List of Indian inventions and discoveries by INDIA

This list of Indian inventions and discoveries details the inventions, scientific discoveries and contributions of India, including both the ancient and Modern India.

Architecture Astronomy Agricultural science Ayurveda Medicines, Treatment of Deases, Plastics Surgery Biology Botany Chemistry Physics Mathematics - Algebra Calculus Combinatorics Geometry - Logic Probability Statistics Trigonometry Geology Geophysics Geography Mineralogy Cartography Technology Social Science =============== Economics Social sciences Psychology Political science

In Modern Time we have developed Automobile Engineering, Information Technology, Communications

Knowing its knowledge

Creation Time Calendar Astronomy Om - its meaning and significance Evolution Ayurveda Viccithra Janana - Unusual Birth Vimana - Ancient flying machine Metallurgy Chemistry - Rasayana Geography - Bhusastra Architecture Mathematics Warfare Engineering and Technology

CREATION
"An effort to understand the origins of this magnificient creation. An absolutely incredible journey to an event that no human or Go has had the opportunity to see." The urge to understand as to how this universe was created has been there for man from the very beginning. Modern science has been asking this question as to how this Universe was created and have tried to understand it in a scientific manner in the last couple of 100 years. Various civilisations the worldover have also asked this question and given answers in their own story form. The Indian scientific text the Veda and its other related texts like the Upanishad and other texts have not only asked this question about creation but have also given detailed and scientific answers to the same. In this subject capsule we look at these questions and their answers as given in the Indian texts. It is indeed amazing to know that the understanding of creation is not mentioned in passing in the Indian texts, but is in fact, discussed in great detail. The concepts of creation is discussed in a whole range of texts like the

Veda - 3100 BCE Upanishad - 3000 BCE 18 Purana Manu Smrithi Brhath Samhita - 5th century Samarangana Sutradara - 10th century

From the above list we can see that the discussion on creation in India has not been a one off effort but has been discussed regularly and repeatedly over the millennia and over the centuries. Some of the concepts used to discuss this creation are

Nasadaya,

Hiranya Garbha, Indra-Vrtra, Padmanabha, Om, the primordial sound, Lingam, the column of flame, Why lotus is used in the creation imagery, Panchabutha, the 5 step of creation from the subtle to gross, 108 - reasoning - sumuham, equilibrium required for creation to take place Narayana

All these concepts, which are expressions of different aspects of creation, are discussed here, from a scientific perspective. This subject capsule brings clearly to our understanding that the questioning and awareness of how the creation took place is not a new phenomena in modern science. The Indian Rishi scientists have repeatedly asked this question and looked for credible answers over 5000 years back itself. These questions and answers as found in the Indian texts can now be confidently looked at today, understood in modern scientific parlance and more importantly used in the latest scientific research to understand how creation took place.

TIME
"To understand an abstract concept in simple terms." The concept of Time is unique to India. While the West could think of time from an antiquity 6000 years to 6 Million years that too only in the last couple of hundred years, India has had a concept of thousands of Yuga and Kalpa running into crores and crores of years. We frequently come across the terms Yuga, Kali yuga, Dwapara yuga, Treta yuga, and Krita yuga collectively called Chathur yuga leading on to Manvantra, Kalpa, Brahma dina, Brahma masa, Brahma varsha and finally Parardha. The Time span associated with each of the above terminologies is huge, mind boggling and hence seem confounding. In this capsule an effort is made to understand them not a just abstract figures of enormous time span but as astronomical events and their measure which these terminologies and their time span actually denote. 1. The calculation of Yuga which is an alignment of all the planets of the solar system in conjunction with the star Ashwini in the mesham Aries constellation.

2. The time span of each yuga

Kali yuga 4,32,000

Dwapara yuga Treta yuga Krita yuga

8,64,000 12,96,000 17,28,000 ----------

Chathur Yuga

43,20,000 ----------

From the above, it is clear that 4,32,000 is 1 Unit of Time. What is the sanctity, more importantly the scientific reasoning behind this 1 unit of time being 4,32,000 earth years. 1. Manvantra -14 of them in number, their names. This is the time taken for the sun to complete its revolution around the center of its galaxy. 2. Kalpa - 30 of them in number, their names. One Kalpa is the life span of our Sun Surya One Kalpa is also the time taken for one complete revolution of the farthest star in our galaxy. 3. Similarly, the understanding of Brahma Dina, Brahma Masa, Brahma Varsha and Parardha as astronomical events. How is it possible for Brahma to have such large earth years, as their day, month, year and life span? This intrigue is explained with visuals, as to how our ancients understood the variable concept of Time in space, in different loka, namely other inhabited worlds of the universe. 4. The concept of Pancha mandala and its astronomical significance. o Chandra mandala o Prithvi mandala o Surya mandala o Paramesthi mandala o Swayambhuva mandala Scientific explanation of the same which is corroborated by modern astronomical research is discussed with visual details. 5. Daily sankalpa is the concept of time keeping, from a cosmic calender to a geo- calendar. In all, the scientific nature of time as understood and practiced even today by Indians, can be seen and appreciated visually. Where did they get this knowledge of time?

