AL Beruni is one of those persons whom I admire unreservedly.Mahmood of Ghasnavi ,whom we all hate heartily, was a great patron of knowedge and arts; and that is how my hero, who had already mastered Arabic and Greek and was himself a great astronomer, happened to be in his court.For the conquest of India, it was necessary to know about the people, the conqueror knew. The young scholar was given this assignement .
Al Beruni came to India and began his investigations. All knowledge of the Hindus (an euphemium for Indians ) were codified in Samskrutam texts, he was told.So he studied that language.He was surprised to find the remarkable progress we had made in astronomy and the similarity in the two systems developed in our country and in Egypt.
For studying the movement of the sun and the moon, both countries have divided the stars ,which are permanent and do not change their position inter se,unlike the sun,the moon and the planets, into 27 groups and a name was given to each group. There is a half
Group in the Egyptian system. In our system some adjustment is made in calculating the length of the adjoining days.The moon occupies the space of one group of stars each day.
We have given names like Ashwini (Aswathi in Malayalam),Bharni,Karthik etc.for each day. Al Beruni has given the Indian names of all 27 groups alongwith their Egyptian names.In the past,when English calendar was unknown, the month and the name of the
Nakshatra denotes the birthday.We, belonging to the old old generation still stick to this habit.Our grandchildren will ask: is it your happy birthday (meaning English date of birth) or janamdin?
In the North, the month begins and ends on the new moon day (Amavas).So twelve months fall short of the year by five days.So in some year there has to be thirteen months.
In Keralam, a more scientific method is followed. Two and a quarter star groups form a constellation called Chingam,Kanni,Thulam etc.The time the sun remains in one group is the month and is calculated every time so that the number of days of a month varies each year and there is no leap year (at least one is unaware of it). A few namboodiri families have been trained in the elaborate and intricate calculations necessary for making this panchang (calendar) which came into existence only 1183 years ago.
To return to our hero.Mahmood never conquered territory in India.However,the works of
Al Beruni is a source of knowledge about our great scientists and astronomers , who’se works are unknown to the Engish educated generation of our time
Al Beruni came to India and began his investigations. All knowledge of the Hindus (an euphemium for Indians ) were codified in Samskrutam texts, he was told.So he studied that language.He was surprised to find the remarkable progress we had made in astronomy and the similarity in the two systems developed in our country and in Egypt.
For studying the movement of the sun and the moon, both countries have divided the stars ,which are permanent and do not change their position inter se,unlike the sun,the moon and the planets, into 27 groups and a name was given to each group. There is a half
Group in the Egyptian system. In our system some adjustment is made in calculating the length of the adjoining days.The moon occupies the space of one group of stars each day.
We have given names like Ashwini (Aswathi in Malayalam),Bharni,Karthik etc.for each day. Al Beruni has given the Indian names of all 27 groups alongwith their Egyptian names.In the past,when English calendar was unknown, the month and the name of the
Nakshatra denotes the birthday.We, belonging to the old old generation still stick to this habit.Our grandchildren will ask: is it your happy birthday (meaning English date of birth) or janamdin?
In the North, the month begins and ends on the new moon day (Amavas).So twelve months fall short of the year by five days.So in some year there has to be thirteen months.
In Keralam, a more scientific method is followed. Two and a quarter star groups form a constellation called Chingam,Kanni,Thulam etc.The time the sun remains in one group is the month and is calculated every time so that the number of days of a month varies each year and there is no leap year (at least one is unaware of it). A few namboodiri families have been trained in the elaborate and intricate calculations necessary for making this panchang (calendar) which came into existence only 1183 years ago.
To return to our hero.Mahmood never conquered territory in India.However,the works of
Al Beruni is a source of knowledge about our great scientists and astronomers , who’se works are unknown to the Engish educated generation of our time
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