Bali’s ‘largest’ ancient Hindu temple discovered

See also: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/10/bali-yatra-cultural-historical-memory.htmlBali Yatra – cultural-historical memory of Indian Ocean nations

Workers discover remains of ancient Hindu temple on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali
Published October 26, 2012
Associated Press

BALI, Indonesia – An archaeologist says a structure that is believed to be the remains of an ancient Hindu temple has been unearthed on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali.
Wayan Swantika of the local archaeology agency says workers digging a drainage basin last week in eastern Denpasar, Bali’s capital, at first discovered a large stone about 1 meter (3 feet) underground.

Excavation teams have since uncovered a 57-meter (62-yard) structure that is believed to be the temple’s foundation.

The find is still being analyzed, but given the shape and characteristics of the materials used, Swantika says he believes it was built sometime between the 13th and 15th centuries. He added that it is also thought to be the largest ancient temple ever discovered in Bali.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/10/26/workers-discover-remains-ancient-hindu-temple-on-indonesia-resort-island-bali/

Bali’s ‘largest’ ancient Hindu temple discovered
AFP | Thu, Oct 25 2012

DENPASAR, Indonesia – Construction workers in Bali have discovered what is thought to be the biggest ancient Hindu temple ever found on the Indonesian island, archaeologists said.

The workers were digging a drain in the island’s capital Denpasar at a Hindu study centre when they came across the remains of the stone temple.

They reported the discovery to the Bali archaeology office, which then unearthed substantial foundations of a structure that the excavation team believes dates from around the 13th to 15th centuries.

“We think this is the biggest ancient Hindu temple ever discovered in Bali,” Wayan Suantika, the head of the team, said late Wednesday.

He said the excavation was still in progress and the team did not yet know whether enough stones would be unearthed to allow them to reconstruct the temple.

The construction workers on Sunday found the first stone one metre (yard) underground, which was one metre long, 40 centimetres (16 inches) deep and 40 wide, said Ida Resi Bujangga Wisnawa Ganda Kusuma, owner of the Hindu centre.

The excavation team then found what they believe is the foundation of the structure’s 20-metre-long east wing, Suantika said.

The popular resort island is a pocket of Hindu culture in a country with the biggest Muslim population in the world.

http://www.relax.com.sg/relax/news/1386586/Bali_s_largest_ancient_Hindu_temple_discovered.html

BANGKOK, October 26, 2012
Bali’s biggest Hindu temple discovered

Archaeologists believe they have discovered the largest ancient Hindu temple ever found in the Indonesian island of Bali.
Archaeologists excavating the remains of an ancient Hindu temle in Denspasar on Indonesia’s Bali island Photo: AFP

Construction workers were digging a new drainage basin near a Hindu learning centre on Jalan Trengguli, in East Denpasar, when their tools struck a large stone structure one metre underground, the Jakarta Globe reported.

The crew then excavated a large stone plate, the first of many discovered at the site.

“I immediately reported the finding to the [local] archaeology office,” said Ida Resi Bujangga, the owner of the centre, on Wednesday.

The Denpasar Archeology Agency took over the excavation and uncovered an 11-metre-long structure.

“We will continue the excavation until [the whole structure is revealed],” said Wayan Suantika, an official with the agency.

Suantika told reporters that judging by the square structure’s similarity to ancient temples found in East Java, it likely dates back to the 14th Century, the paper said.

“The strengthening layers inbetween the stone plates were another characteristic usually found in 13th or 14th Century [structures],” he said. PTI

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-in-school/balis-biggest-hindu-temple-discovered/article4032690.ece

Largest ancient Hindu temple discovered in Indonesia
Construction workers in Bali have discovered what is thought to be the biggest ancient Hindu temple ever found on the Indonesian island, archaeologists said.

6:39AM BST 25 Oct 2012

The workers were digging a drain in the island’s capital Denpasar at a Hindu study centre when they came across the remains of the stone temple.

They reported the discovery to the Bali archaeology office, which then unearthed substantial foundations of a structure that the excavation team believes dates from around the 13th to 15th centuries.

“We think this is the biggest ancient Hindu temple ever discovered in Bali,” Wayan Suantika, the head of the team, said late Wednesday.

He said the excavation was still in progress and the team did not yet know whether enough stones would be unearthed to allow them to reconstruct the temple.

