption of the Hijra calendar with conversion to Islam. Babylon had its lunisolar calendar, as did the Greeks, Egyptian, Coptic and Ethiopians too. China, Japan too have their own. Similarly in India too, there have been many calendars. Two out of these which are more popular in Central and North India are the Salivahana Saka and the Vikrama Samvat calendars. As per the recordings of the Calendar Reforms Committee headed by the noted physicist Dr.Meghanand Saha in 1952, India had about 7300 calendars. But of all these calendars, the one calendar that has sustained keeping true measure of time, across times and is still in usage is the Sankalpa calendar which is based on the movement of the astral bodies. This calendar by far is the most scientific and is not based on any human event, be it birth, victory, death, conquest, coronation /ascension to throne or heaven etc. As time rolls on and historic events replace earlier historic events, human event based calendars lose relevance and also do not have a pan global acceptance. Whereas, the one calendar which uses the earth, the Sun, the Moon, the planets and the stars as its markers and is based on their actual motion, is a timeless, pan global and nay, a Universal calendar. For, when the world is going scientific, the calendar has also got to be scientific enough. The present calendar followed world over, is the Gregorian calendar which is linear, limited by earth’s movements alone and further, is even disconnected with the actual movement of the earth and the apparent movements in the sky.

When, from the step of being a scientific world, as the world steps into becoming a Space Age world, the calendar also needs to be Space Age ready, Space Age compliant.  The Gregorian calendar will be found seriously wanting and we will want a new Space Age calendar. It is the Nature based, Sankalpa calendar which is truly scientific and Space Age ready. It is a calendar that can have pan global acceptance for it is not based on any human, region or religion. For the fast approaching Space Age, India has this timeless offering to make - a Space Age Calendar.

A SPACE AGE TELEPORTATION SYSTEM This is the next big thing. What was science fiction a few decades ago, is going to come into serious main stream research, what with escalating cost of transportation and depleting source of fuel for transportation but distances only getting longer. “Beam me up Scotty”, the famous lines associated with Captain Kirk from the space serial Star Trek, can be made possible by exploring the ancient Indian branch of science called Kechari Vidya. Teleportation is something being quietly pursued in many labs of the world today, since this idea itself seems like a fantasy. However, Indian literature and legends are replete with many instances of those who could teleport themselves using a science called Kechari Vidya. Kechari means flying in the air. There is also a mudra in Indian practice of Yoga, which is called Kechari Mudra. A mudra is a way of holding fingers to regulate mind and body energies.  Kechari Vidya was a science mainly practiced by the messengers of kings to carry messages overnight. What really was this science? Whether based on physics, metaphysics or combination of both, this is a discipline worth pursuing, in anticipation of the need for speed in the future.

A SPACE AGE, AGE DEFIER Youth, vitality and longevity – a search for this has been on since intelligence came into being. The Greeks came up with the concept of Ambrosia, the elixir of life. In Indian legends, we have the concept of the nectar Amrit, phonetically similar to Ambrosia, which gives health, vitality and long life. Everyone, including the Divine, lusts after this Amrit, which comes from the churn of the milky oceans according to the symbolic Indian legend of Samudra Manthan.

Dhanvantari with Amrit Kalasam, Pot of Nectar

Samudra Manthan – Churning of the Ocean which yields Amrita Kalash, a pot containing Nectar

But legends aside, there have been numerous narratives by those in the spiritual and metaphysical realm, of processes called Kaya Kalpa and such others, which claim the knowhow to restore youth, vigour and vitality to humans. Typically shoved under the carpet by mainstreamers, lest they become branded as “unscientific”, such techniques will be sought after, at the dawn of the Space Era, for the pressing need of defying the looks of age after Space travel. Age old Indian literature and practices may come into vogue for all we know. It is better to be ready and one step in advance. But before we strategize on offerings for the Mind Era and beyond into Space Era, claiming familiarity with the Mind, how can we explain Mind to the world? Do we know Mind? What has been India’s take on the Mind?

Mind Matters A JUMPING MIND There cannot be something more correct about the mind than the statement, “Mind is like a Monkey.”

Mind, Jumping Like A Monkey

Like a monkey, it keeps jumping from one thought to another. It jumps from one conclusion to another. It gets attracted as easily as it gets distracted too. The Mind is rarely still. The underlying basis for man’s problems has been the issue of keeping the mind still and relaxed or staying focussed and productive. For, the mind refuses to align and keeps hopping, somewhere between these 2 extremes, creating all kinds of situations and confusion in between.

TAMING THE MONKEY WITH AN ELEPHANT A Mind Divinity India had recognized the existence of this monkey called Mind and invented techniques to control it as well. Our ancestors had instituted a divinity to represent the abstract entity called Mind, not just of humans but of all beings and the biggest living entity of all, the Cosmos. They gave Him the head of an elephant and a meaningful name Vigneshwara, meaning remover of obstacles. For, it is this mind, which creates impediments with its jumping, never standing still nature.

Ganesha with offerings in front

It is also interesting, how Indians have appeased this divinity of Mind with all kinds of offerings. If we notice, these are offerings that an elephant will relish, such as coconut, sweet, bananas etc. The idea is that the mind can be made to do wonders by tempting, attracting / distracting it in the right direction.

For, attraction and distraction are only 2 sides of the same coin. Distraction arises when attraction is shifted from one to another.

Leader Vs Follower Indians also gave this divinity of the mind, another name Vinayaka, meaning that which lords over. Nayaka means lord, chieftain. Vi denotes Him to lord in a special way, through the mind. He also got the popular name Ganesha, meaning the lord (Isha) of hordes (Gana), since hordes follow a group mentality. Ganesha is the divinity that stands for the horde like mentality, innate to people, animals etc. Hence He is the more popular divinity of people.

It is the nature of the mind to follow. It is the mind which ultimately lords over every individual too.

Does not the difference between lording and following make the difference between a leader and a follower?

POWER OF THE ELEPHANT What is marvelling is, why they chose an elephant head for this divinity? For starters, we all know how elephants are known for their memory. Modern science has now started to recognize that an elephant’s cognitive capacity and behavioural nature come close to that of primates and humans. Any encyclopaedia will tell us that, while creatures many times larger than elephants do exist, such as different species of whales, their brains are not proportionately that many times massive. This makes the elephant, the only animal on earth to have a brain with maximum mass, in proportion to its body as well as in comparison with other living creatures on earth. This massive brain too, is full of neurons and other constituents that endow it with individual, familial as well as social traits, very close to human beings.

MATI, THE MIND POWER It is interesting to note how the bull elephants, go through a periodic phase called Musth where they are unable to control themselves and go beserk. An elephant in Musth is also said to be a matha elephant. Matha here meaning disturbed in mind. The Indian word for mind is Mati, which is different from Buddhi, meaning intellect. Thus India has always had a clear distinction between intellect and mind. This word Mati, mind has given rise to various aspects of day to day living, an important one being religion, the correct terminology for which is Mata, meaning the path followed as acceptable to the mind (not rational, not intellectual). We thus have had Shanmata meaning 6 paths for the mind to understand the cosmos –

Shanmatha – The 6 Original Religions of Hinduism

1.    Shaivism (Shiva) – through matter and its manifestation from subtle to gross (Panchabhuta) 2.  Vaishnavism (Vishnu) – through principles of forces governing the cosmos 3.  Shaktham (Shakti) – through energies in the cosmos 4.    Ganapathyam (Ganesha) – through the mind of the people, other beings and the cosmos itself 5.  Kaumaram (Kumara / Skanda / Kartikeya) – through the subtle and veiled aspects of intelligence (knows), beauty (pleases), design (conforms), procreation (sustains) and survival (protects) in the cosmos and 6.    Sauram (Sun) – through the intenseness, fierceness, largeness and spreadfulness in the cosmos.

This understanding made them hold these aspects of the cosmos as Divine in their mind. India, with this choice of the divinity Ganesha and an elephant head for Him, has clearly displayed its deep understanding of the mind, right from the days of the Purana, birth of divinities, birth of religion, birth of an Indian way of approaching Mind Science its huge grasp of the biology, anatomy, psychology and social behaviour of animals, especially elephants to know about its brain, mind and behaviour close to humans. Furthermore, our ancestors’ segregation of what the mind likes to follow as Mata, religion and at the same time our ancestors’  inclusion of the chosen path into the right slot in day to day living, as Mata, religion again, shows their deep grasp of the mind and its ability to make or break anything.

Mind Vs Matter AN ETERNAL FIGHT It has always been a constant fight of “Mind Over Matter” or “Matter Over Mind”. Infact, in the Rg Veda, the 10th Mandala, book contains Nasadiya Sukta, which is a collection of mantra, hymns, that describe what caused the Creation to be. That is, it delves into what led to the Big Bang itself. This Sukta, collection of Mantra, explains that the first to manifest, though subtly, were the seeds of mind, the aggregation of which led to the process of manifestation of subtle matter, resulting eventually in the Big Bang which spewed out the gross matter. So, Mind in Indian thought is no small matter. It is what led to Creation itself. Mind is not confined to humans alone, but also to all living entities as well as the Cosmos too. Every entity uses Mind to achieve what it needs. Humans, Manava are the special category among these, who have the capability to understand Mind, harness Mind and use Mind to appreciate what exists. This knowledge of Mind and Mind Power is called Manovidya, Mind Science and denotes the collective understanding of mind, memory, intellect, ego, consciousness etc. all of which make up the expansive, higher mind, called Brahman. Manovidya is not to be mistaken limitedly as Psychology, usually referred to as ManoVignana.

The Process of Creation As Described in the Veda

Sourced from – Creation – Srishti Vignana book and film from Bharath Gyan

THE MIND CONTINUUM - BRAHMAN In the minds of Indians, from the times of the Veda, the mind is not a physiological organ, gland or part of the brain. It is something as fundamental as light, air, energy etc. and is spread everywhere across Creation and even in that which “exists before Creation”. True, “existing before Creation” is indeed an oxymoron. But from all this, one can gather that mind is the continuum that has existed before Creation, both in Time and Space. Time – for, it has existed even before Time started, Space – for, it has existed even before Space was created. All of Space / Time and Creation seem to be in the one single mind, in more ways than one. If you close your eyes, your other senses and thence the mind, you do not see the Universe any more or you feel as big as the Universe. This single, continuum was called the Brahman, the expansive mind. Brh – expansive, Man – Mind. Hence we are all connected by our minds. We are all connected to the Universe too through our mind and are in a way immortal in the continuum beyond Space and Time, called Mind. Thus with one’s mind, one can exert influence beyond oneself out into the continuum. Only thing is that, we know of asserting such influences by various names such as wish, prayer, blessing, charm, spell, curse and the likes. We practice them too, but often with no effect, since we have lost the connect.

2 MODES OF EXISTENCE - DVIDHA Dvidha or Duvidha? Dvidha means dual, two parts, two folded, two sided. Duvidha, is the common Indian word for dilemma and obviously has its roots in this word for two folded, dual, Dvidha. Having to choose between two sides can put anyone into a state of Duvidha.

Here is the challenge for mankind. Indian thought has treated all beings such that, every being has both,

•  a physical body bound to a discrete identity, as well as •  a subtle self, free to mingle in universal homogeneity. Thus every being, including the Cosmos itself, is held as having a dual mode of existence, 1.    Gross Mode of Existence driven by the principle of discreteness (diversity) and 2.  Subtle mode of Existence driven by the principle of connectedness (unity).

Unity in Diversity Every being has to be in equilibrium with the rest of the Universe as otherwise it cannot exist. The gross mode of the being therefore, has to be physically discrete or separate, yet has to maintain equilibrium with the rest of the gross matter of the cosmos in a subtle way, by being conscious and mindful. The subtle mode of the being has to be subtly connected with the cosmos, yet has to maintain equilibrium with the subtle matter of the being in a physical way, by being bound to a body. The awareness of this fundamental two sided nature of Creation, if you will, is what has given the Indian civilization the innate trait of having “Unity in Diversity”.

Sustainability From Mindfulness The need to be conscious of having to be in equilibrium with the rest of the Universe is what has given this civilization the urge to practice sustainability in all aspects.

Tolerance from Bondedness

The awareness of being bound by the physical body is what gave the civilization the urge to be open minded, tolerant and liberated.

5 LEVELS OF NEEDS  - MOTIVATIONAL THEORY Maslow’s Levels for Motivation

Abraham Maslow

One of the models to bring clarity in Management studies during the second half of the 1900s was Maslow’s motivational theory.  Introduced by Abraham Maslow, born to Jewish parents who had immigrated to the US from Russia, this theory organized man’s needs as a pyramid. This helped in identifying the level to which the individual belonged and thus also identifying ways and means to motivate him / her. Arranging man’s needs in such a pyramid also helped to categorize the needs and the associated feeling they brought in, when satisfied. The roots of Maslow’s hierarchical pyramid however, seem to lie in India’s Panchakosha concept from the Taittiriya Upanishad. This Upanishad, which is a part of the Taittiriya Samhita of the Krishna Yajur Veda, in the chapter Brahmanandavalli, arranges the needs of man in 5 levels, progressing from basic survival needs to the need for eternal bliss.

The 5 levels of Needs of a Human

Maslow’s Pyramid - Hierarchy of Needs and Mental State Induced

5 LAYERS OF EXISTENCE – PANCHAKOSHA MODEL From Levels to Layers While Maslow’s model had limited itself to mapping the needs of a human being as tools for motivation, the Upanishad goes on to show how these needs arise as the living being itself is comprised of 5 sheaths which are methodically layered, progressively from gross, physical constituents to subtler constituents. The Upanishad goes on to discuss the 5 sheaths or layers called Panchakosha. Pancha means 5 and Kosha means sheath, layer and even a treasure chest or container.

Existence in Indian Thought

It is a systematic description of the composition of a being, its existence, its functioning, as well as its place in the entire Creation. According to the Panchakosha definition, each sheath nurtures the being appropriately and also maintains equilibrium with its respective likeness in the cosmos. Hence each of the 5 sheaths, the Kosha, was named based on what it is centered about, denoted by the suffix aya. Fundamentally, these sheaths are centered about 5 forms of matter / energy Physical matter / energy Life energy Mind Element Psychic Substance Spirit

Annamaya Kosha Anna means food. This is that sheath of a being which is centred around and nurtured by food, air, water, light etc. This then maps to the gross, physical body which is made of the 5 elements, Panchabhuta – Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth. We know this sheath quite well from knowledge of our own body as well as what we have learnt about it from our elders and further in detail from modern Science. Sphere of Influence – The internal organs, cells and tissue in the physical body of the being and the overall space within the physical body. It is the sheath which is made of physical matter. This layer is in equilibrium with the overall Space –Time continuum of the cosmos with all its matter. It is the space within the larger Space-Time continuum, which is bound, occupied, taken up by the physical body of the being. It is that space which is anchored in the Cosmos, by a particular being, in a particular place, at a particular time, in a particular state with a particular, physically discernable identity.

Pranamaya Kosha Prana is life energy. This is the sheath that is centred around life energies from 5 basic life forces concerned with the basic pumps of a living being 1.  Prana which controls respiration 2.  Apana which controls excretion 3.  Vyana which controls circulation 4.  Udana which controls ingestion 5.  Samana which controls digestion Between them, they maintain exchange of air, water, food and wastes with the outside world and circulation of gases, fluids, enzymes, minerals and nutrients in the form of blood internally, to keep the muscles, tissues and

bones in good condition for the body to be able to act and react on its own. All of which make up the signs of life.

Existence in Indian Thought

It is the sheath that interfaces with the physical senses organs, Indriya meant for input and output separately, they being, A. Sense organs for accepting inputs from outside the physical body, Jnana Indriya (Jnanendriya) which go towards developing knowledge (Jnana) within the being 1.  Eyes for sight 2.  Ears for sound 3.  Nose for smell 4.  Tongue for taste and 5.  Skin for touch B. Sense organs for acting on the world outside the physical body, Karma Indriya (Karmendriya) which come from the intellect (Jnana)

reacting to the sensory input 1.  legs for locomotion, 2.  arms for skilled operations, 3.  rectum for excretion, 4.  genitals for reproduction and 5.  mouth for speech. Sphere of Influence – That, with which the body comes in immediate contact, such as the space, air, heat, moisture of immediate surroundings, food consumed etc. This layer is in continuity with the Matter - Energy continuum of the Cosmos. There is a continuity between matter and energy outside the being and that within the being. They are separated only by the skin. For instance, it is the air which is outside that goes in and comes out of the body minerals and elements which are outside in the earth, plant and animal world, go into the body and come out in same or other form to go back to earth and other beings

•   heat from outside affects the body while the body also radiates heat energy into the surrounds

•   moisture and water content are exchanged constantly between Nature and the body

•  sound waves from outside enter the body and sound waves from the body enter the surroundings too light energy gets blocked and absorbed by the body as some of it also gets reflected by the body. There is a continuous churn, cycle between the matter and energy in a being and that outside it, via this sheath.

Manomaya Kosha Mana is the mind. This is the sheath that revolves around the mind. Sphere of Influence – Indian treatment of Mind, shows the mind of a physical being as being a kind of force, capable of exerting influence on itself as well as other entities without physical contact. It is thus a sheath that transcends the being’s physical bounds and limits. It shows the mind to be something beyond physiology, physical organs or parts of the body. We know mind to be that, which influences the body to move, act, breathe, live and even die. It is the mind which causes change, inside and outside. It is the mind which gets physical work done, by self or others, directly or indirectly. In that sense, it is a force within the being, whether inside or outside the physical body, which is capable of controlling the interface of the physical body with the world outside. At the same time, it is also a force that is overcome by external stimuli whether perceivable through the physical senses, such as taste, smell, sight, sound, touch or

•   unnoticed, such as gravitation of earth, sun, moon and planets, magnetism, electro-magnetism etc. Science, in the modern era, has only recognized and categorized the physical nature of the Force – Action Continuum. The subtle side of this continuum, the Mind-Change continuum, the force, which can force a force, to exert its force is yet to be explored. It is the Mind which brings about Change, change in state. Without Mind, there would be just Inertia in the world. The Manomaya layer is thus in equilibrium with the Force – Action or in terms of the subtle, the Mind - Change continuum of the cosmos.

This Mind – Change continuum in its entirety is known as Mana / Manas, the mind of the Universe, in Indian thought. It emphasizes the notion that

•  behind every force / action is a mind causing / influencing it •  minds can aggregate to cause a stronger force •    minds,

when aggregated become the collective mind of the larger aggregate, the horde, Gana.

This Mind - Change continuum is also in a way responsible for evolution, Parinama. The very word Parinama denotes effect due to a cause. Every stage in evolution is led by a mind leader called Manu and the period of a Manu’s influence is called a Manvantara i.e. time between 2 Manu. Understanding the role of Mind and the Mind – Change continuum with an open mind, can open up many leads for mankind. In this Mind-Change relation perhaps lies a key to anti-ageing, youthfulness. If mind is the force that brings about change, then can controlling the same mind in a certain way, be a way to arrest body change, ageing?. Herein also lies a pointer to the question of anti-gravity. If mind is a force that is influenced by gravity, then as a corollary, it comes to mind that, can controlling the mind to not succumb to gravity, lead to anti-gravity? Likewise, the Space-Time continuum of the Universe is physical in nature. It is a physical dimension. It gets obscured when the physical, sensory organs are closed. For example, mere closing of the eyes will obviate the universe from our sight. The Universe will now exist only in our mind’s eye. An Universe, however infinite, is limited by its Space - Time. Hence, if we are seeking answers about existence of Multiverses, here is perhaps a pointer. There is a possibility of seeing more than one Universe, seeing

Multiverses, if we can raise ourselves beyond the Space-Time dimension, into a dimension seen by exploiting the dimension of Mind. The key to exploiting this Mind dimension, lies in the ancient Indian thought and its literature. For example, this connotation can be seen in the form of a symbolic story in Canto 10, Section 13 of the Srimad Bhagavatam. This story highlights the concept of multiverses through the incident where Vishnu, as Krishna, humbles Brahma who takes away the cowherds and the calves to His world.

The story Brahma Vimohana Lila beautifully depicted with many Vishnu and many Brahma on their swans from many Universes. Source – Scene from the animated film Little Krishna by Big Animation

Krishna to subdue the ego of Brahma, who thought He was the greatest, summons the equal Brahmas of all other Universes. This showed Brahma that He was not unique and the most supreme. There were other Universes with similar concepts of their own Brahma, Shiva and Space-Time. He shows how the many Brahma exist within the Brahman, the larger cosmic mind, which can be approached using the individual, bound mind, Mana, via the Mind continuum.

Vignanamaya Kosha

Vignana is deeper knowledge, intellect. It is knowledge that helps one discern, differentiate, probe, penetrate. This aspect of differentiation, discernment, probing etc. comes from the prefix vi to the word Gnana for knowledge. Vi denotes speciality, penetration, dispersion, diversity, differentiation etc. This Vignanamaya Kosha, is the sheath that is centred around intellect, discernment, awareness, leading to consciousness of the being. It has also been called Buddhi for intelligence, intellect, Ahankara for ego, identity that comes with awareness, Chit, Chetana for Consciousness and so on. Sphere of Influence – Right from becoming aware of having been born and knowing how to take the first breath, to cry, to suckle, to be aware of hunger, to all things done instinctively, intuitively and ingeniously, can be attributed to this sheath. This sheath, based on the physiological state of the body, the external conditions sensed, the state of mind and intuition, becomes aware of the situation a being is in and interfaces with the subtle knowledge, intellect and consciousness in the cosmos to “learn” as is appropriate to the being and the situation. What is picked up at each instance, gets collected and stored internally within the being, for future use by this very same layer. It thus learns, discerns and behaves as learnt. It is the NI, Natural Intelligence of a being vis-à-vis AI, Artificial Intelligence of a machine. This sheath and its

•  ability to discern something new so that it knows it has to learn, •  ability to discern what to do next and •  ability to discern the best way to do are some of the key aspects of intelligence, intellect, which is what this sheath is capable of.

Modern Science experiments and findings themselves have shown how cultural transmission or cultural learning, knowledge extends beyond any one physical being, group, region and even generations of a species. So, where does this Vignanamaya Kosha sheath exist? How does it tap into the collective intellect of a species, where is this collective intellect stored in the world, in what form and how does it get transmitted? Indian thought shows this to be part of a Knowledge - Consciousness continuum in the cosmos and has called it Brahman, meaning the larger or higher mind. It identifies this sheath to be made of psychic form of matter in the cosmos.

Anandamaya Kosha Ananda is sheer bliss, a state of calm, tranquility. This is the sheath that is centred around enjoyment of a sense of balance. There is no imbalance either due to pain or pleasure. It is identified as a state of spiritual matter - the state of Atma, the loose approximation in English being “soul”. Atma / Aatman in fact means, that which goes with self, which lies within oneself. It comes from

•  Aa meaning “derived from”, “having”, “with” and •   Tman meaning self, individual, just as Tvam, means you or not self. Atma / Aatman / Atman, is that which exists as bound, wrapped, nurtured within a living body. It is that which is the ultimate core of a self or being, in a state of clam or bliss, which is reached when all the layers of the being are in such a unison that none of them are individually discernable. Awareness of senses individually no longer exists, nor of thoughts or of body and surroundings.

The being is in perfect balance, in harmony or, in a way can be said to be inert and undisturbed, physically, mentally or consciously. Sphere of Influence – Its interface is not limited by the physical body, its energies, its senses, its mind or its consciousness. It is a sheath that assimilates the essence of all the external as well as internal inputs into a hitherto unexplainable realm of experience that is solely individual. This layer is in equilibrium with Paramatma, that which is even beyond the atma of the physical Universe, limited by infinite Space. This layer is even capable of staying detached, without being identified with any of the underlying sheaths.

SCALING THE PEAK – LAYER BY LAYER One after the Other There has to be a body to have life. Anna feeds the Prana. There has to be life to have a mind. Prana influences the Mana. There has to be a mind to be aware/ to feel. Mana is made aware by Gnana. There has to be awareness to be aware of enjoying bliss. Gnana frees the Atma. The sheaths thus progress in enabling a being to 1.  Exist 2.  Live 3.  Feel 4.  Know 5.  Enjoy. Without the layer below, the next layer cannot accrete. The lowermost physical layer, the body is the substrate. Similarly, each lower layer is also held in sway by the layer above. The physical body sheath is held in dynamism by the Prana, life energies. The Prana sheath is kept in good order by the Mana, mind.

The Mana sheath holds onto the thoughts generated by the Vignana, intellect. The Vignana sheath is guided in the right direction by awareness of Ananda, bliss enjoyed. The entire physical body thus owes its correct existence to all the sheaths wrapping it.

One, not like the Other While Indian thought did see the cosmos as being made of individual beings, each having these 5 sheaths, it was well aware that not all species on this earth, could possess all the sheaths, developed equally well. For instance,

•   only those that could recognize their Mind, Mana could be called Manava, human.

•  animals and birds stayed in the level of Pranamaya Kosha as Prani, creatures.

•   even amongst humans, those who became aware of their intellect, their consciousness, became Gnani. What is further interesting about the Indian narrative of physical existence is that, progressively

•  The lowest layer is bound to the earth. •    The life energy for earthly beings is

bound within the physical

dimension of Space.

•  The Mind goes beyond the realm of Space – Time continuum or an Universe, Brahmanda.

•   The Consciousness can reach out further beyond Multiverses too, i.e. Akhila Koti Brahmanda, all instances and types of Universes

•   The Soul can go further beyond into the core of Creation, Srishti, which is responsible for the never ending cycles of Creation of Universes with a Brahmanda Visfotak, Big Bang. Indian thought also has given this core, a name, Narayana. Narayana – Core of Creation Aya as we have seen, denotes being centred about. Ayana denotes cyclical motion, oscillations. Nara is water, which also makes up 70% of the constitution of man and earth. Hence the word Nara for mankind, Narikelam for coconut in Samskrt and Nariyal for coconut in Hindi. Narayana denotes the primordial waters, the subtle matter, about which, the cycles of Creation are centred. From which,  the gross of each cycle of Creation emerges and unto which they dissolve too, at the end of the cycle. Narayana is that about which, is centred the physical bodies of Creation in the gross state and about which, the higher mind and human soul, Nara are centred in the subtle state. One of the ultimate chants of India is thus Om Namo Narayan-aya - centre your thoughts on Narayana by chanting Om Namo Narayana. The sheaths of each individual can extend as far, depending upon the individual’s ability to develop, control and harness these sheaths.

The Others It is interesting to note that while these 5 sheaths are said to be the layers of each living being, most of these are also capable of existing without the substrate of a physical body.

•  The lowest layer has to exist as a physical body. The upper 4 layers can exist without a physical body though the 2nd lowest, Prana, life energy works only in the realm of the physical body.

•  The upper 3 layers can exist and function even without life.

•    The

upper 2 layers exist as sheer awareness, devoid of any mental disturbances. The final layer does not even need to be aware. It just exists.

