Rare Triple Eclipse, Aryabhatta and End of World?

Good Afternoon,

Astronomers are in for a rare treat with a triple eclipse occuring in the span of a month starting from tomorrow. The schedule has a Solar Eclipse on July 22nd sandwiched between two Lunar eclipses on July 7th and August 6th.

The first recorded triple eclipse took place in 3067 BC, hovering around the Kurukshetra war period. Another one in 3031 BC oversaw the collapse of the Golden city of Dwarka. This was a turbulent time and signalled the end of the Dwapar Yuga and the beginning of the KalYuga, which is currently going on.

Interestingly, the Mayan Long calender ends on December 29th, 2012. Lord Krishna had predicted that approximately 5000 years after the onset of KalYuga, there will be a lot of problems on the earth...

Triple eclipses have also been seen to coincide with both the World Wars. So is this a premonition of something dangerous about to happen? We will just have to wait and watch...

Eclipses have mystified the human race from millenia. In ancient China, a dragon was thought to be swallowing the sun whenever an eclipse occured. Records from ancient Greece attribute the eclipses to Zeus, the king of Gods. The eclipses also form an important observation subject of the Mayans and the Incas.

However, the concept of the eclipse has been woven into a story in ancient Hindu texts, and a very famous one at that. It is connected with the churning of the milky ocean (Samudramanthan). I have already mentioned this episode in my series on Lord Vishnu's Dasavathars. The post is on the 2nd Avatar, the Tortoise form of Kurma:

http://scienceofhinduism.blogspot.com/2008/05/kurma-avatar.html

The last item to come out of the great milky ocean was the pot of nectar (Amrit). A fight ensued between the Sevas and Asuras on who should have a go at it first. Then Lord Vishnu appeared in the form of Mohini, an enchantress, and volunteered to distribute the potion. Blinded by lust, the Asuras gullibly agreed. Mohini began doling out the potion to the Devas first, and an intelligent Asura named Rahu saw through her plan. Taking the form of a Deva, he sat between Chandra (Moon God) and Surya (Sun God).

Chandra recognized Rahu as one different from them, and tried to inform the same to Lord Vishnu. But the damage had already been done. By the time Lord Vishnu's Sudarshan Chakra took care of Rahu, the Asura had drunk the Amrit. Though the divine Chakra sliced him into two, both his head and his body remained alive. Since he too had become immortal, Lord Vishnu ordered Rahu (the head) and Ketu (the body) to remain in the company of the sun and moon, and thus they complete the Navagraha along with the other planets. The significance of the 7 planets + Rahu and Ketu will be discussed in another post...

It is said that the eclipse occurs whenever Rahu tries to engulf the moon or come between the moon and the sun. It is important to note the reference of Rahu sitting between the Sun and Moon, thus creating a barrier or shadow, which is the principle of the eclipse. This is how the concept of eclipses was passed down from generation to generation in ancient India.

Meanwhile, I came across a Shloka in which Aryabhatta, India's great mathematician and astronomer of the ancient age, has lucidly explained the concept of both the Solar and Lunar eclipses. This Shloka, from his famous work Aryabhatiyam, was stated in 499 AD, and is given below:

Translated into English, it says "The moon covers the sun and the great shadow of the earth covers the moon."

Thus, in a single line, Aryabhatta has described both the eclipses. Truly a blessed and great soul!

- Nikhil Mundra

www.gandhistamps.com

11th July 2009

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Aryabhatta - Planetary Motion

Namaste Everyone,

I've been away from my PC for a long time now. Had my 6th semester exams, and as you know about us would-be engineers, we open our books only the night before each dreaded paper. Add an eye infection to this already precarious scenario, and you can understand why there's no post for about a month.

This is the 2nd instalment in the series of posts on India's most famous Mathematician, Aryabhatta. He was also a renowned astronomer, and this post gives credance to the fact that he formulated some very important laws based on his observations.