The construction workers on Sunday found the first stone one metre underground, which was one metre long, 40 centimetres deep and 40 wide, said Ida Resi Bujangga Wisnawa Ganda Kusuma, owner of the Hindu centre.

The excavation team then found what they believe is the foundation of the structure’s 20-metre-long east wing, Suantika said.

The popular resort island is a pocket of Hindu culture in a country with the biggest Muslim population in the world.

Source: agencies
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/indonesia/9632337/Largest-ancient-Hindu-temple-discovered-in-Indonesia.html

Ancient Hindu temple discovered in Bali
AFP | 8 hours ago

DENPASAR: Construction workers in Bali have discovered what is thought to be the biggest ancient Hindu temple ever found on the Indonesian island, archaeologists said.

The workers were digging a drain in the island’s capital Denpasar at a Hindu study centre when they came across the remains of the stone temple.

They reported the discovery to the Bali archaeology office, which then unearthed substantial foundations of a structure that the excavation team believes dates from around the 13th to 15th centuries.

“We think this is the biggest ancient Hindu temple ever discovered in Bali,” Wayan Suantika, the head of the team, said late Wednesday.

He said the excavation was still in progress and the team did not yet know whether enough stones would be unearthed to allow them to reconstruct the temple.

The construction workers on Sunday found the first stone one metre (yard) underground, which was one metre long, 40 centimetres (16 inches) deep and 40 wide, said Ida Resi Bujangga Wisnawa Ganda Kusuma, owner of the Hindu centre.

The excavation team then found what they believe is the foundation of the structure’s 20-metre-long east wing, Suantika said.

The popular resort island is a pocket of Hindu culture in a country with the biggest Muslim population in the world.

http://dawn.com/2012/10/26/ancient-hindu-temple-discovered-in-bali/

Bali’s largest Hindu temple from 14th Century discovered
PTI Oct 25, 2012, 05.26PM IST

BANGKOK: Archaeologists believe they have discovered the largest ancient Hindu temple ever found in the Indonesian island of Bali.

Construction workers were digging a new drainage basin near a Hindu learning center on Jalan Trengguli, in East Denpasar, when their tools struck a large stone structure one metre underground, the Jakarta Globe reported.

The crew then excavated a large stone plate, the first of many discovered at the site.

“I immediately reported the finding to the [local] archaeology office,” said Ida Resi Bujangga, the owner of the center, yesterday.

The Denpasar Archeology Agency took over the excavation and uncovered an 11-metre-long structure.

“We will continue the excavation until [the whole structure is revealed],” said Wayan Suantika, an official with the agency.

Suantika told reporters that judging by the square structure’s similarity to ancient temples found in East Java, it likely dates back to the 14th Century, the paper said.

“The strengthener layers in between the stone plates were another characteristic usually found in 13th or 14th Century [structures],” he said.

Local residents also found ceramic wares and stone plates at the site, Suantika said.

“This discovery is the largest stone temple found in Bali,” he added.

The Wasa Temple, which was uncovered in Gianyar in 1986, is 11 metres long and 10 metres wide.

Bali archaeologists later found buried 16 sarcophaguses in 2010 in Gianyar.

The island is home to most of the Hindus in Indonesia, a country with the world’s biggest Muslim population.

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-10-25/news/34730043_1_hindu-temple-gianyar-bali

This general view shows the reconstructed Wasan temple (L) in the village of Sukawati in Bali on October 25, 2012, which is currently the biggest ancient Hindu temple ever unearthed on Bali, reconstructed after its discovery in 1986. Construction workers in Bali have discovered what is thought to be a bigger ancient Hindu temple, the biggest ever found on the Indonesian island in Denpasar, archaeologists said on October 25.

BALI, Indonesia — An archaeologist says a structure that is believed to be the remains of an ancient Hindu temple has been unearthed on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali.

Wayan Swantika of the local archaeology agency says workers digging a drainage basin last week in eastern Denpasar, Bali’s capital, at first discovered a large stone about 1 meter (3 feet) underground.

Excavation teams have since uncovered a 57-meter (62-yard) structure that is believed to be the temple’s foundation.

