Tag: Ancient

CCMB research confirms ancient trade between India, Middle East

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Hyderabad: The recent evidence from the archaeological site at Pattanam, on the South-Western coast in Kerala’s Ernakulam district, and their ancient DNA analyses strengthen the belief of historians that Pattanam played an “instrumental role” in trade and cultural exchanges between India and the Middle East and others, scientists said on Friday.
The archaeological site at Pattanam is believed to be part of the ancient port city of the Muziris.
Historians consider the city of Pattanam to have played an instrumental role in trade and cultural exchanges between India and the Middle East, North Africa and the Mediterranean regions.

The belief stems from the classical Greco-Roman records as well as Tamil and Sanskrit sources.
“The recent and more conclusive archaeological evidences from Pattanam, and their ancient DNA analyses led by chief scientist at CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) Kumarasamy Thangaraj and PJ Cherian strengthen the belief, and is now published in the journal, Genes,” the city-based CCMB said in a release.
At the Pattanam Archaeological Site, scientists and archaeologists have found, among others, human bones, storage jars, a gold ornament, glass beads, stone beads, utilitarian objects made of stone, copper, and iron, pottery, early Chera coins, brick wall and a six-meter-long wooden canoe parallel to the wharf structure about 2.5 m below surface level, it said.
“These structures indicate a vast ‘urban’ settlement. The excavations suggest that the site was first occupied by the indigenous “Megalithic” (Iron Age) people, followed by the Roman contact in the Early Historic Period. It appears that the site was continuously occupied at least from the 2nd century BC to the 10th century AD,” said PJ Cherian, from PAMA Institute for the Advancement of Transdisciplinary Archaeological Sciences, Ernakulam district of Kerala.
Scientists used the DNA from the human skeletons to pinpoint the genetic ancestry of the people found in the region.

Niraj Rai, co-corresponding author of the paper, and a Senior Scientist, DST-Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow said, “We have analysed the mitochondrial DNA of 12 ancient skeletal samples. We found that these samples show the presence of both South Asian and West Eurasian-specific lineages.”
The harsh climatic conditions of India are not always favourable to ancient DNA research.
“Most of the excavated skeletal remains from the Pattanam site were in a very fragile state due to the tropical, humid, and acidic soil conditions. However, we have adopted the best practices in the field of ancient DNA and successfully analysed the samples. The unique imprint of West Eurasian and Mediterranean signatures found in these samples exemplify a continuous inflow of traders and multicultural mixing in ancient South India,” said Kumarasamy Thangaraj.
“This is the first genetic data generated, so far, to infer their origin and genetic makeup of Pattanam Archaeological Site. And the findings reinforce the early historical occupation of culturally, religiously, and ethnically diverse groups at the Pattanam Archaeological Site,” said Vinay Kumar Nandicoori, Director, CCMB.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 29, 2023
Decipher ancient wisdom, AP Governor tells Vedic varsity students

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Tirupati: Andhra Pradesh Governor S Abdul Nazeer on Friday called on the students of Sri Venkateswara Vedic University (SVVU) to decipher the ancient wisdom of the Vedas.
Addressing the seventh convocation of the varsity, the Governor said Vedas were treasures of knowledge from ages ago, whose essence should be propagated for the well-being of humanity.
“India, or Bharat, has been popular as the powerhouse of knowledge ever since the dawn of human civilisation. The uniqueness of Indian knowledge system lies in the quintessential Vedic sources that originated in this sub-continent,” Nazeer said in his speech.

As the Chancellor of the varsity, he appreciated the institution for digitising 3,000 manuscripts thus far and wished that SVVU would reach greater heights in spreading knowledge for the benefit of society, not only in the country but across the world.
As many as 550 students were conferred with graduate and post-graduate degrees. The title of Maha Mahopadhyaya was awarded to Subrahmanya Shastri Salakshana Ghanapati and Dravida Shastry and the title of Vachaspathi was conferred on Ramasomayaji Shastry and Vamsikrishna Ghanapati.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 28, 2023
DU to launch ‘Panchang’ on April 28 to disseminate ancient Indian knowledge

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New Delhi: The Delhi University (DU) will release a ‘Panchang’ (religious almanac) prepared by it on April 28, which will be shared among the students across the country with an aim to connect the youth to the rich ancient Indian knowledge system and tradition.
The Panchang will be released by DU Vice Chancellor Yogesh Singh in the presence of several personalities from the fields of literature and culture, including the varsity’s department heads, teachers, students, and researchers, among others.
The chief guest at the programme will be Ramlal, the all-India Sampark Pramukh of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

The varsity will release the Panchang with a focus on the theme ‘Indian Knowledge Tradition’ on the occasion of its centenary year.
The Panchang has been prepared by the varsity’s Value Addition Courses Committee.
“Our Panchang is more advanced than the Western calendar. It is more scientific and informative. Delhi University’s Value Addition Courses Committee is all set to script a new history on this,” the committee’s president, Niranjan Kumar, told IANS.
“It is quite unfortunate that Panchang has disappeared from our homes as well as from the minds of the youth. Through this Panchang, DU is trying to connect the students to the Indian knowledge system.
“The Western calendar only provides dates and holiday-related information. But the Indian Panchang contains dates, days of the week, ‘nakshatra’, ‘karan’, ‘yog’ etc., along with all our festivals and other important dates,” Kumar added.