This literally opens up the Pandora’s box, for, from these options, evolve many possibilities. Para-Normal Existence While the higher mind with an identity is bound to a physical, living being, the same can also exist with an identity but without the physical being, which has been referred to as para-normal existence. Para-Normal Communication The higher mind should be able to make communication between human beings and animals or para-normal beings possible. The famous example being the legend of the Guru Dakshinamurthy imparting knowledge to His 4 students, who are described as the mind born sons of Brahma. Maharishi Parasara and many other Rishi are described as having been able to understand animals, birds, fish etc. What is the real essence behind this fantasy like narration? Teleportation The higher mind should be able to port itself from one physical being to another (dissimilar form or its own likeness) along with the layer of life energy, a point to bear in mind while studying teleporting. Disassociation The higher mind after disassociation from the physical being in normal conditions, is also capable of dissolving into respective dimensions, ensuring the balance between all such forms of matter too, in Creation. Do we not have discussions on this, in Indian literature as well as practices in Indian tradition?

Mental or Fundamental PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL The fundamental difference between such an Indian view of existence and that of the western science is, while science is trying to look for mind and intellect within the physical body, Indian thought has not only associated them with mediums beyond physical body, they have also considered them as different dimensions, distinct from matter, energy, space, time.  While the physiological brain, the associated components and the nervous system may be core to how a being learns, understands, remembers, thinks, discerns, acts, reacts, enjoys etc., in Indian thought, these functions have a scope that additionally extends beyond physiology.

CLOSED VS OPEN The fundamental gap between the Eastern and Western approaches to Mind Science is the nature of the set on which they operate. Closed Set - The Western approach has so far been predominantly confined to limiting the body to the closed set of physiological domain. Open Set - Whereas, Indian and other Oriental approaches have been viewing it as an Open set, extending beyond physiology into psychological and spiritual domains, often dubbed derisively by the West as meta physical, esoteric, para-normal, occult, spiritual etc.

TRUE VS PERCEIVED Vidya Vs Avidya Due to the existence of such subtle aspects and hence, questions, debates, limitations etc. arising out of having to deal with them using physical modes of communication,  Indian knowledge system had categorized knowledge into 2 types –

1.  Vidya – that of anything as it exists truly, Sat 2.  Avidya – that of anything as it is perceived, Asat Avidya is not necessarily “ignorance” or “lack of knowledge” or “knowledge of the gross alone”, but is a form of knowledge based on perception, limited by the 5 physical senses. Asat again is not necessarily “bad”, coming from another meaning of Sat as “good”. Asat only denotes “not fully true” or “limited”. That which is perceived using limited means, such as the physical senses alone. Coming back to Panchakosha, the 5 sheaths of existence,

•  while the lower 2 sheaths of a being (Annamaya and Pranamaya), in various proportions, denote basic life, across all forms,

•   

it is the cultivation of the higher 3 layers (Manomaya, Vignanamaya and Anandamaya) which denote an evolved being. 

Such an evolved being is able to exist in the realms of Sat-Chit-Ananda, (Truth, Awareness, Bliss). Let us see what this means.

Sat Sat as “truth / truly” denotes the true or actual existence of anything, whether gross or subtle matter. It denotes the existence of anything in the “real” frame. This notion of Sat can be better understood when we examine the Chit.

Chit Chit denotes the existence of anything in the “knowledge / awareness / consciousness” frame. What does not exist in Chit does not mean is not real or is not there. i.e. lack of knowledge of something cannot negate the “real” existence of that thing. This means that there can be something “real” in Sat dimension but “not known” in Chit dimension of humans. The number of such things denotes the ignorance level of mankind.

Strange to note the popular remark of astrophysicists that they have been able to account for only 4% of the matter and energy of our Universe. The remaining 96% is still a mystery. The notion of Chit can be better comprehended when we look at Ananda.

Ananda Ananda denotes the existence of anything in the frame of “enjoyment”. Enjoyment, as in enjoy having something, be in possession of something, use or benefit from that thing and similar meanings. Ananda thus denotes the existence of anything as an object being “enjoyed”, “being possessed”.

Sat-Chit-Ananda – The 3 Dimensions The simplest way to clarify these 3 dimensions of existence can be through an example. Let us for instance take the Sun, the “real” Sun, the star which lies far away from us, yet is the nearest to us. This Sun exists “really”, in its “real” form in the Sat dimension. This is the absolute Truth. All of us know about the Sun in varying degrees. All of us have seen it. Some have read about it. Some have seen animations about it. Some have drawn it. Each to his/her own knowledge of the Sun. This existence of the Sun in the intellect / minds of the people as a knowledge, as an awareness, is its existence in the Chit dimension.  Now, even if the “real” Sun exists but, if no one were to know of it, it does not exist in the Chit dimension. Let us take the internal organs in our bodies. They have not seen the “real” Sun. They do not know of, or are not “aware” of the “real” Sun. Yet, they “enjoy/experience” the “real” Sun by virtue of the Vitamin D in the light rays of the Sun that fall on them. This is the existence of the Sun in the Ananda dimension. While it may seem that this “enjoyment / experience” is independent of “awareness” of the existence of Sun in the Chit dimension, the “awareness”

of its “existence” will anyway be felt by the lack of the “real” rays and Vitamin D to “enjoy”. The 3 terms, Sat-Chit-Ananda, thus denote the 3 dimensions of existence of anything and everything in Creation, right from the Supreme to the lowliest form, 1.  the real dimension, 2.  the perceivable dimension and 3.  the enjoyable / experienceable dimension. It is logical and true that, at the 2 extremes of existence, there can be those that exist truly and fully, but are not perceivable using the physical senses as well as those that exist truly and fully, such that they are perceivable only through physical means alone. This notion of existence in multiple dimensions simultaneously, is in itself a fundamental difference between approach to understanding anything by Indian thought and by Modern Science. The dimensions are limited, not by the object that exists but by the mind of the “See-er” / “Seer”. Is sunlight white inherently or is it a limitation of our eyes that we do not see the colours in it? Or is the capability of our brain that it processes them and makes them white? What do other creatures see?

Man-Brahman-Parabrahman – The 3 Subtle Matters These 3 dimensions of the subtle realm, thus arise from the 3 subtler forms of susbtances, viz

•  Mana (mind) – focussed on self (manava, human),

•   Brahman (broader, higher mind) – 

wider mind, reflecting the state of the Universe, which is spread across the entire Universe (Brahmaanda)

•    Parabrahman

(transcended mind) –  a mind whose state is beyond knowledge, beyond comprehension of any self and whose realm is  even beyond the scope of a lifecycle of a Universe as well as multiple lifecycles of many Universes (Akhila Koti Brahmaanda Nayaka – Guiding force of all the numerous types of Universes).

The term “dimension” as we use it for “Subtle Matter” and “subtle realm” itself is an oxymoron, for these are forms not conceivable in a frame which is confined by size and weight.

Vidya – The “Real” Knowing Vidya, now can be understood as the knowledge of the “true” existence or Sat dimension.

In the Mandukya Upanishad, Vidya has further been divided by Rishi Angirasa, into 1.  Para Vidya – knowledge of the “truly” existing subtle matter such as Mana, Brahman and Parabrahman. 2.  Apara Vidya - knowledge of the “truly” existing gross matter that can give worldly pleasures.

Vidya And Avidya Finally, Indian thought has clearly expressed that knowledge of both types – Avidya and Vidya are needed to get a comprehensive understanding of the world in its entire nature and entirety.

The modern world, since the last few centuries has been working mainly in the realm of Avidya, focussing more on the gross, visible, tangible aspects of the Cosmos. Very few from the field of modern science, have been experimenting in the “real” realm of Vidya as defined. Even here, the approach to the Vidya form of knowledge has been to reduce it to Avidya i.e. physically perceivable form. Then, how can those that really exist in Sat dimension, but are physically unperceivable, be discovered, described and deployed? The key to understanding and working with these dimensions seem to lie in some of the schools of practice, designed to focus on each layer. India still has many traditional scholars who work in the realm of pure Vidya.

1

Annamaya Kosha

Ahara - Good food, water, air, light etc. balanced with vocation and location.

2

Pranamaya Kosha

Ayurveda, Yoga

3

Manomaya Kosha

Yoga, Dhyana

4

Vignanamaya Kosha

Yagna, Japa, Upasana, Satsang

5

Anandamaya Kosha

Bhakti Sharanagati

Tapa,

We see that it is literally Yoga, true to its name meaning union, which binds the real and the perceivable and helps straddle between Vidya and Avidya. It is time we as a world, as mankind, move consciously, sincerely and committedly towards Vidya to discover what else lies in the dark Universe of the cosmos as well as the human being. India can indeed show the way forward as we scale knowledge, layer by layer, together.

MIND VS SPACE – BRAHMA AND BRAHMAN We know that Space – Time is a continuum straddled by motion or change. Is Space the distance covered during Time? or Is Time the measure of the distance in Space? So, whether Space or Time, they are two sides of the same physical dimension. Mind however seems to be yet another dimension, not limited by Space or Time. While Space is Created, Mind is Creative. While the Space - Time continuum is physical and literally gross, the Mind continuum is subtler than subtle. While the Space – Time continuum is passive and a receptacle or container for objects within it, the Mind continuum is active and a liberator, uncontainable and expanding.

While one is the expansive one, the other is expanding in nature. While one is infinite Space, Brahma, the other is the higher mind, Brahman which permeates that space. Our ancestors had shown the concept of infinity in Nature to the world. They had also produced many works on how to work with this concept. It takes an unbound mind to be able to think of unboundedness. Can one really understand infiniteness with a limited mind?

BRAHMAN AND BRAAHMANAA The group of people who were trained, rather groomed and moulded to be aware of this Brahman, orient their minds towards this Brahman and harness this Brahman for the benefit of society, came to be called Braahmanaa, often spelt as Brahmana for convenience but aids confusion. We will use Braahmanaa here to avoid confusion with Brahman that we are dwelling on, for the while. Braahmana were instituted as one of the 4 categories of people working for keeping a society functioning as a self-sustained unit. One needs to understand here, the difference between the Brahmin as one of the 4 “castes” in today’s parlance versus a Braahmana. Contrary to the present day notion of the “Caste” Brahmin, which has limitedly come to devolve by birth, one qualifies to become a Braahmana when one develops within oneself the capability to connect to and harness Brahman for the benefit of society. The role of a Braahmana was meant to be earned through inborn ability or training to connect with Brahman and not necessarily though birth, Brahmin, as a privileged “caste”,  by birth, is the result of an alien “Caste” system imposed on India in place of its traditional ways of organizing society by chosen role and inborn or acquired ability to play that role. It thus devolved upon the Braahmanaa to

•   practice techniques of being aware and being able to tune into the Brahman with his own mind

•   learn, memorize, hold 

and transmit to successive generations, the Veda Mantra, meant for tuning into and modulating the Brahman

•    conduct

rituals to attract and harness the Brahman towards the benefit of the others in society,  with whose minds the Braahmanaa connects at the time of performing the ritual, as their representative

A Braahmanaa, in short, is the antenna to the Brahman for the society. In that respect,

•  a Braahmanaa is different from the Guru who is a guide, a leader •   a Braahmanaa is different from the Rishi, who is able to see the way to harness Brahman and creates the Mantra to act as the wire between the Brahman (the transmitter) and the individual (the receiver) via the Braahmanaa (the antenna). Depending on their capability, an individual could play 1, 2 or all three of these roles in society i.e that of Rishi, Guru and Braahmana.

JNANA AND KARMA Thus India has had atleast 2 major paths to leveraging the mind

•  “spirituality” or Jnana as the way to gain calm, peace and physical well-being for oneself by recognizing and aligning one’s own mind with Brahman, Universal Consciousness

•    Acts or Karma as the way to gain well-being by harnessing the Brahman, the Universal Consciousness, using one’s own mind. Jnana is thus, more of an individualistic experience, whereas Karma is a selfless act of seeking benefit for entire society by harnessing the cosmic Mind. Many who are highly evolved in Jnana based spiritual practices also take to Karma, for the benefit of others. These 2 aspects of mind harnessing, form 2 sections, Kanda of the Veda –

1.  the Jnana Kanda and 2.  the Karma Kanda.

SCIENCE VS TECHNOLOGY The Ancient Sciences - Shastra As the terms themselves indicate, Jnana is the knowledge or science, while Karma is the act, technique. The word “knowledge” itself, along with allied words such as Know, Gnostic, Gospel etc. are rooted in the word Jnana both phonetically and semantically. Karma Kanda is more of a technology than the science. Obviously if the world takes to foray into Mind Sciences as a systematic discipline, it is going to be for learning to harness it for benefits to humanity and hopefully Nature as a whole. And it is the Karma Kanda which can show the way to harnessing the cosmic Mind and benefitting from it.

A Modern Neuroscientist’s Technique

Dr. V.S.Ramachandran, Neuroscientist

An example that comes to mind is the therapy for rehabilitation after amputation, as discovered by Dr.V.S.Ramachandran, an Indian born Neuroscientist, a Padma Bhushan awardee, known for his work in the field of behavioural neurology and visual psychophysics. The therapy comprises of showing the amputee a mirror image of him/her with a physically not in contact, mock arm but superimposed over the amputated part. The objective is to conjure up in the mind of the amputee, a feeling of completeness and comfort of that missing part (phantom limb), so that the feeling of pain and other sensations in the missing part, arising in the mind can be quelled by this visual image impressed upon the mind. If an amputee can feel connected with a mock arm after seeing a mirror image, then imagine what all mankind can  achieve when he feels connected to the Cosmic Mind and Consciosuness? The secret to harnessing the most from the higher mind, Brahman, lies in the power of one’s own mind and in the ways to channel the mind.

THE MIND SCIENCE TRIAD Mantra-Tantra-Yantra Besides “conventional” technology used for industry, India had also built capability to use the interconnected Energy Triad of Mantra-Tantra-Yantra.

•  Mantra which channelizes energies using sound and the mind, •  Yantra which can be driven using these energies and •  Tantra which are the techniques to be deployed. They also in a way denote the triad of Science, Engineering and Technology respectively.

In this Mantra-Tantra-Yantra triad, 1.   Mantra is not just a physical utterance of a syllable or sound, but a mindful invocation of energies using vibrations of sound, with 2.  Tantra, a particular technique, a driving method 3.    Yantra, human machines or bodily engines as well as mechanical machines, engines and devices. This triad, in India, has been used for millennia to harness cosmic energies for taking machines from one state to another – be they

•  biologically engineered human body machines or •  physically engineered transporting or other machines or •    chemically, geologically or topologically engineered

Nature

machine. This triad can be seen reflected, right from the organization and segregation of the mind sciences of India into originally 3 and later the 4 Veda.

•    Rg and Sama Veda oriented towards Mantra, Mind Science for harnessing energies from the Cosmic engine, the Universe

•  Atharva Veda whose focus is the Tantra, Technology for directing the energies towards the right goal, the machine in consideration

•  Yajur Veda whose focus is the Yantra, Engineering for driving the machines efficiently to use or reach out, transmit, disseminate the energies in the right form, to the right destinations

Mantra This is why, we find many of the Rg Vedic Mantra in the other 3 Veda too since the Mantra (underlying Mind science) is core to the Tantra (Technology) and Yantra (Engineering). It is also why we find most Sama Veda followers performing their annual commitment to Veda and their other duties to society on Ganesha Chaturthi, the day to celebrate Ganesha, the divinity associated with the Mind and Intellect.

Yantra We will also find Yajur Veda being the Veda that focusses on acts called Yaaga / Yagna and different shapes of Yagnakundam, ie. Vedic altars to drive the engine called Nature that is around. Sometimes, engineering drawings too, called Yantra are used. A root for Yagna is Yaj, meaning to pray, to beg, to worship. It all stems from the root syllable Ya which means to grow, spread, dissipate, take, reach out etc. Hence the words such as Yati for a propounder of knowledge, Yatra for a journey, for, a journey also widens horizons and expands one’s mind, Yagna for an act of growing anything such as

•  Empire - Rajasuya Yagna •  Ideology – Ashwamedha Yagna •  Prosperity – Vajapeya Yagna •  Family - Putrakameshti Yagna •  Strength - Paushtikameshti Yagna •  Peace – Shantikameshti Yagna •    Including one for bringing destruction

to enemies such as

AbhicharikamesthiYagna.

Tantra Likewise, this is why we find Atharva Veda being the Veda that focuses on techniques, Tantra to treat diseases or alter state of the body, mind, environment, even groups. Some commonly used practices include,

•   Yoga - 

Technique to allow mind to harness energies for the wellbeing of the body using the principle of union of body, breath and mind, such as

•  Regulating techniques – Yama •  Routine techniques – Niyama

•  Postures – Asana •  Finger Positions / Gestures – Mudra There are various and appropriate Mantra that, when chanted during Yoga, multiply the benefits manifold.

•    Ayurveda - Technique to allow mind to harness energies for the well-being of the body using herbs. Here again, there are Mantra prescribed to be used while preparing as well as consuming the medicine.

•  Nrtya (Dance) – Technique of allowing mind to harness energies for keeping body and mind, in a pleasing state and form using rhythm (Tala), melody (Raga), hand movements (Karana), facial expressions (Bhava) and Finger positions / gestures (Mudra)

•  and many more …

The Mantra, Tantra and Yantra - Mind Science Triad is a living tradition of India even today. They form a triad where, Mantra and Tantra i.e. Science and Technology are used to engineer an effective Machine, Yantra. The impetus for jet propelling the Mind Era to greater heights can come from reaching out, to understand and put this Triad to proper use.

BODY AND MIND – A TANGO The ones who have harnessed their minds, have also advised on how one should live, in order to be able to know, feel and take hold of one’s mind. All this mind power seems possible only when one has the mind to win over certain matters – such as food, lifestyle, surroundings, physical fitness, cravings etc., all of which have to be aligned with Nature and none of which can come overnight. If a Mind Era seems imminent as we can see, it is better to be ready to take full advantage of it. And, if we get ready earlier, the sooner we can usher it in too. India, with its Yoga, Meditation (Dhyana), Ayurveda, evolved Art forms and Sciences, as well as its propensity to think at the level of the mind, is poised to help in getting the body and the mind to align towards the same goal to bear fruit.

Cleansing of Body And Mind Together For example, science today has recognized Autophagy as an act by the body, to eat its own extra cells and proteins, thereby preventing accumulation / growth of diseased cells, dead cells and/or toxic proteins. The Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2017 has been awarded to the understanding gained of this human body function called Autophagy. Have not the Indians, for millennia, gone on regular body and mind cleansing fasts every fortnight, on Ekadasi, every month, on Chaturdasi as a monthly Shivaratri, every quarter for 9 days as Navartri and so on?

The key though is that,

•  the Ekadasi fast is stringently carried out only on the 11

waxing and waning phase of the moon and the mind then, is focussed on the divine cosmic principle, the tattva called Vishnu th

•   the Shivaratri fast is stringently carried out only the 14

waning phase of the moon and the mind  then, is focussed on the divine cosmic principle, the tattva called Shiva th

•   the Navaratri fast, stringently starts on the 1

day of the waxing phase of the moon and the mind during this fast, is focussed on the tattva, the divine cosmic principle of the 3 feminine divinities - Durga, Lakshmi and Sarasvati. st

•  There are many more such fasts on different days of the week for different divine principles. What happens when the mind is focussed on the divine and the body is eating itself? Why did Indians also devise special menus while breaking the appropriate fast? Why is it done in that specific period of time, linked with that phase of the moon?

Mind Ahead Of The Body Have you ever noticed how, when the mind is busy thinking of something, the brain does not consciously register the sight that lies in front of the eyes, even when the eyes are wide open? It seems to take more to see than just eyes and brain. Then, can the mind substitute for the eyes, rather the lack of eye sight? Imagine the world of good that would do to the blind and the visually impaired.

The First Step In The Tango

Many aspects of the organization and functioning of the brain are being uncovered each day. India would do well to start asking questions of herself, to unravel the secret of her mind, her psyche and her wonderful way of connecting the mind, the consciousness, the brain, the heart, the body and the soul to form scientific traditions and practices. A lot of good for the world can arise out of a focussed and methodical effort to carry out introspection and research in such areas. Hopefully it will lead to a divination or two, too. The discovery of the tango between the physical brain and the subtle mind as it conceives the abstract, such as thought, imagination, vision, sound etc. will be the first step towards soft wiring them to create tangible outputs, as ancients claim to have done.

Fundamental Difference Between West and East DIFFERENCE IN MINDSET Key Lies in Understanding “Brh” It is interesting to see the fundamental difference in the mindset of the West and India / the East. It stems from the roots of the difference between Abrahamic and Brhmic thought. To see this fundamental difference, one has to elevate the mind to perceive the words, “Abraham” and “Brahman” as those going beyond theology, beyond Divinities and Messengers of God.

The Expansive “Brh” The very root Brh / Brah in Brahma, Brahman etc. means to expand, grow, evolve, be free, liberated, uncontained. It denotes the nature of an approach that allows free thinking, expansion of the mind, which comes with questioning, liberation of the mind and thence the soul. The word Abrahamic means that which is modelled around Abraham. But the very word / name Abraham comes from the notion of being an antonym, a contra, to Brahma i.e. a-Brahma. In that, Abraham denotes all that, which stands for containing, binding, defined, codified, curtailing. It denotes the nature of an approach to be defined and bound by strict tenets, principles, laws and rules.  It rules out the nature to think freely, question, evolve, be free and liberated.

From Mindset To Religion This fundamental difference in mindset has further gone on to separate the religions of the world into 2 fundamental groups – Brhmic and Abrahamic. Bound By a Book Vs Free Thought

Religions which are bound by a guiding book came to be classified as Abrahamic / Ibrahim, for example Judaism, Christianity, Islam and their variants. Others, not bound by any one book and encouraging free thought, such as Hinduism and its offshoots / variants have been so far, referred to in English, as Brahmanic, to allude to the Brahman. However, since it was usually people of the Brahmin “Caste” who were seen to be practicing ways and means to work in the realm of Brahman, over due course, this word has come to limitedly point to the ways of the Brahmins themselves, rather than the expansive character of the  Universal Mind and Consciousness, Brahman. In order to remove this ambiguity and keep the expansive nature of the mind, Brahman, distinct from the caste Brahmin, we shall use the term Brhmic instead of Brahmanic. While the Brhmic group may follow texts such as the Veda, Upanishad, Gita etc., these works are not scriptures or injunctions in the western sense of the word. Reveal Vs Realize The Veda are described as Apaurusheya, i.e not attributable to any one man or human in general. Many often take this to be that Veda are revelations of God. While, it is a feature of Abrahamic thought to speak of the concept of revelations of God to humans,  Brhmic thought is not bounded by a God who is separated from Universe or Humans. In Brhmic school it is not revelation by another, of something hidden / kept away, rather it is the seeing / vision of self, of something existing. More than the power of God to reveal, it is the power of the human consciousness to rise and realize, what already exists in the consciousness pervading the entire Universe. Faith Based Vs Experience Based The Abrahamic line of thought is faith based. One must inculcate faith in the giver as well as the dogma given and hence accept a dogma. This is where, the clash between Abrahamic view and modern science, regularly occurs.

Whereas, the Brhmic line of thought is not centred around faith, around a dogma. Rather, it is centred in the experience of aligning one’s mind with the divine. In the Brhmic school of thought, while rituals and practices may change and evolve from century to century to help one focus on the divine, the underlying driver is experience and not faith.

The Clash in Thought Inside Vs Outside This is what can be seen reflected in the pattern of growth / evolution of these religions too. The Abrahamic religions have grown in an exclusive manner. In that, either you belong to the group or you do not, whereas, the Brhmic religions are inclusive by nature, allowing and accepting all thoughts and forms. This idea of Inside vs Outside can be traced further back to the process of Creation as explained by these 2 two sets of religions. While in the Brhmic thought, the Brahman after triggering the process of Creation, forms part of the process of Creation, in the Abrahamic thought, the Creator stands / sits outside the process of Creation and creates.

“The Creation of Adam” - Painting by Michelangelo in Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums

This forms the root of the clash between the theories and postulates proposed by Science vis-à-vis those held by Religion in Abrahamic thought. The differences being irreconcilable, it has given rise to atheists and a scientific community opposed to religion. Which is why all subjects dealing with subtler concepts, right from art to theology, came to be grouped as Humanities, creating a divide between Science Vs Humanities or Gross Vs Subtle. Sadly, this baggage, that of a mindset, a prejudice, that, religious thought and scientific thought are irreconcilable and diametrically opposite to each other, has been carried forward by the scientific community to all religions. It has spilled over to extend to Brhmic thought as well, without realizing the inclusive nature of this school of thought. In the Indian / Oriental thought, there has not been a clash but always a healthy dialogue, Tarka, between scientists and the people of the Shanmata, the 6 religions which were later amalgamated as a single religion called Hinduism in the recent 150 years. Infact, in India, there also existed a materialistic school of thought, which has been wrongly dubbed by people over the last few decades as “atheism”. This was so because these materialists did not believe in spirituality, consciousness, mind, Veda, Karma, rebirth, etc. whereas, all other 6 religions, Shanmata, as well as all other schools of thought and all other philosophies dealt with both gross and subtle, where the higher mind could transcend between both gross and subtle planes. Atheism itself is a very new thought to India. Those, currently labelled as ancient atheists in India, such as Charvaka, Jabali or Pattinathar from South India are not really atheists as the term is defined today. The word materialistic today has a different connotation of being money minded. India also has a word Laukika, for such a kind of materialism. Indian thought had called the school of thought focussed on the physical world, as Lokayata, meaning centred about the real world, Loka. It was a school of thought that believed in a materialistic world and was closed to all thoughts other than the gross matter, material world and physical senses.