The find is still being analyzed, but given the shape and characteristics of the materials used, Swantika says he believes it was built sometime between the 13th and 15th centuries. He added that it is also thought to be the largest ancient temple ever discovered in Bali.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/26/ancient-hindu-temple-bali-discovery_n_2022405.html

Indonesia’s largest Hindu temple discovered

Archeologists believe that they’ve discovered the biggest and most archaic Hindu temple ever found in Indonesia.

According to the reports, the construction workers were burrowing a new drainage basin near a Hindu learning center in Denpasar when they stumbled upon the ruins of the temple.

The new discovery was reported to the Bali archaeology office, which then disinterred sizeable foundations of a structure. The newly discovered stone temple is believed to be 500-700 years old.

“We think this is the biggest ancient Hindu temple ever discovered in Bali,” the head of excavation team, Wayan Suantika said.

Wayan told the source judging by that similarity of the temple with other similar structures, it likely dates back to the fourteenth century.

“The strengthener layers in between the stone plates were another characteristic usually found in 13th or 14th Century” he said.

Suantika further told that quarry was still underway and the team didn’t know so far whether enough remains of the temple would be exhumed to let them re-erect the structure.

Speaking about the discovery, owner of the Hindu study center Ida Resi Bujangga Wisnawa Ganda Kusuma told; the workers found the first stone one meter (yard) underground on Sunday. The yard was one meter long, 40 centimeter deep and 40 meters wide.

The archeological investigation crew then found 20-metre-long east wing of the structure which is believed to be its foundation.

http://paknews.pk/4273/indonesias-largest-hindu-temple-discovered.html

Buddha from space—An ancient object of art made of a Chinga iron meteorite fragment

Figure 3.  Front and rear side of the “iron man.” The sculpture was chiseled from the iron meteorite, forged at the edges and the basis, and shows the Buddhist god Kubera (Vaiśravana); the scale armor was formerly gilded.

Buddha from space—An ancient object of art made of a Chinga iron meteorite fragment

Abstract–  The fall of meteorites has been interpreted as divine messages by multitudinous cultures since prehistoric times, and meteorites are still adored as heavenly bodies. Stony meteorites were used to carve birds and other works of art; jewelry and knifes were produced of meteoritic iron for instance by the Inuit society. We here present an approximately 10.6 kg Buddhist sculpture (the “iron man”) made of an iron meteorite, which represents a particularity in religious art and meteorite science. The specific contents of the crucial main (Fe, Ni, Co) and trace (Cr, Ga, Ge) elements indicate an ataxitic iron meteorite with high Ni contents (approximately 16 wt%) and Co (approximately 0.6 wt%) that was used to produce the artifact. In addition, the platinum group elements (PGEs), as well as the internal PGE ratios, exhibit a meteoritic signature. The geochemical data of the meteorite generally match the element values known from fragments of the Chinga ataxite (ungrouped iron) meteorite strewn field discovered in 1913. The provenance of the meteorite as well as of the piece of art strongly points to the border region of eastern Siberia and Mongolia, accordingly. The sculpture possibly portrays the Buddhist god Vaiśravana and might originate in the Bon culture of the eleventh century. However, the ethnological and art historical details of the “iron man” sculpture, as well as the timing of the sculpturing, currently remain speculative.

Source: Meteoritics & Planetary Science
Volume 47, Issue 9, September 2012, Pages: 1491–1501, Elmar BUCHNER, Martin SCHMIEDER, Gero KURAT, Franz BRANDSTÄTTER, Utz KRAMAR, Theo NTAFLOS and Jörg KRÖCHERT
Article first published online : 14 SEP 2012

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/131322562/Buddha-from-space%E2%80%94An-ancient-object-of-art-made-of-a-Chinga-iron-meteorite-fragment-(Meteoritics-and-Planetary-Science-Volume-47-Issue-9-September-2012)

The politics of Karnataka’s ‘mutts’

http://www.livemint.com/2012/04/23214208/The-politics-of-Karnataka821.html

Bangalore: Congress president Sonia Gandhi will visit Karnataka for the first time in three years later this week and media reports say that she is expected to participate in the birthday celebration of Shivakumara Swami, the head of the influential Sree Siddaganga Mutt in Tumkur.

