Bharat

Our country is a huge and beautiful land full of wonders.From the Himalayas to the Indian Ocean, it is a country full of beautiful landscape and beautiful people

India is a country where people speak many languages and people of different castes live together. That's why India is famous for the common saying of "unity in diversity".

It is a place where Taj Mahal,Fatehpur Sikri, golden temple,Red fort, Ajanta and Ellora caves etc wonders exist.

There are many facts about India as we saw before from Calculus to button came from India .These things make me proud of my country.

For me India was, is and will remain a good nation who after achieving its final form of development will prove itself a responsible power and would respect international law and order.\

- Lakshmi Priya K

Incredible India

What we've seen in these weeks is just a glimpse of India's mesmerizing talent. From having the world's only floating post office to being the second-largest English-speaking Nation of the world, there is so much more about India we haven't explored yet.

As a 10-year-old all I knew was that India is the seventh-largest country in the world and the second-most populous country but over time, I have realized that there is so much more to it and I couldn't be more proud for my country. When they say 'Sare Jahan se aacha Hindustan hamara', it is indeed true.

India has its own downfalls. We are far from becoming a fully developed country and with the current situation, it really seems very far. There is still a lot of corruption, criminal activities, etc. Like every coin has two sides, India has its ups and downs too. We need to make sure, as responsible citizens of the country to do every thing on our part and continue the amazing legacy India has.

- Uditi Naagar

Be proud of Bharat- A heaven in Earth.

Maybe the title may seem too much. You may also think that since I am an Indian, I am blowing my own trumpet. Even a person who is not a citizen of India would praise India(her). India is known as the cradle of the human race and later they got spread as the thirst for exploring increased.

"If I were asked under what sky the human mind has most fully developed some of its choicest gifts, has most deeply pondered on the greatest problems of life and has found solutions, I should point to India."

                                                      - Max Muller ( German Scholar)

Every country has its ups and downs. Every country with its geographical beauty and resources gives, more of sacrifices its belongings for the welfare of its people. The way people utilises the resources, their behaviour defines the country. Crimes, women equality, border issues, stereotypical ideas, superstitious beliefs are still present. We, Indians made, are making and will make mistakes. But we are learning from our mistakes and correcting them. India conquered many places with her son's and daughter's talents. It isn't as simple as getting a name as Sub-continent among other countries. India has passed every condition to be qualified for a sub-continent. Starting from having a peninsula to having a separate cultural identity.

Keith Bellows, editor-in-chief of National Geographical society said," There are some parts in the world, once visited, get into your heart and won't go. India is such a place," explaining her experience in India, "When I first visited, I was stunned by the richness of the land, by its lush beauty and richness in architecture, by its ability to overload the senses with a pure, concentrated intensity of its colours, smells, tastes and sounds. It was as if all my life I had been seeing the world in black and white and, when brought face-to-face with India, experienced everything re-rendered in brilliant technicolour."

Bellow stated everything I wanted to say about India to the world. We are known and should be proud of our tastes, our music, our culture everything. Exploring the world is good but being racist is worst. I am not one. I love listening to English bands. One-direction, Maroon 5 is one of my favourites. But I won't be ashamed of hearing my mother language songs.

It is important to think why am I saying this here. Some of us are still thinking that our country is not enough for us. There isn't much here. Everyone id preferring to go study or work abroad. That is not bad. But thinking that our own country is not good enough is wrong. Do you know? Back when Nalanda University was first founded, people from all around the world came and studied astrology, medicines, mathematics etc here in India. In present, Indian origin is holding higher postings in foreign countries,e.g; Nisha Biswal, Arun Kumar and many as such.

We were pioneers of many things and still has a name for being better in maths and in working hard as well as smart. You can place a point that there is corruption, lack of sources, facilities and so on. Which country hasn't? But people over there are standing with their country and working day and night for its development. What about us? We are running in pursuit of our own selfish needs than thinking about our overall development. I am not blaming all. Some people are blaming the country for their delusional thoughts and mistakes. We are not perfect but we can at least give it a try for our countries development which is equal to ours.