Our ancients concept of time and the modern concepts of time and space seem to match well not just with the calculation of elapsed time, but also the concepts of measurements viz a viz space and its evolution Kali the goddess, Shakthi is shown as dancing on or along with Shiva who is also called as Maha Kaleshwar. Kali is refered to as the energy of time. Taking this view further, being amazed at the specific astronomical knowledge and the movements of astral bodies which were measured in the form of Time, could there a 4th dimension which has lead to this knowledge. Kali - the energy of time could well represent this 4th dimenstion.

CALENDAR
"Perhaps controversial to start with but futuristic in approach" In this subject capsule, we question the scientific nature of the Gregorian calendar that we are following now. Similar to this, there are a variety of calendars being used in different parts of the world.

Almost all these calendars have their origins to a particular earthly event or the birth of a Divine or Noble person. With this civilization and the world going scientific, can we depend on a medieval calendar in the future? We are on the verge of entering the space age. Can any of these present calendars be used in the coming space age as a space age calendar? In this subject capsule, we offer the Indian Sankalpa calendar, as a credible alternative for this world as it enters the scientific age and in space age usage.

ASTRONOMY
The knowledge of astronomy is one field that India has excelled in. Dirghatama is considered to be the Ist Astronomer/ observer as per Indian tradition. The word for astronomy in the Indian text is Jyotisha. The term Jyotisha is also used to indicate astrology. The term Jyotisha is drawn from the samskrit word Jothi to mean a luminous body. Astrology Vs Astronomy:

Astrology is a predictive area of the work dealing only with the zodiac belt of the stars and the transit of the sun, moon and the five planets namely Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn within this belt and its probable impact on the mankind on this earth. In contrast to this, astronomy deals with the whole sky and not just the zodiac belt. There is nothing predictive in astronomy, it is clearly an observational science. Scientific Indian astronomy: The scientific aspects of Indian Jyotisha or astronomy are discussed in this subject capsule under the headings:

Geocentric view? Navagraha Scientific naming Comets Eclipse Parallax Distance Horizon Measurement Ashtami/Navami

Indian astronomy - Geocentric ? As astronomy is a traditional observational science of India, there are scientific aspects to it. Being a field of observation, the Indians from very early days have not looked at this universe from a geocentric point of view but have in fact understood the heliocentric nature of solar system and have mentioned it in the Rig Veda, as well in the Markendeya Purana among the other texts. While the solar system is heliocentric, the galaxies and the universe had each their central points, was also well understood and brought forth in the Indian astronomy. Scientific naming: Given this depth of understanding, every aspect of the sky in Indian astronomy be it the moon, the full moon, the new moon, the eclipses, the planets and most of the stars in the firmament have all have a scientific basis for their naming. Legends in Indian astronomy: There are many Indian legends in the field of astronomy. These legends by themselves are nice moral stories. What is to be understood in them is the scientific aspects of the observation of the sky through the centuries which have been beautifully embedded in the stories. These are expressed in the various Purana of the land. These are meant for the common man and have been passed from generation to generation. All the same, these legends are also meant for the astronomer to cull out the data of the astronomical observations and use them for furthering the research in the field of astronomy. Prominent astronomers:

This land of India have been fortunate to have through the centuries and millennia a great number of original observational astronomers.

Some of the prominent astronomers of India have been:

Aryabhatta Agasthya Viswamitra Lalla Varahamihira Bhaskara I Baskaracharya Varahamihira

and other medieval astronomers are discussed in specific with visual details. Indian astronomy for the future: All of these above astronomers along with a countless number of others have created a huge mass of astronomical data to be used by us for now and for the future generations to come. India is the only country today which has a record of continuous astronomical observations of well over 7000 years and more. As the world is now going into an astronomical era this knowledge compilation should come in handy to the cosmologists for a better, wholistic understanding of astronomy and cosmology.

==============================================================================================

OM - its meaning and significance

OM is a symbol, syllable that now has come to denote, Hindu religion. A popular poster of OM states OM has over a 100 meanings and one of them is Welcome to Gods. In this capsule we look at the meaning and scientific significance of OM and how it has journeyed through the World over the millennia. In the Indian thought, OM has been expressed as the primordial sound. It is echo of the sound reverberating in the universe, which originally occurred when this universe began. In its journey through the world, this same OM has been adopted by the local civilizations variously as

Amun in the Egypitian civilization, Amen in the Roman civilization, Ameen in the Arabic civilization

The original of this expression, its meaning and its significant is the same world over.

A couple of decades back, 2 modern Physicists have been awarded the Noble prize for identifying this echo of the Big Bang. Our ancient Indian Rishi - Seer Scientists had with their intuitive knowledge then, identified this primordial sound OM understood its meaning, its significance, its origin and its ever lasting all pervading nature. We need to appreciate the Indian thinkers for their deep insight into the origin of OM. With this understanding, we can realize that OM is not just a symbol of one particular religious faith, but has its scientific ramifications not just on this earth but also all through the universe.