Our curriculum teach us that theory on Planetary motion was propounded by Johannes Kepler, a German Astronomer and Mathematician. This was done as late as the 17th century AD. But as usual, India had an answer to the same question way back in the 5th Century AD. The following Sloka from Aryabhatiyam-Kalakriyapada gives Aryabhatta's version:

The meaning of this Sloka is as follows:

"The mean planets move on their orbits and the true planets move in eccentric circles. All such planets move with their own motion, anti-clockwise from their apogees and clockwise from their perigees."

So it took around 1200 years for the Western "Civilization" to re-discover something that Aryabhatta had stated in the 5th Century! Truly Amazing!

- Nikhil Mundra

www.gandhistamps.com

www.nikhilloids.blogspot.com

6th June 2009

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Aryabhatta - Astronomer, Mathematician, Scientist

Hi,

The post on Thoppukaranam alias "Super Brain Yoga" seems to have garnered a lot of interest. These days your blog is averaging 50+ hits a day! Sadly, this also goes on to show that when our ancient practices are marketed by the west, they receive a tremendous response... But my belief is that if people are going to be benefited by it, there is no harm in whichever method the publicity comes...

With this post I am starting a series on possibly ancient world's greatest mathematician and astronomer, Aryabhatta.

Aryabhatta was born around 475 AD, and had already published his most significant work, "Aryabhatiyam", by the age of 23.

Though Aryabhatta has made innumerous contributions to both mathematics and astronomy, in this post, I would like to specifically elucidate how he was the first person to identify the irrationality of possibly the most enchanting and intriguing of numbers, Pi.

Aryabhatiyam is also referred to as Ashtamkara and also as Aryashastasashta (108 verses), but is now popularly called Aryabhatiyam. The Sanskirt verse describing Pi is given below:

The English interpretation of the above Shloka would be:

Add 4 to 100, multiply by 8, then add 62000, then divide by 20000. The result is "approximately" circumference of a circle of diameter 20000.

The answer of the above calculation is 62832/20000 = 3.1416.

By using the word "Asanna" (last word in the Sanskrit verse), Aryabhatta clearly states that the value so found is not exact, but an "approximate" one, something that was "approaching" the exact value. So he is referring to it being irrational.

This is quite a significant contribution, as it was not until the 17th century that Pi was proved to be irrational in Europe.

Keep watching out in the forthcoming weeks for more such interesting stuff on Aryabhatta...

- Nikhil Mundra

www.gandhistamps.com

www.nikhilloids.blogspot.com

=====================

Thoppukaranam (alias) Super Brain Yoga

Hi there,

Recently, my friend sent me a video link on Youtube about a special kind of exercise called "Super Brain Yoga":

Almost immediately, I read an article about the same in one of our National Dailies:

http://www.dc-epaper.com/DC/DCC/2009/03/08/ArticleHtmls/08_03_2009_001_025.shtml?Mode=0

As you can understand, this exercise, called "Super Brain Yoga" by the Americans, is nothing but the simple "Thoppukaranam", the reverential practice done by Hindus in front of Lord Ganesha's temple.

As per the medical research and subsequent report, doing these special kind of situps while holding the opposite earlobes help stimulate brain power and remember things better.

Hindus have been doing "Super Brain Yoga" for ages in front of temples devoted to Lord Ganesha. In fact, I have observed that while crossing a Ganesha temple on road, most people stop, take off their footwear, perform "Thoppukaranam", and then resume their journey. Lord Ganesha is associated with Knowledge/Memory, a point which is now proved by this research. 

But what is saddening is that many of our traditions are being copyrighted by the western world, and the latest point in this case is "Thoppukaranam" being copyrighted as "Super Brain Yoga"...

- Nikhil Mundra

www.gandhistamps.com

www.nikhilloids.blogspot.com

10th March 2009

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Baudhayana Part - 2 + Darwin Evolution

Hi there,

Posting after a more than a month! Life is getting pretty busy these days, due to a hectic college schedule... In the meantime, I take pleasure in informing that this blog now has 6 followers and has just crossed 3000 unique visits. Thanks a lot for your support !

