Cultural Heritage

1. K. If all of the world´s cultural heritage
(sports, music, fashion, architecture,
literature, painting, etc..) was contained in
a time capsule, what would you include to
demonstrate the legacy of your country?

2. I would like to present some of the amazing historically & culturally rich
examples to fit the time capsule in its own unique way. It would be my
pleasure to present the birth of civilisation, science & technology in
prehistoric India.

3. Bhimbetka rock shelters
The Bhimbetka rock shelters are an archaeological site of the Palaeolithic, exhibiting the earliest traces of human life on
the Indian subcontinent, and thus the beginning of the South Asian Stone Age. It is located in the Indian state of Madhya
Pradesh, inside the Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary. At least some of the shelters were inhabited by Homo erectus more than
100,000 years ago. Some of the Stone Age rock paintings found among the Bhimbetka rock shelters are approximately
30,000 years old. The caves also deliver early evidence of dance.

4. Along with Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, Indus Valley Civilisation was one of three early civilisations of
the Old World, and the most widespread among them, covering an area of 1.25 million km2. It flourished in the
basins of the Indus River, one of the major rivers of Asia, and the now dried up Sarasvati River, which once
coursed through northwest. The nuclear dates of Indus Valley civilization appears to be about 2500–1700 BCE,
with pre-harappan cultures dating back to 7500 BCE. The photos show some of the marvellous planning of the
cities, in the old world. This includes channelling of rivers for agricultural purposes , well planned drainage
system, city planning including roads, hospitals, schools, market places, etc. all placed and planned according to
needs of the people.
Indus Valley Civilisation

5. Maharishi Bhrigu - Indian pioneer of astrology & astrophysics
The Bhrigu Saṃhitā is an astrological (Jyotish) classic attributed to Maharishi Bhrigu during
the Vedic period The Bhrigu Samhita is said to contain predictions on the current and
future lives as well as information on the past life. These predictions will be accurate based
on the actions (karma) of the questioner. These Horoscopes were based upon the
planetary positions of the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Rāhu (North
Node of the Moon) and Ketu (South Node of the Moon).
These predictions vary from person to person which co-relate the life of the person which
is influenced by the planetary positions. The most astonishing part is that these planets
were known in ancient times. And even the knowledge and calculations for determining
positions of planets were known to Maharishi Bhrigu. He compiled about 500,000
horoscopes and recorded the life details and events of various persons. This formed a
database for further research and study. This study culminated in the birth of the science
(Śāstra) of determining the quality of time. This knowledge and scripture were passed on
to his pupils and son. But when Muslims invaded India during the medieval period, most
of his work was destroyed. Still a few pages of this knowledge resource book remains in
the city of Hoshiarpur, Punjab, India.

6. Discovery of medicine and surgery in ancient India
Maharishi Sushrut was a medical surgeon and wrote a book called Sushruta Samhita as early as 1500
BCE. This book has 184 chapters which contains descriptions of 1,120 illnesses, 700 medicinal plants,
64 preparations from mineral sources and 57 preparations based on animal sources. It also mentions of
modern practices such as insection, management of
haemorrhoids, fistulae, laparotomy and management of intestinal obstruction, perforated intestines and
accidental perforation of the abdomen with protrusion of omentum and the principles of fracture
management, traction, manipulation, apposition and stabilization including some measures of
rehabilitation and fitting of prosthetic. It enumerates six types of dislocations, twelve varieties
of fractures, and classification of the bones and their reaction to the injuries, and gives a classification of
eye diseases including cataract surgery.
Maharishi Sushrut – world’s first medical surgeon
Maharishi Charak – world’s first known physician
Charak was one of the principal contributors to the ancient art and science of Ayurveda, a
system of medicine and lifestyle developed in Ancient India. He is famous for authoring the
medical treatise the Charaka Samhita (around 200 BCE). He is also well known as the “father
of medicine”. Charaka is generally considered as the first physician to present the concept
of digestion, metabolism and immunity. He studied the anatomy of the human body and
various organs. He gave 360 as the total number of bones, including teeth, present in the
human body. He wrongly believed that the heart had one cavity, but he was right when he
considered it to be a controlling centre. He claimed that the heart was connected to the
entire body through 13 main channels. Apart from these channels, there were countless
other ones of varying sizes which supplied not only nutrients to various tissues but also
provided passage to waste products. He also claimed that any obstruction in the main
channels led to a disease or deformity in the body. He is the author of the Charaka Samhita,
which had descriptions of 2,000 medicines. There were cures for diseases related to almost
every body part of human body and all medicines had natural elements without any
chemicals to cure the diseases.

7. Nalanda University
By the time the first European university was established in Bologna in 1088, it had already been at least
1600 years while this university was in operation. At its peak, the school attracted scholars and students
from as far away as Tibet, China, Korea, and Central Asia. It was very likely ransacked and destroyed by
an army of the Muslim Mamluk Dynasty under Bakhtiyar Khilji in 1200 A.D. All the scriptures including
the library was destroyed during this invasion. Nalanda was visited by both Mahavira and Buddha in
sixth and fifth centuries BCE. It is also the place of birth and nirvana of Shariputra, one of the famous
disciples of Buddha.Many scholars and historical figures of note are associated with Nalanda including
Aryabhata, Aryadeva, student of Nagarjuna, Atisa, Chandrakirti, Dharmakirti, logician Dharmapala,
Dinnaga - founder of Buddhist Logic, Jinamitra, Nagarjuna, formaliser of the concept of Shunyata,
Naropa - student of Tilopa and teacher of Marpa, Padmasambhava - master of Tantric Buddhism,
Shantarakshita - founder of the first monastic order in Tibet, Shilabhadra - the teacher of Xuanzang,
Xuanzang, Chinese Buddhist traveller, Yijing - Chinese Buddhist traveller.

8. The caves were built in two phases starting around the 2nd century BCE, with the second group of caves built around 400–
650 CE. The caves include paintings and sculptures described by the government Archaeological Survey of India as "the
finest surviving examples of Indian art, particularly painting“, which are masterpieces of Buddhist religious art, with figures
of the Buddha and depictions of the Jataka tales. The caves are cut into the side of a cliff that is on the south side of a U-
shaped gorge on the small river Waghur, and although they are now along and above a modern pathway running across the
cliff they were originally reached by individual stairs or ladders from the side of the river 10–35 m. A grand gateway to the
site, at the apex of the gorge's horsehoe between caves 15 and 16, was approached from the river, and is decorated with
elephants on either side and a nāga, or protective snake deity.
Ajanta Caves