==============================================================================================

EVOLUTION
When we talk of evolution, the first thought that comes to our mind is, as to how man has evolved from the monkey. A person with a deeper insight would to think of, as to how life evolved on earth from a single cell organism to what we are today. In the Indian knowledge system this evolution process is called Parinama or change. While in the western sciences evolution is a linear upwardly inclined movement of life. In the Indian thought, Parinama is a cycle of creation, evolution, sustenance, to destruction of life, world and universe for re-creation once again. This Parinama is from the very moment of the creation of the universe i.e from the Big Bang of the universe to the dissolution of the universe by its retracting back into its primordial cosmic egg form called in the Indian texts as Hiranyagarba the Golden Womb. In this subject capsule, we look at the Indian concept of Parinama from the Vedic and Puranic texts. We look at the the origin of life on earth and its evolution through the Dasavatara concept of Vishnu. The very wordAvatara in the Samskrit language means, to come down or to descend. The Dasavatara concept of Vishnu which has been written in our Puranic texts about 5000 years back itself are in the same sequence as espoused by Charles Darwin about a 100 years back. When the world is looking for answers for present and future problems from the past experiences, the Indian view point as to how Parinama i.e evolution has been taking place and shall continue to take place, should give us interesting insights as to how we can look at evolution as a wholistic concept and not limit ourselves to the thought of evolution from monkey to man alone.

============================================================================================== AYURVEDA

Ayurveda is the knowledge of the life sciences of India. Ayurveda is not just rejuvenation massages, Churan (herbal balls) and Kashayam (herbal decoction). In this visual story its hoary past is brought to focus.

We trace the history of Ayurveda from Brahma to Bharadvaja, and how it has reached us today with its various branches of knowledge. To the layman Dhanvanthri is the God of Ayurveda, Charaka and Susrutha are just two names in this field. Each of their significance and role in the development of Ayurveda as an authentic branch of science has been brought out. Some of the highlights of this visual presentation include 1. Susrutas Rhinoplasty surgery. The detailed surgical procedure, when it was noticed by English doctors in India, from where it was taken to England to perform the first recorded Indian nose surgery in England. 2. Details of Other Surgical procedures, the Susrutha and his shishya parampara (lineage) excelled in namelyCataract Surgery its detailed step by step procedure, Bladder Surgery and dissection procedures. 3. The name and images of the 121 instruments used in performing the above surgeries through the ages from Susruthas time. 4. The methodology of training young surgeons to use their deft fingers in surgical procedures. 5. Charaka - Compilation of medical treatise, codifying medicine, organising symposia, qualities a vaid should possess. 6. Charakas Oath for young physicians on Ethics of Medical Practice. Did Hypocrites borrow some of the points from this Oath or was it vice-versa? 7. Takshasila Maha Vishwa Vidhyalaya University specialised in advanced medical training for over 500 years attracting the best students from Japan to Rome who specialised in the field of medicine. 8. Pioneers in different fields of Ayurveda like Ophthalmology, Paediatrics, Yoga, pharmacology. 9. Vicchitra Jananam Unusual Births - 101 Kauravas born to one mother around the same time. How was this possible? 10. Spread of Ayurveda practice to different parts of the world in the last 3000 years. 11. Smallpox Vaccination procedure origins from India. 12. This Capsule efforts to show that various myths in ayurveda are not just myths but could very likely be scientific realities. Some have already been proved by modern medicine and some of the other myths may also be proved right in times to come. This should give us confidence and prove the veracity of our medical science, Ayurveda and enable use of the knowledge for preventive medicine and holistic health.

==============================================================================================

Viccithra Janana - Unusual birth

In our ancient text there are a number of examples where the birth had not occurred in the normal biological way. Some of the examples that come readily to mind are: 101 Kaurava, Pandava, Karna, Gatothkacha, Vedavyasa, Agastya, Karthikeya, Sita, Kusha, Draupadi, Drishtadyumna, Sagara putra and others. If we dwell into the details of their birth we come across interesting and detailed process of their birth which finds parallel in the modern day cloning. In this capsule, each of the above examples is looked at in visual detail drawing comparison to the modern techniques of cloning.

While the world is debating whether cloning should be allowed to be researched, India has, as is evident from the above details, a history of cloning and unusual birth at different times in our civilisation. Ideally, India can and should position itself as the place for research in modern reproductive and cloning methods.

