Saturday 15 August 2015

Some Indian Inventions over the years

Amazing Indian Inventions and Discoveries You Must Know

BY ADARSH VERMA · AUGUST 15, 2014

On the occasion of the Indian Independence Day, these are some of the Indian Discoveries and Inventions that you must know:

Plastic Surgery, Cataract Surgery: Cataract and Plastic surgery was known to the Indian physician Sushruta (6th century BCE). In India, cataract surgery was performed with a special tool called the Jabamukhi Salaka, a curved needle used to loosen the lens and push the cataract out of the field of vision. Their translated Arabic works made their way into Europe.Fiber Optics: Dr. Narinder Singh Kapany, is widely recognized as the ‘Father of Fiber Optics’ for his pioneering work in Fiber Optics technology. He was named as one of the 7 ‘Unsung Heroes’ by Fortune Magazine.

Snakes and ladders, and Chess: Snakes and ladders originated in India as a game based on morality. Later this game made its way to England, and was eventually introduced in the USA by Milton Bradley in 1943. Chess developed out of Chaturanga, which is an ancient strategy board game developed during the Gupta Empire in India around the 6th century AD.

Mysorean rockets: The first iron-cased and metal-cylinder rockets were developed by Tipu Sultan. After Tipu’s eventual defeat in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War and the capture of the Mysore iron rockets, they were influential in British rocket development, inspiring the Congreve rocket, and were put into use in the Napoleonic Wars.

Flush Toilets: Flush toilets were first used in the Indus Valley Civilization. These existed in most homes and were connected to a sophisticated sewage mechanism. The civilization was prominent in hydraulic engineering.

Water on Moon: One of Independent India’s most notable contributions to space exploration occurred between 2008 and 2009, with Chandrayaan-1, the Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) first dedicated lunar mission. “We want to thank ISRO for making the discovery possible. The moon till now was thought to be a very dry surface with lot of rocks.” Jim Green, NASA Director.

Shampoo: The word ‘Shampoo’ is derived from chāmpo (चाँपो). It was initially used as a head massage oil for the Nawabs of Bengal during the Mughal Empire around 1762. It evolved into shampoo over the years.

Complex Hydraulic Engineering: Since the time of the Indus Valley civilization over 5,000 years ago, India had created and sustained a vast and highly advanced network of canals, along with intricate irrigation, water management and sewage systems. These sewage systems were so advanced that they were designed to automatically self-clear systems blockages, as well as account for smell and odor.

Radio/Wireless Communication: The first public demonstration of the use of radio waves for communication, was made by an Indian scientist, Jagadish Chandra Bose. Bose first demonstrated the use of radio in Calcutta, in 1895, two years before a similar demonstration by Marconi in England. More than a century after the feat, Bose has been belatedly credited for his achievement.

Diamond mining and Zinc mining: Diamonds were first recognized and mined in central India, where significant alluvial deposits of the stone could then be found along the rivers Penner, Krishna and Godavari. Zinc was first smelted from zinc ore in India. Zinc mines of Zawar, near Udaipur, Rajasthan, were active during early Christian era.

http://fossbytes.com/indian-discovries-inventions-must-know/

Tuesday 4 August 2015

Senji Fort (Gingee Fort)-The Fort with 1000 Year History

Senji Fort (Gingee Fort)

The Fort with 1000 Year History

The Gingee Fort happens to be one of the few surviving forts in Tamil Nadu. It is perched atop three hillocks namely, Rajagiri, Krishnagiri and Chandragiri that lies about 35 km from Thiruvannamalai. A huge rampart of 60 feet which can be described as ‘The Great Wall of India’ runs along the hillocks. Shivaji had called the Gingee Fort “the most impregnable fort in India”.

The Gingee Fort was the seat of power of the Pallavas from the 7 to the 9 century, the Cholas from the 10 to the 11 century and the Hoysalas in the 12 century. Much of the fortress was built when it came under the Vijayanagara rule at the fag end of the 14 century.

In its heyday, everybody fought hard to hold on to the Gingee Fort. Known as the “Troy of the East”, it changed hands many times. It was captured by Shivaji in 1677, besieged by Aurangazeb in 1691, came under the sway of the French in 1750 before slipping into the hands of the British in 1761.

Well planned

The Gingee Fort, which sprawls over 11 square kilometres, houses a Kalyana Mahal, a durbar hall, a 11-feet long cannon, a clock tower, a khazana, an armoury, a large pond which was used for bathing elephants, a granary, a few temples and a mosque. The fortress had an intricate system of plumbing (even the top of the fortress was well provided with continuous supply of water), the remnants of which can still be seen. An underground tunnel connects the Gingee Fort to a temple perched atop another hillock called Singavaram, about three kilometers away.

