#MA in Ancient Indian history culture and Archaeology

[somaiya-vidyavihar-university]

Exploring the Pathways to a Career in Archaeology and Art History

Archaeology and art history are disciplines that offer a unique window into the past, enabling us to understand the cultural, historical and artistic developments of human civilization. For students with a passion for uncovering the secrets of ancient societies or those intrigued by the evolution of art, pursuing specialised courses can open doors to exciting career opportunities. In Mumbai, several institutions offer programs that cater to these interests, providing a strong foundation in both theoretical knowledge and practical skills.

Diploma in Archaeology: Unearthing the Past

A Diploma in Archaeology is an excellent starting point for anyone keen on pursuing a career in this field. This course typically covers a wide range of subjects, including excavation techniques, conservation methods and the study of ancient artefacts. Students learn how to interpret material evidence, which is crucial for reconstructing historical narratives. The program also includes fieldwork, allowing students to gain hands-on experience in archaeological digs. With Mumbai’s rich history and proximity to significant archaeological sites, students have ample opportunities to apply their learning in real-world scenarios.

MA in Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology: Delving Deeper

For those looking to further their expertise, an MA in Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology offers an in-depth exploration of India’s rich and diverse past. This advanced program delves into the intricate details of ancient Indian civilizations, exploring topics such as the Indus Valley Civilization, Vedic period, Mauryan Empire and Gupta period. Students are encouraged to engage in critical analysis of historical texts, inscriptions and archaeological findings, developing a nuanced understanding of India’s cultural heritage. The program often includes research projects, allowing students to contribute original insights to the field of archaeology.

Art History Courses in Mumbai: Understanding the Evolution of Art

Mumbai, being a cultural hub, offers numerous Art History courses that cater to a wide range of interests. These art history courses in Mumbai provide a comprehensive overview of the evolution of art, from ancient to modern times. Students explore various art movements, styles and techniques, studying the works of great masters and the cultural contexts in which they were created. The curriculum often includes visits to museums and galleries, where students can view and analyse artworks firsthand. These courses are ideal for those looking to pursue careers in museums, galleries, or academic research.

Why Choose Somaiya for Your Archaeology and Art History Education?

When it comes to pursuing education in archaeology or art history, Somaiya Vidyavihar University stands out as a premier institution in Mumbai. Offering a range of programs including the Diploma in Archaeology and MA in Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology, Somaiya provides students with a robust academic foundation and access to experienced faculty members who are experts in their fields. The university’s commitment to fostering a deep understanding of India’s cultural heritage, combined with its state-of-the-art facilities and emphasis on practical experience, makes it an ideal choice for students aspiring to excel in these disciplines. With its rich legacy and forward-thinking approach, Somaiya continues to nurture the next generation of archaeologists and art historians, equipping them with the skills and knowledge necessary to make significant contributions to the field. Choosing Somaiya means embarking on a journey that not only enhances your academic credentials but also immerses you in the vibrant cultural tapestry of India.

[econosurancee]

What is the Peabody Museum Known For?

The Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, located in the bustling city of Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a beacon of knowledge and history. It is a renowned institution that forms part of Harvard University, illuminating the world's rich tapestry of cultures and civilizations through its impressive collection of artefacts.

A Journey Into History

At the heart of the Peabody Museum, visitors can expect to find a treasure trove of over 1.5 million objects. These artifacts, some of which date back millions of years, span multiple continents and time periods, providing a profound insight into the history of human civilization. From the native peoples of the Americas to ancient societies in Africa, Asia, and Oceania, the museum presents a fascinating panorama of global cultural diversity.

Showcasing Indigenous Cultures

The museum is especially known for its focus on Indigenous cultures. The Hall of the North American Indian, one of the main attractions, is home to a vast collection of artefacts from Native American tribes. This exhibit stands as a testament to the history, traditions, and life ways of Indigenous peoples.