==============================================================================================

VIMANA Ancient Flying Machine

We have all heard of Pushpaka Vimana in our epic, Ramayana. Aircraft and spacecraft are mentioned in our epics, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Purana and other ancient texts. These are generally considered as figments of imagination. A deep study in our ancient treatise reveal technical details of some these ancient vimana. A search into details of the working of these vimana leads one to 1. Vaimanika sastra written by Maharishi Bharadwaja 2. Yantra sarvasva Maharishi Bharadwaja 3. Samarangana sutra dara Raja Bhoja These have also been translated into English in the last hundred years with technical drawings of the ancient vimana. This capsule on Vimana is a collection of information from these texts and it presents probable vimana technology in India from ancient to modern times with interesting details like

Technical sketch of 4 ancient vimana

Rukma - Conical in shape, golden in colour Sundara - Rocket like with silver sheen Tripura - Three storied, wide body Sakuna - Greyish in colour, long distance cruising model

Inter and Intra loka travel Vimana classified into 3 types depending on their range. Short haul - Travel from one city to another Long haul one continent to another

Intersteller space ship - one Loka to another The 7 Loka (inhabited world) in the Universe Bhoo Loka Bhuvar Loka Suvar Loka Maha Loka Jana Loka Tapo Loka Satya Loka

Mechanisms of the vimana 32 Mechanisms found in the vimana which have been broadly classified as Offensive Defensive Camouflague Equipment

Fuel

Liquid extracted from wood deposits - liquid hydrocarbons? Condensed frozen gas stored in vessels - Cryogenic ?

Motors

Six types of motors and the power generated by each of them. Metals and their alloy

Somaka Soundalika Mourthvika

Food and Clothing for the pilot

First Flight by an Indian Shivkar Babuji Talpade in the year 1895 at Chowpatty, Bombay Vimana name - Marutsakha Tippus rocket technology Year 1792, used in Seringapatnam battle. Now kept in Rotunda Museum, Woolwich, London.
The capsule concludes with - The future beckons India in aerospace. How and Why this ancient knowledge of our Vimana can be used by us in the future.

==============================================================================================

METALLURGY

India is called Bharath. A metal vessel in Hindi is called bhartan. In the Gujarathi language a metalsmith is called bharatiyo. Does this phonetic similarity indicate metallurgical advancement in the ancient Indian civilization? The most famous piece of metallurgy in India is the Delhi Iron Pillar. This has been called a rustless wonder. While the Iron Pillar of Delhi is known to all, there are many more such examples. These wonderful metallurgical marvels were possible because the Indians knew how to cast superior quality steel.

Wootz steel manufacturing story The Europeans from the days of Alexander to the British colonisers of the 18th century marveled at the quality of our steel, which they called wootz steel.

Some of the outstanding examples of the wootz steel are:

o o o o o

Gift of 100 talents steel to Alexander by Porus - Raja Puru King Saladins Damascus sword Kollur Iron Pillar Dhar Iron Pillar Iron beams of Konark

India manufactured and exported large quantities of this wootz steel to Persia, Arabia and from there on to Europe from time immemorial to the early part of the 18th century. The British colonisers crushed this industry to facilitate the import of a much inferior quality British steel into India. A pictorial story along with the process of manufacture is discussed. It is possible today to replicate this manufacturing process in our village industry.

Metallurgy Sophistication & Proliferation Metallurgy as a whole had reached an advanced stage of sophistication and proliferation during the days of Ashoka. Over 25,000 metal statues were cast and installed during his period in different parts of India. This speaks eloquently of their skill and the spread of metalsmith all over the country. String instruments like the veena and tanpura, which required fine quality of metal strings, was manufactured. Michael Faraday for his electrical experiments insisted on wootz steel, as it was the best of his time. Sir Walter Scott in his novel The Talisman speaks of the superiority of Damascus sword over the Excalibur.

Big Guns India had cast some of the largest cannons of the world. The outstanding ones are:
o o o o o

Malik i Maidan - Bijapur Jahan Kosha - Murshidabad Landa Kesab - Bijapur Long Gun - Gulbarga Rajagopalan Gun - Tanjore

Zinc Zinc distillation is extremely difficult. The reason being zinc has a boiling temperature of 907degree centigrade and evaporates around 970 degrees. Hence it was difficult to smelt. Only the Indians knew the method of extracting zinc from the ore. They devised an ingenuous method known as the downward distillation process. This downward distillation process was probably known to and practiced only by the Indians from 500 B.C.E. to about 1500 C.E.

The Zinc smelting industry flourished in Zawar in Rajasthan for about 2000 years. The Bidriware zinc inlay work of Deccan is a popular example. The Chinese learnt the zinc smelting process from our traders in the 1500s and from China it went to England in 1700s.

Copper Copper - Tamra had been in use right from 8000 B.C.E. The evidence of which can be found in the Mehargarh excavation. The purity of copper in the Harappan samples is found to be around 99%. The present day purity of copper is also around 99%. Large copper statues especially of Buddha had been made in different periods, which stand testimony to the continuity of the skill through the generation.

Lead Similarly the purity of lead found both in Lothal and Mohenjadaro is around 99.7%, which again goes to prove the techniques used by the ancient metalsmiths may appear to be crude today, but they had produced the purity similar to the present day.

