Did You Know, by Aswathi Sreedharan
Interesting Facts about Hinduism and Bharat:
Aeronautical developments of ancient India
Iron Pillar (Garuda Pillar), Delhi
Ram Sethu
Aeronautical developments of ancient India
Secrets to fly a plane: Sage Bharadwaj says that only one who knows the secrets or mysteries of the aircraft can be the rightful flier. The sastras speak of 32 secrets to fly a plane. They include the Sankocha, according to which, one can reduce the size of the aircraft as required, while flying. According to Vistrita, when required, the size of the aircraft can be increased.
Sources of energy: Four kinds of energy sources were used in ancient India to fly an aeroplane, including vegetable oil, mercury vapour, solar energy, and energy from the atmosphere, just like a boat moves when the sail is opened, due to wind power.
Iron Pillar (Garuda Pillar), Delhi
The Iron Pillar at Delhi is a marvelous example of ancient India’s advanced metallurgy. It was made in 4th C.E and is 24 feet (735.5 cm) tall. It has a circumference of 16 inches (41.6 cm) at the base and 12 inches (30.4 cm) above. The total weight of the pillar is 13,500 pounds (6096 kg).
· For nearly 1600 years, the pillar has been standing undaunted under the open skies and during all types of weather conditions and has not rusted.
· Inscriptions have survived the test of time on the iron pillar.
· The secret of this pillar’s survival is in the chemical composition of the pillar which is made of extremely good quality steel and contains much less carbon in comparison to steel today.
· The pillar is made by joining 44-66 pounds (20-30 kgs) of hot iron pieces, but not a single joint can be seen in the whole pillar!
· Also called Garuda pillar, it was originally built in Mathura as a flag post in front of the temple of Lord Vishnu, by Chandra Raj (Source: Suresh Soni (2006). India’s Glorious Scientific Tradition)
Ram Sethu
Ram Sethu, the famous bridge Lord Rama and his Vanara army built to travel from India to Sri Lanka is found to exist under water as shown by NASA satellite images. Recent images show clear pictures of a broken bridge under the ocean floor, connecting Dhanushkodi near Rameshwaram in Southern India and Mannar in Northwest Sri Lanka. The recently proposed Sethusamudram Project, which involves destroying the Ram Sethu to build a canal, stirred up numerous protests worldwide because the bridge not only represents the rich cultural heritage of India, but has also been found to benefit the environment. Detrimental effects of the Sethusamudram Project include:
¨ Changes in temperature, salinity, turbidity, and flow of nutrients
¨ Oil spills from ships and marine pollution would be able to reach coastal areas, especially the sensitive ecosystems of Gulf of Mannar.
¨ Dangers to the precious marine species
Aswathi recently graduated from University of California, Irvine, with degrees in Biomedical Engineering and International Studies. Her interests include classical dancing, yoga, and Samskritam. You can contact her at a5swathi@gmail.com.
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