If that happens, it will only serve to highlight the importance of mutts (or monasteries) in the only south Indian state ruled by the national opposition party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Monasteries such as the Siddaganga one have always been powerful in a state where political affiliations and voting patterns are often decided by caste. For instance, in March, the pontiff of the Adichunchanagiri Mutt, revered by the predominantly agrarian Vokkaliga community, declared his support for chief minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda, a Vokkaliga himself. Immediately, a group of Vokkaliga BJP legislators distanced themselves from former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa’s attempts to dislodge Gowda. Yeddyurappa belongs to the Lingayat community (as does Swami).

Target audience: Shivamurthy Murugharajendra Swami, pontiff of the Murugharajendra Mutt, leads a prayer session for children enrolled at the monastery’s school in Chitradurga, Karnataka. Courtesy: Murugharajendra Mutt
In recent years, seers have even influenced policy decisions in Karnataka. In 2011, Siddhalinga Swamy, the pontiff of the Tontadarya Mutt, successfully campaigned against a proposed Posco factory. Around the same time, the state said it was abandoning a plan to acquire 2,000 acres for a special economic zone (SEZ) in Mangalore after Vishwesha Theertha, the head of the Pejawar Mutt, went on a hunger strike. The seer is now worried about the dumping of mud from the SEZ project in the Phalguni river and has promised to discuss the issue with the chief minister.
Like him, the heads of most monasteries in the state seem to realize the need to stay relevant, even if it means engaging with the political establishment. Soon after the campaign against Posco, Siddhalinga Swamy convened a meeting of around 60 like-minded seers. At the end of the meeting, the seers issued a declaration that said: “The duties of religious heads are not just limited to performing pujas in mutts, temples or other religious places. The seers should rush to help the people, when they are in dire need of it.”

The history of the mutts

Karnataka’s mutts are caste-based monasteries centred around a pontiff, in whom a lot of power is vested, and whose sphere of influence is usually restricted to a few districts (although some have a wider sphere of influence). They are different from the more modern pan-Indian religious or spiritual institutions such as those founded by Baba Ramdev, Mata Amritanandamayi or Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

Most monasteries in Karnataka are associated with the Lingayat community. The Lingayats, also known as the Veerashaivas, trace their history to 12th century Hindu reformer Basaveshwara and, by some estimates, they have around 400 mutts in the state. (Lingayats account for around 17% of the state’s 61.1 million population.)

Lingayats eschew the practice of praying to idols in temples, and instead practise a more personal form of worship. In a forthcoming paper, Aya Ikegame, a UK-based researcher who has been studying the mutt culture in Karnataka for the past few years, writes: “The religious tradition of the Lingayats or Veerashaiva has a tendency to place a much larger emphasis on their gurus and mutts than on priests and temples.”

Over the past few decades, the state’s monasteries have grown in influence by establishing schools and colleges. “Almost all mutts have started educational institutions. Giving education was considered as part of the spirituality and social service, though some seers have also opened schools and colleges for profit,” said G.N. Mallikarjunappa, executive director of the educational arm of the 600-year-old Murugharajendra Mutt in central Karnataka.

The Murugharajendra Mutt runs around 150 educational institutions; the Suttur Mutt, 300 across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh; and the Siddaganga Mutt (Tumkur) and the Sirigere Mutt (Chitradurga) have around 30,000 students each studying at schools and colleges they run.

There are other ways, too, by which the monasteries try to stay relevant. The Sirigere Mutt, for instance, runs a “court” every Monday to resolve disputes. And when Karnataka was ravaged by floods in 2009, the Lingayat mutts were at the forefront of the rehabilitation programme. Yeddyurappa, who was then chief minister, announced that the government would shift 226 flood-prone villages with money from the government and companies, with responsibility for the construction of new villages given to non-governmental organizations and mutts. As Ikegame writes: “…the rehabilitation works began transforming from a potlatch of generosity among gurus into a holy alliance of the state, corporates and the mutts: a new sacred public-private partnership”.

The mutts have also sought to extend their franchise to so-called backward classes. For instance, Shivamurthy Murugharajendra Swami, the pontiff of the Murugharajendra Mutt, trains individuals in Lingayat philosophy and also grants land to some of those people who belong to the backward classes, to start their own mutts that are affiliated to the main mutt. Basavaprabhu Ketheshwara Swamy, who runs a mutt for the Medana Keteshwara community, a scheduled tribe, is one such individual. “I was fortunate to have studied under Shivamurthy Swamiji, and he has given me purpose in life,” says Basavaprabhu. The results of his attempts at introducing the Lingayat way of life to his community—vegetarianism, abstinence from alcohol and education— have been mixed. “Historically, we have been non-vegetarians, and alcohol consumption has been very high. So, it’s difficult for our community to completely abandon these.”

