Kalam welcomes scientists' efforts to verify facts

Speaking at a national seminar on 'Scientific Dating of Ancient Events before 2000 BC', he said efforts to prove the indigenous nature of Indian civilisation could provide a boost to the confidence of the nation.

At the seminar where scientists, historians and Vedic scholars converged together to discuss their findings about ancient India, the former scientist-president said for a person like him was born in Rameswaram, a place closely associated with the Ramayana epic, such efforts were all the more pleasing.

"Rameswaram is known in intricate details to me as I travelled across the town delivering newspapers. In my eyes Gandhamanaparvatham appears from where Rama is supposed to have seen Sri Lanka. In front of me appears the famous Kothanda Ramar Temple of Rameshwaram.

"The central point is Ramanathaswamy Temple where we find the Siva linga which Lord Rama had worshipped," he said.

Contending that he had a profound interest in the scientific dating of Ramayana, Kalam said he would be the happiest person, if scientific dimensions establish places from where Ram, Lashmana, Hanuman, Sugreeva and the Vanara sena created a base before launching the war on Sri Lanka.

He also pointed out that the eco-frindly agricultural practices used by farmers in the Vedica period could also provide a lot of lessons for the present day.

"The dating studies have found that the farmers in the vedic period used natural manures for their agriculture. They have found 12 types of soil and determined associated organic manure compatible to the soil types. They did not make use of pesticides or any poisonous elements in the agro sector... We have to learn a lot from this experience," Kalam said.

Contending that Vedic and post-Vedic literature has a tremendous amount of "scientific knowledge" which will be extremely beneficial to humanity, Kalam said dating of events leads to transforming mythology into history.

"Balmiki packed so much information about the various planetary positions of those days, the geography of the areas mentioned in the epic, the seasonal events, and about the genealogy of various kings that it is virtually a no-brainer to establish the dates on which those events occurred," he said, adding that archaeology and astronomy could together be used to determine these facts.

He also appealed to researchers studying India's epics to launch at least 100 PhDs with historical, geological, astronomical and space scientists to ascertain the veracity of history and date of events, while stressing that the use of Genology to relate to the scientific dating of epics with human genome sequences, should also be employed.

"Astronomical calculation making use of planetarium software have proved that events narrated in Balamiki Ramayana actually occurred around 7000 years back and can be sequenced," he said.

Referring to Ramsethu, he said the bridge used by Rama to travel to Sri Lanka, is found submerged at the same location mentioned in Valmiki's writings, and as per estimates there has been a rise in the sea level during the last 7000 years roughly corresponding to 9 feet -- the same depth at which remains of Rama Sethu were found.

He said there was a need to establish the relationship between the birth of spoken language and evolution of Valmiki Ramayana.

"I am happy that through the use of modern technology the perception of Indian Archaeology has changed and has facilitated by researchers to prove an indigenous origin of civilisation in the Indian sub-continent.

"This is an important factor which should work as an integrator of the entire nation since all of us have come into this land from the same ancestors and roots.