Category: ancient cultures
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South India Neolithic sites – A training ground for budding astronomers?
A few megalithic sites of South India are enigmatic. Besides they do not fall into the widely accepted idea that small groups of primitive people living close to a town settlement lived here. Instead they suggests two things. Firstly, the megalithic primitives were curious about astronomy!. Secondly, they were able to construct observation structures to…
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How the Panchang had to be whacked back into shape…
Tiruvallur, a town near Chennai, Tamil Nadu was a center of Panchang makers and likely Astronomy in the past. Many do not know why and what the Panchang makers rectified in the recent. Let us explore both these. European sailing expeditions in the fifteenth and the sixteenth centuries faced severe impediments because of poor nautical…
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Gandharvas, Schumann Resonance and Brain Rhythms
Popular Hindu literature describes Gandharvas as semi-divine beings. It depicts them with musical instruments. Coincidentally, the Upa-Veda (subsidiary Veda) text for the classical Indian music is the Gandharva Veda. In principle, Gandharvas, like the Devatas (divine beings), are not physical entities. A Gandharva is a vibratory energy which is responsible for a certain phenomenon in…
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Did Harappans celebrate the Punjabi festival of Lohri?
Jan 13th 2016 is Lohri, the end of winter festival according to the Punjabi calendar which was introduced in the 1st century BCE. Tradition considers Lohri to be the longest night of the year with the day following it being Winter Solstice. Let us apply some astronomy to guess the time when Lohri was celebrated…
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Sacred Spots – Hindu worship sites before the popularity of temples
Ramanuja, a Vaishnava master from the fourteenth century was an expert in Pancharatra books . These books discuss worship procedures which are prevalent for millennia in the Indian subcontinent. Worship practices in temples in Tamil Nadu had deteriorated into confusion. Consequently, Ramanuja took up the study of Pancharatra texts with a view to bring structure in temple practices. Psychologists understand…
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Rishi Saunaka more important than Veda Vyasa to Max Muller?
Only a few people know the value of the commentaries of a 13th century scholar by the name Sayana or Sayanacharya. European translators could make no progress without his works. However Max Muller, the reputed translator of the Vedas, hardly credits Sayana. What was the reason? Secondly, Max Muller is the original proponent of the,…
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Mantra to Idol – The 2 face, 3 leg, 7 armed Agni
Vedas, especially the Rig Veda celebrates Agni as the foremost. Agni Purana is one of the eighteen main Puranas. However, we find only a very few iconic forms for Agni in temples. Firstly, Agni features in one of the hands of the Dancing Shiva statue. Secondly, the aura of Devi or Bhairav are shaped like…
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The star gazer Bhodayana?
Today, mathematicians are aware of Rishi Baudhayana. This is because his Sulbasutra text predates the works of Pythagoras by several centuries. Hindus follow Baudhayana’s prescription for Vedic Samskara are even today. There is much clarity in his prescription. Because of this, even families who otherwise follow the Sutras of Rishi Apastamba borrow procedures of Baudhayana….