15 Strange Facts about
ANCIENT INDIA
"India is not, as people keep calling it, an underdeveloped country, but rather, in the context of its history and culture heritage, a highly developed one in an advanced state of decay".
These are the words of Mr Shashi Tharoor and below are the 15 astonishing facts to support his statement.
1. The Game of Snake and Ladders was created by the 13th-century poet Saint Gyandev. It was originally called "Mokshapat". The ladder in the game represented virtues and snakes indicated vices. The game was played with cowrie shells and dices. In time, the Gabe underwent several modifications, but its meaning remains the same.
2. The art of Navigation and Navigating was born in the river Sindh over 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word "Navgath". The word navy is also derived from the Sanskrit word "NOU"
3. Algebra, trigonometry and Calculus also originated in
India. Quadratic equations were used by Sridharacharya in the 11 century. The
largest numbers that the Greek and the Roman used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10^53 with the specific names as early as 5000 BC during the Vedic Period.
4. Sushruta is guarded as the father of
surgery. Over 2600 years ago Sushruta and his team conducted complicated surgeries
like artificial limbs, cesareans, fractures, Urinary stones and brain surgeries.
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| Maharishi Sushrut Statue |
5. Uses of Anaesthesia were well known in Asian medicine. Detailed knowledge of anatomy, physiology, etiology, embryology, digestion, metabolism, physiology, genetics and immunities is also
found in many Asian Indian texts.
6. The world’s first granite temple
is the Brihadeswara Temple at Tanjavur, Tamil Nadu. The shikhara of the
temple is made from a single 80-Tonne piece of granite. This magnificent temple was
built in just five years between 1004 AD and 1009 AD during that reign of Rajaraja Chola.
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| Brihadeswara Temple |
7. The world’s first University was
established in Takshila in 700 BC more than 10,000 students from all over the world
studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th
century was one of the greatest achievement of ancient India in the field of
education.
8. The value of Pi was first calculated by the
Indian mathematician Budhayana and he explained the concept of what is known
as a Pythagorean theorem, he discovered this in the 6th century, long before the
European mathematicians.
9. The "Place value system" and the "Decimal system" was developed in India in 100 B.C.
10. Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to mankind. The father of medicine, Charaka consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago.
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| Maharishi Charaka |
11. Until 1896, India was the only source of diamonds in the world.
12. The Vishnu Temple in the city of Tirupati built in the 10th century is the world's largest religious pilgrimage destination. Larger than either Rome or mecca, An average of three 30,000 visitors donate 6 million Dollars to the temple every day.
13. Martial arts were first created in India and later spread to Asia by Buddhist missionaries.
14. Chess was invented in India.
15. Varanasi, also known as Banaras was called "The Asian City" when lord Budha visited it in 500 B.C. and is the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the world today.
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| Varanasi |
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