The first digitised version of the Ramayana A 17th-century manuscript of the Ramayana, commissioned by Rana Jagat Singh in 1649, is said to be one of the finest surviving illustrated copies of the epic tale. Its major attraction is the 400 colour illustrations. ‘The Mewar...
India’s first lifestyle magazine in braille The first copy of ‘White Print’ was printed and published in Braille in May 2013. ‘White Print’ has sections on food, travel, gadgets, politics, and reviews. These magazines review audiobooks. ‘White Print’ is printed at the Braille Press of...
Jain manuscript, a world treasure The ‘Shantinatha Charitra’, a Sanskrit text that describes the life and times of 16th century Jain Tirthankara Shantinatha, was included in the ‘Memory of the World Register 2013’, by UNESCO’s World Heritage body. The Shantinatha Charitra, a treatise on peace,...
Earliest known inscriptions The Ashokan edicts, describing Ashoka’s conversion to Buddhism – engraved in stone, at Dhauli, Orissa – are the earliest known inscribed records in India. Dhauli hills are located on the banks of the Daya River, 8 km from Bhubaneswar. The deadly battle...
The Simpsons and their mathematical secrets Since its debut on December 17, 1989, The Simpsons has become the longest-running American sitcom. But not many know about the show’s close relationship with the world of maths. Simon Singh, a London-based physicist and maths lover, discovered that...
The juggernaut yatra The English word ‘juggernauť, meaning a large overpowering object, gets its origin from the raths or chariots at the annual Rath Yatra in Puri, held every year in June. For centuries, thousands of pilgrims have pulled the three chariots of Jagannath, Subhadra,...
Heroes and heroines in Indian comics-expert exponents of Kalaripayattu Kalaripayattu, the 900-year-old combat art form from Kerala, is described as a “psychophysical” exercise because it uses physical rigour to discipline the mind. It has now inspired a graphic novel titled ‘Odayan’. It was conceived by...
First written account of the Kumbh Mela People of all faiths worldwide flock to the Kumbh Mela, a primarily Hindu congregation, which is also the world’s largest religious gathering. The ‘once every-144-year Maha Kumbh’ that last took place in 2013 saw 100 million pilgrims take...
The shastra to use astras Ashtavaidyan Vaidyamadham Cheriya Narayanan Namboodiri, who passed away in 2013, was very keen that the 1300 bundles of ancient manuscripts in his possession be digitised, so that knowledge about culture, history, customs, religion, environment, Ayurveda, and other sciences could be...
Handwritten and block-printed books Thiksay Gompa is the largest monastery in Ladakh. It is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery of the Yellow Hat (Gelugpa) sect, set atop a hill, 19 km from Leh. It bears a remarkable resemblance to the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. One...