Lokayata dealt with gross alone. Brahman did not exist in that school. Lokayata thus was not Brhmic.  But Lokayata did not confine the thoughts about Creation or the material world. It encouraged thinking and debates. It therefore was not Abrahamic either. But that does not make Lokayata, atheistic either. Believer Vs Non-Believer An atheist in India is called Nastika. It comes from the opposite of Asta, meaning belief, faith. Nastika is one who does not have faith or subscribe to the belief that the act of keeping faith will bear fruit. The “act of keeping faith” in a way, is a way of willing the higher mind to work towards one’s goals. Nastika or an atheist in India, is not a term attributed to someone who does not believe in one or any particular ideology. Whereas, the concept of not accepting the Abrahamic view came up as atheism in the western world. Those who did not accept or believe in the Abrahamic ideology, became atheists. This fundamental difference between Abrahamic and Brhmic thought is what we can see manifested as Believer vs Non-Believer / Atheist. It is this fundamental clash between the nature of approaches followed by both, which has today blown up into a striking battle between fundamentalist terrorism versus liberal harmony. The issue of handling the Mind has thus polarized the world into 2 fundamental thoughts, 2 fundamental religious groups and also 2 fundamental ways to approach Nature and Science among others (from gross and from subtle). Science Vs Humanities The dialogue here is not about religions but about the play of the mind, the workings of the mind and how it has been expressed, shared and brought

forth to the masses. Over the last few centuries, there has always been a clash between developing Science and Abrahamic thought. Which is why, the period of Renaissance dawned, when modern science and thought could break through the cloud of Abrahamic injunctions and grow. At every scientific step, from Galileo to Darwin, Science in the west has faced resistance. Since the dawn of Renaissance and from earlier too, all the borrowings from India, from zero to infinity, have been put to use, but at the gross level. Now, when we start to talk about sciences and technologies of the subtle, the mind, it is a major paradigm shift. For that, one has to understand the basis of working of the mind and how it has given rise to 2 paths

•  One, a closed path of just believing, having faith and Another, an open path of allowing enquiry and individual experience. With the Mind Era coming up and the already ongoing clash between Abrahamic thought and Modern Science in the West, the Brhmic approach from India can provide a refreshing change of mind, if adopted. This is not a religion based change that is being advocated. It is a change at the mind level, in the mindset, of being open to thoughts, ideas, possibilities, unimaginabilities etc. as the scale expands. It is to remind all, of the period earlier, when there was a clash between the closed, Abrahamic school of thought and the opening up, school of modern science. Likewise, in the context of mind based discoveries and sciences, the present world of modern science will seem Abrahamic when confronted with the Brhmic school of scientific thinking from India, being placed on the table. Modern Science at large, should show the will to adopt the even more open and inclusive Brhmic school of thought and avoid resistance. The seed for this has been sown with the so far, slow but steady growth of Yoga and Ayurveda, which have now found more rapid acceptance as a

healthy way of living, an alternate way of approaching life.  Hopefully, this will gently but firmly nudge people towards the Mind Era.

The Graceful Alignment Incidentally, one can also note a striking resemblance in the names across these 2 groups. The symbolic spouse of the Brahma principle in the cosmos is Sarasvati, meaning one who bears Saras, grace in flow  as well as Grace.  The spouse of Abraham, the leader of Abrahamic thought, was also named Sarah. Abraham too was renamed as such, from Abram, once it was destined for Abraham to spread the new codified tenets. If we can understand this underlying distinction in the handling of the mind, we will also be able to discern the enablers from the impediments and align the mind suitably. Mind has to be explored in an uninhibited manner. It is precisely because of its inclusive, expanding, Brhmic mindset, that India is better suited to offer / lead in the Mind Era. With so much freedom given to the mind in India, it is worth bearing in mind, that India, with all its diversity, unity and sanctity in place, is the place where the mind is free to grow and where there is room to allow the mind to grow. The biggest offering India can make to the Mind Era will be young and fresh minds and a free mindspace. India will do well to get out of its diffident attitude to Mind Sciences and dare to explore it with full confidence in its ancient knowledge base and ways to achieve the proficiency its ancients had gained. Any half-hearted or incomplete or uncontextual or misunderstood or unaligned or random or prejudiced or vested attempts, will not yield the desired result. On the contrary, it can lead to diverting the pursuit away from the larger goal. This misappropriation is not a far off probability but a present day reality. It is a trend that has already started setting in.

WEST CONSUMES EAST The idea of understanding the mind, experimenting with it and even calling it Mind Sciences has been in vogue for the last 5 to 6 decades and a little

more in the West. In India, it has been practiced, understood, discussed, debated, written, countered for probably 5 Millennia or even 7 Millennia. Even after 5 to 6 decades of its serious look-in, in the West, it is still in the nascent stage. What is interesting to note is that almost each one who has discussed about Mind Sciences in the West has taken origins of their idea from India. This practice of taking from the East is not anything new to the West. This had been so with physical stuff from more than 2 Millennia ago, but it was under the umbrella of trade. This had been so with knowledge of Mathematics, Sciences, Technology, Classical Music, Medicine, Navigation, Metallurgy Industries and what not, but much of that was under the guise of the Arabs. This had been so with food, precious gems and gold, wealth, people for labour as well as forest and mineral wealth, but that was under the stamp of invasion, colonialism and ruling rights. This has been so with literates and intellectuals, but this has been under the lure of modern Science and development. This is happening now, once again, with subtle ideas, thought, practices etc. but under the hood of innovation, Intellectual property rights, Mind Sciences, Humanities Research etc. 

MIND SCIENCE VS PHYSICAL SCIENCE Bear In Mind Many of the pursuits in Sciences have had their roots in Indian knowledge system. However, the subsequent usage of the western framework of Science and terminologies, have obliterated the underlying Indian science paradigm which has been its foundation and is the framework needed for further progress. In this switch of paradigm, the fundamental idea gets separated from its source, land of origin, original mindset, language etc. and over the next few generations, it is only the interpretation of that Western researcher which is

taken forward in the new language, with all its inaccuracies, fallacies and limitations of interpretation as well as loss and distortions due to translation. This has happened before with the domain of physical sciences and is right now happening with the domain of Mind Sciences. In the case of knowledge share in the realm of Physical Sciences, it was easy enough to just see or take the information and duplicate. Loss in transmission is minimal and not very serious. In the case of Mind Science however, there is more to it than what meets the eyes. There is more than what the eyes can see and read. It is more than the information that has already been limited by medium of writing, speech or sight. One needs to take the mindset that gave rise to that science too. But this is not happening. One needs to speak and understand the language of the people whose mind gave rise to that science too.  That is not happening either. Samskrt, the language in which much of this knowledge is available today in India, by nature, has a lot of context built in and evident from the meaning of the words. It is perhaps the only language of the world to possess such a rich vocabulary that can describe both the subtle and the gross realm with ease and accuracy. It was called Samskrt, meaning well done, refined, since it was a language specifically designed with a strict structure and grammar, for conveying science and abstract ideas as against a natural language evolved for speech base communication.  It is therefore highly regular in nature, i.e strictly rule based, with case, gender, person and number based rules for developing sentences and hence could afford to place words in different order.  A selective appropriation from a Samskrt knowledgebase and further translation into languages such as English, which in modern form have evolved to be more irregular, poses an issue of distortions, gaps and inefficacies. Subtle nuances as available in the original will be forever lost for researchers in this field reading the translations.

This can pose a grave danger to the pursuit of a subtle and mental field such as Mind Science, leading to a state that is neither here nor there. This has to be a fundamental cause for concern.

Call To Act It is such a situation that leading campaigners such as Dr.Rajiv Malhotra, of Princeton, NJ, USA, an Indian born researcher, author, expert on current affairs related to civilizations, cross-cultural encounters, religion and science,  have been trying to warn India and the world about, in the last few decades. Having seen the play of world history and history of Science, India especially has to become wise and in the interest of humanity as a whole, ensure that the connect between modern developments in Mind Science and its Indian roots do not get severed so that 1.  The origins of Mind Sciences are clearly established 2.  Its roots are taken back to Indian sources and also 3.    The next generation researchers can benefit by going to the sources to understand nuanaces missed, for, given the scope of Mind Science, there is indeed a long way to go in this field.

Role of Scholars and Government The Indian scholars and the Indian government have a role to play in not just establishing its sources but more importantly, sharing this knowledge with the world. For, the findings of the thousands and lakhs of Yogis are meant for the benefit of mankind. And, in the oncoming Mind Era, there is a direct use for this accumulated knowledge of Mind Sciences. It is for India, the scholars and the government to recognize the oncoming Mind Era and place before the world, the cornucopia of information on Mind Sciences, for, that will give it legitimacy and the Indian civilization, a recognition as a “giving” civilization,  which it has been for many millennia. Otherwise, what is likely to happen is that, a few western scholars will come to India, learn bits and pieces of Indian Mind Sciences, use western

terminologies and package and present it as their original idea, in the process alienating it from its sources, connections, roots and mindset. What comes out will be something quite different from what it was originally, a process that Rajiv Malhotra likens to the Digestion process. The initiative has to come from India – both scholars and Government alike. But for this, they have to first recognize that a Mind Era is imminent and the strength in the field of Mind Sciences lies with the Indian civilization possesses.

India’s Open Mind And Open Source Today, there is a race to claim Intellectual Property rights and the royalities that accrue, therefrom. This concept of IP rights is an offshoot of the Invention Era and the Western approach to it. It is a trend where intellect is identified more with the presenter than the producer, whether Nature or human. The Intellectual Property right is claimed by those who are the first ones to package anything and present it to the world, than the ones who actually put their intellect to use to make it or uncover it.  In contrast, in the Indian thought, through the millennia, there has been an Open Source approach to knowledge. For, knowledge, inventions, discoveries, mind sciences were all meant for public good rather than to satiate greed and selfishness. Of course, due veneration was given to the Rishi, the Yogi, the thinker, the teacher by adding their name along with the verses. The society, collectively, not only acknowledged their contribution to the development of sciences and civilization, but also looked after their daily needs by establishing knowledge communes which were known as Chaturvedi Mangalam, a place where all the 4 Veda are put to good use. In the Indian thought, specifically with respect to the Mind Sciences, it is the Yogi who aligns mind and body with the cosmic mind and comes up with the original idea. In the oncoming era, restrictive IP rights, which as a concept are only a century or so old in vogue, are likely to give way to more Open Source methodologies. 

One of the modern age Gurus who is taking Mind Sciences to the world from India, across 156 countries, at a mass level, at a people level, at each individual level is H.H.Sri Sri Ravishankar. Which is why, He aptly calls it Vyakti Vikas. Vyakti means each single individual. It is giving importance to the individual self. Vikas is progress, development. In this way, He is taking people “back to their minds” not “just roots”.

Modern Vs Western THE TREND It is today’s trend that everything Science, has to radiate from the West to the East. The biggest danger of this trend with respect to Mind Science is that, if the East is not strong in its own mind, it will start importing the inaccurate, limited version of this Science from the West back again. With that, will get wiped out the original knowledge. With that, India stands to lose its mind too, like it lost its history, identity, indigeneity in its knowledge based practices and its education system during colonial era.

THE REVERSE FLOW A case in point is Salihotra Samhita, a treatise on horse breeding, horse care and farriery with over 16000 sloka in 8 parts and 120 chapters, by Maharishi Rishi Salihotra close to 5000 years ago. It was one of the prominent works in the branch of Ayurveda called Asva Ayurveda, i.e. Ayurveda for Asva, horses and dealt with Breeding Training Feeding Watering Stabling Grooming Care in health and diseases Description of diseases they are susceptible to and treatment

This was taken by the Arabs who visited India, translated into Arabic as AlSalator and further into English as Salator and imported back into India, by English literate Indians of the colonial era. Nobody today remembers Maharishi Salihotra or knows of Salihotra Samhita or even believes that India had horses and knew how to care for them from 5000 years ago.

STEADFASTNESS In such a strong current of geo-politics, it will need strength in the mind to be able to steadfastly dig one’s heels or shall we say hooves and stick to one’s own school of thought. One should be bold and imaginative enough to innovate around it and modernize as per current and future relevance, rather than assume that whatever comes from outside, especially West, is modern. One should be able to sift the grains from the chaff.

A REMIX Modern need not be synonymous with Western. Each culture should strive to fashion its own style of modernity just as many have evolved their own style in management. Teachers, right from Patanjali onwards to Swami Vivekananda to present day Gurus and others from India, have taken the thought of the mind to the world. Dhyan, Chaan, Zen have all gone from India. The link between Confucianism and Indian Siddha school of Mind Science is claimed in some circles. Yoga which was in the fringes a few decades ago has now come into the mainstream all over the world. India can position itself to be an offering civilization in this field of mind control in the Mind Era. India should first of all understand its strength in this Mind Science arena and strategize to leverage on it. India has to learn some Mind Craft too.

India has do a “Remix”, of its indigenous sciences and traditions too, besides that of its old songs and dance. The exact ancient ideas and practices cannot be reapplied as is today but have to be packaged for the present and future needs. That is what remix is all about. If India can accept remix in music and films, why not in Sciences? This is not about glorifying the past, rather it is about defining a future where most of the knowledge is going to come from the past, especially from the East and India. India needs to define its own paradigm of modernity which can be different from the other nations’ view of modernity. This is where the dare is needed. This is where a confidence is required.

A LEAD TO FOLLOW India should dare to open up Institutes for Mind Sciences bustling with “modern” youth being trained by traditional scholars, Samskrt pundits, purohits, tantriks, upasaks and the likes, in their Anvikshana, active pursuit of research and experiments in this field, for the good of all. As a tongue in cheek remark, only an Indian mind will understand the subtle nuances of each of these traditional experts. As they have been saying all along, all over in India,

This proverb would not have originated simply, just like that, out of thin air. It came from understanding the power of the mind.

PART 4 - KNOW YOUR STRENGTH

Offer Based On Own Strengths Than Other’s Constraints Let us see what we mean by this. Isn’t other’s constraints, one’s strength? Not necessarily. If one does not have a strong and far-seeing mind, other’s limitations can become one’s own constraints and undoing too.

PUTTING INTO PERSPECTIVE The fountainhead for the widepsread manufacture and usage of chemicals, allopathic drugs, fertilizers, pesticides, plastics etc. world wide, seems to have been the artificial synthesis of Indigo dye in the laboratory of Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Adolf von Bayer in 1860s. India had been the monopolized supplier of Indigo to the world for atleast 2 millennia then. Indigo was much sought after by the world for, the then sources of blue dye were animal based, rare, expensive and unsuited for many common uses. Blue and variants such as purple, violet etc. were therefore meant for the rich and royal. Hence the term “royal blue” or “blue blood” to denote royalty. Indian Indigo on the other hand was plant based, less expensive and suitable for a wide range of applications. It also gave an entire spectrum of colours ranging from sky blue to black. But the technology to produce blue dye naturally, was not only intricate but manual intensive, both to grow and harvest the plant as well as process the leaves to extract the dye. And manual labour was, and continues to be a commodity, more rare and expensive than the product itself. The climatic conditions too were not conducive for manufacturing Indigo in Europe.

This induced Europe to find a way to produce this dye chemically. This was an era when industrial chemistry was beginning to emerge in Europe, as Europe had just started experimenting with chemicals to synthesize, i.e. artificially produce new materials.  While one Bayer, Adolf von Bayer published the synthesis of Indigo around 1866, another Bayer, a dyestuff salesman called Friedrich Bayer and a master dyer, Johann Friedrich Weskott, started the company Bayer in 1863, as a synthetic dyestuff producing and trading company. The Bayer company, got its required boost with its successful synthesis of alizarin, Indigo blue and various other colours from Coal tar, a waste that was growing in quantity, from the huge amounts of coal being used by the recently sprung up industries of Britain and Europe. Infact the Bayer company started its life with the word “Farben” in its name, farben meaning dye, paint, colour in German. Who does not know of the subsequent rise and financial success of the chemical industry and pharma giant, Bayer? Adolf von Bayer was duly recognized by the Nobel Committee in 1905 for his valuable contribution to Chemistry, foremost among them being the synthesis of Indigo. 1905 was also witness to ammonia being produced in a lab thus heralding the onset of the fertilizer industry as well as many others. Soon, the result was an explosion of new stuffs for common uses such as paints, detergents,  pharmaceuticals,  adhesives, synthetic  fibers, plastics and fertilizers and for other uses. 

Logo of Bayer AG, the German multinational chemical and pharmaceutical company

This period from 1860s to early 1900s, in the history of industrial chemistry changed not just the fortunes of companies like Bayer but also the lifestyle and workstyle of the world. The people of the west took to these quickly for many reasons, prominent among them being, 1.     synthesized products did not need extensive manpower resources

•   as they did not use naturally grown raw materials as input and hence there was no need to grow and harvest these raw materials.

•    as

not needing intricate skills, they could be produced in an automated manner.

2.     synthesized products were less expensive

•   as devoid of dependency on manual craft and labour, as well as naturally grown raw materials, they could be produced quickly

•    as

devoid of dependency on Nature’s cycles, they could be produced through the year and were available in large quantities at all times

This meant that these exotic produce which were being imported from other lands where they were available naturally, could now be produced in Europe itself using chemical synthesis.

This account of history indicates the amount of Indigo being exported to Europe alone in 1860s. On the other side, it also indicates the amout of raw material (Indigo leaves) as well as manual labour that was needed to produce just 1.5kg of Indigo. Then imagine the amount of Indigo that was being cultivated in India during 1860s, as well as the number of people engaged in this industry in India. But this quantity too was not sufficient for Europe which had started producing huge amounts of cloth in its newly started cotton mills. There was so much cloth now to be dyed and sold across the world, especially back to the captive market in the colonies that the dyes being imported were too less. No wonder Europe was desperate for a quick and low cost way to produce dyes. The early 1900s thus flagged off a new mode of production using chemical synthesis to overcome local barriers of Nature and yield artificial alternatives to Nature’s supply. This trend which was fashioned in the west to overcome its own local limitations was later thrust upon colonies to

•   further reduce costs of production and transfer gain in money to the west and

•    transfer

the ills of these polluting production processes to the

colonies.

IN RETROSPECT The net result has been that civilizations such as Indian, which until then were wisely balancing manpower, environment and human wellbeing and Nature’s bounty, found themselves straying away from their own model of deploying their economic, ecologic and human resources. To be more specific, India had been working in a manner where its vast tracts of cultivable land, bounty of sunshine and rains and climatic conditions were leveraged to produce goods for local consumption as well as exports. The volume of export was not trivial nor the volume consumed domestically. They were high, comparable with present day standards. The key points to note here though is that,

•  all these goods were manufactured and traded by India, by growing, harvesting and crafting using its own natural resources.

•   all these goods were produced by leveraging its huge manpower of healthy and fit individuals to work hands on, using a small footprint industrial model. The high % of manual labour in industry kept its large population fruitfully engaged as well as physically fit. The high % of natural produce kept both the large population and the environment healthy and robust. The high % of products produced and exported, in aggregation, kept the civilization economically rich. A fit and healthy body kept them hale and hearty in mind as well. But the early 1900s and the success of chemically synthesized Indigo, Ammonia and the likes, ushered in a global psyche of looking at only chemical based industries and automation as the efficient and viable model of manufacturing, irrespective of one’s own local climes and its advantages /

disadvantages. India too was soon forced by its colonial master to succumb to this global wave of adopting the industrial model of the west. One can see that many of all the distinguishing factors of India are fast vanishing with the trend of following a global paradigm in all spheres, right from culture, education, industries, food, lifestyle, economics etc. There is nothing to distinguish India from the others any more. Further, India is playing by the rules set by others. How can India hope to compete and lead in such an environment?

AN INTROSPECTION As India today, we like to boast about the success of our Services industry, our low cost manufacturing capability, our growing purchasing power and large consuming market. India today is brimming with pride over its large population of young workforce. But of what use will this workforce be if the average age of being productive and at times, life itself, stops at around 50 years of age, with the body becoming saturated with chemically saturated foods and the mind becoming saturated with unearthly hours of work and stress? Have we paused to see that from “work keeping one fit and food keeping one healthy“, the industries and work scenario across India, has turned over to becoming one where  “work makes one unfit and food makes one unhealthy.”? And just so, we can be in tandem with the rest of the world. We are looking at a large population as a boon for providing services to other lands, at the cost of needing someone to provide physical services to ourselves and our dependents. We see it as a situation where the world is beginning to depend on us. We see it as a soft power tool, where we think we are holding the tool. But are they depending on us for our services or are we depending on them for our growth as projected on a western scale of ranking?

What if our large workforce is deprived of the opportunity to service the world, either due to embargos set by others or recessions faced by others? Though appearing to be an extreme situation, it cannot be ruled out in a fast becoming terrorized and polarized world. Do we have alternatives ready to deploy this large workforce, inland itself? Why not dare to break out of this sub-servient model that makes us more and more dependent on rest of the world for our daily bread, than for our butter alone? The world, technology and scenario are poised today to offer many possibilities for India to service the rest of the world. But India today has to also introspect and look for ways in which, while blending into the present day global economic model, India will also be able to stand on its own feet and support its residents as well as diaspora if situations come to that. This aspect of building a buffer capacity to support its diaspora, is an issue unique to a nation like India, which according to the UN Department of Social and Economic Affairs has the largest diaspora in the world with more than 30 Million people of Indian origin, spread the world over. This is a situation that is the direct result of having offered services and raw materials, instead of goods to the world, right from the days of colonial exploitation of labour and natural resources, to the present times of exploiting the opportunity provided by the artificial valuation of currency.

A PROSPECT No one can deny the power of information and knowledge i.e Brainpower. The power of sensing, thinking, deciding and creating, i.e Mindpower cannot be denied. Who can deny the speed, capacity, and untiring power of automation, i.e Machinepower? But, no one can also deny the unimitatable, fine ability of human senses and limbs as well as fine empathy of a human heart. i.e Manpower

But they have to go together. There cannot be a clash of interest nor a scope for choice. Mind power cannot be used to yield technology to make man and manpower obsolete. Nor can manpower be used to obliterate advances in technology and numb the mind into oblivion. We, the children of this great civilization have to judiciously blend

•    our

millennia old, sustainable practices founded on a sound backing of our indigenous ethos and traditional technology and

•   the now, century old, modern technology formulated on a basis of economics and geopolitics, to come up with an indigenous model that can

•   ensure sufficient physical work and stress free lifestyle to keep our population fighting fit

•   ensure food and production technology that can keep both our population and environs healthy

•    ensure

trade and industrial philosophy that will keep our population, environs as well as the nation secure and soaring.

This throws up future prospects in the areas of coming up with newer models of production where depending on the nature and need of the product, manual labour intensive processes and machine intensive processes are used appropriately and judiciously in the interest of the nation as a whole. Machine based processes are not deployed just because they can be made available. India also needs more think tanks than metal tanks alone, to be able to safely secure her position in the world.

It may need some regulatory oversight to ensure that the nation as a whole can move towards this state of self sufficiency. Let not our progeny in future, retrospect and say, if only our ancestors had foreseen this and done this in time!

BECOMING MINDFUL Just as the urge to know will be the undercurrent of the Knowledge Era, the urge to be mindful will be the undercurrent of the Mind Era. People will want to be mindful of what they do, how they do and whether, they should do it at all?. The inner voice will become louder than the noise and clutter outside on the network. Knowledge will give way for Contemplation. If we are lucky to have good world leaders around, they will be able to guide this global contemplation towards a common goal for mankind.

Rebrand from Inquisitive To Innovative HISTORICAL INQUISITIVE NATURE Indians are often ridiculed as being argumentative. There is some history to it. The Upanishads, the texts that accompany the Veda, came out of questions. They were the question and answer sessions between a student and the teacher or two rishi, seers, recorded for posterity. But the questioning happened with an inquisitiveness to learn, to know, to discover the truth. India has been known for its questioning, arguing and debating on profound philosophical problems as well as transient trivia in recent times that Indians have even been branded as “Argumentative Indians”. India should put this questioning, probing spirit to use, to help it innovate newer ideas, newer products and newer ways of doing things that can restore its lost ranking in the World.

Jugaad For the Juggernaut If Indian brains can do Jugaad, an Indian slang for low cost fixes achieved by putting whatever is available together, they can very well innovate new products too. All they need to do is ask the right questions. At every “Why not?” asked, is a potential innovation waiting to emerge. There is no dearth of finances in India or the world. All it takes to convince is a sound idea and a good market.

NEED FOR INDIGENIZED INNOVATIVENESS While India has given a lot to the world in the past, the world has also shown its mettle in accepting them, improving upon them and adapting them to suit their pace of life and history.

Now the world is full of innovative people who can bring out innovations better suited for their needs. Indians are up against odds here. But innovations themselves seem to need a whiff of innovativeness today. Nothing surprises anyone, anymore. India would do well to introduce its indigenous outlook in innovations to stir up some excitement. A case in point is India’s recent Mission to Mars.

India is even now innovating India’s recent Mission to Mars is an out of the world example for the innovativeness of the Indian brains. Instead of relying on artificial power generated by various stages of boosters, India decided to rely on the natural power in gravity to boost the Indian spacecraft all the way to Mars and they succeeded in doing this at record low costs. Instead of burning more resources to generate more power to escape Earth’s gravity and travel far, they chose to put in resources just enough to take the spacecraft to such a position from where Mars’ gravity would lead it along. On a kilometre to kilometre basis, travel by this spaceship ended up cheaper than a travel even by the 3 wheeler Auto Rickshaw, the cheapest mode of transport in India.

Travel by Mangalyan cheaper than Auto – Rs.7 vs Rs.20 per km

Submitting to Gravity Perhaps someone in the team asked the question, “why not submit to gravity instead of escaping from gravity”? Only they submitted to the gravity of Mars instead of the earth. Seeing Indian mind’s contribution to innovations on foreign soil, many of the MNCs, world over, have started shifting their Research and Development labs to India to leverage the Indian advantage better.

NEVER DULL, ONLY A LULL There has never been a dull moment in India’s life. India, through its life history, had always been innovating and inventing. This spirit had only gone into a lull since the last 300 years when the people were suppressed by colonial rule. This Indian mind has started waking up again and there is no stopping it now. India is not making an effort to rise. India is making an effort to re-rise. India is on the path of rebranding itself. Ever noticed that India, Innovate and Indigenization all seem to have the same phonetic sound starting with “In” or “Indi”?

PART 5 - SHIFT YOUR STAND

Bharat – Built On A Different Paradigm THE STRIKING DIFFERENCE Anyone can see that India is different from the rest of the world in appearances, in systems, in practices, in culture and in so many other ways. While the rest of the world looks and operates more or less similarly, as a maze of good infrastructure, tall skyscrapers, huge cities, industries etc., India is there but not yet there. This is because India, which for most part of her life has lived differently, is still contemplating which way to go? Should she follow the same way taken by the others or take a different path? Why is India being held back by these diverging voices? Why is India different from other lands? It was so, then and is so, even today. What is different about India? It is its ethos. The ethos of focussing

•  more on action than reward •  more on duty than on rights •  more on good turn than on return •  more on give than on take •  more on others than on self •  more on service than on chore •  more on happiness than on comfort

•  more on conservation than on consumption •  more on villages than on cities •  more on human values than on economic values •  more on moral values first and then on technical skills •   more on preventive healthcare than on treatments for diseases alone

•    more

on small ecological footprint than on large economic blueprint

•    more

on long term than on short term whether for oneself, Nature, culture or civilization

INDIAN PARADIGMS All these had given rise to indigenous Indian models in

•  Family •  Society •  Education •  Healthcare •  Agriculture •  Irrigation •  Industries •  Consumption •  Economics •  Governance. In short,

•   a Lifestyle model that is totally different from what the world believes in today

•   a Lifestyle model that India still follows subconsciously even today. It is this ethos, which had been India’s innate, singular strength. It is this ethos, which had been India’s backbone for millennia. Trying to cast off this innate ethos, to carry on with paradigms and models, alien to its nature instead, is actually making India spineless. India is not playing to its strength. How can India stand tall and strong then?

THE INTEGRATED VIEW While the models of the world keep coming up and falling every few decades, the model followed by India had sustained this land for millennia and proven its mettle. The highpoint of the Indian civilizational model was that no discipline of living, governance or administration, was practiced in isolation. Rather, they were all integrated into one single model of living called the Sanatana Dharma, which today is unfortunately taken to mean religion. Simply put, Sanatana Dharma was just the way of living as per the character, guidelines i.e. Dharma, of this integrated civilizational model. In a way, this sustainable model of living was indeed the religion practiced by the people of yore in India. This gave India the strength to survive and to be able to tell the world of its life, its history and the history of the world too.