An Educational Resource

As an extension of Harvard University, the Peabody Museum offers an invaluable resource for researchers, students, and anyone with an interest in archaeology and ethnology. The museum offers educational programs, exhibitions, and seminars, all aimed at promoting understanding and respect for the world's diverse cultures.

Beyond the Museum Walls

While the Peabody Museum is a standalone entity, it is also part of a greater whole. As you explore Cambridge, you might consider visiting some of the other local establishments that add to the richness of the city. One such example is businesses that offer unique services, such as Medical Spa Insurance providers. Protecting their clients with comprehensive policies, these businesses are an integral part of the Cambridge community.

For instance, Econosurance offers a wide range of insurance products, including specialised coverage for medical spas. If you're an entrepreneur operating a medical spa in the Cambridge area, consider securing your business with a robust insurance policy from Econosurance. You can find their location here.

In Conclusion

The Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology is far more than a building full of artefacts. It is a portal into the past and a reflection of the world's vibrant cultural diversity. Through its collections and educational initiatives, it continues to promote understanding and respect for global cultures. And, like other businesses in Cambridge, including providers of Medical Spa Insurance, it plays an important role in serving and enriching the local community.

Econosurance Address: 125 Cambridgepark Dr. Suite 301, Cambridge, MA 02140, United States Phone: +16178642444 website: https://econosurance.com/ Map URL : https://goo.gl/maps/JVTwMwVyQyMxJjBV8

[paleogenetica]

Cap 168 : Paleoindios en Islas del Pacífico de Canadá y Estados Unidos.

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Para la Teoría de la Llegada Costera de los Paleoindios desde Beringia hasta Norte América es vital estudiar los Yacimientos Arqueológicos en Islas del Océano Pacífico de Canadá y Estados Unidos.

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Siguiente Mapa : Ves las Ciudadades de Los Angeles y San Diego en California y las Islas del Canal a la Izquierda arriba = Santa Rosa a la izquierda y Santa Cruz a la derecha.

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. En el siguiente Mapa ves a toda California, Tijuana queda en México. Las Islas del Canal son las muy cercanas a la Ciudad de Los Angeles. .

Aunque no es la Prueba Reina, ni es la Seguridad definitiva y total, si es cierto que se acumulan Evidencias en las Islas del Pacífico Norte, frente a Canada y Estados Unidos de que los Paleoindios eran fuertes inteligentes navegantes en Botes y que estaban acostumbrados  a comer productos Marinos como Peces, Moluscos, Mamíferos Marinos, etc ..

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Las Islas del Canal se pueden divisar desde las Montañas de Santa Bárbara, California. Los Paleoindios tenían que ser buenos Navegantes en Botes para recorrer los 10 Kilómetros de Mar que separaban al Continente de las Islas en ese Tiempo de 12,000 Años antes del Presente.

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Abstract

Three archaeological sites on California’s Channel Islands show that Paleoindians relied heavily on marine resources. The Paleocoastal sites, dated between ~12,200 and 11,200 years ago, contain numerous stemmed projectile points and crescents associated with a variety of marine and aquatic faunal remains.

 At site CA-SRI-512 on Santa Rosa Island, Paleocoastal peoples used such tools to capture geese, cormorants, and other birds, along with marine mammals and finfish. At Cardwell Bluffs on San Miguel Island, Paleocoastal peoples collected local chert cobbles, worked them into bifaces and projectile points, and discarded thousands of marine shells.

With bifacial technologies similar to those seen in Western Pluvial Lakes Tradition assemblages of western North America, the sites provide evidence for seafaring and island colonization by Paleoindians with a diversified maritime economy.

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Fuente : Revisa Science

Paleoindian Seafaring, Maritime Technologies, and Coastal Foraging on California’s Channel Islands

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https://science.sciencemag.org/content/331/6021/1181

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El Corredor del Río MacKenzie entre las Capas de Hielo Laurentida y Cordillerana pudo demorarse mucho en ser abierto y transitable. Y es posible que los Paleoindios ya estuvieran en Estados Undios por Vía Marítima, es decir navegando en Botes.