And finally, recent politics in Karnataka has meant that the mutts are more relevant than ever.

Church and state

The state government has emerged as an unlikely benefactor for mutts targeting the backward classes. In this year’s budget, the government allotted a substantial portion of the Rs1,000 crore budget for backward castes to the mutts. In reply to a written question in the assembly last December, the state government said it had distributed Rs110 crore to these religious institutions, while spending another Rs189 crore on roads to the mutts.

While the current BJP government has been more generous than some previous governments in terms of support to mutts, especially the new ones, scholars and activists are reluctant to link this to the party’s strong Hindu ideology.

In her paper, Ikegame writes: “There is some legitimacy to the claim made by some Dalit organizations… that the welfare work accomplished by mutts during the flood rehabilitation in Karnataka contributes to the Hindutva agenda, which seeks to rebuild India as a Hindu nation and serves to aggravate communal divisions. Nevertheless, it would be unfruitful to dismiss their activities simply as communal and to paint Karnataka gurus as supporters of fanatical Hindu nationalism.”

shamsheer.y@livemint.com

Ancient Idol of Lord Vishnu found during excavation in an old village in Russia’s Volga Region

MOSCOW: An ancient Vishnu idol has been found during excavation in an old village in Russia’s Volga region, raising questions about the prevalent view on the origin of ancient Russia. The idol found in Staraya (old) Maina village dates back to VII-X century AD. Staraya Maina village in Ulyanovsk region was a highly populated city 1700 years ago, much older than Kiev, so far believed to be the mother of all Russian cities.

“We may consider it incredible, but we have ground to assert that Middle-Volga region was the original land of Ancient Rus. This is a hypothesis, but a hypothesis, which requires thorough research,” Reader of Ulyanovsk State University’s archaeology department Dr Alexander Kozhevin told state-run television Vesti .

Dr Kozhevin, who has been conducting excavation in Staraya Maina for last seven years, said that every single square metre of the surroundings of the ancient town situated on the banks of Samara, a tributary of Volga, is studded with antiques.

Prior to unearthing of the Vishnu idol, Dr Kozhevin has already found ancient coins, pendants, rings and fragments of weapons.

He believes that today’s Staraya Maina, a town of eight thousand, was ten times more populated in the ancient times. It is from here that people started moving to the Don and Dneiper rivers around the time ancient Russy built the city of Kiev, now the capital of Ukraine. An international conference is being organised later this year to study the legacy of the ancient village, which can radically change the history of ancient Russia.

Some Conclusions by others:

The discovery of an ancient Vishnu idol in an excavation in Russia only confirms certain ideas I have always had about the Vedic ancient and glorious land and culture.

The report says that the area in which the idol was found is called Staraya Maina. In the Rig Veda, there is a passage that goes, Itham ascati pasyat syantham, ekam starayath mainaa-kaalam. This translates into Staraya Maina is the name of the land of the 45 rivers (on whose banks the noble Rishis conducted the famous Horse Sacrifices), where the sun god descends into one fifty two forty seven. While the first line identifies a location, the second line talks about the exact latitude and longitude at which the solar spectrum produces interference lines at one, fifty two, and forty seven.
The extreme precision of the calculations show the advanced science of the Vedic period, and also a thorough knowledge of SI units (it has been conclusively proven that French scientists stole the system from the Indians.

The discovery of the idol confirms the location in Russia, identified in the Rig Veda as rus soviath sapthamahanagaratham (the ancient and holy land of the 722 flying vehicles). The ancient connections between the Russians and the Indians has been unequivocally confirmed. In Russian orthodox Christianity, worship is conducted very much like in Vishnu temples. The Russians refer to the feast of Vizhnyir Ekoratsya Vikhunh, directly corresponding with Vaikhunda Ekhadasi.

The Russian language also owes a lot to Sanskrit, whose origins 50,000 years ago roughly correspond with the language of the people of the Smritzyi archaeological site, along the banks of the now-dried up Vernstokhlin (Varnasatyakhalini) river system.

