INDIA’S CONTRIBUTION TO THE FIELD OF ASTRONOMY

"In India I found a race of mortals living upon the Earth. but not adhering to it. Inhabiting cities, but not being fixed to them, possessing everything but possessed by nothing".

 - Apollonius Tyanaeus

Astronomy is one area which has fascinated all mankind from the beginnings of history. In India the first references to astronomy are to be found in the Rig Veda which is dated around 2000 B.C. Vedic Aryans in fact deified the Sun, Stars and Comets and are of the oldest civilizations to contribute in the field of astronomy. In Indian languages, the science of Astronomy is today called Khagola-shastra. The word Khagola perhaps is derived from the famous astronomical observatory at the University of Nalanda which was called Khagola. It was at Khagola that the famous 5th century Indian Astronomer Aryabhatta studied and extended the subject. 


1  FORTUNE INTERPRETATION THROUGH PLANETS

Since ancient times Indians have involved the planets (called Grahas) with the determination of human fortunes. The planets Shani, i.e. Saturn and Mangal i.e. Mars were considered inauspicious. 






2 THE EARTH'S CIRCUMFERENCE

Ancient Indian astronomer ARYABHATTA had recognised that stars are same as the sun, that the sun is center of the universe (solar system) and that the circumference of the earth is 5000 Yojanas. One Yojana being 7.2 kms., the ancient Indian estimates came close to the actual figure. 

FASCMILE

3. THE CALCULATION OF ECLIPSES

This fascmile is from the Pancha-siddhantika (Five Principles) dated around the 5th century. This text graphically shows how eclipses are to be calculated.  Thus this text foreshadows  what Westeren Astronomers propounded nearly one thousand years later

CALCULATION OF ECLIPSES

4 THE PHALAKA YANTRA

An instrument invented by the mathematician and astronomer Bhaskara II (1114–1185 CE) consisted of a rectangular board with a pin and an index arm. This device—called the Phalaka-yantra—was used to determine time from the sun's altitude. The Kapālayantra was a equatorial sundial instrument used to determine the sun’s azimuth.

5. THE ARMILLARY SPHERE

ARMILLARY SPHERE

 The armillary sphere was used for observation in India since early times, and finds mention in the works of Āryabhata (476 CE). The Goladīpikā—a detailed treatise dealing with globes and the armillary sphere was composed between 1380–1460 CE by Parameśvara. On the subject of the usage of the armillary sphere in India, Ōhashi (2008) writes: "The Indian armillary sphere (gola-yantra) was based on equatorial coordinates, unlike the Greek armillary sphere, which was based on ecliptical coordinates, although the Indian armillary sphere also had an ecliptical hoop.

6. THEORIZING ABOUT THE THEORY OF GRAVITY

Indian scientists in the 6th century were of the first to advance the idea of gravity. Upon realizing a force keeps objects grounded on earth, they hypothesized that the same force may be holding heavenly bodies in their places. This idea pre-dates Isaac Newton's ideas of gravity by about 1,100 years.

In terms of heliocentrism, Aryabhata suggested it in one of treatises, and Bhaskaracharya referred to it in his Magnum Opus Siddhanta-Shiromani.

 In the 5th century, Aryabhatta was one of the earliest persons to support the theory that Earth is a sphere.   

7. WATER CLOCKS

WATER CLOCK

Pots excavated from Mohen jodaro might have been used as water clocks; they are tapered at the bottom, have a hole on the side, and are similar to the utensil used to perform abhishekam (pour holy water) on shivalingam. the use of the water clock in ancient India is mentioned in the Atharvaveda from the 2nd millennium BC. Ghati or Kapala (clepsydra or water clock) is referred to in Jyotisha Vedanga, where the amount of water that measures a nadika (24 minutes) is mentioned. A more developed form of the clepsydra is described in chapter xiii, 23 of the Suryasiddhanta.