Hi,
Esp the western writers(historians and children's books authors) and Indian "secularists", who habitually portray Hindu leaders as myths and legends please note the following article. Hindus too have started using the western "scientific" techniques to 'prove' what already existed.
Umesh
PS - yesterday I read in the National Geographic magazine - March issue (recently started subscription - after a gap of 15 years) refering to GODS of the Old Testament -so Christians have been hiding their numerous Gods too -I'l have to search the net for that!!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year of Mahabharata --
Daily Pioneer (Newspaper)
------------------------------------------------------------
For thousands of years, we have believed in the divinity of Shri
Krishna. For us he was a Karmayogi par excellence who gave us action
oriented philosophy of life in the form of Bhagavad Gita. But questions
have constantly haunted us as to whether Krishna was a historical or
mythical character and whether the war of Mahabharata was actually
fought.
Till recently, we did not have the wherewithal to search for and
establish the truth. But modern scientific tools and techniques like
computers with planetarium softwares, advancements in archaeological
and marine archaeological techniques, earth-sensing satellite
photography and thermo-luminescence dating methods, all have made it
possible to establish the authenticity and dating of many events
narrated in ancient texts like the Mahabharata. Recent archaeo-
astronomical studies, results of marine-archaeological explorations and
overwhelming archaeological evidence have established the historicity
and dating of many events narrated in the Mahabharata. These have led
to the conclusion that Mahabharata War was actually fought in 1478 BC
and Shri Krishna's Dwarka City got submerged under the sea in 1443 BC.
Astronomical Evidence: In the Mahabharata references to sequential
solar and lunar eclipses as also references to some celestial
observations have been made. Dr RN Iyengar, the great scientist of
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, examined relevant references
and searched for the compatible dates by making use of planetarium
software (PVIS and EZC). He concluded that most of these references
were internally consistent and that the eclipses a! nd celestial
observations of Mahabharata belong to the period 1493 BC-1443 BC of
Indian History, (refer Indian Journal of History of
Science/38.2/2003/77-115).
In the Mahabharata, there are references to three sequential solar
eclipses and some other planetary positions. Reference to the first
solar eclipse comes in the Sabha Parva (79.29), graphically described
by Vidur when Pandavas start their journey to the forest on being
banished for 12 years of life in exile and one year of life incognito
after they had lost everything in the game of dice. After 13 years of
exile and incognito life, the Pandavas returned to Hastinapur and
demanded their kingdom back, but Duryodhana refused. Several efforts to
prevent war failed and war became imminent.
There is a reference to the second solar eclipse in the Bhisma Parva
(3.29), following a lunar eclipse o! ccurring within the same fortnight a
few days before the actual war of Mahabharata. These eclipses occurred
after 14-15 years of the first solar eclipse The epic also refers to
some unfavorable planetary positions between the second solar eclipse
and the beginning of the war on Kartika Purnima (Bhisma Parva 3.14 to
3.19). On Kartika Krishna Ashtami, Saturn was near Rohini and Mars was
between Jayestha and Anuradha. Twenty two days later, on Kartika
Purnima, Saturn was near Rohini, Mars was near Jayestha (probably
Uranus) was between Citra and Swati.
Another white planet (possibly Jupiter) had moved from Purva-bhadra to
Uttar-bhadra. Reference to the third solar eclipse comes in the Mausala
Parva (2.19 to 2.20) occurring in the 36th year of the Mahabharata War.
This was visible from the city of Dwarka, which is stated to have been
subsequently submerged under! the sea. For these observations to be
internally consistent, there should have been three solar eclipses
within 50 years. The first one and the second one after a gap of 14-15
years should have been visible from Kurukshetra whereas the third solar
eclipse should have been visible from Dwarka after 35 years of the
second one.
Marine Archaeological explorations around Dwarka: The on-shore and
off-shore explorations carried out in and around Dwarka during last 50
years have revealed that Dwarka was a prosperous city in ancient times,
which was destroyed and reconstructed several times. The work of great
excavators like ZD Ansari and MS Mate and chance discovery of temples
of 9th century AD and 1st century AD buried near the present
Dwarkadhish Temple, prompted setting up of a Marine Archaeology Centre
jointly by the National Institute of Oceanography and the&nb! sp;
Archaeological Survey of India. A project for marine archaeological
explorations in Dwarka was initiated under the dynamic leadership of
great marine archaeologist Dr Rao, who has the distinction of being
awarded "The World Ship Trust Award" for outstanding research in this
field.