Check out the other contributions by Baudhayana in this post, apart from a note on the widely publicised 200th birth anniversary and 150th Anniversary of the Theory of Evolution by Charles Darwin celebrated recently.

From what I have learnt about him, Baudhayana was basically a priest who designed "Yagnas" (fire-altars). While formulating the design, he wrote down his observations that have become important geometrical laws.

In fact, the word "Geometry" itself is derived from ancient Indian "Giamity", and Trignometry is similarly derived from "Trikonamity". Of course, we have studied that these words have Greek and Latin roots, which, as usual, seems to be wrong.

Moving on, Baudhayana devised an interesting method to determine the square root of numbers, which is given by the following Sutra:

samasya dvikaraNI. pramANaM tritIyena vardhayet
tachchaturthAnAtma chatusastriMshenena savisheShaH.

The method can be explained by the following example, which yields an amazingly close solution:

Another of Baudhayana's findings is the procedure to circle a square (i.e.) find a circle whose area is the same as the given square:

Draw half its diagonal about the centre towards the East-West line; then describe a circle together with a third part of that which lies outside the square.

Explanation:

• Draw the half-diagonal of the square, which is larger than the half-side by .
• Then draw a circle with radius , or , which equals .
• Now , so this turns out to be  which is about a².

Apart from stating the "Pythagorean" theorem, Baudhayana also found some "Pythagorean" triplets like (5.12,13), etc.

All the above discoveries were made when Baudhayana was devising different Yagnas (fire-altars). Though only this information is available, one can only imagine what else he would have discovered but the references to which are not available to modern-man...

Moving on, the month of February this year marked the twin-celebrations of Charles Darwin's 200th birth anniversary and the 150th anniversary of his "Theory of Evolution". As we al know, Darwin is recognised all over the world for ahving developed the concept of Evolution, about how man has grown from the animal he was earlier. 

But if only Darwin had come to India instead of going to Galapagos, he would have discovered that his "theory" has already been stated in our Vedas in a different form - Lord Vishnu's Dasavathars. Starting from the 1st Avatar (Matsya - fish - aquatic), Lord Vishnu tranforms step-by-step into an Amphibian (Kurma - Tortoise), then into a Mammal (Varaha - Boar), half-man half-animal (Narasimha), Pygmy (Vamana), and then into a man. Indians have known this theory for ages, while the world came to know it only in 1859. Jai Hind !

- Nikhil Mundra

www.gandhistamps.com

www.nikhilloids.blogspot.com

2nd March 2009

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Baudhayana (Pythagoras) Theorem

Hi there,

As promised earlier, I am starting a series of posts that will explore the brilliance of ancient Indian scholars. There are many discoveries that have been made by them, but have subsequently been wrongly attributed to western scholars and others. Most of this stuff is already available on various websites, but I'm trying to make a compilation of everything so that this blog can have a consolidated list of Ancient Indian Scientific discoveries.

Let's start with something that nobody escapes during his/her Schooling - Pythagoras Theorem.

I'll state it below graphically just to refresh your memory:

This theorem is used almost by everybody in some point of life. But do you know that it was stated by an Indian priest and Mathematician, Baudhayana, several centuries before the western mathematician?

Referring the Sulbha Sutra, circa 800 BC, we get the following verse:

"A rope stretched along the length of the diagonal produces an area which the vertical and horizontal sides make together."

This is the earliest explanation to what we familiarly refer to as the Pythagoras theorem. Though this discovery was made atleast 500 years before Pythagoras, the world still refers to this important mathematical axiom as the "Pythagorean" theorem rather than Baudhayana's theorem.

Baudhayana made several other important discoveries, some of which we use regularly, while others are used in higher level maths. I will list them out in the next post.

- Nikhil Mundra

http://www.gandhistamps.com/

http://www.nikhilloids.blogspot.com/

======================

Not sipping the Glass

Hi there,

I've opened another blog to voice my views on current affairs and other stuff. Have a look:

http://www.nikhilloids.blogspot.com/

In most cases of throat infections, your tonsils get swollen up. At this point, most doctors suggest that you get them removed as they cause unnecessary pain and discomfort. They consider it another "useless" organ like the Appendix, and thus want to get it out of the way.