                                            Jai Hind!

- S.Varshini               

India = divinity

So far we have seen many cuisines, places, beliefs of India. According to me, India is full of nature, historical mysteries and secrets and is rich in heritage. The best part about India is their beautiful scenic mountains and hill stations. The North eastern India especially Gangtok holds a separate place in my heart. Many historic places are also present which makes me curious to know about the story behind the place. It was said that many objects or remains from Mahabharata, one of the greatest epics of India have been found which is very much interesting. Right from places to food, India has its unique way. India is a country which is filled with love, divinity and peace.

 PENNARASI. R

Flush First

These days people prefer Western toilets, ie., flush toilets. But do you know that South Asian people were the founders of the flush toilets?. For this, we have to travel back to 1300 BC, near the Indus river. When we travel along the river, we could see the vast Indus Valley Civilisation spread near the river. The first flush type toilets were used by the Indus valley people. The Indus Valley is located in the present parts of India and Pakistan.

             Archaeologists were surprised to learn that Indus Valley people had the knowledge and skill to invent flush toilets. It is important to note that Indus Valley Civilisation is the oldest of civilisations. Roman civilisation also had flush type toilets but this civilisation after Indus Valley only.

The remains of the Indus Valley revealed that the people built and had advanced drainage systems with separate loos and bathing places for each person. Every home had a toilet and the outlet was connected to a common sewage pipe. The pipes were covered by bricks to hide their paths by the people. The idea of an underground drainage system actually belonged to them. Due to reasons like climatic change, this civilisation came to end between 1900 and 1800 BC taking many significant scriptures and evidence along with it.

                          The records of inventing these toilets were lost in time until this was re-invented at European royal court intrigue before, 1800 by John Harrington. The water closet aka toilets was first installed in Richmond Palace in 1596. Every invention will suffer the pain of rejection. Similarly, people rejected this as they consider it a huge investment but over time, they accepted it after the development of the toilet by Joseph Bramah in 1814.

- S.Varshini.                                                                                                                       

A Step Ahead

                                                   

                                                                  From the previous posts, I was surprised and felt pride growing in my heart knowing that Indians had discovered almost everything. Due to the lack of information and a platform, the truths have somehow tampered. Also, we have been the initiative or pioneer to create and discover many things in the modern world. One such thing is the rockets.

Hyder Ali's army had a separate infantry for rocket attacks. The rockets were used during the Battle of Pollilur and Second Anglo-Mysore war. His son, Tipu Sultan had a set up a laboratory for this project. The lab was once located along the Jumma Masjid near City Market and Taramandalpet, Banglore. It is said the rockets made in Europe was not a complete success as they made a mistake in calculating the pressure for the rockets to travel far.

Tipu Sultan and his troop overcame this problem and were able to use rockets successfully. The military manual written by Tipu Sultan, Fathul Mujahidin stands as evidence that Indians was always a step ahead. Along with this manual, the cylindrical shells found in Shimoga district of Karnataka,2003 were identified and confirmed it as a repository those were of Tipu Sultan's army  These rockets were also used for festivals as fireworks. Tipu Sultan launched  500 rockets as a gun salute as per the deputation sent by the Jacobian Club of Mysore.

From the manual, Fathul Mujahidin, we come to know that Tipu Sultan's army had twenty- four brigade in which each had 200 men trained and assigned for launching rockets at the required angles and directions. In addition to this, they also had a moving machine which could launch five to ten rockets simultaneously.

   Rocket attacks were implemented and after the fall of Srirangapattana, the Britishers found the remains of those rockets and used the Mysorean technique to develop their rockets. The rocket remains contained pierced cylinders, allowing them to act like incendiaries.in 1801, the European rockets were analysed using the rocket sample collected from Mysore and as a result, this research gave rise to the Congrave rockets which were used by Britain during Napoleonic wars and War od 1812.