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Fuente :  Is the Ice-Free Corridor an Early Pathway into Americas? - By K. Kris Hirst

Updated July, 2019

https://www.thoughtco.com/ice-free-corridor-clovis-pathway-171386

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Sedimentos extraídos con Taladro como un Tubo de la Isla Sanak en Archipiélago de las Aleutas de Alaska muestran que había un Corredor Marino libre para los Paleoindios. El Siguiente Mapa muestra donde queda la Isla Sanak en la Geografía de Hoy, las Investigaciones dan prueba de no estar cubierta de Hielos antes de que se abriera el Corredor terrestre entre las Capas de Hielo Laurentida y Cordillerana. Y de que pudiera haber dado Alimentos para la Vida Humana.

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Siguiente Mapa : Como era la Isla Sanak integrada al Continente Beringia. Cuando se abrió el Corredor ( Corridor ), Pasadizo o Brecha ya habían llegado los Paleoindios a British Columbia y a Estados Unidos. Los Científicos dudan que el Corredor proporcionara Alimentos a Animales y Hombres en sus Primeros Cientos de Años libre de Hielo.

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Sanak Island lies around the midpoint of the Aleutian Archipelago extending off Alaska.  It is 15 miles long by 6 miles wide and is capped by a single volcano called Sanak Peak.  The Aleutians would have been the highest point on the Beringian landmass.  The analysis of pollen from sagebrush, heather, willow and grasses, as well as radiocarbon-dated deep water sediments, from the bottom of 3 lakes on Sanak indicate that the island and its now-submerged coastal plains (and therefore the northern part of the Pacific coastal route) were free of ice by around 17,000 years ago.

Th Island is capped by a single volcano called Sanak Peak.  The Aleutians would have been the highest point on the Beringian landmass.  

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New evidence suggests sea-faring Paleo-Indians were colonising America 2,000 years before Ice Free Corridor opened --- by Lee Rimmer

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https://www.abroadintheyard.com/evidence-suggests-seafaring-paleoindians-colonising-americas-before-ice-free-corridor-opened/

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Fuente : Revista Nature, ver link abajo 

Humanos habitando las Islas del Canal de California hace 13,000 Años y cambiando la Fauna.

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California’s Channel Islands (CCI) are an ideal system to refine our diagnostic toolkit due to the well-studied geologic and human histories and communities of iconic endemic fauna. The CCI consist of eight islands that are currently located approximately 20–100 km from the California coastline.

The size of the islands and their distance to the mainland has shifted with past glacial-interglacial cycles, but they were never connected by a land or ice bridge during the Quaternary .

The CCI are split into two north–south island groupings with distinct geologic histories: the northern islands (Santa Rosa, San Miguel, Santa Cruz, Anacapa) were joined as a single superisland, Santarosae, as recently as 10,000 years ago, whereas the southern islands have always been more isolated.

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Humans colonized Santarosae ~ 13,000 years ago, although there are hints of a possible earlier human presence. The island’s more than 700 archaeological sites document substantial anthropogenic influences on the ecology of the islands from the Late Pleistocene to the present, including the introduction of taxa previously considered to be native endemic lineages. Daisy Cave (CA-SMI-261), a well-studied and finely stratified archaeological and paleontological site on San Miguel Island, has yielded a diverse assemblage of faunal remains that provide critical insights about the relationships between Indigenous peoples and the endemic fauna of the CCI.

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Biogeographic problem-solving reveals the Late Pleistocene translocation of a short-faced bear to the California Channel Islands.

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https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-71572-z

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The three island camps, which are between about 11,000 and 12,000 years old, show that some early Americans were well adapted to coastal living. 

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Because the Channel Islands would have lain some 10 kilometres off the California coast at the time, the hunters must have reached them by boat, Rick says. Once they found the islands, which are visible from present-day Santa Barbara, the mariners would have found ample food and few predators. "They would have found an amazing suite of resources — massive amounts of seabirds, seals and sea lions" not found on the mainland, he says. "In my view it would have seemed like a paradise."