Rather than being a cause for concern, the tonsils actually act as a barrier. They prevent whatever infection you have incurred from entering your digestive system, thus keeping any serious problems at bay. But they get swollen up in return.

Now, you must have noticed that in India, it is considered bad manners to sip the glass/tumbler. Such a glass would be called "Jhutha", and become invalid for further use unless it is properly washed. The basic reason that will come to your mind is that why should someone drink from a used glass? But there is a deeper significance...

Though, the primary reason is to avoid any infections to be communicated from one person to the other, another factor that must be considered is the regular cleansing of your tonsils. When you drink water bending your neck and let it flow from top, it obviously flows over your tonsils and cleans them. Thus, it will wash away unneccasary food particles and maintain your throat in order.

- Nikhil Mundra

http://www.gandhistamps.com/

http://www.nikhilloids.blogspot.com/

=====================

Immortal Serpant/Snake Skin

Hello Everyone,

Just came across a nice short story that shows how ancient Vedic Indians have described the periodical shedding and recurrence of a snake's skin.


Maharishi Kashyap had 2 wives - Kadru and Vinita. Vinita was the mother of the great eagle Garuda (Lord Vishnu's Vahana or vehicle), while Kadru was the mother of Serpants/Snakes. There was always a great rivalry between the two of them.

One day, Kadru won a wager, and seizing the oppurtunity, asked Vinita to work as her slave. Kadru wanted the nectar, or Amrit, in return for Vinita's freedom so that all her children, the serpants, could become immortal. Garuda, unable to bear his mother's plight, went to procure the Amrit for Kadru.

While bringing back the pot full of Amrit, Lord Indra, the King of the Devas, stole it back from him. In the struggle that ensued, a few drops of the divine potion fell on the grass on which the serpants were slithering...

Thus, the serpants/snakes are endowed with the capacity to cast off their old skin and grow a new one in place of it !

- Nikhil Mundra
www.gandhistamps.com
www.nikhilloids.blogspot.com


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Why no Janehu/Upanayanam for women?

Hi,

Something or the other has kept me delayed from posting for a long time. Just when I though exams were over and I could relax, college reopened after a blink-and-you'll-miss-it vacations ! So it took some time for me to settle in. Hopefully won't keep you waiting from now on...

Getting back to business, this post has been pending for a long time. As promised, I wanted to tell you why the Janehu/Upanayanam ceremony for the Sacred thread/Yagnopavitam is performed only for male children, and not for females...

One thing that every woman loves is jewellery. You can see it all over them, from head to toe. Women love to wear ornate pieces of jewellery, and this is especially true in the Indian subcontinent.


Now, if you observe keenly, the traditional jewellery that adorn a woman's ear consist not only the basic earrings, but also other pieces that are worn on different parts of the ear. This can be noticed during any important family function/festival/occasion, where it seems as if every lady tries to outdo the other by being elaborately dressed :-)

Jokes apart, as you will understand from the 2 previous posts on the same subject, applying pressure on our ears has an effect on the pituitary gland, which in turn facilitates the functioning of the urinary system.

So, even with the basic earrings, there is a certain effect on the urinary system, and it is more dominant when we take into account all the other jewellery on the other parts of the ear.

This is why there is no need of having the sacred thread/Yagnopavitam, as earrings and other pieces of jewellery on the ear carry out the same function...

- Nikhil Mundra

http://www.gandhistamps.com/

=======================

Janehu/Upanayanam - Reference links

Hello Everyone,

Earlier last week, someone left a comment rubbishing the scientific explanation of the Janehu/Upanayanam ceremony. Though I have already replied via a comment, I thought a post would be helpful for everyone else to also understand.

Firstly, this scientific background of the Sacred Thread ceremony is a knowledge that has been silently passed down generations. I have heard it from my Grandfather, while he must have heard it from his.

I was also similarly shocked by this explanation. That's why I decided to do some research on this topic. And I hope to justify my views by giving the relevant references below.