Pancha Loha

Five metals 1.Gold 2.Silver 3.Copper 4. Lead 5. Tin Casting the Pancha Loha icons or statues has been one of the metallurgical highlights. The Europeans called it the lost wax method. This method was neither lost nor unknown to us. It has had a continuos unbroken tradition and is cast even today in many places, one of them being Swamimalai in Tamilnadu. The classic example of this type of icon is the Nataraja idol of Chidambaram. India today is slowly but surely regaining its position of preeminence in the field of metallurgy

==============================================================================================

CHEMISTRY RASAYAN

Chemistry or Rasayan has been one of the advanced and practiced sciences of India. Chemists in Europe from ancient to medieval times were thought of as black alchemist. During the same period in India it was not looked at as sorcery, but was considered a refined and respected science. We have had practical chemists in India down the ages, who practiced with ingredients and methodologies prevalent in their times. They are our potter, metal smith, brewer, pharmacist, pigment, paint maker, alchemist etc., All these people have used indigenous technology with locally available material to make outstanding products, some of which are:

Indigo extraction Indigo extraction is a chemical process of dying, which has been practiced in India right from the days of Harappa civilization to the 1900s. An unbroken and unique production process practiced for over 4900 years. This came to a halt with the industrial production of chemical dyes in Germany from the year 1900. The traditional Indian indigo production was unique because the method involved a subtle chemical process. The control and utilization of this chemical process determined the quality of the indigo dye. The Indian brewers of indigo had understood and mastered this.

Pigments and paintings Paintings in caves, textiles and on other material have been practiced in India from ancient times with vegetable dyes, some of which are fluorescent and bright even today. The cave paintings of Ajantha,Sitthanavasal are standing proof.

Gandharasa and perfumery Perfumery has been used in India both for religious purposes and for shringara. The mother of Nurjahanfirst distilled Attar in India, which was later taken to Arabia where it became famous.

Mercury extraction Mercury has been given many names in Rasayan, which goes to show its wide use and popularity. It was used in medicine, in alchemy and as a catalyst in other chemical processes. Many methods of mercury extraction were practiced.

P.C.Roy, father of modern chemistry in India His contribution in assimilating this vast traditional knowledge is to be appreciated. He also brought out as to how it can be put to use for the benefit of the people of India for the present and the future.

Kechari Vidya - Chemistry of teleporting This could well be the future of chemistry. The science of Kechari Vidya or teleporting has been discussed in some detail in the various Indian texts. India could probably contribute in a big way to modern day chemistry and application of this technology.

==============================================================================================

GEOGRAPHY - Bhusastra
The subject geography is called Bhusastra in the Indian languages. Bhu meaning earth and Sastra the science of it. The earth is called Bhugola. Gola means round. From the terminology itself it is clear that from ancient times, through the medieval times the Indians clearly knew the earth to be round. That the earth was round and not flat, was known to us from time immemorial. It is there in our literature and sculpture. In contrast, in Europe the thought was the earth to be flat, till the 15th century when Galileo showed the earth to be round. Some of the other concepts of Geography or Bhu sastra in India are:

Rotation That the earth rotates on its own axis and revolves around the sun is clearly stated in the Rig Veda 10.6.5,6 and also by the eminent scholars like Aryabhata and Brahmagupta.

Pole The concept of : 1. The Pole running through the centre of the earth. 2. The concepts of North pole and the South pole,attributes of climate and topography at the North and the South Pole. 3. The area of the poles. are distinctly mentioned in the Sama Veda and Atharva Veda and also by Aryabhata, Varahamihira, Lalacharya and others.

Atmosphere The geography of the earth is not limited to the surface of the earth alone but also includes the atmosphere. Lalacharya in his work Sishyadhi vrudhi Tanta, speaks of the 7 atmospheric layers above the earth. They being:
o o o o o o o Avaha Pravaha Udhwaha Samvaha Suvaha Parivaha Paravaha

Time Zone The Indian Standard Time Meridian passes through Allahabad 82.5 mast of Greenwich Meridian which passes through London. The Greenwich Meridian concept was formed when the world was Eurocentric and the English power being dominant world over. In the days of yore, when the Indian civilisation was looked up to for its knowledge the Meridian of the world was in India. The Meridian then passed through Ujjain. In commemoration of this, we have the shrine of Maha Kaala Eashwar, the Great Lord of Time, at Ujjain. Kaala indicating the concept of time. It is indeed interesting to note here that Ujjain is located at the junction of this Meridian and the Tropic of Cancer. It is not only the Indian geographers who speak of this Ujjayni Zero Meridian but also the Greek geographers like Ptolemy mention of Ujjain in their maps as `Ozene'. In the 17th century Raja Jai Singh built his observatory called Yantra Mahal in the line of this meridian. Aryabhata in his text Aryabhatiyam Chapter-4, Verse-13, speaks of the 4 cardinal cities on the earth along the equator. In that verse he states that , When it is sunrise in Lanka, the same Sun sets in Siddhapura. It is noon in Yavakoti and midnight in Romaka. From this, it is clear that the 4 different time zone periods on the earth and their respective position of day and night was well understood by the scholars of India 1500 years back itself. After Aryabhatta, Varahamihira, Lalacharya, Bhaskara, Sankaranarayana repeatedly speak of the Indian Zero Meridian of Ujjain and the Time Zone concept of the world with the Indian Meridian as its centre. Latitude and Longitude: The concept of Latitude and Longitude which are in fact imaginary lines has been expressly stated by the leading Indian thinkers like Aryabhata, Lalacharya and Vateswara. They give specific term for these lines. For example the equator is called Vishuvathvrutta. Measurements: The different measurements of the earth like 0. diameter 1. equatorial circumference 2. surface area of the earth