The archaeologists surmise that the people who lived at the Channel Island sites were adept at making a living from the sea, and were not from the interior of North America. The tools found on the Channel Islands are a better match to tools attributed to the Western Pluvial Lakes Tradition in the Pacific Northwest than to the inland Clovis culture, which, also, had disappeared by around 12,000 years ago. "What it tells us is that these weren't people who came from the continental interior and stumbled onto the coast," says Rick.

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Ted Goebel, an archaeologist at Texas A&M University in College Station, says the stemmed stone points found on the Channel Islands resemble those found in Kamchatka, Russia, dating from 1,000 years earlier,

March 2011 Seafront property attracts ancient Californians Ewen Callaway Nature (2011)

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https://www.nature.com/articles/news.2011.135

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Hay varios Yacimientos Arqueológicos en las Islas del Norte del Canal de California, muy cercanas a la Ciudad de Los Angeles.  Estos se detallan en el Link al Artículo mas abajo.

Aquí están sus Nombres en este Mapa. Estas Islas estaban Unidas hace 14,000 Años y a esa gran Isla se le llama Santarosae, para distinguirla de la Santa Rosa actual.

 Algunos hallazgos dan Cronologías de 13,500 Años antes del Presente, y varios intermedios hasta  11,000 AP.

Estos Yacimientos demuestran que los Paleoindios dominaban la Navegación en Botes, la Subsistencia de Animales Marinos como Peces, Moluscos y Mamíferos Marinos, también capturaban Aves Marinas y sus Huevos. Y se demuestra que perfectamente se podían desplazar por la Costa hasta llegar al antiquísimo Yacimiento Paleoindio de Monte Verde en Chile. El que destruyó la Hipótesis del “Clovis Primero” por su brutal Antiguedad.

Como estas Islas de California prometen tanto, entonces los Científicos están empezando a hacer Arqueología submarina con Vehículos no tripulados a Profundidad y con muchos Instrumentos, tratando de no arriesgar Humanos en una Labor muy pesada, demorada y ardua para hallar yacimientos sumergidos bajo mas de 100 mts que subió el Nivel del Mar desde hace 14,000  Años hasta el Presente.

Los mejores Hallazgos están por hacerse a mas de 100 mts de Profundidad pues ahí deber estar los Asentamientos Pesqueros Paleoindios. . 

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Site setting, stratigraphy, and dating

Today the NCI—consisting of Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, and San Miguel islands—are located between 20 and 44 km from the adjacent mainland coast (Fig 1). Near the end of the Last Glacial Maximum (ca 20,000 cal BP), however, the islands were united into a single ~125 km long island known as Santarosae [12], the eastern end of which was as little as 6–8 km from the mainland.

The latest reconstructions of Santarosae’s paleogeography suggest that rising post-glacial sea level reduced the landmass by as much as 70–75 percent, causing the NCI to separate between about 11,000 and 9,000 years ago. Then and now, the NCI had a relatively impoverished terrestrial fauna, a fairly diverse and productive flora, and a wealth of edible marine resources, from seaweeds to marine mammals, shellfish, fish, and seabirds.

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Maritime Paleoindian technology, subsistence, and ecology at an ~11,700 year old Paleocoastal site on California’s Northern Channel Islands, USA

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https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0238866

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[tlatollotl]

Coe, Michael D.