As you will be aware, the pituitary gland is responsible for generating hormones that aid in the functioning of our urinary system and reproductive organs. Please refer below link:

http://www.umm.edu/endocrin/pitgland.htm

Now please refer another link which establishes the connection that applying pressure on the ear affects the pituitary gland, which in turn affects our urinary system:

http://books.google.com/books?id=QOk6FKYYNdcC&pg=PA146&lpg=PA146&dq=adh+kidney+ear+auricular+therapy&source=web&ots=6rxNDxctY2&sig=r56QO31fgQ35GUyftiWvDxN629Q&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result

Please see below link that shows how urinary retention can be cured by applying pressure on the ears:

http://www.medicalacupuncture.org/aama_marf/journal/vol14_3/case1.html

Apart from this, various studies have been conducted confirming the link of the ears to the effective working of the urinary system, and also in helping patients getting relief from urinary stones/colics. In fact, there are various books based on Auricular therapy:

http://books.google.com/books?id=FaGIAkmOgCEC&pg=PA166&lpg=PA166&dq=urinary+bladder+ear&source=web&ots=WziAiV9hGo&sig=D90TqB4HfE-UC5FwrBOGP6XXdAA&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=3&ct=result

http://www.springerlink.com/content/q48l7u90p311k5pq/

I hope all the above references clearly prove why the sacred thread benefits our urinary system.

It might be that the scientific practices have been woven around Gods and religion only so that they are performed correctly, and also because explaining the scientific background to everyone might not be feasible. This is why medicinal plants like Tulsi are worshipped and Temples have temple tanks to bring up the water table.

Further, during the past millenium, we have been invaded several times. Temples and places of learning have been ransacked, which leaves very little written proof of these findings by our ancient civilization.

If I, still a student less than 20 years of age can put forth such facts, I am sure that with deep research, we can collectively bring to surface many such gems in our tradition.

As I have been saying time and again through all my posts, all our ancient Hindu beliefs and practices have a deep scientific background. In fact, according to me, Hinduism is more of a "Way of Life", rather than a religion. This has been the common thread of all my posts. I talk more about science rather than focussing on the religious aspect.


- Nikhil Mundra
http://www.gandhistamps.com/

=======================

Balaram Vs Buddha - Who is the actual Avatar?

Hi there,

First of all, sorry for not being able to post for a long time. Was busy earlier and now am in the midst of my 5th semester exams.

Many people have been writing in both via comments and directly about Lord Balaram being given a place in the Dasavathars instead of Lord Buddha (who founded the religion called Buddhism, and whose followers are called Buddhists). People feel Lord Buddha is a more popular Avatar of Lord Vishnu. Moreover, the presence of 2 Avatars simultaneously (Krishna and Balaram in the Mahabharat) adds to the confusion.

Though I have replied to the queries via comments, I'll make a post as well to justify my point of view.

I chose Lord Balaram as it tallies with the common thread linking the Dasavathars - Lord Vishnu descends on the earth to put an end to the tyrannical reign of a certain ruler, who is the actually the rebirth of one of his Dwarpals (watchmen) - Jai and Vijay.

If you remember, Lord Balaram was equally involved when Lord Krishna killed Kansa, and was also part of the Mahabharat War, which brought about the triumph of good over evil. Lord Buddha never indulged in any violent activities, leave alone killing someone. Thats what convinced me that the 8th Avatar was Lord Balaram rather than Lord Buddha.

In fact, Lord Krishna has overshadowed Lord Balaram to such an extent in the Mahabharat that we hardly consider the latter's role...

Please make do with this post for now. Will come back after the exams are done with the reason behind why women do not undergo the Janehu/Upanayanam ceremony (and do not wear the sacred thread) ASAP...


- Nikhil Mundra
http://www.gandhistamps.com/

Janehu/Upanayanam - The Sacred Thread ceremony

Hello there,

The Janehu/Upanayanam ceremony is a very important tradition among the Brahmins. After the Namkaran (naming) ceremony, it is probably the next biggest occasion for the Brahmin boy. This ceremony marks the boy's entry into studies.