And this proves that we were always a step ahead in our thinking and our actions

-S.Varshini

 

It's time to play

Ancient Indians contributed their time in games also.let us see briefly about games.

A board game is a tabletop game that involves counters or pieces moved or placed on a pre-marked surface or board, according to a set of rules. Some games are based on pure strategy, but many contain an element of chance and some are purely chance  with no element of skill.

Games usually have a goal that a player aims to achieve. Early board games represented a battle between two armies, and most modern board games are still based on defeating opponents in terms of counters, winning position, or accrual of points.There are many types of varieties in board games.

It has been played in most cultures and societies throughout history.Many board games are now available as video games, which can include the computer playing as one or more opponents. Many board games can now be played online against a computer or other players. There are also virtual tabletop programs that allow online players to play a variety of existing and new board games through tools needed to manipulate the game board, but do not necessarily enforce the game's rules, leaving this up to the players.Much research has been carried out on chess, in part because many tournament players are publicly ranked in national and international lists, which makes it possible to compare their levels of expertise.

Tables is a general name given to a class of board played on a board with two rows of 12 vertical markings called points Players roll dice to determine the movement of pieces. Tables games are among the oldest known board games, and many variants are played throughout the world this is called board games. Backgammon is one of the oldest known board games. Backgammon is a member of the tables family, one of the oldest classes of board games.

There are also virtual tabletop programs that allow online players to play a variety of existing and new board games through tools needed to manipulate the game board, but do not necessarily enforce the game's rules, leaving this up to the players.While the board gaming market is estimated to be smaller than that for video games, it has also experienced significant growth from the later 1990.

-M.Anandhi

Zero-greatest innovation

Ancient India has invented so many things with their own ideas and these ideas have led to many greatest developments and growth in India. Starting from Ayurveda to buttons......the inventions are always fascinating and amazing which led to tremendous growth in many sectors and industries. Likewise here is an other interesting invention done by ancient India and without this there cannot be further development in that field. Yes....it is the invention of zero and without this the expansion of number system is impossible.

Zero is fully developed in India around the 5th century A.D. Mathematicians struggled to perform the simplest arithmetic calculations before the invention of zero. Indian zero is widely seen as one if the greatest innovations and is the cornerstone of modern mathematics and physics plus the spin-off technologies.

The first number system was invented by Sumerians. The Sumerian system passed through the Akkadian Empire to Babylonians around 300 B.C. Later, Mayans found zero which was not able to use to solve equations and arithmetic operations instead they were able to use in calendars.

It was in India that zero was found as a number and was able to use in mathematical problems and equations. The ancient India so called cultural antecedents invented the mathematics zero digit. According to a hypothesis, Mathematical zero was called 'shunya' in sanskrit may have arisen from the contemporaneous philosophy of emptiness of shunyata. 

Zero and its operation are first defined by Brahmagupta in 628. According to University of Oxford an inscription on a temple located in Gwalior, India dates back to ninth century and has been considered the oldest record example. Bhakshali manuscripts are considered as  greatest breakthroughs in the history of mathematics where it depicts the presence of zero in ancient India thus proving the fact that zero as a mathematical number is invented in India.

India has not only made inventions in cloth, dyes, games, health and exercise, it also made amazing inventions in field of mathematics and science thus proving that ancient India had some knowledge or vision about the future world.

 PENNARASI. R

Ayurveda

Ayurveda is an ancient medicine system of the Indian subcontinent. It is said to have originated in India about 5000 years back. The word Ayurveda is a conjugation of two Sanskrit words ‘ayus’, meaning 'life' and ‘veda’, meaning 'science', thus ayurveda literally means the 'science of life'.

According to Ayurveda, the human body is composed of four basics-the dosha, dhatu, mala and agni. There is immense significance of all these basics of the body in Ayurveda they are also called as basic fundamental treatments in ayurveda.

According to Ayurveda all objects in the universe including human body are composed of five basic elements namely earth, water, fire, air and vacuum . There is a balanced condensation of these elements in different proportions to suit the needs and requirements of different structures and functions of body and its parts. The growth and development of the body matrix depends on its nutrition that we very well known  eg. on food.

