Steps Into Eternity: The Ancient Hindu Stepwells and the Science of a Civilization Ahead of Its Time Long before the architects of Rome designed their aqueducts, and centuries before European cities began to think seriously about water management, the people of ancient Bharat had already mastered the art and science of water harvesting. Their answer to the challenge of water conservation was not merely functional but transcendently beautiful — the stepwell, known in Sanskrit as Vapi or Vaapi, and in various regional tongues as Baoli, Bavdi, or Kalyani. These magnificent structures, hewn from sandstone and granite, descended in precise geometric steps into the earth, reaching groundwater with a sophistication that continues to astonish engineers and architects to this day. The stepwell was not an accident of nature or a product of simple trial and error. It was the outcome of a civilisation deeply rooted in the union of science, spirituality, and civic responsibility — a civilisation ...

The Vedantic concept of origin of life was discussed in a paper presented by Phalguni Banerjee at the International Conference on Science and Spirituality for World Peace. The paper talks about the failure of modern science to provide any satisfactory answer regarding life and its deeper reality. In the paper, Phalguni Banerjee points out that a synthesis between the Vedantic idea and modern science can expand the domain of our scientific conception of Life and find some satisfactory answers. The paper was published in KangalaOnline (the site is no longer available). Some excerpts from the paper Science Magazine in its 125th Anniversary Issue came up with the title “What Don’t We Know?” where it listed 125 crucial questions facing science over the next quarter-century. A major question of foundational importance that is listed is, “How and Where Did Life on Earth Arise?”  Over the years in an attempt to understand life, modern science has made extensive attem...

It is a well known fact that Hindu religion does not have a centralized authority to present a collective Hindu opinion on major issues. A classic example is the issue of cloning technique and human cloning. The Roman Catholic Church Pope termed cloning technique “intrinsically evil in design.” Islam too opposes cloning. What about Hindus? For issues like cloning, each Hindu has an individual opinion of his/her own. A Hindu usually develops his/her opinion about a particular issue after analyzing the media reports. Majority of the Hindus are always in favor of scientific research.  And the reason for this was stated by Swami Agnivesh in the Hindustan Times Vedic scholar and an Arya Samaj leader Swami Agnivesh said: "Hinduism does not oppose human cloning. According to Vedas no scientific research should be left untouched, and thus we welcome all forms of scientific research.”  He said, "By cloning we aren’t playing God. God has given us specia...

Numerous researches have proved that the Rudraksha has powerful electromagnetic properties. The bead has the capacity to send special electrical impulses to certain brain centers and this is the reason attributed for the healing power of Rudraksha. The structure of a Rudraksha bead is quite similar to that of the brain. The capacity of the bead to send electrical impulses varies with its number of faces. The impulses can regulate heartbeat, stress levels, blood pressure, and hypertension. It has the capacity to absorb excess body heat and balance the physical energy. The bead also alleviates depression, mood disorders, anxiety and mental disorders. It also helps in developing intense concentration while meditating. Ayurvedic texts talk about the curative properties of Rudraksha. The pulp of Rudraksha fruit is highly helpful in curing epilepsy and mental illness. The powdered seed relieves common cold and hypertension. In some cultures, newly born babies are given a...

Millions of people bath in the River Ganga, or Ganges , during Kumbh Mela, Magh Mela and on other auspicious days? But rarely have we heard about the breakout of a major epidemic like Cholera or other waterborne diseases. Industrial waste and human waste is dumped into Ganga at several points but Ganga continues to amaze everyone with its purifying power. So what is the science behind the extraordinary power of Ganga ? And does science have the all the clues to the purifying properties of Ganges ? In Hinduism, there is frequently a connection between mythology and science. Hindu scriptures say that bathing in Ganga purifies the sins of this birth and previous birth. Ganga Ma, or Mother Ganga, is a Goddess in Hinduism. Puranas and epics extol her greatness and she descends to the earth from the matted locks of Lord Shiva. A dying Hindu’s last wish is to have a few drops of Ganga water. Hindus have always believed that River Ganga has extraordinary power and it prevents disea...