and their linear measurements are given with surprising accuracy of detail. In conclusion, Albiruni who came to India in 1030 CE in his magnum opus book Kitabu'l Hind expresses his amazement at the knowledge of India in various subjects. With regard to the subject geography or Bhu Sastra, Albiruni expresses his amazement at the intrinsic knowledge of :
o o

the concepts of spherical earth the poles and their properties

o o o o

the concept of rotation and revolution and the attendant heliocentric theory The existence of atmosphere and its extension The Indian concept of time zone and its applications to lands that has not been visited at all, like the other side of the earth. The sizes of various continents and the knowledge that they are spread out in other parts of the world.

Gravity: The term gravity and the concept of identifying gravity is attributed to Sir Isaac Newton when he observed an apple falling down in the early 1700's. Etymologically the word gravity probably has its root in the Samskrit Indian term Gurutva and Gurutva Karshana i.e the force that attracts. The concept ofGurutva is discussed in our texts like Upanishads by Adi Shankara and later in 1100 CE by Varahamihira and Bhaskaracharya in 1114 CE, among others. From this it is obvious that this understanding of the force of gravity was known to Indians for nearly 5000 years and successive eminent scholars have written about the concept of gravity in their scientific works repeatedly. From the above information, it is clear that the Indians right from ancient times through the medieval times had good understanding of the geography of this world and used this understanding in their scientific workings and in their travel. Through this multimedia presentation on the geography of India or Bhu Sastra , let us relish this knowledge of India.

==============================================================================================

ARCHITECTURE
Indian Architecture- oldest example in the world. India has had a glorious tradition of Architecture for well over 7000-8000 years or probably more also. The oldest structures are of the lower levels of the Harappa and Mohanjadaro region especially the Mehergarh excavations which have been dated to be around 5000 B.C.E. which is about 7000 years before present. IfArchitecture had reached such high levels of precision about 7000 years back, then for it to evolve to that level, would have taken probably more than a couple of 100 years. So India has had a tradition of Architecturefor well over 8000 years or more. Vastu Sastra Science of Architecture. This science of Architecture in India has been traditionally called as Vastu Sastra- Science of Architecture andVastu Kala the art of Architecture. Mayan and Vishwakarma primary practitioners lineage: The main primary practitioners of this science and art have been Mayan and Vishwakarma and their lineage of followers through the ages . The most prominent Mayan is the father-in-law of Ravana who

built the beautiful cities of Lanka for Ravana. The legendary city of Indraprastha which was of envy to the Kaurava princes was also built by a Mayan. The Tamil text Silapathikaram speaks highly of the building qualities of Mayan. The Vishwakarma the world renowned builder as the name itself suggests, has built many a wonderful structures in the ancient civilisation of which the two prominent ones which are now submerged and still visible under the sea are the Nala Sethu bridge near Rameswaram for the Vanara army to cross over to Lanka in 5000 BC.E and in 3000 years B.C.E, the city of Dwaraka for the Yadhava clan at the request of Krishna. Sindhu- Saraswathi civilisation- planned towns: It is interesting to note that the excavations of Harappa and Mohanjadaro which are dated to be around 3000 B.C.E is in the same time period and in the same geographical region like Dwaraka and Indraprastha. The more than 2000 excavations of the Sindhu Saraswathi civilisation speak of a high degree of the town planningarchitecture and skill involved therein. It is this skill that has permeated down to us today in the various archaelogical remains that are found all across the land, built in the last couple of 1000 years. If the landscape of India is today dotted with beautifully sculptured temples, palaces and monuments it is because of the continued lineage of the skills of Mayan andViswakarma who lived in every generation to carry on the hoary tradition with scientific precision, skill and aesthetics. In the Indian concept, architecture and civil engineering is space usage in rhythm with nature, not just for man but for all living beings.

==============================================================================================

MATHEMATICS - GANITHAM
The subject of mathematics is truly one of the offerings of India to the world. The pre-eminent scientist Albert Einstein aptly sums it up in his famous quotation, We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made. Let us start at the very beginning, from zero. Zero is today a commonly accepted numeral that is taught to every kindergarten school child. Can we imagine that just about 400 years back , Zero was not understood by Europeans or for that matter many other civilizations of the world ? Whereas in the Indian civilization Zero was commonly used in the calculations for 1000's of years. The resistance to Zero in Europe, how the Europeans came to accept Zero very grudgingly and it was only then science developed. Infact, till the year 1500CE Zero was considered a devil by the Europeans. Like Zero, many other mathematical concepts like
Algebra Trigonometry

Geometry Algorithm Squaring the cycle Decimals Pythagorus theorem Pi Triangles Averages Fractions Ratio and proportion Permutations and combination Cone Power of 360 Squaring the cycle Infinity

the origin of which concepts can be traced to India. Right through the last few millennia to this date, Indians have produced outstanding mathematicians who have been rightly portrayed as the crest of a peacock as mathematics is the fountain head of all knowledge. In this subject capsule, we look at in specific detail, India's offering of the very word Mathematics and its various individual components.