Dr Rao's team consisted of expert under-water explorers, trained
diver-photographers and archaeologists. The technique of geophysical
survey was combined with the use of echo-sounders, mud-penetrators,
sub-bottom profilers and under-water metal detectors. This team carried
out 12 marine archaeological expeditions between the year 1983 to 1992
AD and articles/antiquities recovered were sent to Physical Research
Laboratory for dating. By using thermo- luminescence, carbon dating and
other modern scientific techniques, artifacts were found to be
belonging to the period 15! th to 18th century BC. In his great work, The
Lost City of Dwarka, Dr Rao has given scientific details of these
discoveries and artifacts.
Conclusions arrived at after carrying out these under-water
archaeological explorations support and validate the dates arrived at
through astronomical calculations. These also prove that the
reconstructed city of Dwarka was a prosperous port town, and that it
was in existence for about 60-70 years in the 15th century BC before
being submerged under the sea in the year 1443 BC.
Attempts have also been made to determine the year of Mahabharata from
the details available in scriptures which include Puranas. When events
are unrecorded for quite some time and are passed on to the succeeding
generations through Shruti and Smriti, the inaccuracies and myths get
mixed with reality on account of differences in the perceptions of&n! bsp;
different individuals. However, it is for the objective rational
individual mind to find out and differentiate fact from fiction.
Important information, including the genealogy charts of rulers after
Yudhishthira, are available in Srimad Bhagvatam, Matsya Puran and Vayu
Purana. On the basis of such evidence, famous historian Lord Cunningham
assigned the year 1424 BC to the War of Mahabharata.
Evidences referred to earlier point more to the probability that nobody
had come to India from Central Asia or from any other place. In fact,
Indo-Aryan kings and warriors had come to Kurukshetra in their war
chariots from all over India to participate in the Mahabharata War and
that a whole lot of people got killed in that war. The killers as well
as the killed, the victors as well as the vanquished, the charioteers
as well as the foot soldiers, all were Indians who! had already
experienced thousands of years of prosperous and advanced civilization.
Archaeology also records a continuous indigenous evolution of Vedic
civilization going back to 5000 BC at sites like Mehrgarh and Koldi.
It is sad that so far we have not known even a fraction about our
ancient civilization and cultural achievements. Detailed factual data
in our ancient texts and Sanskrit manuscripts is beckoning us to carry
out further research. By making use of modern scientific instruments
and techniques we must discover the true facts about our ancient past.
If we do, we may be able to gather supportive evidences to reassert
that ours was the oldest civilization in the world and that our
ancestors, the Vedic Aryans, had travelled from India to various parts
of Asia and Europe to spread our knowledge, civilization and culture.
When this is recorded we! would be able to hold our heads higher and be
able to take on the future with greater confidence.
Daily Pioneer (Newspaper)
------------------------------------------------------------
For thousands of years, we have believed in the divinity of Shri
Krishna. For us he was a Karmayogi par excellence who gave us action
oriented philosophy of life in the form of Bhagavad Gita. But questions
have constantly haunted us as to whether Krishna was a historical or
mythical character and whether the war of Mahabharata was actually
fought.
Till recently, we did not have the wherewithal to search for and
establish the truth. But modern scientific tools and techniques like
computers with planetarium softwares, advancements in archaeological
and marine archaeological techniques, earth-sensing satellite
photography and thermo-luminescence dating methods, all have made it
possible to establish the authenticity and dating of many events
narrated in ancient texts like the Mahabharata. Recent archaeo-
astronomical studies, results of marine-archaeological explorations and
overwhelming archaeological evidence have established the historicity
and dating of many events narrated in the Mahabharata. These have led
to the conclusion that Mahabharata War was actually fought in 1478 BC
and Shri Krishna's Dwarka City got submerged under the sea in 1443 BC.
Astronomical Evidence: In the Mahabharata references to sequential
solar and lunar eclipses as also references to some celestial
observations have been made. Dr RN Iyengar, the great scientist of
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, examined relevant references
and searched for the compatible dates by making use of planetarium
software (PVIS and EZC). He concluded that most of these references
were internally consistent and that the eclipses a! nd celestial
observations of Mahabharata belong to the period 1493 BC-1443 BC of
Indian History, (refer Indian Journal of History of
Science/38.2/2003/77-115).
In the Mahabharata, there are references to three sequential solar
eclipses and some other planetary positions. Reference to the first
solar eclipse comes in the Sabha Parva (79.29), graphically described
by Vidur when Pandavas start their journey to the forest on being
banished for 12 years of life in exile and one year of life incognito
after they had lost everything in the game of dice. After 13 years of
exile and incognito life, the Pandavas returned to Hastinapur and
demanded their kingdom back, but Duryodhana refused. Several efforts to
prevent war failed and war became imminent.