ONE WORLD FAMILY Today, the concept of a “One World Family” is often used in the context of uniting the entire world into a single, integrated family where cultural

differences, religious differences, economical differences, ideological differences and all other differences melt. The world is “one big happy family of similar people”. Sadly, nothing could be further apart from this picture, than what the world is like today.

Vasudaiva Kutumbakam The one world family, Vasudaiva Kutumbakam, as postulated by India, does not mean complete intertwining, interdependence and intermixing, so much so that, everyone loses identity and becomes alike. The world would then be full of dolls and dummies from the same mould, who would look, think and behave similarly.

A One World Family - Of Dolls and Dummies

But living on diverse regions of the world, which vary so widely in topology, climate, biodiversity and history, will they be able to live in

comfort and happiness then? Not all fingers of a hand can afford to be alike. We would never be able to do anything with that hand then. The strength of the hand comes with the diverse strength, shape and size of each finger but their common attachment to the same mainstay, the palm.

Takes All Kinds To Be Of Use

A True One World Family - Vasudaiva Kutumbakam

Likewise, each civilization should have the vision and confidence to practice its own indigenous ways, stand firm, yet be able to interact, intertrade and interlearn at an intercultural level to unite as individual members of one big global family. This is the core essence of Vasudaiva Kutumbakam. This is what will make the world a bio-diverse planet, which, it is intended to be.

THE BRIEF MESSAGE Of Democracy in 1800s The 1800s, gave the message of democracy to the world with “Of the People, By the People, For the People”.

Of Insatiability in 1900s The 1900s, with the world wars and downfall of colonialism cautioned the world against insatiability, with the message, “The world has enough for everyone’s need, but not enough for everyone’s greed”.

Of Indigeneity in 2000s In 2000s, with the world beginning to feel the threat of instability from the unsustainable ways of the 1900s, the dire need of the world is the path to sustainability. The message for the 2000s could well be, “Be Indigenous, Make Indigenous, Consume Indigenous To Preserve Identity and Diversity”.

About Diversity The world has to be led back to its natural state of being diverse, in order to be able to balance itself for the sake of those living on it. This can be achieved only by encouraging each local people to eat, make and live as their own self but with a sense of mutual respect for others and their ways. This message with a positive reinforcement to live in Diversity could very well be from India, the land of diversity with a successful past. It is this mindset that India can lead the world into, leveraging the mind era and the will power the mind can generate.

NEED FOR PARADIGM SHIFT Hurt Enough The world has already been hurt enough by its unthinking, unsustainable practices. It is hurtling down a very hurting path. It will not be long before it wakes up and realizes the need for an alternate ecologically sustainable path, an all-inclusive model and

a win-win mindset. In the interim, if India can switch over and renew its age old mindful path of consuming to live than living to consume, its EXIIM model of production and ECO-ECO mindset of sustaining Ecology and Economy, it can show the way for sustainable living and emerge as the world’s role model. It would be one of mankind’s biggest lapses, if we do not leverage our glorious legacy for our benefit and going by India’s inclusive philosophy, that of mankind as a whole. Even in the changed times that we are in, we could draw the essence and philosophy from our legacy, to fashion a paradigm that is apt for today and robust enough to take us from the present into a future, as sustainable as our past. We owe this as homage to our ancestors and a promise towards our progeny.

BHARAT PARADIGMS Moreover, if India wants to reclaim its lost voice and leadership status in the world, then a paradigm shift to its innate ethos, is what can make India independent, incredible and invincible from the inside once again. Given India’s past repute for being a thought leader and a trend setter, this philosophy of modelling its way of living, in line with local strengths and innate traits, may soon be picked up by other nations across the world too, like other thoughts before, as a way forward into future. A blueprint of paradigms called “Bharat Paradigms” could well be the leading thought that India could offer to the world. Not just as an economic model but as paradigms and tenets of an ECO-ECO mindset that can help us live sustainably and harmoniously as humanity, as humans.

Let us look at some of these really path breaking, mindset changing, paradigm shifts that India can offer first to herself and then to the world.

Bharat – To Lead Paradigm Shifts BREAK STEREOTYPE OF OLD IS OUTDATED While India has given a lot to the world in the past, the world has also shown its mettle in accepting them, improving upon them and adapting them to suit the pace of evolution. A wholistic model which is a blend of the old and the new, but which does not muddle up our natural work and life patterns, is what we owe to ourselves and the world too. It is about setting a new trend of old and new blending together, to create a harmony between humans and the rest – animate or inanimate, living or non living. India has to and can lead by example. It is all about daring to break the stereotype that old and ancient is primitive and irrelevant. It is also all about daring to break the myth that new and contemporary is modern and ideal. India should lead the world in daring to adopt new paradigms and working to one’s strengths. It cannot get worse than lagging behind, trying to adopt someone else’s trial models as they evolve and undergoing trials and tribulations oneself.

SHIFT PARADIGMS TO SHIFT LEADERSHIP Civilization as a 5 Layered Entity Well, if India had indeed understood the cosmos as being made of individual beings, each having these 5 sheaths, a civilization made of many people too can be viewed as a composite being with these 5 sheaths  and the

health of each layer can be analysed to identify the gaps and strengthen it based on the civilization’s innate strengths themselves.

  

SHIFTING PARADIGMS, LAYER BY LAYER

From that perspective and from looking at what India’s pain points are, what India can set right based on past success and strengths, what India can gain by, what India can enjoy and what India can lead in, here are a few paradigm shifts that appear to be in order.

India should dare to make each of these shifts in a Greenfield manner, as a single, giant leap. For, steps short of this will land India, neither here nor there.

We shall go through the list from bottom up, starting with the physical layer, Annamaya Kosha.

Paradigm Shifts At Ground Level We have seen how much of India’s health, wealth and prosperity came from its sustainable practices, which sustained not just their own civilization but also ecology. Many of these practices in India have been discontinued or have undergone radical shifts over the last few centuries due to foreign pressure. This in turn has created a situation of seeming scarcity of various vital resources, including water. If we can only shift gears to gain strength from the innate nature of the resources of this civilization, these paradigm shifts can lend strength to the foundation of this civilization and secure its well-being once again. Let us look at some of the paradigms worth shifting to. Along with these shifts, also come many offerings that India can make to the world, keeping in mind its strengths and the need to blend old and new together.

FROM ARTIFICIALLY SYNTHESIZED TO NATURE GIVEN – THE NEXT NATURAL STEP In present times, there is no paucity for researches and surveys that scientifically discredit with facts, many of our present day food habits, product choices, healthcare choices - in short lifestyle choices. Specialists have started advocating a U Turn to Natural products and style of living. The only deterrent for people in adopting this approach is the exorbitant cost of making such a choice, since these choices and products are limitedly available today. But India, with its living traditional knowledgebase and labour force, has the potential to turn this market around, by pumping in more choices and more availability of products for these choices.

Curing Medicines & Caring Cosmetics

India is naturally endowed with many assets such as a mountains, long coastline, rains, forests as well as deserts which are home to a large variety of medicinal plants capable of treating a whole host of ailments. The highlight of the Indian approach to medicine was to give 80% focus on preventive care (Swastha vrtta) and 20% on cures (Athura Vrtta). The rationale was that, by focussing on staying healthy, many of the diseases could be avoided. These secrets of staying healthy and the cures for the various diseases can be traced to Indian Ayurveda and Siddha systems of medicine and the many Pharmacopia published, whose texts are still available today albeit in Samskrt or Vernacular languages. Infact, it is through some of these texts, that secrets of natural dyes and cosmetics too came to be known. For, almost all plant inputs that go into the making of these natural products, also have medicinal value. As is the unsaid ethos in Ayurveda, “if it is not meant for internal consumption by humans then it is not fit for external application on the body either.” For, the pores on the skin also double up as zillion mouths for the body since they also absorb and transmit into the body whatever is applied on it. Face is not only an index of mind but also an index of health. Good health starts to radiate from the countenance – the eyes, hair, teeth, lips and skin. But these are parts of the body too. So, cosmetics the art of maintaining these external, expressive appendages in good health too, was also part of healthcare. Health and beauty were not separated from each other. Digging these data and plants out, researching on them using modern scientific methods as used by present day Pharma companies and bringing them out as medicines and cosmetics, will be a major step in aiding the health and cosmetic industry. After all, the pharma giants, Bayer Chemicals and Bayer Pharma, stand as a reminder to the one man, Johann von Bayer from Germany, who decided to

probe and scientifically document India’s natural Indigo Blue dye for the modern world and win a Nobel for it. No other land is better posied to leverage Nature’s secret for mankind than India with its abundance of

•  Natural medicinal resources •  Traditional knowledge resources •  Technical Talent and •  Tremendous potential of patients and diseases for tests and trials. If our ancestors’ trust in Nature is to be trusted, then these are the roots that can weed out the root cause of diseases and give a healthy glow.

Nature Cures and Healthcare – A Future Brand of India

The need to stay healthy and beautiful is all year round, whereas the need for cure is only when ill. Health focussed practices and preparations themselves can provide a much bigger opportunity for India.

It will be true “healthcare” versus hospitalcare and medicare which are now limitedly termed as healthcare. Healthcare can be a healthy brand of India for a healthy future.

Ayurveda – From Nature For Every Human’s Nature The philosophy of treating with Nature based medicines is not limited to prescribing medicines and/or administering treatments. It goes back and integrates with the technique of identifying the medicine to prescribe. The practice of Allopathy is characterized by its standardized practice across the world, where medicines, the dosage, the regimen etc. are all standardized across global population. Whereas, in reality, afflictions, symptoms, severity, causes etc. are all likely to vary based on the race, topology, genetics, dietary habits and physical and mental environment too. While it has its own set of benefits this aspect makes it prone to certain limitations too.  Whereas, one of the principles driving Ayurveda, is the customizing of the treatment under the premise that any affliction is due to the current imbalance in any individual, which is a combination of that individual’s innate physiological nature as well as the effect of other external stimuli. It is never “one size fits all” kind of regimen and thus is more individual specific. But when this perceptive, customizing aspect of Ayurveda is linked to the underlying genomes through an emerging field called Ayurgenomics, it has the potential of making Ayurveda both

•  standardized as well as customized and Nature based as well as human nature specific. Infact, Ayurveda has many medicines to improve brain functions and with its focus on bringing about balance among the 3 Dosha, also deals with the state of the mind. All these will make Ayurveda a preferred system in the forthcoming Knowledge and Mind Era too.  Ayurveda has always been a brand of India. With innovative approaches and blend of other disciplines Ayurveda will continue to be an outstanding offering from India for the future too.

Natural Dyes and Paints India, a colourful nation, which “naturally” added colour to the globe, has a golden future in colours in the near future, provided it revives its techniques of making natural dyes and is ready to paint the world as the winds change to natural colours. Natural Dyes and paints can become a Natural brand for India in the future. The key is how to make them paletable to modern tastes.

Nature Cures and Healthcare – A Future Brand of India

The Shift When the world begins to recognize the benefits of natural produce, to appreciate them and to start consuming them, the influence of Indian products will be said to have played a huge role for the post modern era, the way it had played a substantial role in the past. It had happened all through in the past. It is going to happen again in the future.

FROM NON-VEGETARIANISM TO VEGETARIANISM – THE NEXT MEAL World history, in the last couple of centuries or so, has seen many kinds of invasions. While many of these have left distasteful memories, there have been invasions of a different kind that have resulted in tasteful experiences. They are the invasions of the palette with the introduction of food from different regions into world food culture. The French cuisine held sway over the European and American tastes for a few centuries.

This art of fine dining soon made way for the American Fast Foods to quickly spread through the world. Next, the Italian pizzas and pastas started topping the world menus. Mexican foods have started spicing up the palate in the last few decades. Chinese cuisine has now followed the Chinese and their exports, world over. With people beginning to see the ills in opting for a meat based diet, both on their own well being as well as that of the environment, Vegetarian and Vegan foods are no more jostling for space. They have started taking away space from non-vegetarianism. But wait, there is more to the world opting for Vegetarianism. It will no longer be out of choice, taste or prudence.

A Terrifying Twist To Taste While tastes and economical profits have been driving world eating habits in the last century, very soon, compulsion from regulatory bodies around the world will become the driver for changing food patterns across the world. For, if humans as a race have to survive, it is important to start arresting greenhouse gas emissions. And, while everyone’s attention turns towards vehicles and industries in connection with greenhouse gas emissions, few are aware that food patterns have an equally significant role to play in the control of greenhouse gases. Data shows that it is Livestock i.e. poultry and animals reared for meat, that account for around 2/3rd of total agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. These arise mainly from manure and feed production. According to World Resources Institute’s 2011 report, India with its over one billion population ranked 4th in the list of largest greenhouse gas emitters of the world from agriculture. China, Brazil and the USA topped the list. India is the largest beef exporter of the world along with Brazil, each exporting about 19.6% of world’s beef exports.

Hence by sheer logic it stands to reason that, India produces much of this amount of agricultural greenhouse gases, from non-vegetarian food production. This is bound to attract world condemnation sooner than later even as they turn a blind eye to the fact that it is their taste buds that lie at the root of this imbalance. It does not rule out the fact that others too will come under rap for the world as a whole is consuming close to 130 billion pounds of beef going by the data of 2016 as published by Beef2Live with Uruguay, Argentina, HongKong, USA, Brazil on the top of the list.

A New Perspective To Non-Vegetarian Food Production A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), provides a new perspective and new data to fill a critical gap in the understanding of the interactions between livestock and natural resources – region by region animal by animal protein by protein. Analyzing livestock based food systems and their contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, this study, “Biomass use, production, feed efficiencies, and greenhouse gas emissions from global livestock systems” by Mario Herraro of International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya, et al and edited by William C.Clarke, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA in October 2013, reported in the PNAS provides a composite view to the issue of greenhouse gas emissions due to livestock. It brings in various dimensions to measure the factors contributing to greenhouse gases as well as sustainable production. 1.  Emission intensity - the amount of greenhouse gases released per kg of animal protein produced. poultry produces 3.7 kgs of carbon per kg of protein, pork produces 24 kgs of carbon per kg of protein.

ruminants such as cow, goat, sheep etc. produce 58 to 1000 kgs of carbon per kg of protein 2.  Feed Efficiency - amount of feed required to produce 1 kg of animal protein across varieties of proteins. ruminant animals (cows, sheep and goats) need upto 5 times more feed to produce 1kg of protein in the form of meat than 1 kg of protein in the form of milk. This implies that meat production makes a higher demand on fodder and hence higher demand on water to grow the fodder as compared to milk. Milk production is thus more efficient and also since we do not have to grow a cow every time we milk it. 3.  Location Dependency – amount of feed required to produce 1 Kg of animal protein across regions

•  animals in developing regions of the world and arid regions of the world, needed more feed to produce the same 1 kg of protein, as compared to those in more favourable climates/environs, as the amount of nutrients in the feed varied based on climate and region. This implies that livestock production in arid and developing countries is prone to place a higher demand on water for production of larger quantity of lower quality fodder. We find that, in the global economy that we follow today, livestock typically are raised in developing regions to feed the developed regions at lower economical costs. The ecological repercussions of such an economical model though, on these developing regions as well as the world, run as high as the torn atmospheric layers due to greenhouse gases and as deep as the depleting water tables due to increased need of feed.

Real Problem of Virtual Water The world today has a term for the water that is indirectly used up by an industry – Virtual Water. This water is usually not taken into account while calculating the footprint or cost of running various industries.

From the scale of meat traded and consumed and from the proportion of feed and thence water that has to go into its production in countries such as India, one can well imagine the amount of Virtual Water also being traded along with meat trade. James Millner, Lead Author of a study funded by the Wellcome group, titled “Projected health effects of realistic dietary changes to address freshwater constraints in India: a modelling study” by London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and published in The Lancet Planetary Health Journal, Vol 1, April 2017, puts forth certain projections as well as alternatives. He projects that,

Gist of Projections by James Millner

Statistics On Vegetarianism vs Meat Eating Some of the popularly circulated statistics indicate a huge chasm between Vegetarianism and Non- vegetarian food consumption. Whereas India, a more vegetarian populated land, consumes just 200 kg of food grains per capita, USA, the largest consumer of Beef, consumes 2 tonnes of food grain per capita (i.e total amount of food grains consumed divided by the total population).

While 1 meal of Vegetarian food requires 2500 litres of water per day to produce, 1 Non Vegetarian meal requires on an average 8000 litres per day to produce.

While, 10 vegetarians can eat nutritious food off 1 acre of land, only 1 meat eater can eat nutritious food from 1 acre of land.

20 Humans Fed By Grains Vs 2 Humans Fed By Meat Grown Using Same Grains

Whereas 16 kgs of food grains can feed 20 people, the same amount of food grains, when fed to cows, produces only 1 kg beef which can in turn feed only 2 people. In USA and Europe, close t o 80% of food grains produced go in feeding Livestock, which are then eaten.

The colossal waste in this approach of consuming nutrition can be seen from the comment by France Moore Lappe in the book “Diet For A Small Planet”.

   

France Moore Lappe on the inefficiency in consuming animals fed by foodgrains in “Diet For a Small Planet”

UK has have already started pitching for moving to grass-fed cattle rearing vis-à-vis grain-food cattle to ensure a more sustainable use of resources.

Need To Lead A Change In Feed Now juxtaposing all these findings, plus many more, leads to obvious conclusion that 1.    India is poised to produce more greenhouse gases from food production and attract penalties if it does not check its Livestock growth soon. 2.   India is also poised to face an acute freshwater shortage on its land, if food production and consumption patterns of itself and

the world do not change. Being the cause as well as bearer of the brunt of the effect, it is in India’s interest to coax itself and the world into changing the feeding pattern. No other people are better poised than Indians to lead this change too, with the advantages that India enjoys, such as

•  its tropical climate, •  its vast expanse of fertile land, •  its annual and copious monsoon rains, •  its growing youthful and industrious population •    its

legacy of agricultural knowhow and tradition and most importantly

•  its larders full of innumerable vegetarian recipes to keep interests alive, tongues satiated with taste and body charged with nutrition to compensate for reduced meat intake.

Vegetarian Meal – Beyond Salads Today, the world has a very myopic view of vegetarianism as only being a few salads. But, India, over the last few millennia, has made a fine art of culinary skills in vegetarianism. Vegetarianism has been honed over many millennia and this land today offers so many varieties of vegetarian dishes that one can comfortably feast without repeating a dish for a whole year and more. That is the gastronomical range. Indian foods have already made inroads into world cuisine. Chicken Tikka Masala, though a non-vegetarian dish, has taken the top spot, not just in England but in other parts also. While there is no such dish in India, it was a dish that was created for the English palette.

India has been further improvising on Pizza toppings, sandwich fillings, fried rice varieties and the likes to create vegetarian and Indian versions of world popular dishes to satiate

•  Indian tongues seeking familiar taste but foreign form and foreign tongues seeking familiar form but foreign taste.

Vegetarianism – A Future Brand of India

The west and many other parts of the world are known more for their staidness in food, dress and decor. Indian vegetarian foods with their myriad colours, flavours, aromas, health benefits and increased awareness of the same, are poised to add vivacity to the palettes of the world. The range of Vegetarian foods can be a tasteful brand of India.

FROM CHEMICAL TO NATURAL FARMING – THE NEXT FIELD Organic Food Today, the term organic foods, is seen more as a fad than reality. Perceived as more pricey than economical for all.

Seen more as exclusive, with than for all.

Changing Fashions Cigarettes – A Macho Sign? A few decades ago, in the 1960s and 70s, the smoking of cigarettes was thought of as an “in” thing. In every film, it was macho for the hero to smoke. Today, being more health conscious, people recognize the ill effects of smoking and it is no longer considered macho nor the “in” thing. Vegetarianism – A Starving Diet? A few decades ago, being vegetarian or vegan, was thought of as being exotic and a regimen for dieting. Today it is accepted as a mainstream food choice. Organic Produce – An Artificial Attitude? Similarly, today being organic is thought of as being unnecessarily “picky”. It is not far, before when, being organic will be organic to our lives.

Organic Produce - Low Yield? But, does India and the world have the capacity to produce so much organic food? For, is not organic food production a low yield farming, in comparison to fertilizer induced agriculture?

A High Yielding Record Agricultural production records from Pre British times as recorded by the British, clearly show that the agricultural yield in India, before the British was many times more or comparable to the yield obtained today after all the modernization that has gone into this sector. Three crops, three harvests, three Bhog were possible in a year. The yield was also very high.

The East India Company Records appended with the 1993 record for comparison

We see that, on an average, the yield of India before the British, from their own East India office records, was about 15 tons per hectare. At the time of independence in 1947 however, the records show an All India average of, Wheat - 650 kgs,

•  Paddy - 630 kgs. Such a steep fall!

Idealism or Realism The records from 1993 show that, even in recent times, with all the costly chemical fertilizers and pesticides, we have not been able to go back to those high yields of yore. The high yields of yore can be attributed to using,

•  native techniques of irrigation, where 1/6

area of the land cover was set aside for water bodies to ensure high moisture content in th

the atmosphere

•   native, hardy seeds, where the best seeds were carefully sifted and kept aside by the women, for the next season’s sowing

•    sustainable

methods of farming that used natural fertilizers, pesticides, rotational crops and intercropping to enrich the nutrient content in the soil and grow healthy food in a healthy manner

•    native

and conducive soil pertinent ploughs, i.e. ploughs designed specific to the local type of soil to turn over the top soil just sufficiently enough native cows whose dung worked in tandem with the earthworms and micro-organisms in aerating and enriching the soil respectively.

Not only this, but by relying on the above, they avoided unnecessary input costs of seeds, chemical fertilizers, chemical pesticides and diesel to run the farming mechanized equipment. No wonder, the farmers were prosperous then. The land was sustainable and prosperous. The soil was healthy. Not only crops but other organisms living in this healthy soil were healthy. Not only soil, crops and organisms, but the people who consumed the food grown in this healthy ecosystem were also healthy. Which is why, the earth was called, “The Mother”, “The Provider”, Bhu Ma Devi, Bhu Mata. In the garb of modern, agricultural technology, we have been poisoning our very provider, our nurturer, our mother – Bhu Ma. If we remove the huge subsidies that are given world over for chemical based farming, organic farming will naturally become cost effective, viable

and sustainable at the level of each farm. What is now keeping the chemicalized farming industry going is the prop of subsidies at every level. On a larger framework, chasing the mirage of high yield, we are subsidizing the poisoning of our soil. In short, we are promoting the poisoning of our own food.

Not Advocacy, Statistics Speak This discussion may appear as though we are excessively advocating that the traditional way of farming is superior to the modern mechanised farming. It is not a question of our advocating. The figures are speaking for themselves. Mechanized, chemicalized farming of present times, gives 4.5 to 6 ton of grain per hectare. Organic, traditional farming on the same land, with no cost for the seeds, as we have seen, gave 12 to 18 tons per hectare. Additionally, it was healthy for man and environment. Which is more prudent? Which is more economical? Which is more sustainable? Which is healthier? The verdict is clearly towards sustainable, organic, natural farming that has given 2 to 3 times more yield at half the input cost for the same acreage with no chemical degradation or harm to the soil and to those who consume it in the food chain.

All in Decades - From Disregard to Discover to Discard It took just a few decades to throw away our viable traditional farming and get into chemical and mechanized farming. It has taken us quite a few decades to realize our folly. It will take us more than a few decades now to discontinue and reverse the ill effects of chemicals.

The good thing is that the realization has started seeping in organically, first in the minds of the knowledgeable consumers, the social catalysts and the farmers. The change is permeating from bottom up which is a good sign that it is here to stay. With the world slowly waking up to the ill side effects of fertilizers and artificially boosted farming, a U Turn towards organic and traditional style of farming in India, will not only provide opportunities for local labour but will be profitable enough with its high yield and local cum foreign demand, to make farming an attractive occupation. Food Processing can proliferate as another lucrative offshoot. Not only will all this generate a surplus of food for local consumption as well as export, but it will also restore economic and food security in this land. Food production as well as food processing, the indigenous and organic way and export of the same seem an “Ecologically Viable and Economically Friendly” model.

Organic Foods – A Future Brand of India

Organic Farming Rooted In India

It will be interesting to note that the term “Organic Farming” as a style of practicing agriculture itself took formal root in India.  It came in as an alternative to the use of artificial fertilizers and pesticides, manufactured using chemicals. This was at the start of the 20th century when there was an explosion of chemical factories producing fertilizers and then pesticide, based on the success of Bayer and a few others. The first to implore people to revert back to the earlier traditional techniques of farming was Rudolf Steiner in Germany. He was followed by Albert Howard and his wife Gabrielle Howard, who started experimenting with such local techniques in India in Indore in 1921. Their findings on how to practice farming with a soil enriched by plant and natural compost, based on the age old productive practices of Indian farmers, without use of chemicals, earned this method the name “Organic Farming” and Albert Howard the title “Father of Organic Farming”. Albert Howard was responsible for scientifically analyzing, documenting and formalizing ways to improve soil conditions using organic waste matter.

Organic to Natural Farming Where Organic Farming was oriented towards the technique of growing food with only organic inputs and local, traditional methods, world today, has woken up to the integrated role of the entire ecosystem on agriculture. A new term called “Natural Farming”, denotes this mindset change. Natural Farming has no definition. It can only be defined by denial.

•  Does not use chemicals. •  Does not damage Nature. •  Does not defy laws of Nature. •  Does not exclude anything in Nature. •  Does not exclude anything in the Cosmos too … For example, one of the Natural farming methods called Biodynamics, incorporates certain astronomical and spiritual principles as well as practices

in farming such as relying on moon cycle for the various stages in farming. It is a new name for an old practice of all ancient civilizations. It is a form of Spiritual farming where the farm is viewed as a living organism which interacts with everything in it and around it. For example, it can be seen in the way, the Indian farmer waits for an auspicious moment to start harvesting. Where, the farmer in India may feed grains from the farm to a guest before harvest, but will not consume it himself until after harvest and after it has been offered to the Divine as a sign of gratitude. For, guest is also seen as a form of the Divine in India. Initial experiments with Natural Farming methods have already shown how this approach is economically profitable and ecologically beneficial to the farmer, to the consumer, to other beings and to Nature. What we see today, as the strife in the farming community, is the result of the shift away from such a Natural Farming mindset to Chemical and Genetically Controlled Farming in the last few decades.

Natural Farming – A Future Brand of India

India stands to gain substantially in this paradigm of production and consumption since, as a continuing civilization, much of its ancient, natural farming methods still survive in the name of un-understood customs and

tradition. An effort to understand the essence of such practices and sincerely putting them to work can take India’s agricultural output to great heights. Not only that, India will come to be seen as the land of Natural Farming.