Health or sickness depends on the presence or absence of a balanced state of the total body  including the balance between its different constituents.the two constituents are intrinsic and extrinsic both the intrinsic and extrinsic factors can cause disturbance in the natural equilibrium giving rise to disease

- Anandhi M

Wash it well

Soaps and Detergents are chemical compound or mixture of compounds used as a cleansing agent. Soap is a sodium salt or potassium salt of many combinations of fatty acids having cleansing action in water in day today life cleaning products play an essential role in our daily lives. By safely and effectively removing soils, germs and other contaminants, they help us to stay healthy, care for our homes and possessions, and make our surroundings more pleasant but depending upon the chemical product soap is also a dangerous thing.

Saponification of fats and oils is the most widely used soap-making process. Some soap is used up by reacting with hard water minerals to form the film. This reduces the amount of soap available for cleaning. Even when clothes are washed in soft water, some hardness minerals are introduced by the soil on clothes. Soap molecules are not very versatile and cannot be adapted to today’s variety of fibers, washing temperatures and water conditions.

A detergent is an effective cleaning product because it contains one or more surfactants. Because of their chemical makeup, the surfactants used in detergents can be engineered to perform well under a variety of conditions. Such surfactants are less sensitive than soap to the hardness minerals in water and most will not form a film.Detergents are commonly used in products for personal hygiene, dish washing, and laundry. They are also used as ingredients in antiseptic agents, dry-cleaning solutions, lubricating oils, and gasoline.

Due to the surface tension soap molecules can make Bubbles.bubbles  are made of a thin layer of water, sandwiched between two layers of soap molecules. You can make giant bubbles by mixing these ingredients together

Soap usually comes in a solid, molded form, called a bar, based on its typical shape. The use of thick liquid soap has also become widespread, especially from soap dispensers in washrooms

- Anandhi M

The Fibonacci sequence

The Fibonacci sequence first appeared in Indian mathematics and was first brought to our attention by Parmanand Singh in 1985. The name "Fibonacci sequence" was first used by the 19th-century number theorist Édouard Lucas.

The Fibonacci Sequence is the series of numbers:

                              0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, ...

The next number is found by adding up the two numbers preceding it.

There are several scenarios where fibonacci sequence is used. The first is the sunflower arrangement of seeds. Mother Nature arranges the seeds in a particular order to prevent overcrowding of seeds.

It can also be seen in the number of petals on many different flowers and the occurrence of leaves on many different plants. Another example is the lineage of the honeybees (similar to rabbits as mentioned by Fibonacci)

Fibonacci's real name was Leonardo Pisano Bogollo, and he lived between 1170 and 1250 in Italy. His nickname was Fibonacci, which  means "Son of Bonacci". Fibonacci Day is November 23rd, as it has the digits 1, 1, 2,3 which forms a part of the sequence. As well as being famous for the Fibonacci Sequence, he helped spread Hindu-Arabic Numerals (like our present numbers 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9) through Europe in place of Roman Numerals (I, II, III, IV, V, etc). The truth is that Fibonacci was not the first to know about the sequence, it was known in India hundreds of years before!

- Uditi Naagar

Don't think it, ink it

Ink has a large impact on our daily lives,it's something that usually goes unnoticed and we often take the use of ink for granted.Ancient cultures would work toward creating primitive forms of ink to paint on cave walls ,animals skins and even on their own bodies.Have you ever wondered where ink comes from ? How has it evolved into the common forms we use today?

Ancient Egyptian and Chinese civilizations both developed ink using carbon particles or lamp black.These also worked with guns to act as a bonding agent.Although invented in China ,India ink got its name because the source of the materials used to create the ink came from India.

India Ink became a popular medium in China.India ink is made of burnt bones,tar and pitch.Earliest examples were Dead sea scrolls.During the middle ages carbon ink and iron gall inks were used.The invention of the quill pen,made of a molted flight feather .The quill pen was the primary writing utensil in the western world from 6th to 19th century.