Delivering a lecture on Bhakti Yoga, the Vice-president of Indian Academy of Yoga, Prof IM Gupta said that the Bhakti Yoga has a scientific background. The lecture titled ‘Bhakti Yoga: An Analysis with a Scientific Backdrop Based on Bhagavad Gita’ was delivered at the Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS) in BHU in Varanasi . The following points are excerpts of the lecture from Hindustan Times Bhakti Yoga, the inevitable and logical culmination of all other forms of yoga — karma yoga, gyan yoga and dhyan yoga — the different pathways recommended for the elevation of human form in its various facets, has a scientific background. Energy in scientific term is required by all living creatures for their subsistence and activity. The primary source of all energy in nature is the Sun, a manifestation of Lord Himself. The plant kingdom (green plants) alone has the means and ability to convert Sun’s energy into food for subsequent use through the process of photosynthesis....

The ten incarnations or ‘Dasa Avatara’ of Lord Vishnu is an extraordinary recording of the evolution of human life and advance in human civilization. In Hindu religion, the three main deities are Lord Brahma, Vishu and Shiva. Brahma creates, Vishnu protects and Shiva destroys - three faces of Mother Nature. Lord Vishnu descends on Earth to uphold dharma and to cleanse the Earth of evil. So far, Lord Vishnu has appeared nine times on Earth and the tenth, kalki, is expected. The sequence of appearance of Lord Vishnu on Earth is in tune with the evolutionary theory. In fact, the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu is an amazing recording of the advancement of human civilization. All this was recorded by Hindu sages thousands of years before Christ. The first incarnation or avatar of Lord Vishnu was in the form of a fish and is known as ‘Matsya Avatar.’ It has now been confirmed by Science through various experiments that the first life forms evolved underwater. The sec...

The video below compares the concept of beginning and end of universe in Hinduism with that of modern cosmology. The video is presented by Carl Edward Sagan - an American astronomer and astrobiologist and a highly successful popularizer of astronomy, astrophysics, and other natural sciences. Below is the transcript of the video. This is because the subject matter is very complex and you might need repeated listening. Hindu religion is the only one of the world’s great faiths dedicated to the idea that the cosmos itself undergoes an immense, indeed an infinite number of deaths and rebirths. It is the only religion in which the time scales correspond, no doubt, by accident, to those of modern scientific cosmology. Its cycles run from our ordinary day and night to a day and night of Brahma 8.64 billion years long. Longer than the age of the earth or the sun and about half of the time since the big bang. And there are much longer time scales still. There ...

Pearls are naturally formed an Oyster, a living creature - marine mollusks having a rough irregular shell; found on the sea bed mostly in coastal waters. There are natural pearls and cultured pearls. Cultured pearls are created by slight alteration in the natural pearl formation. Now an Indian scientist Ajai Kumar Sonkar has created cultured pearls in the form of Lord Ganesha. The 42 mm Lord Ganesha-shaped pearl was created at Ajai Kumar Sonkar’s farm and research project in Andamans and Nicobar Island . Pteria Penguin, a special species of pearl oyster, was used to create it. The cost of a single Lord Ganesh pearl is around $30000 (Rupees 12 lakhs). Press Trust of India reports ‘Earlier no free cultured pearl had been formed in the species, Pteria Penguin, because of its features. They are very sensitive to outside element and usually die when any foreign body is implanted,’ Ajai Kumar Sonkar said. Sonkar, who in 2003 had developed the world's biggest black pearl i...

The Institute for the Study of Secularism in Society and Culture (ISSSC) of Trinity College in Hartford , Connecticut, recently released the results of a survey conducted on religious beliefs and opinions of academics and scientists in India . The majority of the Indian scientists are Hindus (66%) and the next large group was atheists (10%). Some of the interesting questions in the survey included do you approve of the space scientists going to Tirupati to seek the blessing of Lord Venkateswara before launching a satellite. The Worldviews and Opinions of Scientists in India Summary Report gives the highlights of an international, academic web survey conducted. The survey was conducted between August 2007 and January 2008 in cooperation with the Center for Inquiry India. The large national sample of Indian scientists, the first of its kind, included 1,100 participants from 130 universities and research institutes. The summary report contains three sections. The first is a p...