The Gingee Fort was well laid out, taking into consideration the possibilities of a protracted siege. To gain entry into the citadel one had to cross a chasm with the help of a small wooden draw bridge which was drawn only after getting a signal from the sentries posted on the watch tower.

A description of Gingee Fort would be incomplete without a mention of De Singh. He was a chieftain from Bundhelkand whose story is reminiscent of the story of Rana Pratap and his loyal horse. In 1714, he came to the Gingee Fort on learning about the death of his father. The latter had been made the ruler of the Gingee Fort by Aurangazeb in 1700. The Nawab of Arcot, however, wanted to bring the Gingee Fort under his rule. De Singh took on the powerful Nawab of Arcot. He was only 22, yet he fought valiantly until his last breath. His wife committed sati on the pyre of her husband. Even today ballads about his courage and valour are sung, in many parts of Tamil Nadu.

When you visit the Gingee Fort, you will feel yourself virtually transported to a bygone era.

http://www.thehindu.com/…/where-eagles-d…/article4619668.ece

History of Gingee Fort

To know about the Fort from Pre-historic time clear evidence were not available. With some of the collected details, historians framed the history of Gingee Fort.

Living Place of Jains :- B.C. to 6 A.D

In comparison with evidences available from other sources like the evidence of rock-cut inscription of Jain monk Chandranandhi, from the figures of twenty four Jaina Thirthankaras in Sinukadambur, from the figures of Jains ascetics in Thirunathar hill and from the evidences of rock-cut beds of Jains in the upper part of Krishnagiri hill and foot print on the hill top, Chakkildurgam (or) Sangilidurgam, historians strongly believe that Jains lived in Gingee from 200 B.C. in 500 A.D.

Gingee Under the Pallavas :- (600 A.D. to 900 A.D)

During the reign of the Pallavas a cave temple was excavated in the natural hill in Singapuram. They built a temple in Panamalai which is to the south of Gingee. In Mandagapattu, which is 17 kms, away from Gingee, a cave temple was excavated in a rock. A rock inscription portrays Pallava Mahendravarman (580 A.D. to 630 A.D.) as Vichitrachitha. We can conclude from these evidences that Gingee was once under the rule of Pallava kings and also the cave temples and rock inscriptions at Singavaram and Melacheri situated near Gingee tell about the Pallava regime in Gingee.

Gingee under the rule of Cholas :- (900 A.D. - 1103 A.D)

From the rock-cut inscriptions in Aanangur, East of Gingee, it is known that after the decline of the Pallava kings, Gingee was under the contrl of Adita Chola (871 A.D. - 907 A.D.) Then during the reign of Adita Cola II and his broter Rajaraja Cola I (985 A.D- 1014 A.D.) it was called "Singapuranadu". From these evidences we come to know that Gingee was under the rule of the Cholas.

Gingee under the rule of Later Pandya, Pallava and Hoysalas :- (1014 A.D. - 1190 A.D)

From the Book ""Karnataka Rajakkal Savistara Charitham" British Historian Mecans says that after the rule of the Cholas, Gingee came under the supermacy of Pandya, Pallava and Hoysalas.

Gingee under Konar Heritage : -(1190 A.D. - 1330 A.D)

Gingee was under the sway of chieftains, Anandha Koan, Krishna Koan and Pullia Koan even though there was no epigraphical evidences from Koan rule but it is specified in some books. By foreign sources we come to know that Anandha Koan built "Anandha Giri" and afterwards it became "Raja Giri" His son Krishna Koan built "Krishna Giri"

Gingee under the rule of Vijayanagar Kings :- (1400 A.D)

From the survey of books that were present during Vijayanagar period, we come to know that Gingee was under the authority of Kopnnarayer during the 14th Century A.D.

Historians hold the opinion that Kopannarayr, one of the Generals of Vijayanagar empire helped Kampannarayan, with a large army. In return, Kampannarayan handed Gingee over to Kopannarayer.

Gingee under the Nayakka rulers : - (From the end of 14th century A.D. for 150 years)

During the peak of Krishna Deva Raya's power (1509 A.D. - 1529 A.D.) he ordered, Krisnappa Nayyaka to rule a region with Gingee as its capital. He and his successors ruled for about 150 years having capital at Gingee.