It is common knowledge in the archaeological community that the Parashurama Sutra, the basis of all government policy in the erstwhile Kerala kingdom of Vaazhappazhaa, contains the lines Sthulyam Kaamyunishancha kalanam brighahaha. The links between the ancient Russians and Indians almost certainly aided by the 60,00 odd scholars of the University of Vexalate (Sk. Vekhshalatha, Ru. Vekholotsla), in modern-day Central Afghanistan, in the 17th Century BCE, is said to have transferred political ideas through the land of the Vanga (Ru. Vangnya) in modern-day West Bengal.

The Vishnu idol is depicted with a hammer in one left hand while the deconglated seventh arm on the right side holds a reticulated sickle. This hammer and sickle imagery is also found in the Parashurama Sutra, conclusively placing the origin of great and popular Russian political ideology in Vedic India.

The Bringdunthaladeena Upanishad also mentions Kaamyunishcham in its list of land sacrifices, where under the directions of the King, all the land in the country was donated to the performance of sacrifices where Brahmins continuously tickled horny silk-rats (Gandharvamooshicam) until they collapsed in orgiastic exhaustion. The text also clearly identifies a group of scholars referred to as the Paalita Buryam, who oversaw the functioning of the King.

For years, western historical study dominated by Greco-Capitalists, has sought to undermine the Vedic Indian contributions to what came to be 19th and 20th Century world politics. The Greco-Capitalists also attributed the ideology of Communism to the work done by Karl Marx, one of their own. It has been well documented that Marx indeed visited Kerala and West Bengal, and had thorough understanding of the Parashurama Sutra, a copy of which he picked up in the old-book-stall near the Cochin airport. Later on, as part of the larger Greco-centric Capitalist conspiracy, Marx took all the credit himself.

In 1952 in Soviet Russia, an archaeologist, Prof. Varely Smirzkoff of Odessa University found artefacts near the ancient Belarussian town of Kozhikodz. He was the first to speculate that the ruling political ideology of his country could well have had its origins in Vedic India rather than Modern Europe. Stalin funded Smirzkoff’s research until Smirrzkoff was suddenly found to have stolen over 500,000 paper clips from work over the course of his tenure at Odessa University. He was sent to Siberia, and with him went almost all academic proof that would have certainly brought Russia and India closer together.

This recent discovery should resurrect the pioneering work started by Prof. Varely Smirzkoff, who died of Contracted Poloniumitis of the nose, in 1964.

http://www.globalhinduism.com/article/2012/01/ancient-idol-of-lord-vishnu-found-during-excavation-in-an-old-village-in-russias-volga-region/#.T0VQ5VHOrxE

Goat and fish as hieroglyphs of Indus script: Susa-Meluhha interactions. Meluhhan interpreter ‘may have been literate and could read the undeciphered Indus script.’

Update: Nov. 21, 2011

Susa-Meluhha interactions
http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.com/2011/11/mohenjo-daro-stupa-great-bath-modeled.htmlThis blogpost notes that the ziggurat shown on the Sit-Shamshi bronze compares with a ziggurat which might have existed in the Stupa mound of Mohenjodaro (lit. mound of the dead), indicating the veneration of ancestors in Susa and Meluhha in contemporaneous times.

 

continue reading this at http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.com/2011/11/susa-ritual-basin-decorated-with.html

Indus re-enters India, feeding Nal Sarovar, Ahmedabad – Satellite images

Satellite images show the river changed course

Indus re-enters India

Swati Bhan, Ahmedabad, Nov 14, DHNS:

The Indus or the Sindhu river, which was once synonymous with nurturing great civilisations in India, has now shifted its course and re-entered India feeding Nal Sarovar lake near Ahmedabad.

If the latest satellite images are to be believed, the development will benefit the Bhal region adjoining Ahmedabad district and the water-starved Kutch region.

Rohan Thakkar, a research student analysing the impact of climate change on water bodies of Gujarat, is the first to notice the phenomenon.

“We do have evidence that there were habitations in the Rann of Kutch and the Indus flowed in this area, but it majorly shifted its course westwards after the great earthquake in 1819,” Thakkar said and attributed the siltation in the river basin to the change.

Thakkar has been working on this research project for the past three years. The project had demonstrated that the river was dying due to siltation.

According to Y T Jasrai, Thakkar’s guide and the coordinator of the programme, the ground truthing of the research is still to be done.