There is a reference to the second solar eclipse in the Bhisma Parva
(3.29), following a lunar eclipse o! ccurring within the same fortnight a
few days before the actual war of Mahabharata. These eclipses occurred
after 14-15 years of the first solar eclipse The epic also refers to
some unfavorable planetary positions between the second solar eclipse
and the beginning of the war on Kartika Purnima (Bhisma Parva 3.14 to
3.19). On Kartika Krishna Ashtami, Saturn was near Rohini and Mars was
between Jayestha and Anuradha. Twenty two days later, on Kartika
Purnima, Saturn was near Rohini, Mars was near Jayestha (probably
Uranus) was between Citra and Swati.
Another white planet (possibly Jupiter) had moved from Purva-bhadra to
Uttar-bhadra. Reference to the third solar eclipse comes in the Mausala
Parva (2.19 to 2.20) occurring in the 36th year of the Mahabharata War.
This was visible from the city of Dwarka, which is stated to have been
subsequently submerged under! the sea. For these observations to be
internally consistent, there should have been three solar eclipses
within 50 years. The first one and the second one after a gap of 14-15
years should have been visible from Kurukshetra whereas the third solar
eclipse should have been visible from Dwarka after 35 years of the
second one.
Marine Archaeological explorations around Dwarka: The on-shore and
off-shore explorations carried out in and around Dwarka during last 50
years have revealed that Dwarka was a prosperous city in ancient times,
which was destroyed and reconstructed several times. The work of great
excavators like ZD Ansari and MS Mate and chance discovery of temples
of 9th century AD and 1st century AD buried near the present
Dwarkadhish Temple, prompted setting up of a Marine Archaeology Centre
jointly by the National Institute of Oceanography and the&nb! sp;
Archaeological Survey of India. A project for marine archaeological
explorations in Dwarka was initiated under the dynamic leadership of
great marine archaeologist Dr Rao, who has the distinction of being
awarded "The World Ship Trust Award" for outstanding research in this
field.
Dr Rao's team consisted of expert under-water explorers, trained
diver-photographers and archaeologists. The technique of geophysical
survey was combined with the use of echo-sounders, mud-penetrators,
sub-bottom profilers and under-water metal detectors. This team carried
out 12 marine archaeological expeditions between the year 1983 to 1992
AD and articles/antiquities recovered were sent to Physical Research
Laboratory for dating. By using thermo- luminescence, carbon dating and
other modern scientific techniques, artifacts were found to be
belonging to the period 15! th to 18th century BC. In his great work, The
Lost City of Dwarka, Dr Rao has given scientific details of these
discoveries and artifacts.
Conclusions arrived at after carrying out these under-water
archaeological explorations support and validate the dates arrived at
through astronomical calculations. These also prove that the
reconstructed city of Dwarka was a prosperous port town, and that it
was in existence for about 60-70 years in the 15th century BC before
being submerged under the sea in the year 1443 BC.
Attempts have also been made to determine the year of Mahabharata from
the details available in scriptures which include Puranas. When events
are unrecorded for quite some time and are passed on to the succeeding
generations through Shruti and Smriti, the inaccuracies and myths get
mixed with reality on account of differences in the perceptions of&n! bsp;
different individuals. However, it is for the objective rational
individual mind to find out and differentiate fact from fiction.
Important information, including the genealogy charts of rulers after
Yudhishthira, are available in Srimad Bhagvatam, Matsya Puran and Vayu
Purana. On the basis of such evidence, famous historian Lord Cunningham
assigned the year 1424 BC to the War of Mahabharata.
Evidences referred to earlier point more to the probability that nobody
had come to India from Central Asia or from any other place. In fact,
Indo-Aryan kings and warriors had come to Kurukshetra in their war
chariots from all over India to participate in the Mahabharata War and
that a whole lot of people got killed in that war. The killers as well
as the killed, the victors as well as the vanquished, the charioteers
as well as the foot soldiers, all were Indians who! had already
experienced thousands of years of prosperous and advanced civilization.
Archaeology also records a continuous indigenous evolution of Vedic
civilization going back to 5000 BC at sites like Mehrgarh and Koldi.
It is sad that so far we have not known even a fraction about our
ancient civilization and cultural achievements. Detailed factual data
in our ancient texts and Sanskrit manuscripts is beckoning us to carry
out further research. By making use of modern scientific instruments
and techniques we must discover the true facts about our ancient past.
If we do, we may be able to gather supportive evidences to reassert
that ours was the oldest civilization in the world and that our
ancestors, the Vedic Aryans, had travelled from India to various parts
of Asia and Europe to spread our knowledge, civilization and culture.
When this is recorded we! would be able to hold our heads higher and be
able to take on the future with greater confidence.
courtsey: hpi.org, Hinduism Today
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