Michael D. Coe, a retired Yale professor and one of the leading figures in Mesoamerican archaeology, died Wednesday at age 90. Born on May 14, 1929 in New York City, he attended Fay School and St. Paul's School before entering Harvard, graduating in the class of 1950. He served with the Central Intelligence Agency in Taiwan, where he fell in love with Chinese food. However, he decided that his true interest lay in archaeology, and he returned to Harvard to pursue a PhD. In a physical anthropology class, he met Sophie Dobzhansky, daughter of a noted geneticist, and they married in 1955. They produced five children, his sons Nicholas, Andrew, and Peter, and his daughters Sarah and Natalie. After teaching for two years at the University of Tennessee, he was given the post of assistant professor at Yale's Department of Anthropology. He and Sophie purchased a house on St. Ronan Street, which became his home until he died. He rose to full professor, acted as chairman of the department during the turbulent years on the 1960s and 1970s, and was also a curator of the Peabody Museum of Natural History. He taught thousands of students, his courses ranging from Anthro 1 and the cultures of Native America to the translation of Mayan hieroglyphs. He remained close to many of his students, who themselves became noted experts in the study of the ancient New World. His research interests were wide, and he possessed boundless curiosity and enthusiasm. He excavated sites in Guatemala and Veracruz, Mexico, unearthing Olmec colossal heads and other monuments that illuminated the earliest cultures of Mesoamerica. He and his wife Sophie made important contributions to the effort that finally broke the code of Mayan hieroglyphic writing. They purchased a farm in Heath, Massachusetts, and soon he was excavating a nearby French and Indian War fort. He became an avid fly fisherman, traveling around the world with his sons and fishing buddies. He took great pride in an exhibition on the history of fly fishing that he curated for the Peabody. He wrote well over a dozen books, covering topics such as Mexico and the Maya, ancient Khmer civilization, and his own life and career. After Sophie was diagnosed with cancer, he completed the book that she had started, called "The True History of Chocolate." He was writing and communicating with colleagues right up to the day he entered the hospital. In addition to his children, he is survived by six grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Millicent Library, 45 Center St., Fairhaven, MA. A memorial service will be announced at a later date.Published in The New Haven Register on Sept. 29, 2019

[hrk4]

My Sanskrit Story

I am an ardent student of Sanskrit.

Over the past few years, I’ve been learning Sanskrit in a slow, schizophrenic manner – a few weeks of frenetic study of grammar and literature with long months of lackadaisical, lukewarm engagement with the language, mostly through ‘study circles’ (we’ll come to this later) that I’m a part of. But I have kept at it constantly and never regretted it once.

My earliest exposure to Sanskrit was perhaps at the age of two. Born and raised in a typical Hindu middle-class family, I was taught simple shlokas and stotras. My father took me to Cubbon Park or Ulsoor Lake on Sunday mornings and on the way he would teach me verses from the Mukunda-mala (a poetical work composed by Kulashekhara azhvar, a ninth century king and poet-saint). My grandmother taught me the Krishna-ashtakam (usually during power-cuts) and my mother taught me verses from the Venkatesha-suprabhatam. At age three or four, I became a sort of ‘installation art’ at weddings where elders gathered around me, coaxing me to recite verses from the Mukunda-mala. (But of course, getting children to recite verses is not uncommon in our families. Many of you might have experienced this in your childhood.)

That was it, pretty much: Some stray verses committed to memory and the strong notion that Sanskrit was a great language. In spite of my rejection of orthodox theism, rituals, and outdated religious/superstitious practices during my rebellious adolescent years, strangely, I never lost respect for Sanskrit.

Most of my cousins studied Sanskrit in school but I didn’t have that good fortune. I wanted to learn the language but I didn’t know where to start; for years it remained a pipe dream.

By sheer chance, I got involved in co-writing a translation of the Bhagavad-Gita with Dr. Koti Sreekrishna in 2006. At that time, I didn’t know any Sanskrit. My role was to review and edit the English; after Dr. Sreekrishna produced a rough translation, I would work towards presenting the verses in the simplest way possible. By the time we published the book five years later, I had learnt a few words here and there, particularly when we discussed the meaning of difficult verses.

In early 2011, when the manuscript of our Gita translation was being sent to reviewers, someone suggested that I get the opinion of the renowned scholar, poet, and polymath Shatavadhani Dr. R Ganesh. Until then I hardly knew anything about him. When I phoned him, he spoke in an encouraging manner and I felt like I was speaking with a family elder rather than a celebrity-scholar. He graciously reviewed the manuscript and gave his feedback. I casually mentioned to him about my interest to learn Sanskrit and my helplessness at not knowing where to start. Not only did he give me general guidance but he also taught me some of the basics of Sanskrit grammar like noun forms, verb forms, sandhi, and samasa. More importantly, he taught me the real value of learning Sanskrit in today’s world.

