Manmohan Singh releases Monuments of Delhi

The Prime Minister (who is also the Culture Minister) Dr. Manmohan Singh here today released a special volume titled ‘Monuments of Delhi’ published by the Archaeological Survey of India. Speaking on the occasion the Prime Minister said that the ‘city of Delhi is a living museum. We have the obligation to preserve, protect, study and document the rich legacy of one of the great cities of the world. This book will be of use not only to the many visitors who we will welcome shortly to Delhi but to its residents as well.’

Here is the full text of Prime Minister’s speech:

“I would like to compliment the Ministry of Culture, the Archaeological Survey of India and the producers of the book ‘Monuments of Delhi’ for putting together this excellent publication. Delhi is rapidly transforming into a modern metropolis and the skyline is constantly undergoing change. But we should not forget that Delhi is among the most historic cities in the world.

The city’s history spans many millennia from early historic times up to the present day. Delhi is better known for its adventures in later periods in Indian history, particularly during the Mughal period. But a Minor Rock Edict of the Ashokan period shows that Delhi was located on the trunk route connecting the main cities of Ancient India in the 3rd century BC.

This well illustrated work has been aesthetically designed and produced to provide some interesting glimpses of some of the lesser known, as well as the better known edifices, of Delhi. They include the World Heritage sites, as declared by the UNESCO. Many of these remains are often spoken of as collectively constituting the ‘Seven Cities’. The book also contains a wealth of information on historical relics, dating back to the Mauryas, the Guptas, the Rajputs, the Sultanate, the Mughal and the Colonial periods.

Full report here PIB

Lost Sanskrit manuscript rediscovered in Italian library

A lost ancient manuscript detailing India's old Sanskrit language was rediscovered in an Italian library.

According to a German news agency, Toon Van Haal of Belgium tracked down the Grammatica Grandonica in a Carmelite monastery library near Rome.

The manuscript compiled in Kerala, India by Johann Ernst Hanxleben, could provide insights into western grammarians' thoughts about the ancient language of India - revered in the west as the oldest branch of the Indo-European family of languages, which include English, French and Persian, reports Earth Times.

Johann Ernst Hanxleben was a German Jesuit priest who spoke fluent Malayalam, compiled the document between 1701 and 1732.

Full report here Sify

The most learned of them all

It fills me with joy that Asko Parpola has been awarded the inaugural Tamil Classical Award for 2009. Not merely because I am interested in the same topics as the Finnish scholar is. I have always felt, reading Parpola’s voluminous books on Indus script, that he is one scholar who knows more about India than any Indian academic

Parpola had devoted his entire life for this research. It was not just for taking a doctoral degree that he did his research for - a common practice among our university-educated youth. Parpola’s excellent academic background backs up his genuine interest and enthusiasm devoted to the study of Indology.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi could not have found a better choice than Parpola for the inaugural award.

Full report here New Indian Express

A must read book on Indian civilization

Archaeology in India has been one of the most argued subjects among the academics. It has been influenced by ideological bias, scanty research into primary sources and most important of all the lack of interest on the part of the government to support, sponsor and spread the information on the deep roots of our history and civilization. Hence, the book by one of the most renowned archaeologists B.B. Lal on the Indian civilization has come as a fresh breath. Lal, an academic of international repute and author of several acclaimed books has written How Deep are the Roots of Indian Civilization? Archaeology Answers. Adopting narrative style, he has minimised the academic lingo and made it easy for a common reader to sail with the content.

Right at the outset, the book connects today’s reader with our forefathers thousands of years ago, by pointing out the similarities in rituals and daily practices. The tradition of applying sindoor in the centre parting on the forehead by married women has been observed in the terracotta figurines that have been carbon dated to be circa 2800-2600 BCE (Before Common Era), even before what is known as Harappan civilization. Bangles and the ‘chauk’ on the forehead were also in vogue then, as they are now. Utensils similar to the ones in common use now in our kitchens have also been excavated from the Harappan region. The tradition of bead craft in Gujarat region too dates back to thousands of years.


Full report here Organiser.org