The Nayyaka rulers, build tall and strong fort walls with granite, tall towers with sculptural workmanship granite temples on the plains and brick shrines on the peak. This architecture is similar to that architecture in "Hampi"

Under the rule of Muhammaadans:-(1649 A.D. - 1677 A.D)

There was no unity among the Nayakas of Gingee, Tanjore and Madurai. There where frequent skirmishes among them.

Taking advantage of this situation, the Bijapur Sultans, who belong to the Muhammadans dynasty, invaded Gingee at the beginning of the 16th Century A.D. and captured it. After this the army general of "Golgonda" , "Mirjeeva" defeated Krishnappa Nayyaka and handed Gingee over the king of Bijapur.

Gingee under the Marathas:- (1677 A.D. - 1697 A.D)

After the fall of the Muhammadans rule at the end of the 17th century, Chattrapathi Shivaji, a scion in the annuls of History wrested Gingee from the Muhammadans. Then he asked his brother " Sambaji" to rule Gingee in 1690 A.D. afterwards it was handed over to Rajaram in 1697 A.D.

Gingee, under the rule of the Mughals:- (1700 A.D-1750 A.D)

The Mughal General Zulfigar Khan (1697 A.D. - 1698 A.D.) captured Gingee fort after a tough fight against the Marathas.

Zulfigar Khan, then handed over the rule to Swaroop singh who was the army head at Bundalakand in 1700 A.D. on conditions that he had to collect tax under the supervision of Sad-ad-ullah khan of Carnatic.

After the death of Swaroop, his son Desingh Raja came to the throne. He hated to be a slave to the Mugal rulers and refused to pay the tax to the Nawab. So a war took place between Sad-ad-ullah khan and Desingh Raja. At the end of the war, Desingh Raja by killing himself made a supreme sacrifice to avoid being a prisioner in the hands of Mogul rulers. Historians say that though Desingh Raja ruled for short period, he deeply engraved his marks in the history of Gingee. His wife also throwing herself into fire committed suicide to safeguard her chastity which is considered as highly holy.

After the death of Desingh Raja, Sad-ad-Ullah khan conquered Gingee in 1714 A.D. and ruled till 1750 A.D. for about 36 years.

Gingee under the rule of the Foreigners :- (1750 A.D)

French people who came to India, for the purpose of trade and commerce, attacked Gingee under the command of "Puli" and his troops, captured Gingee and kept Gingee under their control for about ten years. During this period French People annexed Vandavasi in 1760 A.D. and Pondicherry in 1761 A.D. Then the Britishers under the command of General "Coot" attacked the French Army on April, 1761 A.D. by winning the war, they brought Gingee under the control of the British Captain 'Stephen Smith'.

After this time. the General of Mysore, Hyder Ali became the king in 1761 A.D. A.D. As Hyder Ali did not like the British rule in India, he waged war against the British many times. So the Britishers made peace treaty with Hyder Ali. After few years, when Warren Hastings became the Governor General of India, Hyder Ali blamed Britishers for going against the treaty and waged war in 1780, by moving his troops via Polur and Vandavasi to caputure Gingee. But he was defeated by the Britsh army.

After 1780 A.D., the southern parts gradually fell into the hands of the British without any opposition. Due to the political changes in Carnatic area, the Britishers made Chennai fort for the transport facilities and the French made Pondicherry as their capital and started to rule Indian territory.

In the beginning, Gingee was the place of the Jains but later due to rule of Pallava, Chola kings, Pandya, Hoysalas, Vijayanagara kings. Muhammadans, Mughals and the indifferent attitude of foreigners, the Gingee fort, which was surrounded by the granite walls, the mandapas, the temples inside the fort, was gradually destroyed. The Britishers did not take any steps to renovate the fort. Today Gingee fort is placed as a memorial in the pages of history and also for the sake of its admirers.

http://www.gingeefort.com/History_conti.asp

The Fort with 1000 Year History - N.Nandhivarman - General Secretary Dravida Peravai

http://tamilnation.co/heritage/071111nandhivarnan_fort.htm

Sunday 2 August 2015

12 Lesser Known Instruments from India’s Rich Musical History

Surabhi Katyal

August 1, 2015

Art, Lists, Music

- See more at: http://www.thebetterindia.com/26502/indian-musical-instruments/#sthash.zlG3MqPB.dpuf

Are you an ardent fan of Indian music and its incredible history? Then these 12 lesser known musical instruments from the past will make your day.
India has a rich musical history which is imbued with diversity in terms of forms, styles, kinds of instruments used, the way they are played, and more. While some of these forms and instruments made their way to the present and got their share of mainstream fame quite successfully, there are others which could not cross that line between then and now. These are instruments with equally interesting background stories and factual associations. Call it sheer luck, but they just could not enter the mainstream. Here are some lesser known yet intriguing musical instruments that are as much a part of the Indian musical scene as any other famous instrument today.