The Upanayanam ceremony takes place when the boy is around 7-8 years old. A sacred thread, called Yagnopavitam is placed around the left shouder of the boy. This thread is a composite of 3 threads, signifying Goddesses Gayatri (thought), Saraswati (word) and Savitri (deed) respectively. There is also a knot in the middle that signifies the unending Brahman.
A head priest whispers the Gayatri Mantra into the boy's ears, and he is formally initiated into education.

After this, the boy is supposed to tie the thread around his ear whenever he passes urine, so as to avoid getting it into contact with the excretory organs and thus getting contaminated. The thread is also changed once a year on the occasion of Shravani Purnima, the full moon day in the month of Shravan. This is also known as Avaani Avittam in Tamil, and coincides with the Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi festival of North India.

The below photo shows Brahmins taking part in the thread changing ceremony.

Well, so much so for the religious part of it. But what is the factual meaning behind this Janehu/Upanayanam ceremony? Let us explore.

Though the fact about keeping the thread pure by avoiding contact with the excretory organs is understandable, there is a hidden meaning in this practice.

It is a scientifically proven fact that a vein passing through the ear regulates the flow of urine. Therefore, when the boy wears the sacred thread around his ear while passing urine, he is unconciously helping his urinary system to regulate the urine flow, thus keeping his urinary system, bladder, etc. healthy and free of problems.

Further, we should take into account the fact that the Brahmins of olden days did not lead a very active lifestyle (i.e.) they were mostly conducting Pujas, where their primary role was to be seated and chant Mantras. In this scenario, it would have been difficult to keep their kidneys in top-shape. This is why this alternative system of Yagnopavitam (sacred thread) has been formulated.

This practice is not something that is to be done away with, as there are chances of this problem being carried on down the generations. This practice of Yagnopavitam can also be carried out in other castes - after all, keeping our urinary system healthy is not caste specific, right?

So why is this Janehu/Upanayanam ceremony not done for girls? Well, they have other ways of regulating their urine flow. More about that in the next post...

-

Nikhil Mundra

http://www.gandhistamps.com/

===================

Why Tulsi should not be chewed?

Hi there,

There are various legends associated with the Tulsi plant, and therefore, I will just touch upon the most widespread one briefly before moving on to the scientific part:

Vrunda/Vrinda was an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu, and was married to an Asura Jalandhar. To protect her Suhaag (Husband), she always prayed that no harm ever come to her husband, even though he was a tyrant. But when Jalandhar was finally killed in a battle with Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu took pity on her. On the request of the other Gods, he took Jalandhar's form and stayed with Vrinda. When she came to know this, Vrinda became enraged and cursed Lord Vishnu to turn into a stone (Saligram). She also fell dead, and a plant (Tulsi) emerged from her. Since then, the "Tulsi Vivah" has been carried on in Hindu homes, where a "Saligram" is married to a "Tulsi" plant. The below photo shows Lord Saligram (black stone), the Tulsi plant and a rare right-faced conch (Shankh).

Another belief is that the Tulsi plant is a manifestation of Lord Krishna's lover Radha. As Lord Krishna never marries Radha, the Tulsi plant is never brought inside the house, but is always kept in the courtyard.

Tulsi has various medicinal properties, and is probably the most important and frequently used herb in India. Tulsi is :

• Antibiotic and Antifungal
• Effective against Nausea
• Fights Common Cold, Flu and Fever
• Tulsi Juice highly effective against Cough
• Efficient Antioxidant
• Boosts Immunity

As Tulsi is considered the wife of Lord Vishnu, it is taboo in Indian homes to chew the leaves of this plant, though it can be digested as a whole or its juice can be taken.

The actual reason behind not chewing the Tulsi leaves is due to its mercuric content. German researchers have discovered that the leaves of the holy Tulsi plant contains traces of mercury. If the leaves are chewed, the mercury may damage the teeth. But when taken as a whole, the mercury is found beneficial for the digestive system.

This mercury content is now being used in anti-cancer drugs.