There are 3 basic types of inks one using pigments and a binder.Another uses dyes like that found in a fountain pen and the last uses a chemical precipitation such as iron gall ink.

The Reservoir pen was invented as a result of an Egyptian ruler demanding a pen that would not stain his clothes.Later synthetic dyes were applied to ink .With the exception of color, today's ink shares nothing in common with those used by ancient civilizations

- Lakshmi Priya K

Chaturanga (modern day chess)

Chaturanga is an historic Indian board game commonly known to be the ancestor of some other board games such as chess, shogi, sittuyin, and makruk.

Chaturanga a strategy game, is first known from the Gupta Empire in East India around the 6th century. It was then adopted as chatrang (shatranj) in Sassanid Persia in the 7th century, which was the form of chess that was brought to medieval Europe.

The exact rules of the ancient game chaturanga are unknown. Historians believe that the game had rules similar to the rules of its successor, shatranj. There is uncertainity, particularly with the moves of the elephant or gaja.

The rules of shatranj began changing in southern Europe around 1200, and around 1475, several other major changes made the game more or less as we know it today. The modern rules for the basic moves were initially adopted in Italy and Spain. Towards the end of the 14th century, the vizier coin was replaced by the queen which became the most powerful chess piece by the end of the 15th century. With time, modern chess was referred to as "Queen's Chess" or as "Mad Queen Chess".

Modern day chess is an epic game, with the chessboard being like a battlefield and two sets of pieces belonging to the two contending armies, and the two rival players think in terms of attack, defence, capture, threats, ambushes and tactics. The game is full of such war-fight activities which seem like a real combat. The game is purely of Indian origin and a creation of great Indian Masterminds.

- Uditi Naagar

01010101

In mathematics and digital electronics,  Binary number is expressed in base 2 numerical system using two numbers zero and one.

The base-2 numeral system is a positional notation with a radix of 2. Each digit is referred to as a bit. Because of its straight forward implementation in digital electronic circuitry using logic gates, the binary system is used by almost all modern computers and computer-based devices.

The modern binary number system was studied in Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries by Thomas Harriot, Juan Caramuel y Lobkowitz, and Gottfried Leibniz. However, systems related to binary numbers have appeared earlier in multiple cultures including ancient Egypt, China, and India.

Leibniz was by no means the first person to discover the binary code. His invention was merely a re-invention based on ancient knowledge.There is evidence that people in ancient India and Polynesia were familiar with the binary code thousands of years ago.Having those discoveries in mind, scientists now questions the origin of the binary system and the date of its invention .

Then it was found that Indian scholar Pingala (c. 2nd century BC) developed a binary system for describing prosody.He used binary numbers in the form of short and long syllables (the latter equal in length to two short syllables), making it similar to Morse code.They were known as laghu (light) and guru (heavy) syllables.

Music text about India:

Ancient Music Text Reveals Knowledge Of India.There is a very interesting ancient music text written by Pingala, and important ancient scholar and author of Chhandahshastra (meaning science of meters).This ancient musical composition reveals knowledge of the binary system. The text dates to 2nd century A.D., and is with other words more than 1500 years older than Leibnitz binary system.

-Vishali kannan

Go from flat to fluffy........

Being one of the oldest civilizations in the world, complete with rich culture and history. Many inventions have come out of India from button, yoga, diamond .....one among them is "shampoo".

That bottle of shampoo that sits in our bathroom originated out of a need to clean one's hair. Indeed we have to thank India for a shampoo which was invented in 1762 in the Mughal Empire and used as a head massage made with natural oils and herbs

The word  "shampoo" is derived from the Hindi word champo or champna meaning "to stamp or knead". It is a hair care product used for the removal of oils, dirt, dandruff that gradually build up in hair.

Shampoo originally meant head massage in several North Indian languages. Both the word and the concept were introduced to Britain from colonial India. In the 1900s the meaning of the word shifted from the sense of massage to that of applying soap to the hair. Originally soap and shampoo were similar products both containing surfactants (a type of detergent).