FROM TAKE ALL TO SHARE 1/3 RD - THE NEXT RATIO In the avarice of modern agriculture, the philosophy that govern,s is that of “take all” – take all that grows. Whereas, the philosophy followed by our ancestors in agriculture had been a Nature synchronic, 1/3-1/3-1/3 model.

The top 1/3rd of grains, fruits, the plant vegetables, flowers etc.

Meant for humans and the ecosystem, i.e. those who live off the farm – birds & bees, worms and other animals.

The middle 1/3rd of the plant

stem, stalk of the grain etc.

meant for the cattle / farm animals.

The bottom 1/3rd of the plant

the roots and the shoot, i.e the thick portion, solid support of the plant.

Meant to be turned in, back into the ground and offered to the soil, which in turn formed the organic substance, the manure and the food for the soil organisms, as well as became micros nutrients for the nourishment of the soil, which in turn aided the next crop.

1/3-1/3-1/3

Likewise, from that harvest of the tip, of that which was left behind by the ecosystem for humans, 1/3 went to the tiller 1/3 went to the land owner 1/3 went to the water supplier.

This made farming as a profession also viable for all concerned and everyone took interest in it for its returns. It was a fundamental philosophy of sharing the bounty with

•  the giving soil - the Divine Earth •   the birds and bees and other organisms – the ecosystem of the farm

•  the cattle -  who labour in the farms and •  other humans – who collaborated in the farming effort. It was a philosophy of Natural Farming and Natural Sharing. The so called “farming revolutions”, so far, of the last century or so, have mainly been based on a “maximize production and take all” philosophy. It is “take all” for either humans or “take all” for the animals that are meant to be taken by humans again. Unlike the 1/3-1/3-1/3 earlier, which balanced the amount of fodder and number of farm animals, today, it is an imbalanced scenario where entire crops are grown only as fodder for animals, bred in large scale for meat and

poultry. This again is because farms across the world are producing fodder and meat for people across the other half of the world. The scales are tilted in a lop sided fashion, in favour of those who can afford to import their food who can grow fodder instead of food. The paradigm shift that has to come in now, is this time honoured, time tested, time valued, Nature synchronous 1/3-1/3-1/3 philosophy. In ancient Tamil language, there is even a saying for this.

It has to be a conscious act of setting these 3 parts aside, specifically understanding the why of the larger picture.

FROM DAMMING TO DIVERTING WATERS – THE NEXT PATH TO FOLLOW Water Trade After oil, the next big commodity of the world is soon going to be water. However, oil sources deplete, whereas water is replenished in India every monsoon. The geography of India is fortunate to have thousands of rivers and streams and lakhs of tanks, where these monsoon waters can be harnessed and used ingeniously. If India can revive its age old, proven systems of water harnessing, not only can India harness waters for its own consumption, but it will also be able to harness water for supplying to other water starved regions of the world. Water, which it can supply as

•   Real Water Trade (i.e. packaged drinking water or water for other uses)

•    Virtual

Water Trade (i.e. water which goes into production of produce that get traded)

Virtual Water Trade Virtual water is that water which goes into the production of any product and is thus consumed indirectly. Whenever any product is traded, the water that has gone into producing it, also gets traded as Virtual Water Trade. India can be the land of virtual water of the world, for intensive water needing produce such as agricultural produce and other products whose manufacturing requires large volumes of water. A marriage of traditional systems, modern technology and local labour can rejuvenate the existing water harnessing systems of the land so that this precious commodity can be traded with a sense of mission and value. This idea may seem a bit preposterous, for there is wide spread water shortage in India now. Ground water levels are alarmingly dropping. Many rivers have gone dry. Lakes have parched. But, the reality is that, in the world, after the Amazon basin of Brazil, it is the Indian subcontinent that receives the second highest rainfall per land mass, year after year, without fail. It is these monsoon rains that our ancients knew about well and had harnessed effectively for creating a prosperous sustainable culture.

Annual Rainfall - India showing highest rainfall per land mass

Why cannot we revive, rejuvenate and replicate this sustainable model and benefit, to become a surplus water land, from the water deficient land that we have forced ourselves into being, in the last few decades? This would propel us into being a new brand leader, to trade in waters - real water and virtual water, the next big commodity of the world.

Water – A Future Brand of India

Dammed and Damned But all this can be possible only when we start looking at allowing the waters to flow, instead of damming them in every state along its way. The various water harnessing systems of India, 9 lakh odd in number, literally more than 1 to every village, were successful in providing waters to the entire civilization because they were designed and located so as to form a grid with the various other manmade water systems as well as the naturally flowing rivers. They thus received and stored waters before the rivers let them out into the sea. Such an intricate mesh prevented floods as excess waters were diverted to these bodies. They also kept droughts at bay since there was copious supply of water even after rains or during failed monsoons. But the key to all these, was allowing rivers to flow. It was to not dam them, but to divert the excess flow into linked, manmade water harnessing systems across the land to avoid floods and sail through droughts. Some of the ancient water systems of the world lie in India and include

•   The Lothal inland port, over 4000 years old -    river water diversion into a port

•    The

Shringaverapura Tank, over 2000 years old – river water diversion into a series of multipurpose tanks

•    The Kallani / Grand Anaicut, over 2000 years old – river water diversion for holding excess waters during monsoons and floods and to use them later through the year

•   The System Tanks of India – wells in monsoon river beds to hold water after the rains and the river flow dries

•  The Chain Tank System of South India, from 1500 years ago – about 53000 tanks, cross linked through canals to divert river and rain water across the plains of South India

•  The Bhopal Reservoirs of Central India, over 1000 years old - 3 earth and stone reservoirs amidst natural depressions in the

hills near Bhopal, to store river waters diverted into them The Sudarshana Lake around 2000 years ago for diverting flood waters and storing them in the hills The numerous water diversion systems of Kashmir from over 2000 years ago The list is endless… Check dams did exist as part of this network but these are the kind of dams built on canals and streams and not on large rivers with voluminous waters flowing. Even the still functional, 2000 year old Kallanai, meaning Stone dam, now called Grand Anaicut, across Cauvery was only designed as a diverter which can be seen in the design of Upper Anaicut and Lower Anaicut. Furthermore, even this Kallanai was built at lower Cauvery rather than at her headwaters.

Overall Design of Kallanai – The still functional, 2000 year old Dam on Cauvery built by King Karikala Chola

The word Kollidam in Tamil means the place to hold. During British times, it became anglicized to Coleroon. Ullar means an inside river. It was the diverting canal. After learning how to build such large, masonry water projects from this Anaicut, one of the first few water works to come up was the Dhowleswaram Barrage in Rajahmundry across Godavari river in India. This has been admitted by the man considered as the father of modern irrigation, Sir Arthur Cotton himself.

     Sir Arthur Cotton and statue built in his honour at Rajahmundry

Sir Arthur Connton’s acknowledgement of Indian native hydraulic engineers

But these works initiated by Sir Arthur Cotton were only barrages and not the kind of dams we build and use today.

The philosophy behind a barrage is to control and divert waters whereas that behind a dam is to block and store waters. The height of holding area behind a barrage is just a few feet more than river flow while that behind a dam is as high as the concrete structure itself.

Sir Arthur Cotton’s barrage across Godavari river at Dhowleswaram, near Rajahmundry

The Bhakra Dam across Sutlej river in Himachal Pradesh. One of world’s highest dams. 741 feet of river water held back fills the valley behind to form Gobind Sagar lake.

The concept of large dams to hold back waters was introduced to the world starting with the Aswan Dam, across the Nile in Egypt, by those British engineers who took charge of the British irrigation works after Sir Arthur Cotton. However, they had not learnt the full lesson from India on the psyche of using such structures.

How, “dams”, rather barrages, were to be used to divert and avoid floods, rather than use them to dam the flow and let others downstream be damned. Britain did not have such a need for water harnessing nor damming nor diverting rivers for fear of floods for,

•    Britain

receives rain almost through the year, obliterating the need for harnessing rain water

•  In Sir. Arthur Cotton’s own words, one day’s flow of water in the river Godavari of India during monsoon was more than the annual flow of water down the Thames in Britain. This means that the flow in the rivers itself was not heavy enough to dam and store. Beaver built dams were sufficient. An approach of damming large rivers, without forethought of its repercussions, is what has set the stage for so many interstate and international river water disputes across the world. We have to believe that, as far as water harnessing and managing water resources is concerned, India knew and had practiced the best, to have survived and flourished for millennia. For, it is only in topographies like India –

•  a tropical land which receives annual, regular, copious rainfall •  but for a fixed, short period, •  just after the scorching summer, •    when the temperatures start turning conducive for agriculture during the rest of the year, that the issue of storing water for the remaining months, arises. This situation arises specially in India, as against other tropical regions, due to its distinct land features such as its own location as well as its mountains, hills, seas, rivers being located where they are, on this land mass. While this aspect of storing waters can be seen as an issue, if surmounted well, like our ancients had managed to do, makes it a blessing for this

civilization. The proof lies in the 3 crops that our ancients had managed to harvest round the year. Whereas, from a high level stand point, in most temperate climate zones, where most of the “developed nations” of the world today, lie, there is no real need to store water for irrigation, since after rains, the climate turns too cold that any stored water will freeze anyway and the temperatures and sunlight too will not be conducive for agriculture.

Climate Zones of the World and Highlights of India

And, if waters have to be stored, instead of a single huge dam, our ancients all across India had uniformly believed that there lay more wisdom in building smaller reservoirs and connecting them to rivers, channels and each other than fewer larger structures across the rivers themselves. A fact which India’s erstwhile Prime Minister, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru also admitted to after he had sadly encouraged building large dams soon after Independence, calling them “Temples of Modern India”.

These remarks of Nehru were unprompted. They were not made under duress of any Dharna, strike. It would show our foolishness today, if we do not learn from his hands on experiences or the age old wisdom and practices of our ancestors. One may argue that such damming is what has made hydroelectricity a reality. True, power generation was one of the benefits from such multipurpose dams. But since then, in the last 7 decades, many other hybrid techniques have evolved, which make power generation from flowing water, a possibility, even without a dam. In the last 7 decades, having come to rely on the reservoirs of these massive dams, Indians have bid adieu to their smaller and local water bodies. With the result, these dams have now come to hold more importance as water reservoirs than power generators. If the ancients of India could build large stone temples, towering so many metres high more than 2000 years ago and if they already knew the wisdom in harnessing waters, why did they not take to building dams? It is because India has always believed in the adage “many a little make a mickle”. i.e. Many small things when joined, also become great and

powerful. Infact they are greater and more powerful by design since they also avoid the risks of a single point of failure. As far as power generation is concerned, leveraging the natural level drops in the water’s flow in mountains or hybrid techniques for hydro power and the sun’s light for solar power seem a better alternative to withholding river flows and starving the nation of food. With enough mountains, rains and copious sunlight, there is enough scope in India for such power generation. What could be more powerful for a nation than food security? Ultimately all the power is mainly being generated so that the nation can produce and earn to buy food. If there is no food produced, what will the nation buy? It is time we shift our psyche from damming to diverting to ensure that river waters reach every nook and corner of India and India becomes an exemplar in water sharing for the world to follow.

FROM RAW MATERIALS TO FINISHED PRODUCT – THE NEXT SET OF EXPORTS Steel the Backbone of a Nation Thomas Carlyle, Scottish philosopher, historian and teacher of the Victorian era, in one among his many speeches in Manchester, made a strong observation,

How true! India, till a couple of centuries ago true to this observation, was the largest manufacturer of high quality steel and had naturally attracted all the gold of the world. In 1800s it was Britain that held this control and from

1900s, it spread all over the world. But even today, the nation which has iron, is strong enough to flex its muscle. One among the audience listening to Thomas Carlyle was the Indian, Jamshedji N Tata. This remark of Thomas Carlyle might well have created the golden spark and steely resolve in his  mind to start the Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO) at the confluence of the river Subarna Rekha and Kharkhai rivers for the 1st steel plant of modern India. This place later came to be called Jamshedpur in his honour.

Future of Indian Steel With a shift in focus, from exporting iron ore as raw material to the iron and steel factories across the world, to producing iron and steel goods in India itself and exporting them, Indian could once again establish itself as a very large producer of iron and steel goods for the next century and more. India has high quality iron ore. But this can last only for a few more centuries. India has to dare to preserve its resources. India has to become selective in what it produces and exports with its iron ore. India should dare to make the world play to its rules of the game.

Steel Products and Not Just Iron Ore or Steel – A Future Brand of India

India should choose to make niche products, necessary for living than those such as steel for city infrastructure that only help to move people away and away from sustainable living. It is one way of compelling people to think and act.

FROM POWER SHORTAGE TO SURPLUS – THE NEXT IN EMPOWERING Everlasting Solution to Power Crisis The world has a consortium of Oil rich nations today. They practically control not only the prices of oil directly but also prices of everything and politics across the world indirectly, due to their vice like grip on oil. But as we all know, oil is a depleting resource and with depletion of oil, so will dip the influence of the oil rich nations and oil guzzling nations of the world too.

Consortium of Sun Rich Nations Whereas countries such as India and 102 others which have been branded as rich in Solar energy, as Surya Putra Rashtra – children of the Sun, have a perennial source of Clean energy, clean power. If these 102 were to form a consortium of Sun rich nations, the changed power dynamics will throw a different light on the world.

Solar Energy – A Future Brand of India

India has the potential to lead such a consortium both in technological capability as well as in governing capacity.

Renewable Energy, Clean Energy 2019, the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi is being dedicated to cleanliness and Power across India. Plans are afoot to generate 175 GW of power in the form of Renewable energy. This will put India as a leading solar energy nation, a Surya Shakti Rashtra.

FROM CURBING TO CLEANSING POLLUTION – THE NEXT CLEAN ACT It is interesting that in the case of health, while our ancients had given more focus to prevention of diseases following the psyche of “Prevention is better than Cure”, as far as hygiene is concerned, they had given equal and even a higher focus to purification along with prevention practices. The rationale is simple. For, it is the hygiene issues that will eventually result in health issues. Both, prevention of pollution and purification of pollution are major and equally important steps of maintaining

environmental hygiene, which forms an integral aspect of preventing diseases and maintain good health. The key constituents of a clean environ, we know, are pollution free

•  air •  water earth. How did our ancients manage to tackle these issues which continue to loom large in front of us even today?

Tackling Air Pollution Air pollution, in the eyes of our ancients went beyond the visible dust and fumes to the invisible sub atomic particles and microbes, as well as the palpable bad vibes too. While the dust and fumes could be curtailed by curbing human actions, the rest would anyway continue to permeate and pollute. Hence they had realized that purification steps had to be undertaken in a continuous manner, irrespective of steps taken to prevent pollution.  And the way to purify air, they had discovered, was to battle bad air with good air. For, it is only air that can reach as high as air and undo the damage in bad air. Homa – A Way to Battle Bad Smoke With Good Smoke Their ways of dealing with creating good air was to perform Homa which would create good smoke with would carry both neutralizing / purifying molecules as well as sound vibrations / electromagnetic waves that could then pervade through the air and cleanse it of both particulate matter and harmful radiation energies. The very word Homa comes from the root syllables

•  Hu, meaning to invoke, to worship and •  M, Ma, which connotes happiness, welfare. Homa are thus acts of invoking benefits for all using good smoke, beneficial particles and propitious chants from the Veda.

Ahuti from this Hu stands for the offering in a worship, invocation. Hotr, from this Hu, Homa, is one who knows the way, technique of worshipping or invoking for attaining benefit.  It is from this we get words such as Agnihotri who worships, invokes fire for benefits. One of the important tasks of those engaged with Veda as a priest / Hotr, was to perform Homa regularly, for the benefit of mankind and environment. Their learning of the Veda Mantra was for the sole purpose of chanting and performing these Homa and hence the name Hotr too. Likewise Purohit, another word for a priest, also means one who is engaged in securing the benefit of his community. Pur denotes city, community. Hit (Hith) is benefit. Homa were thus performed regularly and continuously with the objective to keep cleansing the environment of pollution accumulating from dust, odour, germs, radiation and even bad intentions. Homa were also performed to cleanse body, mind and energies to increase life, vegetation, crops, rains, goodness etc. The Homa were distinguished by

•  the Vedic Mantra to be chanted •  the number of times the Mantra had to be chanted •  the medium of cleansing, typically fire •  the size and shape of the altar where fire is grown and propitiated to •    the ingredients used as fuel to stoke the fire (different twigs and herbs were used for different purposes)

•   the length, shape, material of the ladle to be used for adding fuel to fire

•  the duration (days and nights) that the Homa had to be performed for •  the austerities to be observed for performing the Homa

•   the people who could undertake to perform the Homa – bachelor, married couple, priests, kings, ascetics etc. Their intentions, state of mind, habits, commitment etc. mattered to the success of the Homa. Pooja, Yagna, Japa, Tapa etc. are thus different from Homa, which is distinguished by the presence of a fire medium, smoke and strict directives on ingredients, chants and other tools to be used. The smoke emanating from a Homa, though seen by many today as a pollutant, actually was our ancients’ counter to various kinds of pollution. A very interesting aspect indeed! The science and technology of Homa is something worth looking into and adopting as a sign of homage to our ancients as well as to future generations to come.

Tackling Water Pollution Having uncovered, understood and utilized the power of Homa to cleanse air and space pollution with smoke, another form of air itself, our ancients had used the power of sound in the Mantra and Japa, to cleanse and bestow healing powers to waters too. This was done by enriching the water in a container with Mantra and Japa and at times herbs too and then adding this purified water to other water sources such as tanks, wells etc. or sprinkling on people or consumed by people.

Japa – Justified by Japanese

This practice of our ancients gains ratification from the findings of the Japanese researcher Masaru Emoto, who has shown how the molecule structure of water changes depending on the cleanliness and goodness of its environs. Human vibrational energy, thoughts, ideas, words, music all have an effect on the structure of water molecules. Well-meaning sounds and intentions had the ability to change the molecular structure of water into regular crystals as against irregular, ugly shapes in the presence of impurities or disturbing sounds / harsh words / thoughts. In his book “Messages From Water”, Masaru Emoto shows the effect of various acts and emotions on water crystals.

      Masaru Emoto, the Japanese Researcher Emoto’s work, the first photo collection of frozen water crystals

Contrast in shape of molecule in different environments

Effect of emotions on Water Crystal

Divine In Water – Punya Theertha Furthermore, by regarding all water bodies as a Divine entity, especially, as a Mother Goddess with feminine names for each river, save 2 or 3, our ancients had reserved a space of reverence for water in the minds of Indians. Such bodies of water were called Punya Teerth and visit to such places was called Teerth Yatra, pilgrimage. A pilgrimage was thus not linked with the holy place of worship, as much as it was linked with the water body associated with that place. Even a visit to the major rivers for a hold dip, was a Teerth Yatra. This had been the mindset with all ancient civilizations. There is the ZamZam well in Mecca. There are Pushkar and Amritsar amongst many other Punya Teerth in India. There is no baptism without holy water. In the garb of modernization, rationalism and communism, once the waters were delinked from the associated divinities, they came to be treated as mere physical resources of the earth, over which man had the absolute right to consume, waste and contaminate.

This mindset of revering water bodies as well as purifying them with chants is what will lead to not only purer waters but also fuller water bodies and better human bodies.

Tackling Land Pollution It is an oft asked that, if the population of ancient India was large, then how did they do waste management, especially of solid waste?

The answer is simple. The simple tenet of using Nature friendly inputs, methods and products was sufficient to ensure that they did not pollute the earth.

•  Raw materials were Natural. •  Techniques were sustainable. •  Products were bio-degradeable. So, where was the question of polluting and then seeking ways to cleanse it? They had learnt of different ways to dispose each bio-degradable item. Some in their backyard, some in pits, some as manure for plants, some as food for other animals, some burnt to be reduced, some exposed or buried in earth to be destroyed over time. Their Nature based living itself was the way to wipe off their footprints on the earth, naturally.

FROM INTENSIVE TO EXTENSIVE – THE NEXT IN MAKING

The Extensive Indigenous Industrial Model (EXIIM) of India had been a model which had kept the Indian economy, number 1 in the world, for atleast 2 millennia. It is a model, worth studying and worth replicating by India, once again in this 3rd millennia. EXIIM Model of Making, in itself, can be a brand offering from India to the world. When India makes a success once again from following the small footprints of its ancestors and the world begins to recognize the sustainability in an Extensive model of industrial practice, to appreciate it and to start imitating it, the influence of Indian way of making will be said to have played a huge role for the post modern era, the way it had played a substantial role in India, of the past. It had happened in the past. It is going to happen again in the future.

FUNDAMENTALS OF THE FUNDAMENTAL LEVEL

As you may see, there is going to be no stopping of the technological shift in production and services,

•  from mechanization in industrial era •  to automation in modern era to artificial intelligence in post-modern era. Each has come about as a way to grow more and more monies in the world, as much as technically feasible and as quickly as possible. Each has brought with it an associated paradigm shift in the world.

•    With

mechanization, the pace and volume of production increased.

•  With automation, the quality of products increased. •  With artificial intelligence, the choices and personalization of the products are bound to increase. But at the same time, with mechanization, craftsmen became redundant. with automation, workers are becoming redundant. with artificial intelligence, humans are bound to become redundant too. Imagine, what would happen to all human taxi, car, bus and truck drivers as well as traffic police, once the automobiles become truly autodriven! The day is not too far off in future. Only a few brainy and skilled hands will be needed to build, program, train and control, how the rest of the world has to live and behave. While majority of people, world over, blame economic slowdown for the loss of jobs, not many see it as a natural fallout of the trends in development. Call it an “Economic Slowdown” or a “Technology Rampup”, the nett result is that, more and more people are going to become freed from the conventional path of having to move from typical graduation to typical

professions to typical retirement lives. They will have nothing substantial to do. What will these people do then, to fill their time? What will they do to fill their stomachs?

BOLDLY GO WHERE NO MACHINE CAN GO Now, there is one area that Technology cannot reach and where only Man can go. That is the realm of Mind with its vast potential as we have seen. If we can shift our focus to exploring Mind Sciences for the potential they hold in Environment Cleansing and Purification, Innovation, Healing etc., areas they seem to have been largely used for, in India earlier, then what we would need are sincere, committed, caring humans. The large working class force, freed from their “mundane” routine, with simple minds which are not likely to ask too many questions but believe and follow implicitly, will be the resource that India and the world can tap into, for transcending beyond the material boundary - the realm inaccessible to man or machines, with or without intelligence.   One of the ways to keep these freed up minds and hands employed, will be to engage them in serving public and environmental causes, but with their minds. One of the important programs on India’s agenda, since recent times, has been Skill India. But what if these skills become obsolete and unnecessary by the time they become common? Ironically they are becoming obsolete due to the handiwork of many Indians themselves, employed strategically across the world. It is in India’s interest and advantage too, to leverage the time window now to explore the realm of Mind Sciences on a war footing and be ready with innovative and futuristic applications to protect and keep healthy, not just its own natural resources and people, but that of the world too.

FOR GOODNESS SAKE

At a fundamental level, mankind as a whole will do better, if we can delicately balance where to draw the line between Artificial vs Natural Machine vs Manual

•  Luxury vs Essential. A simple thumb rule to guide us could be Choose Natural to Eat and Treat Choose Manual to stay Fit and Fine Choose Essential to Care and Conserve. India, with its fundamental offerings can steer itself to a state of balance where

•  Vegetarian food habits dominate •  Natural products are used in food, medicare and beauty •  The world of dyes, colours and paints is ruled by Natural products and processes

•  Water is in excess and available for direct trade with other nations, like oil today

•  Solar energy drives the civilization and is also available for sharing with other nations

•   Resource exploitation is controlled with exports of products made in India than ores and raw materials excavated from India

•   There is an aura of goodness around with many engaged in Mind based activities to keep environment and community healthy

•    Pace

of life is altered with offloading of the stress of city and industry based living, to intelligent technologies and systems and more people taking to nature linked activities and professions, out of choice, for “goodness” sake.

What will be the impact of such paradigm shifts on the paradigm of how we manage these resources, our society and ourselves?

Shifting Paradigms At A Social Level A CASCADING EFFECT The shifts and choice of production, consumption, pollution, purification will have to be accompanied by shifts in administrative, management and social mindset. At the same time, it is shifts in administrative, management and social mindset which can facilitate the shifts at the fundamental level too. Thus a paradigm shift at the lowest level is possible only with advocacy from the higher states of existence of the civilization. At the same time the higher state can only be sustained with the sustained chain of shifts all the way up from the lowest level.  It has to be both, a top down as well as a bottom up impetus. Let us look at what kind of paradigm shifts will be needed to aid the shifts at the fundamental level, for resource security and sustenance.

FROM CENTRALISM TO DECENTRALISM – THE NEXT CORE PHILOSOPHY We have already how it was Decentralism, which was the “making” philosophy of the prosperous, ancient India. Decentralism as a psyche of going individual but coming together for convenience and strength is a very different mindset from Decentralization of controls and power. Decentralism is all about being different, discrete and divided, believing in the power of integration and aggregation to look after the united, larger interests.  It was the trading community which formed the needle that penetrated the civilization to reach the discrete units diffused all over the land, collect their produce and disperse them all over the world through trade. No wonder, the

trading community was called Vaishya from the root “Vi”, meaning to penetrate, pervade, diffuse and spread.  We today have the advantage of the all-pervading technology that can connect and aggregate. Online market places are here to stay and only grow bigger. In our interest and in the interest of leaving smaller footprints on the globe, we have to earnestly look at moving towards Decentralism.    But in today’s state of affairs, Decentralism can be achieved only after the first step of decentralizing the acts of

•  Planning •  Procuring •  Producing •  Processing •  Propagating and Prospering. Some of these shifts lie in the hands of the Government and Administrative bodies while the rest lie in the hands of the public and businesses. A concerted effect will have to be orchestrated by those in technological knowhow and power to first create the grid on which the desired participants can move freely both physically, geographically and digitally.

FROM CENTRALIZED TO DECENTRALIZED – THE NEXT GOVERNING DECISION Centralized Administration – A Collector Model In this Collector Model, introduced by the British, villages send collections to the Centre, which prioritizes and disburses funds back for each village’s development. A one size fits all design.

Decentralized Administration – An Internet Model Each village, the Grama decided how it would raise and spend its monies in the decentralized, Indian model for administration and governance. Like the internet, where each computer has and uses its own resources and shares a part of it on the network as per agreed protocols, each village would send only a part of its proceeds to the centre for common benefits such as security, roads etc. The rest was deployed by the village for its own upkeep and further growth. So starkly different from what we see in India today!

