[Advaita-l] Fwd: {भारतीयविद्वत्परिषत्} Varanasi is as old as Indus valley civilization, finds IIT-KGP study

[V Subrahmanian]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: S.Subrahmanya <snmp1997 at gmail.com>
Date: Sat, Mar 5, 2016 at 8:09 PM
Subject: {भारतीयविद्वत्परिषत्} Varanasi is as old as Indus valley
civilization, finds IIT-KGP study
To: भारतीयविद्वत्परिषत् <bvparishat at googlegroups.com>



  Fascinating news ... I hope that there is a relook at the Puranas.  The
information there is probably as old as the Rigveda.
  Shrikant Talageri has argued that the oldest parts of the Rigveda are
very much to the east of Saraswati.


*Varanasi is as old as Indus valley civilization, finds IIT-KGP study*
Jhimli Mukherjee Pandey
<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/toireporter/author-Jhimli-Mukherjee-Pandey-4216.cms>
 | Feb 25, 2016, 11.49 PM IST

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Varanasi-is-as-old-as-Indus-valley-civilization-finds-IIT-KGP-study/articleshow/51146196.cms
?


Kolkata: It's a perfect example of science meeting faith and technology
buttressing myth. A detailed study conducted by IIT-Kharagpur - using GPS,
one of the latest tech tools - could well turn the clock back on Varanasi,
indicating that the holy town has been a continuous human settlement since
the days of the Indus Valley Civilization, around 6000 years ago.

The project, funded by the Union ministry of human resources development
(it has released Rs 20 crore just for the first phase), has even attracted
the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The PM made it a point to
explore the project's progress on Sunday at Varanasi, when he met the
IIT-Kgp faculty members and inquired about its possibilities and scope.

The results that have come from a detailed geo-exploration (exploration
conducted through GPS technology) conducted by seven IIT-Kgp departments,
tracing the different stages through which civilization progressed, and how
Varanasi has been able to maintain continuity as a living civilization,
unlike comparable seats of human settlement in the world. The researchers
have dug 100-metre-deep boring holes all over Varanasi to conclude that
there is evidence of continuous settlement at least till 2000BC. There are
enough indications that by the time the data collection is over, there
would be enough to prove that this date can be pushed back to about 4500BC.

The oldest part of this civilisation has been traced to the Gomati Sangam
area of Varanasi, as indicated by the underground layers that have already
been tested.

It is perhaps time to take a re-look at India's history. IIT Kharagpur is
about to make an explosive announcement. It is ready to put the clock 6000
years back on Varanasi, bringing it at par with the Indus valley
civilisation, if not older. What's more, the seven departments of IIT Kgp,
that are working on the project, are tracing the different stages through
which the civilisation has progressed and has yet been able to maintain its
continuity as a living civilisation, unlike comparable ancient
civilisations around the world.



The project, which is completely funded by the union ministry of human
resources development, has attracted the attention of none less than Prime
Minister, Narendra Modi, who made it a point to explore its progress on
Sunday at Varanasi, when he met the IIT Kgp faculty members and inquired
about the possibilities and the scope of the project.

The results that have come from a detailed geo exploration through the GPS
conducted through 100 metre deep bore holes all over Varanasi shows
continuous settlement history till 2000 BC. The indicators are that at the
end of data collection, this will be put back another '1500 years to
establish the final habitable antiquity of Varanasi at 4500 BC.

The geo-exploration, that is being conducted jointly with the British
Geological Survey, has already established the existence of Naimisharanya,
a forest that finds mention in the Vedas and in the Kashipurana. This
forest was considered mythological all these years.

The researchers are also trying to set up a riverine route from Kolkata to
Varanasi to Prayag (Allahabad). "Since ancient times, people used this
route but the advent of the railways stopped it. We are trying to
re-establish that route," said Joy Sen, a senior faculty member of the
school of architecture and planning, who is also the chief of the project
that has been christened Sandhi. The other departments that are involved in
sandhi are humanities and social sciences, computer science, information
technology, electrical, electronics and telecommunications and
oceanography. The riverine route will be developed to carry tourists, said
sources.



Separate heritage trails leading to the five oldest ghats - Asi, Kedar,
Dasashwamedh, Panchaganga and Rajghat - are also being created. "We are
tracing the ashrams of ancient yogis and spiritual leaders of all religions
that dotted the lanes leading to the ghats. Some of these are extinct now,
some dilapidated. We will reclaim and restore as much as possible," Sen
explained.

A large part of the project, which began in August last year, aims at
creating a green rim and reclaiming the greenery and waterbodies that
dotted the entire zone from Sarnath to the campus of Benares Hindu
University. Efforts are on to remove encroachment and illegal constructions
so that the earlier ecosystem is reclaimed as far as possible. "Varanasi
has been the seat of all religions and their holy men, who will all be
represented elaborately in the project. Efforts are also being made to
establish special zones in areas that are dominated by old age homes and
shelters for widows," Sen added.

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