==============================================================================================

WARFARE
Man has fought wars from prehistoric times for territory, wealth, pleasure and fame. The greatest war to haven been fought on the Indian soil is the Kurukshetra war in Mahabharatha were 47 lakh persons died in 18 days. In this war the most famous battle formation is the Chakravyuh. This and the other vuyh battle formations used during the war are discussed visually. Was the Kurukshetra war an atomic war? The astra - weapons - missiles are looked at from their purported meaning drawing parallel with understanding of present day missile technology. A look at the features of the missiles used by Rama in his war. The Baghzkoy inscriptions of Turkey mentioning about the treaty where Indian Gods as witness is discussed. The 3 concepts of War, Dharma Yudha, Kuta Yudha and Tusnim Yudha with the traditional stories and modern examples are looked at. Alexander's conquest of India is seen in new light.

British conquest of India, and how the British were able to pierce the chinks in our armour. Some interesting technological advancements in the Indian Army today. The future wars are going to be fought not just with bullets, but through trade blocks.

==============================================================================================

Engineering and Technology

When India is one of the oldest civilisations of the world in which sciences and art flourished, Engineering and technology would also have been developed in this land. Engineering and technology is the application of sciences for productivity of the people and progress of the land. Some of the ancient Indian technological advancements have been in the areas of: Fire making: Controlled making of fire was the first major discovery. In India the first person to come up with the technology of making fire has a name to him Atharvan. Wheel making: The wheel was probably the next level of technological elevation. The potters wheel, the spinning wheel, the chariot wheel are some of the early mentions in the Indian texts which date back to many millennia. Ice making: India has a procedure of making ice in the tropics for a very very long time. This has been reported by Sir Robert Barker FRS in 1775. This ice was used in making Sherbath and Kulfi in the Indian summers where the temperature touch 1120F or more. During the colonial rule, this technology was suppressed to provide for the trade of bringing ice to India from Newfoundland in U.S.A by the Tudor Ice company. Magnets: The magnets were first explained in Europe by William H Gilbert and demonstrated to Queen Elisabeth I. In India we have the chemistry text Rasarnava which is over 1500 years old, in which 5 basic varieties of magnets are mentioned. They being: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Bramaka makes one move Chumbaka catches iron with clutching effect normal variety Karshaka attracts the object Dharavaka helps fire in melting metals most powerful Romaka causes hair stirring in metals fine variety. These magnets were further classified into 90 varieties.

Electricity: The notion of electricity is discussed in good detail through the Indian texts in: Rig Veda Samhita Agastiya Samhita Purusha Suktha Vaimanika Sastra Lens: Lenses were invented by Roger Bacon in 1292 CE. Approximately 2000 years prior to this time lenses have been described and its uses discussed by Gautama in his Nyahadharshana. The description being : That which cannot be perceived with naked eyes can be perceived with the help of instruments with lenses made of Kacha (glass), Abhrapatala (Mica), Sphatika (crystal), substances. The uses of lenses have been discussed both in Vaimanika Sastra and in Ayurvedic texts of Charaka. Technical terminologies: The native Indian languages have got specific terminologies for various engineering and technological needs. The most popular of these being the terms: 1. Mantra formula 2. Yantra design structure of materials devices 3. Tantra techniques of internal operating mechanisms. This interpretation of these 3 terms thus helps us to understand from their technological application perspective. Samarangana Sutradhara: The Samarangana Sutradhara is a compilation of various knowledge systems of India during the rule ofRaja Bhoja of Central India around 1000 C.E. In this text various mechanical devices, hydraulics and their applications primarily for the purpose of entertainment and amusement is discussed in good detail. Conclusion: Through this subject capsule, we see the technological marvels India had through the ages for enhancing its productivity and also for leisure and amusement. This speaks of not only the development of sciences but also its application to reach the common man.

Some of the following facts may be known to you. These facts were recently published in a German magazine, which deals with WORLD HISTORY FACTS ABOUT INDIA.

1. India never invaded any country in her last 1000 years of history. 2. India invented the Number system. Zero was invented by Aryabhatta. 3. The world's first University was established in Takshila in 700BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4 th century BC was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education. 4. According to the Forbes magazine, Sanskrit is the most suitable language for computer software.

5. Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to humans. 6. Although western media portray modern images of India as poverty striken and underdeveloped through political corruption, India was once the richest empire on earth.

7. The art of navigation was born in the river Sindh 5000 years ago. The very word "Navigation" is derived from the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH.

8. The value of pi was first calculated by Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is now known as the Pythagorean Theorem. British scholars have last year (1999) officially published that Budhayan's works dates to the 6 th Century which is long before the European mathematicians.