Centralised form of Planning and Administration

De-centralised form of Planning and Administration

Making of Ethos The very decision to move towards Centralized or De-centralized administration, hinges on what a nation holds as its central focus, its ethos of manufacture and trade  –

•  its man made cities or its organically evolved villages •  consuming surplus after trade or trade of surplus produced •  economy or ecology Ethos of Making “Making the Indian Way” is not just a superficial phrase of changing the face of the Indian manufacturer from an urban worker to a rural worker. It touches upon the ethos of decentralization as compared to the centralized view of everything. “Making the Indian way” also entails shifting from the city focussed, centralized and intensive model of civilization and return to a village focussed, decentralized, extensive model of civilization. “Making the Indian way” will succeed only when our needs, our priorities, our attention, our solutions realign themselves to the shift in paradigm. When India succeeds in “Making the Indian Way” and the different members of the world community start creating their own sustainable ways for everything that matters to them, India will be said to have shown the way to bring sustainability to world economy, ecology and ecosystems. It had happened in the past. It can happen again in the future.

FROM GENDER EQUALITY TO GENDER COMPLEMENTARY – THE NEXT BALANCE While the rhetoric, world over is “Fight for Gender Equality”, India with its unique and successfully practiced formula for gender balance across millennia, has to dare to draw attention to its concept of “Gender Complementary”.

When it came to the aspect of balance amongst genders, Indian thought preferred to use the word Saha denoting complementing, than the word Sama which denotes equal. For example, wife is a Sahadharmini and husband is a Sahadharmin, meaning the one who is complementary in the act of living as per Dharma. For, men and women are indeed complementary in nature than exactly similar. The ancients even went to the extent of depicting this principle in the Divinity, Shiva, using the half man-half woman form called Ardhanari, Ardha means half and Nari is woman.

If both genders were exactly the same and equal in nature, then, in a pair, who would fill the gaps that would arise?

Saha vs Sama

Hence rather than fighting and moving towards Gender Equality, India, with all its background of a healthy balance among genders, must dare to evolve a Gender Complementary framework. Right from conception, to birth, to growing up, to education, to work, to career plan, to inheritance, to marriage, to public safety and security, India must dare to recognize the complementing nature of man and woman and make Gender Special rules that

•  are not just fair but also supportive to all genders, •    leverage the best of all genders and provide scope

to nurture

these advantages

•  also allow space to each individual to live as desired, irrespective of gender - male, female or otherwise too.

It is about having equal right to be your own, natural best, rather than equal rights for being as good as the other gender. Nature lives with such a complementing nature. Why should humans  in Nature, alone be different? Have you noticed, “Same” is almost same as “Sama”? Men and Women are not “Same”. When India succeeds in drafting new measures for maintaining gender balance (not gender equality) and living by them successfully, India will be said to a balanced society. It had happened in the past. It can happen again in the future.

FROM MAN TO WOMAN CENTRIC SOCIETY – THE NEXT PIVOT Earth and Nature are depicted as Mothers or women. It is because of their nature to nurture. Society begins from within the four walls of a home. Every home has a centre, a pivot. The pivot today seems to be the man, the father or the head of the family who brings in the earnings.

Turning this pivot around the woman instead, the mother or the heart of the family, who wraps the family with love and care, can be the next paradigm shift that India can propound, to take the world towards a Humanistic society from a Materialistic Society. For, it is the mother who is the first teacher, who can instil the softness and subtlety that is becoming more and more needed in the world today, which is filled with hardened hearts, harder stands, hard skills and hardware driven lifestyle. More importantly, while the father may bring in the earnings, it is the woman in India who has held the wealth of the home, family, society and the civilization overall. For, she was the one entrusted with care of seeds, cattle, land and water bodies. She has been the one who has tended the fire at home and furnace. She has been the one who has filled from the wells but helped make them too. She has been the one who has planted the seeds and stored the grains. She has been the one who has milked the cows but fed them too. She has literally been the guardian of the wealth of a civilization. A shift towards a woman centric society and home, will be in line with and an extension of India’s core ethos of holding feminity as a divinity in the cosmos too. It is nice to talk of the future as being one where househusbands will become a common practice in the fight for gender equality. But given the innate traits of a man, to protect, versus that of a woman, to nurture, one really wonders if it will be worthwhile to fight for equality or match complementing strengths. Aren’t protecting and nurturing, 2 sides of the same coin anyways? However, for this shift to a woman centric society to take effect and succeed, the paradigm shift of Sama to Saha, equal to complementary, should have already taken root. When India succeeds in having lowest rate of domestic violence, sexual discrimination acts, sexual harassment offences, happier families and

stress free society, India will be said to have shown the world, the power of a woman centric home. It had happened in the past. It can happen again in the future.

FROM NUCLEAR TO JOINT FAMILY – THE NEXT FAMILY CIRCLE Home – Setting The Tone For Harmony Harmony starts from home, from family. Harmonious families make a harmonious society. A harmonious society creates a harmonious nation. A harmonious nation lives as a harmonious civilization. Many harmonious civilizations lead to a harmonious world. A harmonious world is a Vasudaiva Kutumbakam, a One World Family. Thus, a unit, as basic as a family, is the stepping stone for the One World Family. It is the foundation, for a harmonious world.

India has been a civilization with a lot of flux. People from India, in their prime of life, have constantly travelled for trade, spreading knowledge, culture and offering services. They have travelled, not only within India but to many foreign lands as well, not only over land but overseas as well. They have travelled not only for these purposes, but the innate social order of India has also encouraged couples in their post productive period, to travel far and wide on pilgrimage, inorder to prepare themselves for renouncing desires and ties and for preparing the next generation for taking over the responsibility of the care of the society. Despite so much flux in the civilization, India’s culture, industry and prosperity have survived for so long, continuously. This could have been possible only if there had been continuity in settled living. But these two are opposites of each other – travel and settled life. How was this possible? India’s answer to this was the joint family system.

A Homestead Generations after generations lived together. While some of the members of the family travelled, the others stayed together and looked after each other and their needs.

A Steady Balance Between Consumption And Conservation The entire family lived and ate off the same resources

•  available to them at their family level •  aggregated together at a village level •  committed to them at a societal level •  safeguarded for them at a national level and •  conserved at the civilization’s level.

This ensured a balance between human population and natural resources. Footprints of humans and population growth per unit of territory, were thus limited by each family themselves. The family grew in size and consumed based on how much could be conserved. The concept of a homestead also ensured that the family’s industry, tradition, culture and wealth stayed alive, well nurtured and safeguarded. In an aggregated mode, this ensured the prosperity of the civilization too. This is in direct contrast with how we have addressed needs for travel today by breaking up families into tiny units, uprooting and transplanting oneself in far-off lands but only for short periods since the next generation transplants itself, elsewhere again. Local resources are consumed by a migrant population with no ownership and knowledge of local topography and resource constraints, leaving little room for anyone to make a balanced plan between consumption and conservation. The break away and constant transplanting has also prevented rooting, neither in the native tradition nor in the residing tradition.

India’s strength In the rolling change of world character, what is in the anvil next, is predicted to be Humanism. For, what has been lost out in the commercial world is the happiness, honesty, simplicity and in-person contact. India with its strong familial bonds, where the happiness quotient, the community quotient have all played a very strong role in maintaining the fabric of this civilization for many millennia, has something tangible and composite to offer in this intangible space. For, even after all these commercial, technological and information advancement, what one really derives happiness from, are the bonds, bandhan that one has with families, friends and communities. Bonds rich with spiritual values, morals and ethos, which can give us the happiness and contentment we seek. And India, with its legacy of a well-knit, joint family system, can well lead the way to move towards the goal of a One World Family.

FROM POPULATION BURDEN TO CAPITAL – THE NEXT CAPITAL ASSET People – Most Valued Resource For a civilization to sustain itself well and that too for millennia after millennia, it must have the means. Not only, must it have the means, but the leaders of the civilization, generation after generation, should also be aware of what these means are and guide the people to utilize these means in a sustainable manner to keep the civilization alive for successive generations. Among the resources of a civilization, primary are the quantity and quality of its population. The population should be widespread and have widespread skills, have confidence in themselves and their heritage, be aware of their land’s natural resources, be in tune with the ebb and flow of seasons on their land and

have an understanding of what natural bounties each season has to offer, for them to harness and harvest them skillfully for the benefit of themselves, their progeny and their land.

Realizing Value of People It is precisely in this area that the individual societies of the Indian civilization had excelled in and it is this resourcefulness of both the people and the land, which had led to the prosperity of the civilization. While population is a pressure on the resources of the land, it cannot be termed as a bane. The population of India is a reality. The resources available in India is also a reality. How the thinkers of the population, leaders of the population, plan for a judicious use of the resources in a sustainable manner, really determines whether the area is under populated, over populated or the population is well utilized. A large population can be a boon for many industries.

An Offering Of People There are parts of India that have a higher concentration of population. The Gangetic plain is one of the most densely populated regions of the world. There are such densely populated regions not just in India but elsewhere across the world too. Eastern Asia, Central Europe, Central America and some parts of South America, parts of Germany are also equally populous. They have all used this high concentration of population in a positive way, to propel the productivity of the land, both in industry and agriculture, thus becoming economic world leaders. In the last few decades, China used its population demography to become an industrial powerhouse, production backyard of the world.

Indian Demography and Diaspora

The population of India stands at 1.2 Billion today. Every 6th person in the world is an Indian. If you add that of other SAARC countries, equally densely populated, such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, all being part of 1 ethnic group, then the collective population goes beyond 1.6 Billion. Wave after wave, over time, there has been a steady outflow of people from this region, to the rest of the world. Wave 1 - Pre Medieval Wave It comprised of people who went for trade trade and for sharing knowledge and culture, for millennia, before colonization of the world. Wave 2 – Colonial Wave Over the last couple of centuries, diaspora from this region, spread all over the world for reasons such as Sugar plantations which we have seen earlier, military expansion and other trade related activities. A distinct and a sizeable stamp of India can be seen in more than 150 countries. While they may be ethnic Indians, they are naturally born citizens of their respective countries. Wave 3 – Modern Wave Building on this, in the last few decades, there has been another new wave of Indians moving to different parts  of the world as scientists, doctors, software engineers, business men, blue collared workers in healthcare, driving and other services sector.

The Future Wave Riding on these waves of Indian diaspora and the demography of the land showing an average age of 30 years, the next generation of moving diaspora will be formed of young, skilled, industrious Indians, labouring like little ants but elephantine in strength.

Young Indians – Power of an Elephant collectively

Opportunities Galore Besides utilizing its youthful population for national needs, India with is large volume of young and educated workforce has a lot of scope for deploying its population for international needs too, such as, for providing manual services onsite in various lands, in the field of Medicare, Construction, Agriculture, Hardware Maintenance, Hospitality etc. for providing Intellectual and Information Services to other countries remotely from India, such as Knowledge and Data Processing, IT Infrastructure services, Software Development and Maintenance services etc. for conducting R&D remotely for other countries using labs and scientists in India

•   for providing Peacekeeping services world over, using soldiers from India, the way, Indian troops were used for fighting wars, o  by the British in other colonies, o  by the Portuguese in Japan, o  by the Dutch in Sri Lanka and S.E.Asia and o  once again by the British during World Wars 1 and 2. Post the world wars, Indian troops have been used by UN for peacekeeping. The Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) is the largest contingent from any country and the largest to have shed blood and sweat to maintain peace in the world. But going forward, with emerging shortage of youth elsewhere, they can provide such a service on Indian terms, than at the mercy of foreign powers. and for many more such causes ... People are going to be the strength and a mammoth brand of India.

Human Resource – A Future Brand of India

FROM BORROWING TO SAVING SOCIETY – THE NEXT FINE NUANCE OF FINANCE What to Save? Save Water! One of the most essential resource for production – whether of foods or goods, is water. Water may be a commonly available resource and India gets plenty of water during monsoons. India also has many rivers, yet the Indian ancients had seen prudence in saving every drop of whatever came down from the skies, before it flowed out into the seas. For, they knew that if they let it just rain and go away during monsoons, they would not have any water for the rest of the year. If Indians had the psyche of saving something as bountiful and ordinary as water, then what to say of something as valuable as food grains, money, gold or precious gems?

Saving, a Habit for Indians Saving, as a habit was practiced by individuals, by families, by a village, by a society and by the kingdom. The importance of saving at each level was emphasized as a necessity and a survival tool, safety net. This kept the units of civilization, at every level, financially sound, economically secure, culturally vibrant and socially healthy.

World In Debt, But Not Indebted This is against the global norm of a nation as a whole, borrowing from every source, at every level, to meet every kind of need. This has transformed the entire globe into a debt ridden world where every entity is literally “in debt” to each other but not really “indebted” to one other. If one falls, it pulls the other down as well due to the economic interdependency. Together, they all fall down with the slightest drop in prices, anywhere in the world. Experts have opined that India has managed to stay afloat in the recent few economic slumps due to its high savings quotient.

Savings in India Today World over, Indians today are known for their Saving attitude. Indians save anything and everything – right from money, jewellery, food, clothes, books, broken gadgets, old trinkets etc. and etc. The only thing they do not save today, is water for, they have pushed the storage bodies left for them by their ancestors as legacy, into a state of derelict.  Interestingly, it is the same substance called water, which got them into a savings mode. From time immemorial, if all of India had flourished as a prosperous civilization, then it is only because our ancestors had understood that the rain waters had to be collected and stored when it rains during monsoon, so that for the rest of the year too, there is enough water for living, farming and other industries. If, for 9 out of 12 months in a year, for many millennia, people have been in a mode of using the harnessed rain water judiciously, then the act of storing should have entered their genetic code itself, on a lighter vein. It is anyway a subconscious attitude of Indians. However, the one act of not saving water is pulling India down so much, that out has gone the attitude of saving and in its stead, is slowly settling in, an air of borrowing and that too mainly for development projects, some connected with water too.

Shift Of Savings Getting back the spirit of saving and storing rain water, as it rains, is the one single shift which can ensure ease of the other shifts, since sufficient water is the first step towards abundance. An abundant land means plentiful wealth and scarce scarcity. No scarcity means no scare, no stress and no fights. With saving sufficient water and growing enough crops 3 times a year, we can move away from borrowing and being indebted to other nations, to doing what we want to do, the way we want to do, when we want to do so. When India manages to showcase the value of its savings to the world and the world begins to recognize the value of the practice of saving, to

appreciate it and to start saving too, the influence of the Indian ethos of saving will be said to have played a huge role in shaping the economic ways of the world, for the post modern era, the way it had played a substantial role in India, of the past. It had happened in the past. It continues to happen in India even today. It can happen again in the future.

FROM POVERTY ERADICATION TO PROSPERITY GENERATION – THE NEXT STRATEGY An extension of the shift from Borrowing to Saving, is the paradigm shift from planning, making policies and implementing processes with an aim of generating prosperity, for all, rather than with an aim of wiping out poverty. It is to measure progress not by the reduction in the number of poor, but by the increase in the number of rich. Any step taken towards poverty eradication would subconsciously have been motivated by a feeling of pity, charity and inferiority. Whereas, steps towards prosperity generation, are taken with a feeling of hope, growth and positivity. Poverty is wished away as a temporary phenomenon. Hence steps taken to eradicate poverty will also be of a temporary and short sighted nature. Whereas, there is no end to the time window for prosperity. Steps taken with the goal of prosperity generation, will be far sighted and meant to give long lasting benefits.    These are the fundamental differences in what may seemingly appear to be the same objective.

Time for a U Turn

Poverty eradication is not the same as Prosperity Generation. As a nation, we should have been focussing on Prosperity Generation after the British left India. Instead, by choosing to focus on poverty eradication, we have lost an opportune time window of 7 decades. But, any time window is a good time to turn around and set things straight for a long lasting flourish in future.

FROM URBAN TO RURAL CENTRIC PLANNING – THE NEXT OUTREACH PLAN The Ground Reality In stark contrast to the principle of financing an economy through plundered wealth, which was the norm in medieval Europe, the Indian economy, through the ages, had grown and been sustained mainly through internal resource mobilization from its lands, mines, water bodies and forests.

When we pause and look back at the economic landscape of India, the flow of wealth over the last few millennia, the following points stand out very strong and clear. The wealth of this land came, not from colonial exploitation but through sustainable internal resource mobilization. The health of this land came not from centralized exploitation of the villages but decentralized nurturing of the villages. It was the Grama, village, that generated goods for trade, which in turn generated monies for the villagers in the Grama and for the traders in the cities, Nagara. The surplus generated in the villages supported towns and cities – i.e. the Grama, villages supported the Nagara, towns and not viceversa.

Now - Cities Supporting Villages i.e. Nagara supporting Grama

The cities, Nagara, mainly grew around:

•  Trade - Ports and Markets •  Knowledge - Religious and Education institutions •  Defence – Courts and Forts Production and Culture of all sorts could be seen spread extensively over all the villages, the Grama. It was an extensive indigenous Indian model of manufacturing.

Then – Villages Supporting Cities i.e. Grama supporting Nagara

The Cascading Realization Prosperity generation, for a nation like India, means enabling the hinterland to produce enough for own use, use by the rest of the nation and for trade with the rest of the world. Enabling hinterland to produce, means to ensure it is stocked with enough resources to produce – raw materials, water and manpower. While raw materials may be sourced locally or from nearby, for local industries, it is with regard to provision for storing water in the village, that steps will have to be taken. All said and done, if there is no manpower in the villages, then everything falls flat. The ancient Indian practice of a homestead is what will need to be revived to make villages the centre of the civilization, once again. The difference will be that, each homestead will be a veritable network hub of communication technology to keep connections with those away from the homestead as well as with the trade aggregators. Such a homestead can function in harmony, only when men and women get back to treating each other as their complementing part. Thus a simple shift of back to the village to generate prosperity implies a cascade of paradigm shifts that have to go along with it today, given the state of affairs today.

Paradigm Shifts To Align The Mind FROM EXERCISE TO YOGA – THE NEXT WORK IN Work Out to Work In As technology keeps evolving to replace the walking done by toes, with browsing done by fingers and striding on two legs with driving on four wheels, mankind runs a high risk of landing up as a human supported by life machines than being a human machine himself. The body muscles, bones and internal organs start to become rusty with minimal use or misuse. So instead of exercising the body with work, exercising the body with work outs has become the trend today. But come tomorrow, in the post-modern era, once machines have taken over much of the routine work and mind becomes more sought after than body, all attention will have to shift to the mind from the body, to the inside from the outside, to work ins from work outs. In such a situation, it is Yoga the technique of building the entire self, by aligning the body, breath, mind and consciousness towards a common goal, which will prepare people to tide through this era with ease. The very word Yoga as we all know means to align, join, come together, bind. As a matter of fact, Yoga with its focus on the entire self is a handy tool for all times as advocated by our ancestors and as confirmed by its continuity all the way upto our times. The distinction of this method is its practice of

keeping fit in all dimensions keeping fit from within keeping fit by uniting. The trend of seeking Yoga for staying fit in body and mind, which had already started in the last few decades has now picked up and gained momentum. It is all poised to become the global way of caring for the self and literally raising one’s energy and state of mind. The shift has begun and is heading in the right direction to herald in the postmodern, Mind Era soon. Yoga has been the brand of India in the past, continues to be an offering in the present and will become the standard of the future.

FROM HARD SKILLS TO SOFT SKILLS – THE NEXT SKILLSET We have seen how the Indian system of teaching young children with Rhymes and Fables, sought after by the world as it developed value systems and soft skills right from a young, mouldable age.

This is in contrast to present day approach of the corporate training in soft skills and ethics to adults, at their place of employment. The mind has already set by then, become rigid in its views and filled with one’s own perceptions of the world. How will such a mind absorb anything further? India has a tradition filled with rhymes and fables filled with morals    and values. India has a pool of talent to narrate or illustrate these tales.  India has modern technologies to aid effective communication. “Ethics Education From Early Years” is an area that India can focus on and teach, both its own young minds as well as those on foreign soil. This will be true to the age old image of everyone looking upto India for valued knowledge. It is an opportunity for India to mould the young minds of humanity with values of harmony and global living, Vasudaiva Kutumbakam, which that have been handed down from generation to generation in this land. When the world begins to respect all faiths, cultures, races and settle down to harmony, the Indian motto “Vasudaiva Kutumbakam”, will also be said to have played a huge role in bringing harmony in the world, for the post-modern era. The way it has been playing a substantial role in India and its relations with the world, of the past! It had happened in the past. It is going to happen again in the future.

FROM ENGLISH TO SAMSKRT – THE NEXT LANGUAGE OF SCIENCE A Kindling Aid We have seen how it is Samskrt literature and the ideas expounded in them, which have uniformly been one of the main sources of inspiration and

thought for all those who have been steered the era of Rennaissance, Industrialization and Modern Science. What they had come into contact with, is only a miniscule of what still lays unexplored.  Imagine what more it can kindle if approached, read and absorbed in the right spirit!

A Model Language – A Global Language Of Science Samskrt, the language was named so, because the word Samskrt means well done, refined. This language was created from natural, root sounds and refined with strict rules to suit scientific expression due to the likeness of every word in sound, form, function or characteristic to the concept / entity / action represented by the word. The root sounds too were grouped logically in accordance with the principles of sound and human physiology. Its scientific model with the rules formed a well-structured, well-defined framework for expressing scientific thoughts and principles as close to the reality in Nature. It thus was not just a language of expression but a “refined” language of expression - Samskrt. Irrespective of whether Samskrt is the Mother of all Indo-European languages or whether it was derived from Indo-European family of languages, with its defined and refined framework, it is an unique, scientifically modelled language for Science. Its flexibility in sentence construct balanced by the rigid rules of grammar also lends it a logical character, making it ideal as a language for digital processing.   Usage of English as a global language is only a 100 years old trend. Samskrt’s proximity to all the Indo-European as well as Indian languages as well as its potential use in expression of Science and Technology, especially in the digital world, places it in a unique position of having what it takes to be the “Global Language of Science”.

It is time India dared to play the imaginary Aryan Invasion card the other way round and popularize Samskrt in Europe and further West and East.

A LearningTool This ancient Indian language, Samskrt, has been ratified by many world international educationists, especially in UK, as a modern, scientific, speaking aid as also for its ability to improve fluency of speech with its exercising of all parts of the mouth and tongue. Samskrt is therefore, now being taught in a few elite English schools in UK. The present day script of Samskrt in Devanagari, has also been found to improve dexterity of hand and writing skills with its straight and curved lines.

Samskrt poem, written in Devanagari script, on the side wall of the building at the Haagweg, Netherlands

It is time, India caught on to this training aid called Samskrt, which is a foundation for all its languages, tongues and knowledgebase, to make it an educational tool for the world. Samskrt as a Speech and Language Tool is a brand that India should speak about, loud and clear, in the future.

FROM GLOBAL TO LOCAL AND SEASONAL – THE NEXT MENU Nothing can adapt better to changing seasons, changed topology, changed climate as Nature herself. If we observe carefully at the speciality of the plants that grow in various seasons, the trees that bloom in various seasons, the crops that mature in different seasons, the fruits and vegetables that mature or ripen in different seasons, we will clearly see a pattern. They all seem to produce just exactly what is needed by mankind or Nature to tide over the vagaries of that season. For instance, citrus fruits, rich in Vitamin C, abound in plenty during winter just at the right time to build body’s immunity against illnesses such as common colds and flu fruits with Vitamin A and Beta-Carotene such as Jackfruit, Mango, Plantains of India (not bananas) etc. make their appearance in time to ripen through the different months of

summer when the sun is high and their rich beta-carotene can help to protect the skin from the harsh sunlight. Fruits and vegetables such as Cucumber, Watermelon and other melons too, with their high water content appear in summer to keep thirst quenched Eating the wrong food in a wrong season can have detrimental effect instead. For example, one would not want to load the body with more water during winter when the body is already saturated with water due to lesser sweating. These are still some of the lesser problems. Imagine the kind of damage that can be wreaked by regular intake of out of season and non-local food too. The body must be going through a severe time shock and confusion.

FROM FAST FOOD TO FINE FOOD - THE NEXT DINING STYLE Further detrimental is the global trend of eating Fast Food, i.e food that has been pre-cooked or prepared in large quantities in advance, to serve quickly and save time. By the very nature of this need to cook in large numbers and store longer, such food go through processing techniques which reduce the nutrient value of the food. On the contrary, some of the ingredients used can even lead to fatal problems in the long run.  Hence, as far as food is concerned, a shift to local, seasonal, timely food will be a wise decision not just from a human perspective but many other angles too such as agriculture, logistics, local economy etc. India therefore had a word for this acclimatization – Desachar, meaning the practices of the land. It is much like the saying “Do in Rome what the Romans do.” Eat what each land has to offer you at that time of the year, at that place on earth, not in yours, at your time of the year.

India with its vast repertoire of recipes and the technical possibility of accessing them online with guides on what to eat, when, where, how and further innovative concepts around them can definitely lead the way in this shift ensuring that we all eat the right things, the right way at the right time.

FROM GLOBALLY WESTERN TO INDIGENOUSLY MODERN – THE NEXT TREND Shift in Right Vs Wrong The post-modern era, with an imminent shift of focus from the West to the East, will open the mind to a different perspective on the colours of the world, notion of development, dimensions of science, purpose of technology and goals of life. The post-modern era will be highlighted by the ability to think and discern the right from the wrong with the full awareness to discern, that right and wrong are not absolute but contextual. What is right in one place may be wrong in another.

What is right for one may be wrong for the other. Unlike the industrial era and modern era where colonialism and its vestiges, standardized the notion of right and wrong, the post-modern era will standardize the notion of seeing them in context. While Automation, the driver of the modern era helped with standardizing the notion of right and wrong and black and white, Artificial Intelligence, the driver of the post-modern era will assist in contextualizing the decision of what is right and wrong.

United By Technology, Divided By Tradition Post-modern era will be when the mind is open to seeing and accepting different dimensions in science, technology, culture and lifestyle. The sign of the start of post-modern era will be when each land is united, not by the same life style practices or industrial practices but united by the choice of technologies available and the mature mindset of knowing, what is right for them and when to use technology, for what to use technology and which technology to use to do the right thing. Such a contextual customization will usher in the trend of indigenously modern rather than global and modern.

A Sound Combination Some of the best examples for this can be seen from the world of music, where one can see the oldest musical instruments such as the lyre, flute, violin, drum, etc. as well as the latest in digital audio technology such as synthesizers, ipads, Roli-seaboards and what not being used to produce music all across the world. But the sound of music flowing out from each land has its own distinct flavour. The latest digital gadgets too, only imitate the sounds of the age old instruments.

An entire symphony within it, is its strength.

A Roli-Seaboard - New Age Music Instruments (rather Music Devices)

It is modern and global technology, yet is used to make indigenous music. India is way ahead in this realm too, with not only using these to create new harmonies which have won it global accolades such as the Oscar and Grammy, but also adapting them to replay old classical, traditional melodies with a modern touch to grab the attention of the young and global audiences too. India is known for her rich repertoire of her own distinct styles of classical, devotional, folk and Bollywood music. And all are based on the same underlying fundamentals of Indian music, namely Sruthi (pitch)

•  Tala (rhythm) •  Swara (notes) and •  Raaga (the way to combine notes to get melody)

to create Laya, harmony, a fusion of sound, mind and hearts. Indian music scene is a sound example of how old and new can coexist and enrich each other and still be indigenous, global and modern. India has a lot of scope to swing things her way in the name of indigenously modern. All India needs is the dare to shift and set the trend for others to follow.