Thus, by weaving a legend around the Tulsi plant, the ancient Vedic Indians accomplished 2 things: firstly, the Tulsi plant would be worshipped in all homes, and thus its medicinal properties would be effectively utilised. Secondly, by calling it Lord vishnu's wife, it could not be chewed, thus preventing damage to our teeth.

Nikhil Mundra

www.gandhistamps.com

==================

Significance of Tree/Plant Worship

Hello everyone,

Tree worship is an integral part of Hinduism. Underlying the central concept that God exists in eveything, trees are held in a special esteem as they provide food, oxygen, shelter, etc.

From ages, we have been worshipping certain kinds trees and plants and attributing each one of them to be the favourite of a particular God. But as is known, Hinduism never did anything without a solid scientific background, and this is valid in this regard also. Let us discuss the beneficial properties of each of these special sacred plants:

1) Tulsi (Basil - Ocimum basilicum):

On top of the list of our sacred plants is Tulsi or Basil, as it is known in the western world. It is believed to be Lord Vishnu's consort, and is thus an inseparable part of any Puja to Lord Vishnu.

Tulsi has several medicinal propeties, which include action against:

1)Common cold
2)Headaches
3)Malaria
4)Skin diseases
5)Respiratory disorders
6)Cholesterol
7)Kidney stones

Tulsi also sharpens memory and its Mercury content is being used in anti-cancer drugs.

It is no wonder that such a useful herb was held in high regard and worshipped by our ancient Vedic Indians.

2) Peepul (Sacred fig - Ficus religiosa):

The Peepul tree is said to have originated from the body of Lord Vishnu, and is thus very dear to him. In ancient texts, it was called the Kalpavriksha, or one that can fulfill all wishes. The medicinal usages are enlisted below:

1) Constipation

2) Mumps

3) Jaundice - controls flow of excess urine

In addition, the Peepul tree has the distinction of releasing oxygen for a larger period than other trees. That explains why it was placed in the centre of the villages, so that the surrounding atmosphere would be clean. It was also a fixture in temples, so that there would be a good supply of oxygen throughout the day for the visitors.

3) Bilva (Aegle marmelos):

The Bael or Bilva is a favourite of Lord Shiva, as it has 3 leaves which are similar to the 3 eyes that Lord Shiva has.

The Bael fruit can be used to treat:

1) Diarreoah and Dysentry

2) Asthma

3) Anemia

Thus, by associating religion with these plants, our ancient Vedic Indians tried to instil in us a reverance for them, so that we may protect, preserve and cultivate these benificial plants in the future. The entire legend of Tulsi herb and its scientific meaning will be carried in the next post.

Nikhil Mundra

http://www.gandhistamps.com/

=================

Why do Hindu Temples have Water Tanks?

Temple Tanks are an essential part of every large Hindu temple. In fact, every village/town/city definitely has a temple that has a sizable temple tank. But why does every temple need to have one?

Conventional beliefs hold that the water of a temple tank is holy and has cleansing properties. The water acts as a cleanser, and people believe that it washes away their sins. So, it is an unwritten rule to take a dip in the temple tank before offering prayers to the presiding deity, thus purifying onself.

Also, the during the festive season, the deity is taken aboard a boat and given a trip around the tank.

But in actuality, the water tanks serve as a useful reservoir to help people tide over water scarcity. It should be noted that any such large area of stored water adds to the water table. So by installing a tank in each temple, the entire surrounding area's water level is significantly improved.

Further, water in India is largely dependant on the monsoons. In case the rains fail, the people can look upto these temple tanks to fulfill their basic needs.

What an ingenious way our ancient Vedic Indians had to utilise the rainwater! Giving the reason a religious background paved the way for its construction...

But these days we find most of these tanks in a state of neglect. They are either dried up or poorly maintained, which leads to their contamination.

Water scarcity is not a problem faced only by people of the past, it is something we face everyday. If we can revive this ancient system of increasing the water table level, we might not have to face acute water shortage in the future...

Nikhil Mundra

http://www.gandhistamps.com/

====================