9. Algebra, trigonometry and calculus came from India . Quadratic equations were by Sridharacharya in the 11 th Century; the largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Indians used numbers as big as 10 53

10. According to the Gemmological Institute of America, up until 1896, India was the only source of diamonds to the world.

11. USA based IEEE has proved what has been a century-old suspicion amongst academics that the pioneer of wireless communication was

Professor Jagdeesh Bose and not Marconi. 12. The earliest reservoir and dam for irrigation was built in Saurashtra 13. Chess was invented in India 14. Sushruta is the father of surgery. 2600 years ago he and health scientists of his time conducted surgeries like cesareans, cataract, fractures and urinary stones. Usage of anaesthesia was well known in ancient India .

15. When many cultures in the world were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley ( Indus Valley India in 100 BC.

Quotes about India We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made. Albert Einstein.

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. Mark Twain.

If there is one place on the face of earth where all dreams of living men have found a home from the very earliest days when man began the dream of existence, it is India French scholar Romain Rolland.

India conquered and dominated China culturally for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across her border. Hu Shih (former Chinese ambassador to USA )

ALL OF THE ABOVE IS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG, THE LIST COULD BE ENDLESS.

BUT, if we don't see even a glimpse of that great India in the India that we see today, it clearly means that we are not working up to our potential; and that if we do, we could once again be an evershining and inspiring country setting a bright path for rest of the world to follow. I hope you enjoyed it and work towards the welfare of INDIA

Say proudly, I AM AN INDIAN.

FACTS TO MAKE ALL INDIANS PROUD.... here are few things the indian can b proud of.... 1. The rockets used in war was first invented and used by TIPU SULTAN.

2. Vinod Khosla is the co-founder of Sun Microsystems.

3. Vinod Dahm is the creator of Pentium chip.

4. According to the latest report Lakshmi Niwas Mittal is the 3rd richest man in world in 2005.

5. Sabeer Bhatiais the founder and creator of Hotmail.

6. Arun Netravalli is the president of AT & T-Bell Labs.

7. Rajiv Gupta is the GM of Hewlett Packard.

8. Sanjay Tejwrika is the new MTD (Microsoft Testing Director) of Windows 2000,responsible to iron out all initial problems?

9. Victor Menezes, Rajat Gupta, and Rana Talwar are the Chief Executives of CitiBank, Mckensey & Stanchart.

10.

Indians are the wealthiest among all ethnic groups in

America, even faring better than the whites and the natives. There are 3.22 millions of Indians in USA (1.5% of population). YET, 38% of doctors in USA are Indians. 12% scientists in USA are Indians. 36% of NASA scientists are Indians. 34% of Microsoft employees are Indians. 28% of IBM employees are Indians. 17% of INTEL scientists are Indians. 13% of XEROX employees are Indians. 11. India never invaded any country in her last 1000 years of history.

12. India invented the Number system. Zero was invented by Aryabhatta.

13. The world's first University was established in Takshila in 700BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects.The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century BC was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.

14. According to the Forbes magazine, Sanskrit is the most suitable language for computer software.

15. Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to humans.

16. Although western media portray modern images of India as poverty striken and underdeveloped through political corruption, India was once the richest empire on earth.

17. The art of navigation was born in the river Sindh 5000 years ago. The very word "Navigation" is derived from the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH.

18. The value of pi was first calculated by Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is now known as the Pythagorean Theorem.British scholars have last year (1999) officially published that Budhayan's works dates to the 6th Century which is long before the European mathematicians.

19. Algebra, trigonometry and calculus came from India. Quadratic equations were by Sridharacharya in the 11th Century; the largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Indians used numbers as big as 1053.

20. According to the Gemological Institute of America, until 1896, India was the only source of diamonds to the world. 21. USA based IEEE has proved what has been a century-old suspicion amongst academics that the pioneer of wireless communication was Professor Jagdeesh Bose and not Marconi.

22. The earliest reservoir and dam for irrigation was built in Saurashtra period.

23. Chess was invented in India.

24. Sushruta is the father of surgery. 2600 years ago he and health scientists of his time conducted surgeries like cesareans, cataract, fractures and urinary stones. Usage of anaesthesia was well known in ancient India.

25. When many cultures in the world were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley (Indus Valley Civilisation) .

26. The place value system, the decimal system was developed in India in 100 BC.

27. Albert Einstein said "We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made".

28. Mark Twain said "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".

29. French scholar Romain Rolland said "If there is one place on the face of earth where all dreams of living men have found a home from the very earliest days when man began the dream of existence, it is India".

30. Former Chinese ambassador said to USA "India conquered and dominated China culturally for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across her border Hu Shih ".

Buddhism and Jainism

Around 500 BC two other religions developed in India, namely, Buddhism and Jainism. Today only about 0.5% of Indians are Jains and about 0.7% are Buddhist.

india
The name 'India' is derived from the River Indus, the valleys around which were the home of the early settlers. The Aryan worshippers referred to the river Indus as the Sindhu.

The Art of Navigation & Navigating was born in the river Sindh over 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word 'NAVGATIH'. The word navy is also derived from the Sanskrit word 'Nou'.