Short-term course on Sanskrit

Much of our scientific and technical knowledge from the Vedic to the medieval period has been reported in Sanskrit. Therefore, it is imperative to have the expertise in the language to read, interpret and understand the original texts. With the primary aim of making these texts accessible to students and professionals interested in India's scientific tradition and contribution, a short term course on Sanskrit was offered by Dr. Chaitali Dangarikar from 8^th September to 4^th December 2014. The course covered the Sanskrit language and the appropriate linguistic tools and methodologies of reading the texts. There are plans of making this course a regular feature.

Workshop on Mathematics & Astronomy in Ancient India

A workshop aimed at tracing the scientific roots and evolution of scientific ideas in ancient India was held on 31^st October 2014. As part of the workshop, five lectures (as listed below) were organized each highlighting the remarkable advances made by ancient India in the fields of astronomy, mathematics and science.

1. Astronomy Part of Yuktibhaashaa of Jyesthadeva by Prof. Sriram Mayasandra – Yuktibhaashaa of Jyesthadeva is a seminal text of the Kerala School of astronomy. It is the first instance of significant original work in Maths recorded in a regional, spoken language i.e. Malayalam.
2. Observation, Astronomy, and Mathematics in Ancient India by Prof. R.N. Iyengar – There existed two kinds of traditions of Mathematics in India. One was observation that led to astronomy also known as mundane maths. The other was listening or hearing tradition of Vedas that led to music and there is considerable maths in music. In this talk, the speaker traced the evolution of Maths in ancient India.
3. Mathematics of Prastaras in Indian Music by Prof. Mandyam Srinivas – In this talk, the speaker threw light over more playful and interesting maths in Indian tradition which occurred in different subjects like music. He addressed as to how we discuss the Mathematics of Prastaras i.e. theoretical texts of music.
4. Selected Topics from Sankara Variyar's Works by Prof. Krishnamurthi Ramasubramanian –Sankara was one of the leading astronomist and mathematician of the Kerala School. His works are written in Sanskrit language. In this talk, the speaker discussed certain aspects of Sankara’s works and his major contributions.  
5. Was there Sophisticated Mathematics during Vedic Times? By Prof. Amartya Dutta – The speaker discussed the existence of sophisticated maths i.e. geometry in Vedic Times.

 

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