Paradigm Shifts In Science, Knowledge and Awareness FROM GROSS TO SUBTLE – THE NEXT LEAP IN SCIENCE Modern science, over the last few centuries, has come to a good understanding of the gross. The next big leap in Science will be in the area of recognizing that this gross comes from the subtle, since it is now common knowledge that this entire Universe came out of literally nothing, after the Big Bang. The realization of the impact of the subtle on everything, including the gross, is going to be the next big step awaited in science. Whereas, the Indian knowledge system had recognized, realized and relished this subtle aspect of knowledge. Indian knowledge has been dealing with the entire spectrum, ranging from subtle to gross and from gross to subtle, in most of its works of literature, philosophy, spirituality and Yoga, where it has dealt with this subject effortlessly, voluminously and discussed it threadbare. Patanjali’s Yoga Sastra explains how to reach the realm of the subtle.  For instance, the Samadhi Padam of Patanjali’s Yoga Sastra shows the path to the state of trance, Samadhi.

This mindset could be the next big input that Indian knowledge system can offer to the advancement of science and take sciences and mankind itself to the next plane of understanding and “seeing”, as the Seers of India, the Rishi, had done before.

Present to Future i.e. Modern Era to Post Modern Era The applicability of the knowledge of India was not only in the past. It is waiting to play a much bigger role for future. For, to break through the glass ceiling that is holding back path, breaking discoveries in science and to transcend from gross to subtle, modern science will need the help of Indian knowledgebase. Unfortunately the west is not as receptive to Indian knowledge today, as it was about 200 years ago. But to break through this glass wall and transcend from gross to subtle, it will need the help of Indian knowledgebase and mindset. We have already seen how so many of the “modern” scientists and thinkers have studied Samskrt and have been influenced by this language as well as

texts from the Indian knowledgebase. It has reflected in many of their works too.

Breaking the Glass Ceiling

It is worth noting how some of those who have made revolutionary discoveries in the scientific world have lamented over the need for twinning the subtle sciences, more loosely clubbed with spiritual knowledge, from India, with the pursuit of knowledge in the west.

Call of Erwin Schroedinger

Words of Physicist Erwin Schrodinger, known as the father of Quantum Mechanics

Musings of Wheeler

John Archibald Wheeler was the physicist who first coined Black Hole and Warm Hole. He had occupied the chair that had previously been held by Albert Einstein. The above statement from Wheeler is from the recordings of Fritjov Capra in his book “Uncommon Wisdom – Conversations with Remarkable People”.

Admission of Heisenberg Remark of Werner Hesienberg, Quantum Physicist, Discoverer of Uncertainty Principle

This candid remark of Heisenberg comes from Fritjov Capra’s book “Uncommon Wisdom – Conversations with Remarkable People” where, in the chapter, “Howling With the Wolves”, he records this conversation with Werner Heisenberg, the discoverer of Uncertainty Principle at Munich in 1972.

Opinion of Oppenheimer

Words of Robert Oppenheimer, the nuclear physicist, known as the father of the Atom bomb, as quoted by Graham Smetham in “The Grand Designer: Discovering the Quantum Mind Matrix of the Universe”, Pg 102

Acceptance of Bohr Niels Bohr, the father of Atomic Structure, is oft quoted to have said

Source of Inspiration to Many Albert Einstein’s familiarity with the Indian school of thought is quite well known. One thing common about most of the scientists who have found Indian philosophy, Vedanta and spirituality relevant to their work, is their area of work being physics - atomic physics, nuclear physics, quantum physics and the likes. Fundamentally, these are the realm of the fundamental particles of the cosmos whose uncertain, unpredictable, as yet ununderstood behaviour and presence seem to elude common sense and near the realm of the subtle.

Even Nikola Tesla, the inventor of the Tesla Coil Transformer in the field of electricity, had found inspiration in Samskrt and his interactions with Swami Vivekananda, the spiritual leader of India.

Tesla, Attracted By The East Tesla – Vivekananda - Veda Connect Nikola Tesla (10 July 1856 – 7 January 1943), born in Serbia, was the genius who lit the world, whose  discoveries in the field of alternating polyphase current electricity, propelled the United States of America and the rest of the world too, into the Modern Industrial Era. 

Alternating Polyphase Current Electricity

Nikola Tesla in turn had taken inspiration from Swami Vivekananda and the Veda for his world acclaimed work. Tesla Meets Swami Vivekananda Tesla had met Swami Vivekananda in 1895. The meeting was arranged by French actress Sarah Bernhardt. Sarah Bernhardt, playing the part of ‘Iziel’ in a play of the same name, which was a French version about the life of Buddha, saw Swami

Vivekananda in the audience. Impressed by the Swami, she organized a meeting for him, which was attended by Tesla too. 

  

         Nikola Tesla and Swami Vivekananda

Sarah Bernhardt

Tesla Drawn Towards Veda Swami Vivekananda’s effect on Tesla was so great that he became a vegetarian and began using Samskrt words and concepts in his work. Nikola Tesla was very much impressed by the Samkhya cosmogony and the theory of cycles given in the Vedic text. He was particularly struck by the resemblance between the Samkhya theory of matter and energy and that of modern physics.  On 13th February 1896, Swami Vivekananda had written, in a letter to a friend,

From the book, “Letters of Swami Vivekananda” 150th Birth Anniversary Edition, p.281

The book, “Letters of Swami Vivekananda”

Tesla’s View of Prana and Akasa While working on Force and Matter, Nikola Tesla  studied  the concept of Prana and Akasha which gave him a new perspective to the Universe. He started viewing the world in terms of frequencies and energy, which resulted in him establishing his concepts on energy. In an article, “Man’s Greatest Achievement”, published in 1907, Tesla wrote about Prana and Akasa.

Swami Vivekananda too was eager to see Tesla’s theory at work. He writes in one of his letters,

A Poser On Unity Of Prana and Akasa Swami Vivekananda had written,

The mathematical proof of this principle came about ten years later when  Albert Einstein  published his paper on relativity and showed how matter and energy are inter-convertible.   Tesla and Vedic Thought Tesla’s use of Vedic terminology provides a key, to understanding his view of electromagnetism and the nature of the universe. Nikola Tesla is looked up to as one of the greatest scientist of all times. But, his connect with Indian knowledge is indeed thought provoking.

      Monument to Nikola Tesla at his Wardenclyffe Research Laboratory, Rock Point Long Island, New York.

It is worth noting that this was the period, when major discoveries and break throughs shook the world of science and these were the people behind these revealing discoveries. Again, the next set of break throughs are expected when the world breaks the glass ceiling to recognize the subtle, appreciate the subtle and understand something of the subtle. Then, the influence of Indian thought will be said to have played a huge role for the post modern era, the way it has played a substantial role in creating the present modern era. It has happened all through in the past. It is going to happen again in the future.

FROM AFTER TO BEFORE CREATION - THE NEXT BEGINNING Some of the highly expensive, long running experiments of the world, are the experiments being conducted in CERN at Geneva, Fermi Labs in USA, as well as many others all across the world to understand, “How this Universe came to be?”. A recent discovery through experiments in these labs, is that of a new subatomic particle in accordance with a theoretical postulate made in 1960s by Prof. Peter Higgs, due to which it got the name “Higg’s Boson”. It has become more popular as the “God Particle” though. Even with the path breaking discovery of this particle, scientists are still a long way from explaining the process of Creation and the origin of the Big  Bang and matter after the Big Bang. On the contray, Indian sciences and literature on Srishti Vignana, contain many references to what “caused” the Big Bang itself and how matter came to be from “nothing”. It can guide research on how the Subtle aspects of matter get transformed into Gross form of matter and energy. Just as Quantum physics created a turning point in the field of Science, this cue from India, can create a transcending leap in the understanding of the Universe, Creation, the process of Creation, as well as matter itself.

Further, since it is the different expressions of the process of Creation, the concept of Creator etc. which form the basis of religion, a better, scientific and rational understanding of the process of Creation also has the potential to help iron out differences amongst the various denominations of peoples across the world. It could usher in harmony, in an otherwise strife torn world. This cue, in the study of the process of Creation and matter itself, can be one of the biggest offerings of India to the world of physics, cosmology, philosophy, religion and what not … Literally God only knows what all benefits can arise out of understanding His creation.

FROM PURANICS TO GENETICS - THE NEXT APPLICATION TO STEM FORTH One of the areas of cutting edge research, in the coming decades, is going to be in Bio- Technology and Stem Cell Technology.

Banned in USA USA which has been in the forefront of various technological developments in the last century, had banned research on Embryonic Stem Cells during the reign of President George Bush. This stemmed from a Roman Catholic Church diktat. The ban was later lifted by the President, Barrack Obama. However this field of research is still bound by certain fine print rules and is a subject of debate in America This is the case with quite a few other western countries as well such as Germany, Belgium etc.

Former US President, George Bush signing the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act in 2006, banning Embryonic Stem Cell research. Subsequent and now Former President Obama can also be seen amongst those standing Source – US Federal Government.

No Such Impediment In India India, on the other hand, is in a wait and watch mode and has not laid down explicit rules regarding this discipline of engineering. This leaves scope for research and applications using Stem Cells in India. Some of the grey areas

and gaps in law too are favourable for conducting cutting edge medical and genetic research in India. For example, using gaps in law for the brain dead, ways to resurrect back to active life, those declared brain dead, is becoming the next area of research.

A Genetically Hoary Past India has had a hoary past in the sphere of Artificial Births, Genetic Enginering and Technology. When we look at our ancient legends, we have many stories of such research, starting from Prthu, Dadhichi, Drona, the 101 Kaurava brothers of Mahabharata period, 5100 years ago, to name a few. While some are described as short stories or in passing, some others have been described in great detail, including the technology or process used. For example, the technique used for the birth of the 101 Kaurava, 5100 years ago, finds detailed mention in both, the Veda and in the Mahabharata. Likewise, going back 7100 years ago, to the period of Ramayana, the narration of the birth of Rama, the divine, historic hero of India and His 3 brothers, has the distinct flavour of artificial intervention. Just that, it is mentioned in the lingo of those days, which we are able to relate to today, due to the development of artificial fertilization techniques and its prevalent practice in the last couple of decades.

Banking on Stem Cells The proof of Indian knowledge and practice of Stem Cell technology lies in the simple, continuing tradition of wearing amulets. Reduced to a mere lucky charm in recent times, not many are aware that the original talisman or amulet, was a tiny hollow, silver, casket, used for storing securely, a child’s umbilical cord and placenta from the time of its birth.

Now, given our understanding of cord blood, placenta, stem cells and their potential to act as a miracle cure for many diseases, currently standing at 80 and growing rapildy, we are able to put 2 and 2 together. The significance of an amulet must slowly be creeping in by now, that maybe our ancestors did indeed know about Stem Cells and how to use them medically to save lives, in case of dreadful diseases or handicaps. For otherwise, why secure a baby’s cord and placenta in a casket? Why tie this casket to the baby’s arm, or around its neck or around its waist, if not to make it easily accessible in case of emergencies?

Silver Lined Another glaring point to note - it does not seem to be a coincidence that this casket was made out of silver. Again, given our current understanding of the qualities of Silver to act as an effective antibacterial, antimicrobial element, is it a wonder that these tissues were stored in silver caskets? These amulets were given highest priority amongst jewels until the child is of the age of 5 atleast, for, this is the time window when children are most vulnerable to diseases as well as accidents.

Simple, Common Practice Then This practice was not only prevalent in India but was popular in South East Asia too as it can be seen even in Indonesia. Even today, it is the custom in the Bali island of Indonesia, to bury the placenta, amniotic fluid/water, blood and the vernix, which is the greasy, wax like coating on baby’s skin at birth, all together known as the 4 siblings of each child, in the courtyard of the house and build a shrine there in a ceremony called Mepetik. It is on the right side, if boy and left side, if girl. Until the child turns one and a half years old, prayers are offered there everyday and it is revered as the sibling of the child. Once the umbilical cord falls off, around Day 12, it is placed in a silver box and placed in a shrine over the baby’s bed until its teething, as a sign of protection from the God of Infants. Which, no doubt it is, as it has the potential to become one, if required and if processed well enough!

Thus, Bali being a land of offerings, every Balinese has to worship and make offerings at a minimum of 4 to 5 shrines regularly

•  village temple for the village deity, •  family shrine for the family deity, •  home shrine for the divinity who looks after their house, •  work shrine at work spot for the divinity behind their profession and •  sibling shrine where their own placenta is stored. These shrines are besides the principal temples in Bali, for some of the main deities.

Placenta and other parts buried in ground - A Balinese Custom. Photo Source - Candidasanetwork

Worship of Sibling Spirit during Telung Oton (18th month ceremony). Photo Source - Threads Of Life

An Umbilical Cord Ceremony in Bali. Photo Source - Candidasanetwork

Japan follows a similar practice of preserving the umbilical cord. The boxes are made of wood and called Kotobuki Bako, Kotobuki meaning celebration of marriage, new birth and longevity and Bako meaning box. While some are simple boxes, some are elaborate with a baby doll in Kimono, inside which the dried cord was stored.

Today, many use these boxes to store other souvenirs.

Umbilical Cord Stored in Wooden Boxes called Kotobuki Bako in Japan. Photo Source - muza-chan

An Elaborate Kotobuki Bako with a baby doll in Kimono. Photo Source - Muza-chan

Just An Empty Shell Today

Sadly though, the traditional knowledge of using these stem cells has gone into disuse whereas,  just the belief in them as lucky charms and the ritual of venerating them in shrines, continue in India and its neighbouring lands. Today, an amulet or talisman is considered lucky because it bears certain characters inscribed on it. Truth is, they were lucky, only because they bore the essence of one’s character but, not on them, in the form of script, rather withinside them, in the form of one’s stem cells and genes.

Roots of Stem Cell An amulet is called Tayak in Samskrt, coming from the root Tay, Tayate, which means “to go towards” or “go out of”, “spread out”. Just the right way to explain the umbilical cord which goes out of a foetus’s body and attaches the foetus to the mother by spreading itself against the wall of the womb as the placenta. Not only does the root Tay, represent the placenta and umbilical cord, this word Tay, shows an umbilical link between Samskrt and Tamil. For, the word for a biological mother in Tamil is Tai / Thai.

A Foetus in the womb

The Protector It is from this connotation of Tay and the use of an umbilical cord, in acting as a potential life saver, that the word Tayak has also acquired a meaning of “to protect”. And, from Tayak, Tayate etc. have come words for amulet such as

•  Tabij in Hindi and Gujarati •  Tayathu in Tamil •  Tayita in Kannada •  Tayuutu in Telugu •  Tayeet in Marathi etc. •  Taveez in Urdu and Talisman in English. Infact, the thread using which the Talisman, Tayathu is secured to the hip of a child / person, is called “Arana Kayiru”.

A Tayathu (Tabij) in an Aranakayiru

Kayiru means thread, Aran is a root word in Tamil, which means to protect, to safeguard. The word for King and Queen in Tamil is Arasan and Arasi, as they are expected to look after and safeguard the subjects of the kingdom. The word for government, which is expected to protect the interests of the country is Arasu. A king’s palace is called Aranmanai. Manai means house. Aranmanai is the house that symbolizes protection of the land and its people as the King lives there. Likewise, an Arana Kayiru is that thread which protects, since it carries the Tayathu, Talisman. It also plays the role of safeguarding modesty, as the thread that helps keep loin cloth in place. But, it would not have got the sanctity it enjoys, if it were not for its role of securing the Tayathu to the body.

The Eternal Protector

It will be further interesting to note that an umbilical cord is also more popularly called Nabhya meaning that which grows out of the navel and Amara, Amala, meaning that which is eternal. The English word “Amulet” grew out of the Latin Amuletum which seems to have had its root in Amala and Amara too. The first use of the Latin word Amuletum is ascribed to Pliny’s “Natural History”, which can be dated to as recent as 1st century CE, as Pliny the Elder died in 79 CE.  Amulets are described by him, as those that protect its owner. True ofcourse, considering they are his/her private Stem Cell bank. Just that these Stem Cell banks seem to have been effective – in cost, in cure and in carrying! What would we not give today, to learn about how to effectively preserve, protect and profit, physically and monetarily from that, which can protect us?  

Potential to Dare Why call the umbilical cord, Amara/Amala, eternal, if it were not for the fact that our ancestors had known that this piece of tissue, has the potential and magical cure for saving lives of the babies that it had once nourished? If they did not know how to use Stem Cells to cure, would they have banked them in Tayaks? Would they have called it by names such as bestower of eternal life, protector etc.? Can we still dare to doubt ancient India’s knowledge and prowess in dealing with Stem Cells? Can we not dare to search amidst the stacks of palm leaves lying in people’s houses or temples or museums and libraries, to find a lead, a spark, an inspiration to further our search for a long and healthy life? Can we not dare to project Stem Cell technology as a future brand of India?

By Rishi scientists

Noted ancient Rishi scientist like Sushruta, Charaka, Palakapya, Salihotra through the ages have discussed the various possibilities of Stem Technologies, in the idioms and languages of their times.

In Plant Kingdom too These research / experiments in India were not limited to the animal kingdom. Even in the plant kingdom, in Vrksha Ayurveda, Vrksha means ‘plant, tree’ and Ayurveda, ‘knowledge of well being’, genetic engineering has been discussed and applied.

Learning to Draw Lines The obvious prowess of ancient India in genetics and Stem Cell technology should not be mixed up with the phenomenon of Zoomorphism widely prevalent in India.

Zoomorphism Legends of morphing and zoomorphing have existed in this land and these were mainly from the Puranic legends. Zoomorphism is the act of portraying man or beast as a being with physical and behavioural traits of both, mixed in certain proportions and rolled into one. They are not real men nor beasts. Infact, they are not real beings at all. They are symbolic representations of physical or spiritual phenomenon, principles, traits and beings and are usually revered as divinities themselves. Popular Zoomorphic divinities of India, include popular divinities such as Ganesha, Hanuman, Narasimha, Jambhavan, Hayagriva, Vanara, Kinnara and Kimpurusha. These are not to be construed as literally attaching body parts of an animal to a human and vice versa through a surgical process. Zoomorphism  needs to be understood and appreciated from the realm of visualization where, the characteristics, the qualities of both beings merge to bring forth a two plus two equal to five effect.

Zoomorphic Divinities of India

Orienting Thoughts Zoomorphism is a form of communicating high level, philosophical ideologies using an image specially created for the same. The image is created by picking body parts from across men, beasts and birds, that are popular symbols for certain concepts and creating a new being by putting these together. Usually it is a mix of the body parts of a man and a beast / bird. Sadly however, in many cases, the image has stayed imprinted in the minds while the ideologies have faded away. Zooporphism has been a popular means of communicating ideas and the morphed forms have been accepted readily, since in Indian and Oriental

thought, transmigration of the soul between humans and animals, through different lives, is an accepted norm. The body and form are seen as mere covers, across births, for an eternal soul. Occidental i.e. the western view, does not subscribe to this approach or ethos.

During Pagan times Whereas during the Pagan period, when there was an intrinsic connect between man and Nature, we see that there existed a trend for Zoomorphism in the Greek, Roman and Egyptian civilizations too. Some of the figures that readily come to the mind include Centaur, Sphinx, Horus, Icarus, Pegasus, Pan etc.

Zoomorphism in Greece and Egypt

Across S.E.Asia

This practice and the zoomorphic figures travelled with Indians wherever they went. Some of these can still be seen in the form of sculptures in Thailand, Cambodia and other parts of South East Asia etc.

Zoomorphism in South East Asia

Zoomorphing Vs Genetic Engineering Zoomorphism is distinctive to India and is already a holy brand of India. But, in the race for technology that this world is in, it is Genetics and Stem Cell technology from India, that stand a chance of becoming future offerings from India, to the world at large.

Banking on Stem Cell Technology This is a right window of opportunity for India.

India is well suited to take this cutting edge research forward in the coming century, given that in this land, such practice is an intrinsic part of its ethos. Indian youth are scientifically trained, both in India and overseas. There are a plethora of people already doing nascent work in this field. Samskrt is not a dead language and manuscripts are traceable and readable. This can be a new frontier for indigenous medical research in India blending Ayurveda with Genetics and Modern Medicine. One civilization that can bring about a quantum leap in this field, is India, with its history of such research and practice, its philosophical perspective towards this subject and availability of literature, tradition, skills, capital, entrepreneurship and people.

Stem Cell Technology - A Future Brand of India

FROM RITUAL TO SPIRITUAL – THE NEXT ACT India has been adept at applying Mind Science techniques in harnessing mind energies of the cosmos for healing mind, body and environment as well as for physical applications, the likes of which the world has not seen or

experienced in the last millennium and more. This is so of a few other ancient civilizations too. But, in India, as we have seen, right from the time when the Veda were composed, this practice has been well-honed, well-organized, welldocumented and well-practiced discipline. Who else, but the Arabs of 8th century CE have vouched for it!

Abu Umar Jahiz was an Arab scholar who wrote works on theology, literature, animals, travels and politics. He lived between 776 to 869 CE in Basra near Baghdad. From this excerpt we can see that even during his times, Indians were adept at using Mantra especially for healing, cleansing etc. Even today, one can read reports of the astonishing benefits of a simple ritual called Agnihotra, on the environment, on agricultural output etc. There still are people who can perform this in India today and the numbers have started to grow based on evidences seen.

The practice of healing, purifying and influencing outcomes has 3 aspects to it – Mantra, Tantra and Yantra. It is thus a combined act of

•  Sound – Chant (Mantra) •  Gestures – Technique (Tantra) •  Patterns – Symbols (Yantra). But, for the Mantra chant to be effective, it has to rise from the plane of a mere, automatic ritual to that of an act done spiritually with mind, thought, wish, prayer, goodness and all these elements in unison. The scene today in India is one where Mantra are still chanted, but as a mechanical act without the spiritual thread uniting all aspects of it, without the inner belief that it will work, without a scientific understanding of this dimension. They are done more as a profession by the priest and more as a mental absolution or duty by the participant. If India can work at making this shift from mere ritual to spiritual and make the world experience this dimension of existence, this will be a great step, not only for the benefit of mankind but for pushing the boundaries of Science further too.

FROM CLOSED IP TO OPEN MIND – THE NEXT DOOR TO BE OPENED As we move through time, we find that, 

•  Fundamentals of existence have not changed since eternity. •  Principles of Science have not changed since Creation. •  Composition of the earth will not change in Billennia. •  Flora and Fauna on earth take Millennia to evolve gradually. •  Civilizational memory though changes every few Centuries. •  Human tastes change every few Decades. Given all this, is it not natural that we are bound to stumble upon the same old thing as new, every few hundred years?

In such circumstances, how can anyone claim to be the owner of the new found substance, knowledge, process or technique? How can anyone claim rights for anything found in Nature and the way to use it? What about all those who had been using it in previous eras with knowledge? What about all their descendants whose memories have lapsed or minds are diverted? What about all those who will rediscover it in future? Which is why even the Rishi, seers, who had the unique distinction of being able to “see” the workings of the Cosmos in all its dimensions, gross to subtle, only added their name and lineage to the Vedic verse to provide authenticity to the observation. They did not claim ownership of the fact. Who can? In a world of a one world family, where pockets of excellence are spread all over but natural resources are focussed in specific parts, the way to ensure benefits reach all, is to move from ownership rights to open mind. We have to develop an open mindset of Discovering together, Applying together and Sharing its benefits together. The world is in need of a paradigm shift from holding rights to anything and everything in Nature by virtue of funding the enquiry, to an open mindset of sharing Nature by virtue of being a part of it. This is what will aid an explosion of new options from a free enquiry of the knowledge, and freedom from vested interests to apply it.

Culmination of All Paradigm Shifts NEED FOR A SILICON - SILICA CONNECT Creating Ground For Illusion In the last hundred years, since man understood the potential in Silicon, there has been no looking back in the development of semi-conductor based technology, the driver for the digital world. Silicon technology has opened up more business and lifesaving possibilities due to the power and speed of computing, coupled with capacity to store information.  But, much as we egg on developments in technology and much as technology also modifies our lifestyle bringing in comforts, power, speed and solutions, it is also wont to usher in the undesirable. For example, while Silicon has opened up the realms of connectivity, it has disconnected humans from ground realities. Many live cocooned, in imaginary, digital worlds with all their needs managed by the tap of fingers on a glass screen. Silicon has led to an illusory feeling of power, a Maya that all problems can be solved using computers and solutions are just a click away. The power of Nature, Earth or Silica to humble everything in its way is lost on many until an event in Nature.

Moment of Realization The moment of realization comes when we look at what Buddha, the great, enlightened master did after His moment of realization. He just touched the ground with His hand.

Statue of Buddha touching the ground at the temple in Bodh Gaya, where Buddha attained Englightenment

This act of Buddha alone is suffice to show that even in the height of Ananda, as a human Himself, He felt it important to stay connected to the ground, the Earth, the Silica. It is therefore important to bear in mind that much as we are bound to progress in technology, gross or subtle, we cannot afford to lose the connect with earth, Nature and the fundamentals of Nature, since we have to live in body and flesh on this Earth.

To Exist or To Be India with its age old philosophical outlook on life, its purpose, the need for existence, the nature of existence – real or illusionary, how to stay grounded, connected and cross the maze of life has a lot to share with the world in this context. While the word “exist” has a connotation of exclusion, exclusivity and a state of separateness from others with its “ex”, the word for exist in India is “bhava”. It shares its roots and sentiment with

•  Bhuta for elements of Nature •  Bhu for earth •  Bhavan for a place that includes all, a home. A better word is Be, Being which comes close to bha.

India’s scope of existence has thus been a philosophy and a sentiment where “to exist” means to live in an integrated manner as a complete ecosystem. It is not to live “with” the ecosystem, which again denotes separation from the ecosystem, but to live “as an integral part” of the ecosystem.

FROM EXISTENCE TO ECOSISTENCE – THE NEXT STABLE STATE All going well, all these paradigm shifts should ultimately set the stage for a shift in mindset of mankind from “Existence” to “Ecosistence”.

Earth, In The Same Sky

That is, from existing individually for oneself, to existing integrated with everyone and everything around, as a part of the Ecosystem around us, extending all the way from our mother’s womb to the womb or centre of the Universe. It is to be aware of the fact that we are also an integral part of the environment around us. It is not “We AND Nature”, but “We IN Nature”. It is not “This Earth AND That Sky”, but “This Earth IN That Sky”. Once we get into such a mindset of existing as a part of every Ecosystem around us, it will make us more mindful, aware and conscious of who we are, what role we have to play, our duties and our responsibilities towards all in that ecosystem.