During the early stages of shampoo, English hair stylists boiled shaved soap in water and added herbs to give the hair shine and fragrance. Kasey Hebert was the first known maker of shampoo.

- Lakshmi Priya K

Meditation

It might be known to most of us that meditation was invented in India. Now that we've seen about Yoga, let's talk about Meditation because they're often practiced simultaneously. Meditation is a practice where one has to focus on a particular point of reference with their eyes closed. It helps increase our attention and concentration power besides many other effects

We often wish that our brain stops chattering and that we can stay completely calm and peaceful. That can be achieved by meditation. Studies show that even 10 minutes of daily meditation helps a lot in the long run. It decreases anxiety and depression and increases the flow of alpha waves(relaxation associated waves).

The earliest references of meditation can be found in the Vedas and the earliest documented version of meditation can be found in the wall arts of India from 5000 to 3500 BCE.

The ultimate benefit of meditation is liberation of our mind from materialistic attachments, such as external circumstances or strong internal emotions. The liberated brain or mind no longer follows desires or clings to experiences, but instead maintains a calm sense of inner harmony.

How to Meditate:

1. Sit comfortably with your hands resting on your lap.
2. Close your eyes and try not to think of anything.
3. Do not control the breath, breathe naturally.
4. Focus on the breath and on how your body moves with each breath.Simply focus your attention on your breath without controlling its pace or intensity.

The most difficult part of meditating is continuing the practice at least for a month without expecting any results at all. After a month, notice the difference in the way you feel, your concentration power, etc. 

Hope this blog has helped you to know more about meditation and be a proud citizen of India!

- Uditi Naagar

Yoga......

Out of many discoveries made in India, Yoga has a separate base and stands unique in India. In today's generation people around the world realized the significance of yoga and started to learn yoga at any cost. It is a natural process which doesn't need any equipments and has to be practiced regularly to get its immense benefits.

Yoga is a group of physical, mental and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in India. Origins date back to Rigveda developed around sixth and fifth centuries ancient ascetic and sramana movements. There is no specific origin other than ancient India. There were many ideologies saying that the yoga was originated from the Indus Valley civilization (3300-1900 BCE), pre vedic, Eastern states of India, Vedic period (1500-500 BCE) and the sramana movement. Shiva is seen as first yogi or Adi yogi and the first guru or the Adi guru.

                   

Many seals and fossil remains depicts many yoga motives which is found in Indus Saraswati Valley civilization which signifies the presence of yoga in India.

Asanas

Asana is a body posture, originally and still a general term for a sitting meditation pose and extended hatha yoga and modern yoga, etc.

Many asanas and exercises are there in yoga. For example Dhanurasana, Suryanamaskar, Shanthiasana, Chakrasana, Padmasana, etc.

                  

Suryanamaskar

It is also known as salutation to sun. Suryanamaskar is practiced in yoga as exercise incorporating a sequence of some twelve linked asanas. This exercise is dedicated to Hindu god Surya. Suryanamaskar helps to lose weight, battles insomnia, brings down blood sugar levels, etc.

                 

Shantiasana

Combination of breath, yoga poses and meditation. Shantiasana helps in healing through concentration, consciousness and awareness in our body. It helps a person to relax, calm down and makes a person feel energetic and positive vibrations. 

Yoga is a natural way of keeping our body relaxed and healthy. It takes a longer period to feel its benefits and once the practice is broken it also causes many body pains. 

- PENNARASI. R

           

Measure it right

The invention of the ruler takes us back to the ancient civilizations such as the Greeks and Egyptians.Rulers were used to make measurements in a straight line.The first excavated rulers were often made from wood or ivory.

In the history of measurement many distance units have been used which were based on human body parts such as hand, foot and these units varied in length by era and location.In the late 18th century the metric system came into use and has been adopted to varying degree in almost all countries in the world.

