A new book titled Echoes – Ancient Wisdom to Modern Minds, written by Dr. Pratik Rajan Mungekar and Dr. Pramila Kudva, explores how the knowledge from Ancient India is still relevant today. The book covers topics like technology, Vedic mathematics, ancient Indian science, and environmental awareness from the past.
In their previous research, the authors found that many ancient Indian educational ideas are similar to modern teaching methods. For example, in the Mahabharata, King Dhrupad challenged suitors of his daughter Draupadi to hit the reflection of a rotating fish in oil. Arjun succeeded by using physics and math skills to account for the reflection and timing.
The book was launched by Dr. Raghunath Mashelkar, a respected Indian scientist and Padma Vibhushan awardee. The private event also included notable guests such as Dr. Prachetan Potadar, Dr. Akshay Raghunath, and Dr. Saravjeet Kirad, Mrs Harshada Potadar -Bhave.
Dr. Mashelkar, who has worked to protect Indian traditional knowledge, praised the book. In the 1990s, he fought against a U.S. patent on using turmeric for healing wounds, a remedy known in India for centuries. This fight led to the creation of the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library to protect such knowledge from being patented by others.
At the event, Dr. Mashelkar emphasized the importance of India's rich heritage and praised the authors for their work. He encouraged everyone to take pride in India's ancient wisdom.
Echoes – Ancient Wisdom to Modern Minds aims to inspire readers to appreciate and use ancient Indian knowledge in today’s world.