If everyone “ecosists” in this mode, everything else will automatically fall into place. Then there is no room for strife, only room for bliss. This state is what we have to strive towards as one of the mature civilizations of the world, both for our own contentment as well as to set an example for others to reach there. It is not a question of having to choose either – or, , between

•   

Science Spirituality

or

•   

Sense Sentiment

•   

•   

•   

•   

Technology or Tradition Innovation or Custom

•    Development

or

Restoration

•   

or

•   

or

•   

or

Progress Revival Economy Ecology Fashion Culture

or

Rationalism or Religion Realism Idealism

or

•   

Practicality or Philosophy

•  Ethics Or Moral •   

Current Legacy.

or

•  Black or White

They all can go and have to go together, in all shades of grey, as we march toward the post-modern era, the future. If these choices were straight forward, black and white and always the same, there would be no difference between past, present and future.

It is only the shades of grey and the numerous combinations of these choices to make, that keep the wheels of the civilization rolling in time, continuously, creating changes, creating a future steadily. The direction to move towards should be the one that will keep our mind stable and prepared enough to meet the steady flow of future and change with least disturbance and most benefits to ourselves and our ecosystem.

FROM TAKING TO GIVING – A SHIFT WE OWE Measure of Success One among the many fall outs of the world going through a commercial era, is that, success is measured through only one paradigm. i.e Economic, monetary, accumulated wealth. This is a fallout of Westernization, Globalization, Commercialization, Centralization and Aggrandizement.  This comes from the approach of giving over importance to the “gross”. It also leads to a sense of being crass as money power creates ego.

Whereas, the Indian thought followed a very clear hierarchy of Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha, where, Dharma took precedence over all other goals. Artha, the means, resources, economics came second, as only the vehicle to stay with Dharma, in resonance with Nature and principles.

Recall – Not of The Wealthy But of The Well Done If we look back in time, we do not recall the richest people across decades or centuries. For, the amount of richness, the value of richness, is relative. Whereas, achievers from across times are remembered for long, not for their wealth accumulated, but for their other achievements and successes. This is the paradigm shift that needs to set in, where success is not measured by its “gross value” but by its “subtle quotients” which

•  Bring about life changing benefits, •  Create path breaking ways, •  Trigger paradigm shifting thoughts, •  Generate idea setting models, •    all,

with the goal of promoting peace with self, society and Supreme – a feeling of contentment.

Having been born on this earth, with a limited lifetime and limited scope of physical existence, success in one’s existence cannot be measured by accumulation of momentary wealth alone. Rather, it has to be about one’s contribution to the sustenance of

•  Natural wealth, •  Social wealth, •  Cultural wealth, •  Intellectual wealth and

•  Spiritual wealth of all units, right from one’s family to the world family. Efforts to trace the path to all these different wealths are bound to lead one right up to India’s doorstep.

India’s Advantage Why is India poised to offer leadership in this direction to the world? For, it is in this civilization, that one can find that the material riches were not the “be all and end all” goal.  It was to

•  live in Dharma, with one’s character, one’s nature, •  assisted by Artha, economic means, •  to fulfil Kama, one’s human and earthly needs, desires, •   so as to attain Moksha, liberation from all bonds, as a rounded and contended being. In short, it was to stay connected with the material World, Society and Self, to be able to get detached from the material Self, Society and the World. How can this be possible?

The Incentive How can an entire civilization be incentivized to stay connected, yet detached from material wealth? To achieve this goal, India evolved a strategy of keeping people in continuous debt. When one is in debt, one will strive to accumulate, but only to give it away.  When income equals debt, there is nothing left. This was the Rn model of India. It was a model of being indebted for privileges enjoyed.

The Privilege

Right from

•  getting the privilege of birth / existence from nothing, •   to the privilege of being able to live using all things – physical to mental,

•  to the privilege of being able to die, leaving behind everything, one has certain debts to repay. These are debts to parents, ancestors, teachers, children, progenitors, divine elements and so on. It is to all those before and after, who make one’s living possible, directly or indirectly. Personal accumulation of wealth is thus, not the ultimate goal to be achieved in this game between life and death. It is a game of giving away, as one received, so that one is free of all debts and hence can eventually be liberated in spirit too, when liberated from form. But one can only give away, when there is a receiver. Hence, more than other privileges, it becomes a bigger privilege to be able to give away, to donate, Dhanam as it is called in India. It comes from the root Da which forms the root for donate, donation too. Dhana, donating, is therefore practised, regarding it as an opportunity to give, to be of help, assistance for common projects and thus a way of reducing one’s overall debts. India has therefore fashioned certain norms for the act of giving and thence receiving, to keep this spirit of debt alive.

The Giving and The Receiving A giving is done

•  with a sense of humility

Likewise a receiving is done

•  with a sense of humility too

•  with a sense of gratitude to the receiver for giving an opportunity to give

•  with a sense of commitment to stay detached from the gift.

•  with a sense of honour for being chosen as the receiver by the giver

•  with a sense of self-restraint and contentment to accept what is given.

It thus has been an Indian practice to honour the receiver in many different ways before giving away anything. It thus has been an Indian practice to pour water, or literally wash off one’s hands, after giving away, to indicate

•  cleansing oneself off a debt, •  sweeping away of one’s attachment to the gift and the flow of the gift from the giver to the receiver.

King Krishna Deva Raya, one of the biggest philanthropic kings of India, offering Dhana by pouring water He is eulogized by saying, that such waters from his donations, flowed like a river, all the way to the southern seas – A Bharath Gyan Illustration

Indian ethos

Global style

“It is the giver who Vs thanks”

“It is the receiver who thanks”

This is the fundamental difference in attitude to “giving” and “receiving” between the East and the West, between Humanism and Capitalism. This was the highlight of the interaction between Swami Vivekananda and the American businessman J.D.Rockefeller in March/April 1894 in Chicago. It was an interaction which highlighted the importance of giving and converted the otherwise closed businessman into one of America’s greatest philanthropists.

Nett Result The difference between receiving and taking is that, taking it is only limited by all that is there. Self-restraint and contentment are rare. A shift from taking mindlessly, all that one can lay one’s hands on, for filling up one’s own coffers towards an eventual goal of giving heartfully, all that one can spare, by keeping one’s wants bare, for the common good of all in society and Nature, is the mindset that can catalyze the society into shifting its paradigms of operation, across the 5 layers of the civilization, namely, 1.    from excessive consumption to sustainable leveraging of natural resources. 2.  from disrespectful violation to supportive conformance to social structures. 3.    from contemptuous ridicule to appreciative encouragement of cultural practices. 4.    from overbearing scepticism to positive reinforcement of intellectual traditions. 5.  from shackled to open-minded spiritual perspective. 

A Cascading Effect If mankind as a whole is to have a future, to live and see existence in all its full glory, then it is only based on the past, that too a successful past, from which we can take lessons on what works. From such a successful past and the present global trends,

•  identifying the required paradigm shifts, •  showing the way to shift by example and •  offering resources to aid such shifts is something that India is best poised to do now. It has nothing to lose and everything to gain.

A shift in the mindset, from taking to giving, is the leading paradigm shift, which can catalyse the paradigm shifts in all other aspects. In the oncoming Mind Era, it is towards such a mindset and the associated cascade of paradigm shifts, that India, as a traditionally giving and guiding civilization, has to lead the rest of humanity. This is what India owes to itself and to existence as a whole.

Brand Offerings From India For Future SETTING DIRECTION An autobiography is not just about recollecting the achievements of the past, but is also for setting the direction for future, based on the collective knowledge and experiences of the past. It is for gaining insights into our future, to ready us to meet the biggest challenge for humanity – sustenance. While this challenge of walking into the future may not look as ominous as invading armies, it is a far greater challenge in reality. It is a challenge for humanity as a whole for, it is a question of the very sustenance of a human race, which is heading down the path of violence and terrorism. It is here, that India with its experience, expertise and ethos could show a path forward based on

•  Ahimsa, non-violence •  Satyagraha, working from the realm of Truth •  Shanthi, peace •  Dharma, righteous living as per cosmic order •   Karma, to act, not be passive, but to do one’s duty to the best one can.

OFFERING SOLACE TO HUMANITY Modern world has been US Centric for the last century. Prior to that, it was Eurocentric for a couple of centuries. All major thinkers predict that the next century or two, if not the next millennia, could belong to the Orient. This is on the political side.

Shift of power across centuries

Along with this geo-political development, the world is going through another set of dynamics currently. This is on the religious side with a fallout on geo-politics and world order too.

Clash of Civilizations Crusades In the first millennium, the cross was planted in Europe. In the second millennium, the cross was planted in North America, South America, parts of Africa and Asia. At the same time, the Christiandom has had to face the belligerence and opposition of the Islamic world. Each have replied to the other through crusades and other forms of aggression. Islamic Iberia For a couple of centuries, Islam had its sway over the Iberian peninsula of Spain and Portugal. Eurabia There is a fear looming large over Europe that over the next century or so, Europe could turn into Eurabia with the infiltration of the Arabic Islamic civilization into Europe in sheer numbers.

Another Clash of Civilizations

A hypothetical clash in the near future between these two religions and the outcomes of such a clash has been brought out in a landmark, seminal book titled “Clash of Civilizations And The Remaking of World Order” by Samuel P Huntington, an American political scientist, advisor and academic. Though written in 1996, its relevance in present day world cannot be ruled out. Though hypothetical and a talk today, if such an advance were to happen, there is bound to be another big clash between civilizations – the present European civilization and the Arabian Islamic civilization. But it may not be confined to these two and could likely polarize the world into 2 camps.

Silent Majority Irrelevant As per the estimates of different intelligence bodies of the world, it is estimated that only about 15% to 25% of the people belonging to either religions exhibit extremist tendencies. But, due to their ferocious approach they are vociferous. Due to their belligerence, they take centre stage, capture power and exert their extreme ideology on the silent majorities on either side, who constitute over 75% of the general population. The silent majority and their opinions are made irrelevant.

Humans and Humanity It is this silent majority, that needs solace in the form of both tangible and intangible aid. At the time of such a clash, if there is a third civilization that can stay neutral and offer to arbitrate, help find solutions and apply a soothing balm on either side, then it could well be the Indian civilization. For, the Indian civilization, for over 1 millennium, has had good engagement with both, the Islamic as well as the Christian cultures. It has also found different levels of harmony with these religions in the subcontinent. It is the civilization of India that can step up to bring solace to the silent majority, so that these brethren of the world can move forward hand in hand as humanity in a humane way.

While all of us should hope and pray that such a clash does not occur and better sense does prevail, the role of the Indian civilization as an arbitrator and friend for the next century seems imminent. Spirituality that gives peacefulness, solace, contentment and friendship has been a brand offering from India for millennia and is likely to stay so in the future too.

SKY IS THE LIMIT These are but a few of the probable brands that could rebrand India. It is key for India now, to identify more such vital needs and niche products that leverage India’s strengths, as well as indigenous techniques for manufacturing them green and clean, to reclaim its brand.

RISING ABOVE EARTH

Some of the recent accomplishments of India in 2017, after its successful Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalayaan) and the Moon Mission (Chandrayaan), includes deployment of maximum number of satellites in a single mission, numbering 104 and totally weighing 1378kg.  Of these 104, one of them was India’s Cartosat-2 which itself weighed 712kg and 2 other were smaller Indian satellites weighing under 10kg satellites. The remaining 101 were for other nations such as USA (96), Netherlands (1), Switzerland (1), Israel (1), Kazakhstan (1) and UAE (1) taking the total of satellites launched for other nations to 180.  Within 4 months, in June 2017, India again deployed yet another set of 31 satellites. All this has come from the stables of ISRO, Indian Space Research Organization, after its humble start of carrying rocket parts on bicycles.

India’s Apple Satellite under testing before successful launch – June 1981

Today the story is different. The world is rapidly becoming a rising market for India’s affordable satellite launching services which is possible because of sufficient number of suitably and highly skilled research community in India as well as practical, indigenous innovations that India has been able to pull off to keep costs affordable. Besides direct applications in communications, many satellites launched are for Space based research, a field that does not give direct returns immediately. India with its affordable services in the Space sector, thus is an attractive provider for all those engaged in such research. Once India also sets foot on Moon and returns successfully in the coming years, it will give a further boost to India’s indigenously developed Space Services making Space Services a far reaching brand of India. The lift off is not far off!

RISING MINDS If India is a land of Gurus, what about the Sishyas, students? Where are they? Also, if India has to guide, lead, true to the essence of its brand and name, Bharat, how can it guide, lead without showing and teaching? From this endless list of offerings, paradigm shifts needed in society and the potential power in the mind, it is clear that the system of education too has to undergo a paradigm shift to be able to achieve all this. For, how can all this be steered and sustained without steering the Minds first? Just as technical education or hard skills are gradually taught all the way from early childhood in the form of Sciences and Maths, Minds too will need minding at various levels.

•  In early childhood, to inculcate values and duties, for which India is already equipped with its vault of value based education through fables, legends, customs and traditions.

•   In Youth, to imbibe subtler aspects of existence such as power of mind, sound, breath, thought, knowledge, energies and matter, for which India is ofcourse geared by virtue of its various schools of Yoga, finely refined language of Nature and Science called Samskrt which straddles the domains of both subtle and gross with ease and the various works in it right from Veda, Sastra etc., besides poetry and philosophy. 

•  In Adulthood, to apply the Mind for Mind Sciences and Mind based engineering, for which again, India has tremendous potential lying potent in its hitherto unexploited, traditional sciences. Institutionalization of such aspects of knowledge and relevant style of learning in early childhood and youth, is the basic step towards shifting

•  from being a follower of a global, materialistic trend •    to becoming a leader who emphasizes indigenous

ways of

understanding oneself and working with one’s strengths. The clincher for future, lies in the act of providing for Minds to Rise, with the establishment of Mind Spaces, i.e. Centres of Excellence for Mind Engineering. Spaces, that will not only cater to the development of Mind Engineering and Mind Engineers for the benefit of India, but those, which will, with an open mind and open arms, welcome students from all across the globe to benefit from India’s storehouse of “real” knowledge which includes the gross as well as the subtle – knowledge of the Real, Vidya. Spaces, that will be provide room from where one can

•  hone one’s mind and its capabilities •  connect using one’s minds, •  see with one’s inner eye, •  understand one’s space in Space, •  learn to coexist in all levels of spaces and

•  create space in one’s heart for one and all. When India succeeds in showing the way to leveraging the Mind and also succeeds in changing the mindset of the world to go indigenous and still remain connected with each other and the Cosmos, is when India will become a true world leader, a Jagat Guru. That is when the brand called Bharat and all that it had stood for, in the past many millennia, will come to life once again. Such Mind Spaces, where the minds can rise to reach beyond, will be an accomplishing brand offering from India, which can lead all the other offerings from India, from the backend.

THE BRAND WAGON OF INDIA - THEN AND FUTURE

Bull symbolizes greatness in India as also truth and correctness. The way to refer to great heroes in ancient times was to use the title Rishabh or “O bull among men”. Such bulls, found their place on coins minted by the people right from the Sindhu - Sarasvati Valley (Indus Valley) in North India to Sri Lanka.

Coins with Bull, Peacock and word Setu minted by Yazhpanam Arya Chakravarty - Kings of Jaffna, Sri Lanka, who looked after the Rama Setu (Adam’s bridge) on the Sri Lankan side.

One of the many Indus Valley Seals with a bull glyph

India’s brand wagon of simple bullock carts with futuristic brand messages, are here to highlight the blend of

old and new green and clean great and humble life and machines indigenity and innovativeness physical body (Pashu) and abstract mind (Man). It does not necessarily mean going back to bullock cart age. Given India’s recent successes in Space technologies, which incidentally started off on bullock carts, not just Sky, Space will be the limit.

PART 6 - LEAD AGAIN, INDIA

Bharat – A Sustaining Brand BHARATA – RELISHERS OF “BHA” Land that Relished Knowledge In the word Bharata,

•  Bha means light, enlightenment, knowledge •  Rath means to relish, enjoy, take pleasure in. Bharata thus came to stand for the land where people relish knowledge.

Land That Relished Nature Sustainably Bharata also means a land that enjoys sunlight, knows how to relish sunlight and in turn Nature. The integrated, indigenous model of India, which had sustained it in the past, if can be rejuvenated in the present context will be one that throws light, knowledge Bha on the principles of relishing, Ratha, the bounties offered by Nature in a sustainable prosperous manner. Such a thought leadership and practical wisdom is what India can offer and needs to offer to its own people and to the world community at large, to make this world a better place to live in! Not only will Bharat denote the land where people relished knowledge, but the name “Bharat” will take on a newer meaning. The name Bharat will become a brand and stand for a land where people relish the bounties of Nature in an enlightened manner, to achieve sustenance of both self and everything around.

LEAD THROUGH LEADERSHIP Brand Bharat stood for leadership in guiding people on

how to understand this world of Science and Nature, how to strike a balance with Nature in day to day living, how to live naturally. It is time now for building a brand recall, to take a leaf out of India’s past, to learn, to put to practice and to propagate the good practices that had made it prosperous and made the world look up to it. It is time now to gather whatever teachings our ancestors had left behind, inorder to model ourselves after a proven model, even if it means daring to be different. The assured success of the same in a wholistic manner, based on our past record, is bound to induce others to follow India. The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi says this in his own way as,

It has never been India’s nature to stay behind and follow others. India has been the leader in every sense of the word and has led the world by example. Time, India does a soul searching and allows leadership to emerge.

India of the Future INDIA OF THE PAST – A GREEN AND GREY MATTER A look at all the brands of India in the past, bring out a few points very clearly. The Brand of India was built due to the export of both merchandise and knowledge. The knowledge exported from India changed the thinking of the west to lead us all to the modern scientific world we have evolved into. But the wealth of the land mainly came from trading worldover, in products that were organically and indigenously manufactured in India. It was the artisans, labourers, farmers and traders of India who earned the wealth for India. It is to their credit, should go the brand “Made in India”. At the same time, it was the intellectuals of India who made the rest of the world look up to India for knowledge and ideas. To their credit, goes the brand “King of Wisdom”. With the wealth of wisdom and the prowess to produce, India was at its heights of glory. Bharat earned its name due to both these types of people – the brawny artisans who worked with the green Nature and  the brainy intellectuals who worked with their grey matter. To put it bluntly, it was the labour class who brought in the wealth for the civilization through their diligent labour who, from being privileged, became the under privileged and the downtrodden

class, during the colonial rule due to loss of their profitable vocations. it was the intellectual class who developed knowledge for this civilization as well as for sharing with others, who from being the looked upto and looked after, became outdated in outlook during colonial rule due to the entry of “modern”, “rational”, ‘scientific” knowledge from the West.

BHARAT WAS HARD AS METAL AND SOFT AS PETAL The presence of intellectuals resulted in this land being called Bharat, a land where people relished knowledge. This came from Bha for light, enlightenment, knowledge and Ratha for relishing, represented by the thousand petalled Lotus. The presence of skilled metallurgists and other artisans and craftsmen, resulted in this land being called Bharat after Bhartiyo which denotes metallurgy and crafts. This word comes from the root verb bharti which means to bear, to contain. This in turn comes from the root syllable Bhr which alludes to carry, preserve, maintain, hold, protect etc. This is why, the metallurgists of yore, who made vessels were called Bhrigu. Even today vessels, pots and pans are called Bhartan in Hindi and other north Indian languages.

A MATURE CIVILIZATION THEN What also comes out clear is that, there were mainly two different sets of people, who earned wealth and respect for this land – the wealth creation community comprising of the producers, traders and navigators and

•   the knowledge creation community comprising of scholars and philosophers. The kings and army were to ensure that these 2 communities were not disturbed in their occupation and the civilization’s prosperity, name and fame kept growing. Their name grew with it. India thus was a complete civilization, comprising of people with different skills, following different passions and vocation, living and working together to bring name and fame for themselves and their land. It had gained maturity in brain and brawn.

A RIPENING INDIA NOW India has not showcased its brands, skills and intellect from the past to its own people, leave alone to the rest of the world. India is perceived as a chosen partner today due to economical labour and raw material. But what India fails to see is that much of its comeback is due to its innate ability to tap into the strains of genes and memories that have continued to

stay with it Dexterity, honed across generations, that lies potent within its genes and craftsmanship and

•   Wisdom, accumulated across generations, that lies latent within its memory and texts even today. Many of the trades that form the backbone of India’s economy today seem connected with its old skills and ways: Diamond trade is back from olden days. IT industry has blossomed from nowhere from the olden prowess of logic and maths. India’s Dye industries continue to colour the world but in the modern and chemical way. Textile exports from India continue to play a key role in the global scene. India’s strength in the Iron and Steel market is slowly growing.

•  Indian brains are sought after, world over. India is once again beginning to showcase both brains and brawn. Despite all this growth in this span of close to a century now, India is far from being called a world leader as it once was. India is not ripe enough to be called a mature player in global markets yet.

INDIA’S SOFT POWER Trade brought in prosperity. Ethos gave it endurance. With its trade monopoly, knowledge power, inexhaustible sources of wealth and deep rooted culture and spirituality, Bharat i.e. India, over millennia, had quietly exercised a soft power over the world, despite having come periodically under the brutality of hard power from various quarters.

Today, India with its large population of the young, is a large global supplier of skilled workforce as well as essentials and raw materials for many industries. At the same time, India is also a large consumer of white goods from world over. The higher need for essentials and workforce versus white goods or luxury items itself, places India at an advantage in the dynamics of the world. India again is on the threshold of gaining status as a soft power of the world owing to this imbalance in favour of India in the long run.  Will India exercise its power?

INDIA OF THE FUTURE - A STEEL AND GOLD MATTER Key to succeed and to holding trade leadership, lies in becoming a producer for the world. But India has to ensure that the focus is on creating products that are niche and necessary, that are qualitative and quantitatively large in numbers, so that it can put the large skillable labour force of India to work. Key for being looked upto as an overall leader lies in lighting the way to a different path in times of need. In times like today, the world has reached a plateau in commerce, sciences, arts, relationships. The only news making events in the world seem to be wars over religion, occupation and resources. There is a palpable need for something positive to look forward to, to look up to and to stand up to. It now lies in the hands of the present generation of Indians, as to how they would like to position India in such a global future. Will India astutely merge the apt from the tested old days and the testing modern ways, to lay the path for her future? Will India prefer to ape others blindly and stay behind in the race or will she choose to follow her proven heritage paradigms and lead the race? The grand feat of a paradigm shift itself can become the biggest brand for India in the future.

Actually, India has all the power to change the rules of the race itself as well as the global pace, if only Indians dare to dare!

But for this, Indians will have to first realize that leadership has been the main brand of India and this came from the innate ethos of this civilization. And to be leaders once again, they have to be different, they have to become Indian once again. They have to understand the Indian ethos, believe in its power and dare to hold on to it, to see the difference ....      India will need “Nerves of Steel” to dare and persevere to lead in future and a “Heart of Gold” to be pure and sincere to those of her own and others, who will start looking up to her.

Epilogue INDIA, A GIVING CIVILIZATION From the various brands of Bharat, that is India, it becomes abundantly clear, that India has been a “Giving Civilization” for millennia, playing a very crucial role in the shaping of the world by actively engaging with the whole world. Some of these associations still linger in India’s as well as world memory and history, with some bitter and some sweet. Some of the other engagements have been forgotten by the world and yet some more, by the Indians themselves. Some are contributions, that have been played down by powers, that be and have therefore gone unnoticed. But the sum total of all these is that, Indian produce, Indian knowledge and Indians themselves have been sought after by the world to

•   Gain spirituality – Many from world over, came to India to learn Vedanta, Buddhism, Yoga and a lot more. Monks and saints from India too have travelled world over and continue to do so, spreading this knowledge of oneness amongst ourselves and with the Divine.

•    Gain

knowledge – Many from world over, have come and learnt from Indian scholars the secrets and phenomenon in Nature i.e. the sciences and their application in the form of technologies. Many are the Indian works which have been translated and found their way across the seas and come back later to India in a newer garb of modern science.

•   Gain sugar – Many from India, were taken away by force or guile, to sweat hard in foreign lands, for the sake of sweet sugar

for the rest of the world.

•   Gain power – Many of the able bodied from this large land called India were compelled to fight for the smaller kingdoms of Europe so that they could gain power over each other and also conquer the rest of the world. One’s gain is another’s loss. India lost many lives in these encounters.

•  Gain technology – Many have been the technologies and trade secrets, practiced in a sustainable manner for millennia in India, that have been learnt or taken away surreptitiously to be altered in ethos and practice, to either create more comfort in a few cases  or create more damage to people and Nature.

•    Gain

wealth – Many have been the incidents and ways by which, local moveable assets in the form of gold, jewellery, diamonds and precious gems from India were taken away by the world in the name of trade, tax and torture.

•   Gain food – Many have been the instances, when food grains that grew abundantly in this land and cattle, were forcefully sent to meet the growing hunger of these growing powers, at the cost of even creating famines in India.

•  Gain labour – Many have been the men and women, who have been made to toil all across the world in a glorified form of slavery to create amenities, wealth and pleasure for their foreign masters.

•  Gain Ships – Many have been the large Indian ships, that have captured the attention of the world and inspired them to produce their own versions. Many have been the ships, that have been built or captured from India, to add more sea power to their lands.

•   Gain Resources – Many have been the small mines, that have been widened to scrape more from the earth and many have been

the ores and other natural resources taken away to feed industries elsewhere in the world.

•  Gain Timber – Many have been the Indian trees, cut and taken away, as plain timber, for use in shipbuilding, railroads and other building activities world over, for millennia.

NO ILL-WILL The list here, as well as some of the deplorable details in this entire Series, is not to breed ill-will or seek revenge or even justice. For, lot of water has flown since and the clock cannot be turned back. But nevertheless, it is a shared history of India, with many countries of today. It is a glimpse into what has made the world, what it is today – with its goods, bads and the uglies. And, by raking up this shared history, if we, as mankind can convert more of the “bads” and the “uglies” to the “goods”, then the loss of India would not be in vain.

GIVE SHE WILL, AGAIN Despite all this loss, India, due to her resilience and resources has risen once again. She has gained strength to be recognized as a growing economy, as an emerging power. She has learnt the ropes at playing, as per the rules of today’s world too. The fun will start, when she starts setting the rules by which, the world will have to play in future. It is something that she was doing naturally for over 2000 years till the 1700s.  And that day is not far off again. But only, if she learns to manage her resources well and deploy them wisely, combining principles of the past with resources of the present for value in future. That is when India would have scored a lead.

That is when India will be seen as a leader once again. Not a leader, making good for herself alone, but for the larger interest of the global family that she is a part of. India has to go back into the mode of giving if she wants to secure a future for herself as well as for the world. She should give, not with a sense of arrogance, but a sense of gratitude  for being where she is located geographically, how she is rich resourcefully, what she is but naturally. She should give, to keep the spirit of giving, alive and to keep the self esteem of her children, revived. She should give, to show that there is more to living than taking. She should give, to show that there is more to the world and in the world than that which meets the eye. She should give, to open minds to receiving the subtle than being closed and close to the gross alone. She should give, to influence the world to become a better place to live in, in line with her motto Krnvanto Vishwam Aryam (Lets make the world a noble place). That is when the true essence of the brand, “Bharat” will make sense to all. Once again ! When History meets Tradition and Tradition meets Science and Science meets Nature, Can we advance as truly mature peoples.

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