The oldest preserved measuring rod is a copper alloy bar and was found by the German Assyriologist Eckhart Unger.Rulers made of ivory were in use by the Indus valley civilization period .Ian Whitelaw holds that the Mohenjodaro ruler is divided into units corresponding to 1.32 inches.

Anton ullrich invented the folding ruler in 1851.Frank hunt later made the flexible ruler in 1902.The modern 12 inch ruler used today was supposed to equal the length of a man's foot while the width of a man's thumb was equal to 1 inch.The rulers we use today are often made from metal or plastic and can be bent to accommodate objects that are not completely straight.

There are different types of rulers that are used today such as desk rulers, line gauge, protractor, drafting triangle, adjustable triangle, triangular scale ruler

- Lakshmi Priya K

Diamond- A Beginning

      

    ' Is there a golden river, with lots of gold in it running in India?' The stereotypical question still at existent in other countries. Of course not! India doesn't have one like that. What made them believe and ask such questions? When we think about it, it is because of the abundant resources and wealth, India once had before the invasion. Yes, we Indians had a lot of things, almost everything from rice, herbs, gold and even diamonds were first discovered and used by us, Indians.

Diamonds were found in India in the 4th century BC.  In ancient days, starting from it's properties to its magic powers, everything was studied and noted in minute detail. Diamonds were polished, cut and made as jewels in India. Indians were the first to make the diamond polishing board, understanding the concept of diamonds cut diamonds. But it is said that the method was kept a secret until a certain period. Later, the method of polishing diamonds came into light as the people fancied jewellery made of diamonds. India was known to be the only source of diamonds until the 18th century.

                                          

       The diamonds reached the Mediterranean region when Alexander campaigned in India. Later, through trade and England's invasion, the loot made by them from the temples of India made increased the use of diamonds worldwide. The discovery of diamonds in Brazil and South Africa diverted the world's attention from India to Brazil and South Africa.

 The famous and the largest  Kohinoor Diamond, a possession of Kakatiya kings who ruled the Andhra dating back 1304  weighed 793 carats. This before reaching the hands of British, it was passed between many dynasties from Mughals to the Persians stopping at the hands of the Queen of England. Earlier days, it is believed that this diamond held a curse,

''He who owns this diamond will own this world, but will also know all its misfortunes. Only God or women can wear it with impunity"

In evidence of this curse, the kings' reign who had this diamond ended early. I think that's why this diamond weighing 106 carats now, sits in the crown of Queen rather than in the King's crown.

-S.Varshini     

Cataract surgery

Another discovery of ancient Indians is Cataract surgery.

What is cataract?

Blurry vision at any distance is the most common symptom of cataracts.Your view may look foggy, filmy, or cloudy. Over time, as the cataracts get worse, less light reaches the retina.

Sushruta is the most celebrated physician and surgeon in India. Though he practiced during the 5th century B.C., many of his contributions to medicine and surgery preceded similar discoveries in the Western world. Sushruta devotes a complete volume of his experiences to ophthalmologic diseases.He is the father of  Indian surgery and ophthalmology.

The technique he used is couching(lens depression). A curved needle was used to push the lens into the rear of the eye and out of the field of vision. The eye would later be soaked with warm clarified butter and then bandaged. Sushruta claimed success with this method.This procedure should only be performed when absolutely necessary. It was a caution.

The removal of cataract by surgery was also introduced into China from India.The procedure, also known as jin pi shu in Mandarin.

Modern way of cataract surgery

In cataract surgery, the lens inside your eye that has become cloudy is removed and replaced with an artificial lens (called an intraocular lens, or IOL) to restore clear vision.

Most modern cataract procedures involve the use of a high-frequency ultrasound device that breaks up the cloudy lens into small pieces, which are then gently removed from the eye with suction.This procedure, called phacoemulsification or "phaco," can be performed with smaller incisions than previous surgical techniques for cataract removal, promoting faster healing and reducing the risk of cataract surgery complications, such as a retinal detachment.

This is the history of cataract surgery.

Ancient Indians were intelligent and knowledgeable at that time.We should be proud of them.

-Vishali Kannan