The rest of this piece comprises what I’ve learnt from Dr. Ganesh about the study of Sanskrit coupled with my personal experiences. It might be of value to those interested in learning the language.

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Why Study Sanskrit?

Given that learning Sanskrit—or any language for that matter—consumes considerable time and effort (and some money), it’s a good idea to think for a moment if it’s actually worth it. Now, the worthiness can be decided only by one’s intentions – Why do I want to study Sanskrit?

In my case, I love learning languages when the opportunity presents itself. The process of learning itself is a great deal of fun for linguaphiles like me. So if you are a language-lover, there’s no need to think any further. Go and learn Sanskrit!

There is a widespread notion that Sanskrit is a sacred language meant solely for rituals and that its literature is entirely ‘spiritual stuff.’ So if you’re someone who likes that sort of thing – tradition, philosophy, scriptures, and so forth – you might be thinking of learning the language. The good news is that you probably don’t need to learn Sanskrit.

If you are just interested in the Vedas and want to connect with the tradition better, you could consider learning Vedic recitation, which is definitely easier than learning Sanskrit. In addition, you can read a book or two on the philosophy of the Vedas or listen to lectures on the topic by scholars like Dr. Ganesh. Even those of you who are interested in philosophy can get by reading reliable translations of the Upanishads and Bhagavad-gita as well as general works on Indian philosophy by scholars like Prof. M Hiriyanna.

There is a feeling among the culturally inclined nationalists that it is our duty to preserve Indian heritage and showcase the glory of India’s past. Triggered by this missionary zeal, some people might wish to learn Sanskrit. This often leads to a narrow interest in hunting for science in ancient India, or in the study of traditional works of polity, economics, architecture, law, or other secular subjects. Again, the good news is that you don’t have to learn Sanskrit to accomplish this.

You can always look into reliable translations of works like Artha-shastra, Manu-smriti, Surya-siddhanta, or Brihat-samhita. You can also peruse through books on Indian history, ancient Indian mathematics, temple architecture, and so on. You could even take up the study of a serious treatise like P V Kane’s History of Dharmashastra. That will satiate your thirst to a large extent.

When something can be effectively translated from one language into another—particularly when the objective is to provide information or teach certain concepts—then there’s hardly a case for learning the source language. If I can give you the exact translation of a verse from the Gita and you understand it without any transmission losses, then why do you have to spend ten years of your life learning Sanskrit?

But there are things that simply can’t be translated. Jokes, for instance, are untranslatable when they employ puns or have strong cultural references. The same goes for poetry, where the structure and the substance are closely intertwined. So if you’re interested to explore the vast landscape of Sanskrit literature—Kalidasa’s masterpieces; the two great Epics (Ramayana and Mahabharata); Bana’s Kadambari; Shudraka’s Mricchakatika; Bharavi’s Kiratarjuniya; Vishakadatta’s Mudra-rakshasa; and many other poems, plays, and prose compositions—it is worthwhile taking steps to learn Sanskrit. Stories about gods and goddesses, romantic escapades, nature descriptions, episodes from the Epics, idiosyncrasies of public life, the history of a kingdom, tales of commoners – all this and more can entertain and enrich several lifetimes.

In addition to being a wonderful treasure trove of literature, Sanskrit is also a window to our past. Therefore, any serious student of Indian history, archaeology, sociology, culture, sculpture, philosophy, and so forth will benefit immensely if s/he learns Sanskrit. Here I wish to make a distinction between one who is interested in Indian history or philosophy or culture and a full-time student of these subjects (like a BA or MA student). Those who are merely interested to know more about a certain era in Indian history can read a book by R C Majumdar or Jadunath Sarkar and be fulfilled. But for students of history, the knowledge of Sanskrit will enable them to read inscriptions, contemporary literary works, and so on, which will prove invaluable for their careers.