1. Ravanahatha

Source: URSONGS

This is a bowed string instrument and it is believed that it was first played, or built, by the Hela community in the times of King Ravana. The bowl of the instrument is made of a cut coconut shell that is covered with goat hide. A stick, commonly called dandi, made from Bamboo, is attached to the shell. There are two principal strings – one is made of steel and the other is made from horsehair. There are jingle bells attached along the long bow as well. The instrument has seen royal treatment through history and according to mythology, it was supposedly brought to North India by Lord Hanuman after the victory of Rama. It is still played in some parts of Rajasthan and is a part of the folk music there.

2. Yazh

Source: Wikimedia

It is a plucked string instrument and is an ancestor of the modern day Veena. Named so because it was carved in the head of the mythological creature, Yali, the earliest mention of Yazh is in the works of poet Thirukurral, in 200 BC. There are many types of Yazh, differing in the number of strings and the shape (bow, peacock, etc.).

3. Sursingar

Source: Wikipedia

The name of this instrument literally means ‘Embellishment of Melody‘. It is described as a lute-derived sarod, but it is larger and produces a much deeper sound. The main body is made from wood or leather depending on the historical time of creation.

4. Gubguba

A Khamak

Source: smtagorecentre

It is classified as a percussion string instrument. At first glance, it looks a lot like a tiny tabla, but a second glance will tell you otherwise. It consists of a dried gourd through which a gut string is attached. This instrument has ten different names and some other versions of it, like the Bengali Khamak, which also has two strings.

5. Pepa

Source: Wikipedia

A single reed instrument, it is usually made from a very short stem and is packed at the end with the horn of a buffalo. It has become difficult to find a Pepa today even though it is a significant part of Assam’s culture, since the buffalo population has been receding in the state. Earlier a household feature, the Pepa is now being sold at a price of above two thousand rupees. It is often compared to a flute.

6. Kuzhal

Source: YouTube

Kuzhal is a temple musical instrument from the state of Kerala. A double reed musical instrument, the Kuzhal is supposed to have a very shrill and penetrating sound. It is often compared to a nadaswaram and at times gets mistaken for a large shehnai.

7. Algoze

Source: Shelbyshore

The instrument is widely used in Rajasthani, Baloch and Punjabi music, especially in the genres of Jugni, Jind Mahi and Mirza. It is often used by Sindhi musicians as well and notable names including Late Ustad Khamiso Khan. Played by keeping three fingers on each side of the reed and by breathing into it, the Algoze has also gained momentum in the UK to cater to Punjabi listeners.

8. Gogana

Source: Wikipedia

The name would be more familiar to nature enthusiasts as Gogan is a fairly well known genus of moths. It is also a musical instrument, indigenous to Assam and is used in Bihu music. It is usually made of bamboo or a horn.

9. Pakhavaj

Source: Wikimedia

A barrel-shaped, two-headed drum, this is most likely a descendant of the more familiar Mridang. The tone it produces is rich in harmonics, being very low and mellow. It differs from the tabla in playing technique and from the Mridang in terms of construction.

10. Padayani Thappu

Source: Wikipedia

This is a frame drum and consists of a wooden rim which is covered by leather on one side. The drum is played with hands and not sticks. The instrument is a part of devotional practices.

11. Udukai

Source: Wikimedia

If you have ever ventured inside a Shiva temple, you have probably seen this one. The small ‘Damru’ of Shiva is not supposed to be a ‘damru’, but an Udukai. It is indigenous to Tamil Nadu and is widely used in prayers and other devotional practices. It is a hand drum and comes under the category of membranophone instruments. Resembling an hourglass, its pitch can be modified if one tightens the string in the middle.

12. Sambal

Source: Chandrakantha.com

The name almost sounds like a popular type of food in South India, but it is also a musical instrument from Western India and is a part of their folk music ensemble. The entire Sambal constitutes of 2 drums with different pitches and mostly different sizes; their respective sticks are also different at the mouth.

- See more at: http://www.thebetterindia.com/26502/indian-musical-instruments/#sthash.hoWWW1yV.dpuf