“The satellite images are definitely a reason to believe that the ancient river is changing its direction towards India, more specifically to Gujarat,” he said.

“The quality of the water in Nal Sarovar lake gives us a reason to come to a conclusion about the shifting of the river’s direction towards India which generally coincides with monsoon,” Jasrai said.

Water Resource Minister Nitin Patel said they have been informed about the satellite images.

“We have instructed our officials to carry out a research on this and find out the benefits that will come with it. Once the research is completed by the department, ground truthing of water, especially at these two places, will be conducted,” said Patel.

Dr Y S Ravat, Director of the Archaeology Department, is of the opinion that a change of the course of rivers is possible and it has happened in the past also. He pointed out that there is a rise in rainfall in Gujarat in the recent years. If the present trend continues, there could be further tectonic movements which will change the course of the river.

In the past after the 1819 quake, the Allahbund came up in the northwest of Bhuj as a natural bund and stopped the flow of water into the Great Rann of Kutch, resulting in the gradual dry up of the area. The river also changed its course, he added.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/204892/indus-re-enters-india.html

SandhyaVandanam Resources – in English and Tamil

Bharatkalyan97

23.10.11

SandhyaVandanam Resources – in English and Tamil

Sandhyavanadam – Must hear Upanyasam by Shri Krishna Premi
(Tamil Audio mp3 – 2 hours)
http://soundcloud.com/thapas/sandhyavandhanam-upanyasam

Gayathri and Sandhyavandana Mahimai by Kanchi Mahaswami
(Tamil Document)
http://issuu.com/thapas/docs/importance_of_sandhyavandanam_by_kanchi_mahaperiya

Meaning of every manthra in Yajur Sandhyavandanam by Swami Paramarthananda
(English Audio mp3 – 10 tracks)
http://pravachanam.com/audio/by/album/sandhyavandanam

Brahmana Lakshnamam – Upanyasam by Shri Krishna Premi
(Tamil Audio – 8 mins)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JHjPJGRx4g&feature=related

Yajur Sandhyavandanam manual from Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam forum and approved by noted priests in Chennai.
(English document with good tips and techniques for doing SandhyaVandanam)
http://issuu.com/thapas/docs/sandhyavandanam?mode=window&backgroundColor=%23222222

Advance notice, Call for Papers: National Conference on Decoding Vedic Sciences: A prelude to Athiratram 2012, Hyderabad, November 2011. (Venue and dates to be communicated soon).

Paper are invited for the proposed Two Day National Conference to be conducted in Hyderabad during November, 2011.

Only nine papers will be selected for presentation and publication. This conference is planned with a view to make the Athirathram Mahayaga[2012, ] an international epoch-making episode.

Besides 4 sessions of paper presentations, a Panel Discussion on “Are the Vedas ‘Meaningless Bird Song’?”, a Workshop on Vedic Research Methodology, a Research Action Plan for Athirathram 2012, are also incorporated in the National Conference[Nov,2011]

The Main Theme is Decoding Vedic Sciences: A Prelude to Athirathram 2012.
The following thrust areas are marked for paper presentation and for for further ongoing long term research projects.

DAY ONE: Session I&II.

• Concept and Definition of Vedic Sciences.
• Identified Disciplines of Vedic Sciences.
• Specific Research and Results in Vedic Sciences.
• Limitations of Modern Sciences in the context of research in Vedic Sciences.
• Research Review of Vedic Sciences: In India that is Bharatam and Abroad.
• Maharshi Mahesh Yogi’s Contributions to Vedic Sciences.
• Athirathram Research: Past, Present and Future.[First Panjal Yaga onwards.]

DAY TWO: Session III

• “Indology”, an outsider’s injustice to Indian Scientific Heritage.
• Misconceptions about the Vedas: Indian Conventional Perspectives
• Misconceptions about the Vedas: Outsider Colonial Brain-products.
• Misinterpretations and Abuse of the Vedas.
• The Need for Experience Based research oriented fresh Approach to the Vedas.
• The UNESCO Declaration that the Vedas are Intangible Heritage of Humanity and its Impact on the Vedic Traditions and modern generation.

• Are the Vedas “Global” – another parallel to the “Aryan Invasion Theory”?