Dahi Handi is a major event during the Sri Krishna Jayanti festival. Such is its popularity that the festival itself is at times referred as Dahi Handi festival. In the Asia Pacific Robot Contest, Robocon 2008, this popular game of Krishna and Gopas will be played by robots. A few robots will also attempt to steal earthen pots with ‘dahi’ (yoghurt) from Gopis (young girls). The theme of Robocon 2008 is based one of the most popular childhood pranks of Lord Krishna. Shri Krishna and his friends (Gopas) used to steal milk, yoghurt, butter and cheese from kitchens in Vrindavan. The pots with butter and yoghurt are usually suspended from high poles to avoid children and domestic animals from reaching it and breaking the pot. But the cunning Krishna and his friends used to form human pyramid and steal the contents of the pots. They also used to break the pots with ‘dahi’ carried by girls (Gopis) in the village. Each year during the birthday of Sri Krishna, Dahi Handi competi...

Ancient Hindus unknowingly employed nanotechnology in the manufacture of swords, other weapons and paintings. This was indicated by Nobel Laureate (chemistry) Robert Curl Jr at the 95th Indian Science Congress in Visakhapatnam , Andhra Pradesh , India . ‘Our ancestors have been unwittingly using the technology for over 2,000 years and carbon nano for about 500 years. Carbon nanotechnology is much older than carbon nanoscience,’ said Curl (the Hindu) Nobel Laureate (chemistry) Robert Curl Jr told an enchanted audience at the 95th Indian Science Congress here about how Damascus steel was first made by experts in south and south-central India as long ago as around 300 BC. (the New Indian Express) The swords produced by ancient Hindu blacksmiths were known to retain its sharp edge and toughness. Such high quality swords were the result of the composition of carbon in it. Nanotechnology refers broadly to a field of applied science and technology whose unifying theme is ...

The great sages who delivered universal thoughts through the Vedas were concerned about unethical and profit driven human activities and its impact on society and the environment. This is echoed in several verses in the Vedas, especially in the Upanishads. What these great seers feared more than 5000 years ago have become a reality and we are already paying the price for such unethical and profit driven human activities. Today, many major companies around the world have realized the mistakes and there is more awareness and this has led to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Corporate Social Responsibility is a concept whereby organizations consider the interests of society by taking responsibility for the impact of their activities on customers, employees, shareholders, communities and the environment in all aspects of their operations. (Wikipedia) In an article titled ‘Wisdom of the ages’ in ‘The CTO Forum’ Magazine, Dr. S. Kannan presents an overview of the Vedic vis...

Many devotees who partake in Hindu fire walking ritual do not get burned. There is also a popular belief that those who are blessed by Amman will not suffer burns. But in normal case, if a person walks on fire he/she will suffer burns. So what saves these ardent devotees of ‘ Amman ’? Coal from wood has less thermal capacity. This means less heat is transferred to the feet while walking on fire. The period of contact between burning coal and feet is for a very short period. Many people walk briskly. The bed of burning coal is different from a metal sheet and there are numerous pores or vacant areas in a bed of coal. The bed of burning coal is not a hard surface like a sheet of metal or road, as a person walks the coal displaces. The ash from the coal acts as an insulator. The thick layer of ash on the coal bed is often hidden as the ritual is performed at night. The same bed of burning coal when viewed at day time will clearly show a layer of ash. Many people believe that th...

Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) has digitally restored the 700 year old Hindu palm leaf manuscript - Sarvamoola Granthas. Ten months back this blog had written about RIT scientists trying to digitally preserve the dilapidated palm leaf original Hindu writings in Sarvamoola Granthas, attributed to philosopher-saint Shri Madhvacharya (1238-1317). The project was led by RIT professors P.R. Mukund and Roger L. Easton Jr. The Sarvamoola Granthas is a collection of 36 works written in Sanskrit and contains commentaries on sacred Hindu scriptures and conveys Shri Madhvacharya’s Dvaita philosophy. The Damaged Manuscript Each leaf of the manuscript measures 26 inches long and two inches wide. The leaves are bound together with braided cord threaded through two holes. Heavy wooden covers sandwich the 342 palm leaves, which are cracked and chipped at the edges. In its current condition, the Sarvamoola Granthas is difficult to handle and to read as the result of centuries...

"Blue Moon" is a term used to describe the occurrence of an additional full moon within a given calendar month or season. It's a relatively rare event and is not directly related to Hinduism or any other specific religious tradition. However, the concept of the moon holds significant importance in Hinduism. The moon, known as "Chandra" or "Soma" in Hindu mythology, is considered a deity and plays various symbolic and religious roles within Hindu cosmology and spirituality. In Hinduism, the moon is associated with the divine feminine energy, particularly with the goddesses Chandra and Tara. Chandra is the lunar deity, while Tara is often depicted as the consort of Chandra. Additionally, the phases of the moon are important in Hindu rituals and festivals, with certain days of the lunar month considered auspicious for worship and spiritual practices. While the occurrence of a blue moon may not have a direct connection to Hinduism, the symbolism of t...

When one goes deep into the Vedas, numerous doubts arise regarding the use of certain words as they have multiple meanings. And certain concepts give a feel as if they have been forced into the Vedas and were not part of the original text. Prabhu Ram Raghunathan of Carnegie Mellon University, Pennsylvania is using Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques to clear such doubts on a statistical basis. So what is Artificial Intelligence? From library.thinkquest.org Artificial Intelligence, or AI for short, is a combination of computer science, physiology, and philosophy. AI is a broad topic, consisting of different fields, from machine vision to expert systems. The element that the fields of AI have in common is the creation of machines that can "think". Varun Aggarwal writes in expresscomputeronline in detail about the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in deciphering the Vedas and the role played by Prabhu Ram Raghunathan. Prabhu Ram Raghunathan...

Researchers from St Andrews and Dundee Universities say that Kumbh Mela holds the key to living together in harmony. The psychologists have completed a three-year study during the ongoing Ardh Kumbh Mela 2007. The huge crowd, pollution and noise at Kumbh Mela should have increased the stress levels. But people became more orderly, supportive and generous according to Dr Clare Cassidy of St Andrews University . She says “This is the opposite of a ‘walk on by’ society; it is a community where people are attentive to the needs of strangers.” According to the researchers Kumbh Mela could throw light on how society works and the nature of collective participation.

Yes! There are some people who never experience physical pain. For example, the Pakistani boy who helped scientists to solve the puzzle of ‘no pain’ used to pierce his arms with knives. Of course there will be cuts and bruises but no pain. The Telegraph writes When a British team came across the extraordinary boy they found three more related families in which there were six children — aged from two to 12 — who also felt no pain. Each originated from the Qureshi birdari clan in northern Pakistan .  The scientists were able to determine that a mutation in the gene called SCN9A was responsible. This complemented the discovery that a painful inherited human neuropathy, known as erythromelalgia, in which sufferers experience a severe burning pain in response to warmth, is due to other mutations in the gene.  As a result, they deduce that this gene can regulate pain sensation, from none at all to excessive pain. SCN9A is responsible for one that...

How about a robot that looks like you? Yes a robot look alike of human being. In October Zou Ren Ti, founder of the Xi'an Superman Sculpture Research Council, unveiled a robot his team is developing. The surprise was that the robot looked exactly like him. It was displayed at the annual China Robot Expo in Beijing . The robot can move and speak. But the impressive feature of the robot Zou Ren Ti was its skin made of silica gel. Well…any guess which is the robot? From Time best inventions 2006