The Panchang will be provided for everyone free of cost during the programme at the varsity.
According to DU, it would also tell students about the importance of ‘Indian Panchang’ and the accuracy of mathematical calculations of Panchang in the Indian knowledge tradition.
Describing the launch of the almanac as a historic event, Kumar said that this is happening for the first time in the history of DU when the varsity is releasing a Panchang for the dissemination of ancient Indian knowledge.
“The Panchang will be a useful step in introducing students to the rich and ancient Indian knowledge tradition,” he said.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 27, 2023
‘Shaakuntalam’ trailer presents ancient mythological tale as 3D spectacle

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Mumbai: The second trailer of the upcoming film ‘Shaakuntalam’ was unveiled here on Thursday. The trailer, which is 1 minute and 34 seconds in length, promises a visual treat and features Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Dev Mohan.
The film tells the story of epic love story of Shakuntala and King Dushyant from Mahabharata, portrayed by Samantha and Dev Mohan.
The film is based on Kalidasa’s Sanskrit play ‘Abhijnana Shakuntalam’.

The film has been written and directed by Gunasekhar and presented by Dil Raju under Sri Venkateswara Creations in collaboration with Gunaa Teamworks.
Produced by Neelima Guna, the movie will release on April 14 in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada in 3D format.
Check out trailer here

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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 7, 2023
SPS Museum Srinagar Showcases Ancient Quranic Manuscripts

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Srinagar: Amid ongoing holy month of Ramadan, the Sri Pratap Singh (SPS) Museum has organized a week-long special exhibition featuring Quranic manuscripts. The exhibition offers visitors a unique opportunity to delve into the rich history and heritage of Islamic art and calligraphy.
The exhibition showcases a collection of rare and ancient Quranic manuscripts, including those from the 17th century – which is a testament to the deep reverence and importance that the Holy Quran holds in the Muslim faith.
SPS Museum manager Rabiya Qureshi said, “Our manuscript section was not displayed yet, but then we thought that this being the holy month of Ramadan, people should know that Kashmir had hand-written manuscripts of ancient times so that they will learn about the influence of art and artifacts from Central Asia and Persia, among others.”
“I am feeling proud that we have a collection of maximum manuscripts from the 17th century and in which Kashmiri paper is used. This is a local paper manufactured in the downtown area of Srinagar and although the processing and pounding were done in Ganderbal, after finishing it was written by,” she said.
“These manuscripts are mostly made of black ink, gold, and saffron color. This manuscript paper had two to three types and one of them was for royalty and another for common people,” she said, adding that people from outside take paper from here and use it. The first unit of paper was made in Kashmir, and India has also received paper from Kashmir.
Local students who visited the exhibition also shared their views. “It’s fascinating to see these ancient manuscripts, which have been so well-preserved. We’ve learned a lot about our local history and the art of manuscript-making,” said Farhan Ahmad.
Another student, Aisha Mir, said, “I never realized that Kashmir had such a rich tradition of manuscript-making. It is wonderful to see these beautiful pieces up close and to learn about their history and significance.”
Notably, most of the manuscripts in the museum are illuminated and mostly made of gold. It is also seen that saffron has been used in these manuscripts. These manuscripts have been made of natural and mineral colors and they took a long time to get ready. (GNS)

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( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

March 29, 2023
Ancient Sculptures Found In Doda

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SRINAGAR: Ancient stone sculptures and idols believed to be dating back to hundreds of years were found by locals at a silwa village of Bhallesa in Doda district on Wednesday.
Reports doing rounds on social media said that while excavating for a water source, the locals found the sculptures 10 ft under the ground.
Locals found 11 stone water pipes, two small ponds, one idol and some stone sculptures.The paintings on stones depict ancient art and religious figures.
All these materials found seem to be very ancient and the locals of the area have demanded the intervention of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to establish the facts.
After confirming the development, Deputy Commissioner Vishesh Paul Mahajan took up the matter with the Secretary, Culture Department, who has assured of appropriate action.

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( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

March 1, 2023