NOTE for Paper Presenters:

• Each Presenter is allotted 45 minutes for presentation inclusive of interaction, questions and answers.
• The contents of the paper should lead to interaction, questions and answers an discussions. The areas of such interactions may be specified in the paper with pause.
• Papers with PPT, Questionnaires and Feed Back exercises will be given priority.
• Papers can be in English and/or Sanskrit[well edited and error free].
• Specifications for font size and other format norms should be followed.

LAST DATE FOR SUBMISSION OF ABSTRACT AND FULL PAPER [ along with PPT etc] : 31st October, 2011.

Authors of select papers for presentation will be informed well in advance.
However, all are invited to participate and partake the knowledge shared as delegates.
ONLY paper presenters will be provided with TA,DA and local hospitality as per the norms of the Organizing Committee.

CONTACT:
Kum.Sudha Karayil [Ph.D Scholar and Soma Researcher]

Foundation for Indian Scientific Heritage(R), Surathkal, Mangalore, 575025. Karnataka.
Dr. S.Ramakrishna Sharma.
9483017280
vedic.conf@gmail.com

Puthige Document 2011

Bharatiya HeritageAangirasa/Dr.S.Ramakrishna Sharma. M.A.,Ph.D.(Eng.Lit.),Ph.D.(Sanskrit.).

Puthige Document 2011.Bharatiya HeritageAangirasa/Dr.S.Ramakrishna Sharma. M.A.,Ph.D.(Eng.Lit.),Ph.D.(Sanskrit.).

Kalyanaraman

Dr. Swamy on Hindu Unity

You will surely be doing yourself a great favour by listening to Dr. Swamy’s lecture at Dallas, TX.

ParamacharyaaL had made him a true defender of Sanathana Dharma!

Part 1 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZGDFTk7mk8&feature=player_embedded#!

Part 2 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=750ZzfsMWrw&NR=1

Part 3 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRBgr1Up0qQ&NR=1

Part 4 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHaj_DCH3IU&NR=1

Part 5 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHOeMVKBUy4&NR=1

Part 6 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkdqtjHXp5w&NR=1

Get set for a heritage channel

CHENNAI: This Vijayadashami, which falls on October 6, one more regional channel will go on air.

The channel called Krishna TV, will have Dr Subramaniam Swamy, Harvard professor and former Union Minister, as its Chairman. His Chanakya Neeti Communications (P) Ltd has become a Joint Venture Partner with Krishnaswamy Associates Media Renaissance.Arasu Cable Corporation will offer the channel to subscribers of their 37,000 cable operators. Krishna TV, which claims to be a heritage channel, will air programmes 10 hours per day — From 7am to 9.30am, 11am to 1.30pm, 3pm to 5.30pm and 7.30 pm to 10 pm. With content designed in Tamil and English languages, the channel will air programmes which will focus on healthy entertainment, besides dramatised versions of the lives of saints. It will also air programmes  on Vedas, Upanishads, and Tamil Bhakthi literature. Swami Dayananda Saraswati will deliver a weekly discourse on the channel as will Shri Mumtaz Ali, popularly known as Shri ‘M’, a great scholar in the Upanishads. Monks of the Ramakrishna Math, who are actively involved in the channel, are to conduct discourses and classes. A 52-episode Tamil TV serial on the life and teachings of Swami Vivekananda will be among the highlights of the channel in its inaugural year. Kathakalakshebams by eminent artistes, besides  classical music and dance concerts by leading performers get pride of place. While it will be a predominantly Tamil channel, there will be some English programmes. Speaking at the launch of the channel, Dr Subramanian Swamy said, “We may call ourselves Tamilians first, or Dravidians, but the fact is that we are all Indians. What is our religion? What are we going to preach here? There is more to learn from our own. People gather in several numbers at the Kumbh Mela and at so many religious affairs. What matters ultimately is to be united at heart, which is actually missing,” he said as he also thanked the current chief minister of the state, J Jayalalitha for making the channel happen. “This channel was an idea  and a dream of mine for six years. For some reason or the other, it was not materialising. Today, it is out eventually,” he added. Stressing on the fact that the channel was neither commercial nor only for entertainment, co-chairman of the channel Dr Krishnaswamy said,“We want the breeze from all lands to flow into ours without uprooting ourselves. A true Hindu accepts and respects all other religions and faiths.”

http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/get-set-for-a-heritage-channel/320377.html