However, if you’re looking to improve your knowledge of physics, become better at technology, get a promotion at work, or win an election, you will benefit from doing other things than learning Sanskrit. 

Is Sanskrit Difficult?

A good way to learn a language is like how we all learnt our mother tongues – by listening and repeating, then slowly moving towards understanding and speaking, and then eventually starting to read and write. If you wish to learn Russian, Spanish, or Japanese, this approach works well. But Sanskrit is not a widely spoken language. And our motivation to learn Sanskrit is not so much trying to communicate with other people as it is to read and savour ancient (and modern) literature.

Although there are a number of people who fluently speak in Sanskrit, it is almost impossible to find a person who knows only Sanskrit and no other language. It’s therefore obvious that you don’t need Sanskrit to communicate with others; you can get by speaking Kannada or Tamil or English. (On the other hand, if you’re visiting the UK and can’t speak a word of English, you’re going to be in trouble!)

To learn Sanskrit, you might have to choose an approach that’s different from what’s popularly known as ‘immersion’ in language-learning circles.

There are some people who think that Sanskrit is extremely difficult and wonder if they can approach it at all. In fact, those who are familiar with one or more Indian languages already have the basic equipment to understand Sanskrit. The nuts and bolts of the grammar can give you sleepless nights but it’s probably not as hard as you think.

At the other end of the spectrum, there are people who think that attending a ten-day Sambhashana course or reading a ‘Learn Sanskrit in 30 Days’ book can give you mastery over Sanskrit. That’s a dangerous notion to harbour if you really want to learn the language.

So, the one line answer is that if you’re interested and pursue it sincerely, it’ll get easier along the way, and more importantly, the journey will be great fun after the initial fumbling about.

Learning Sanskrit

Where do I start?

The answer, surprisingly, is: anywhere. Just start. Sanskrit is an ocean and where does one begin to swim in an ocean? Somewhere. Put your feet in the water, slowly get inside, get used to the cold, and before you realize it, you’re already kicking your legs and having a good time.

And that’s what I did: just started at some point.

I would read a verse from the Gita and then read the English translation. I had learnt Kannada and Hindi at school and as a result, many of the words were familiar to me. Reading the translation after reading the original Sanskrit verse exposed me to new words. I committed verses to memory and later replayed them in my mind, trying to check if I remembered the meaning completely.

That said, the most suitable works to start off learning Sanskrit are lucid compositions like the Ramayana or the Pancha-tantra. Get hold of a reliable translation of one of these works (preferably in an Indian language); start by reciting the original Sanskrit verse or prose passage a couple times, then read through the translation, and go back to reading the Sanskrit – this way you slowly make connections between the words and their meanings. Instead of diving into the technicalities of grammar straightaway, spending time with literature will help you experience the beauty of the language.

Three to six months after commencing the study of a Sanskrit work, you can start learning up some grammar – by reading good books, watching online tutorials, or learning from a teacher.

I’m extremely fortunate that Dr. Ganesh taught me the basics of Sanskrit grammar. That set me off on a winding path of reading different aspects of grammar and trying to wrap my head around them. This continues even today. The more I hunt for rules, more the exceptions I find. My advice: Keep aside logic while learning basics. In the initial stages, don’t ask questions; simply accept things as they are. It just makes life easier. Over time, you’ll develop an intuition for the correct form of a word.

All said and done, it’s easy to start but difficult to keep going. What’s the solution for sustained study?

In my experience, learning a language requires both self-motivation and external agency. Unless one is driven from within, no amount of external push will be fruitful; when self-motivation is present, external agency becomes invaluable. For instance, Sanskrit is taught in schools and colleges – this is a push from outside (i.e., external agency). But only those with self-motivation learn the language well and continue reading literature long after they have graduated.

When I met Dr. Ganesh in 2011, he told me about a fortnightly ‘study circle’ he was conducting and extended an invitation to me. I had never heard the term before so I asked him what that was. A group of friends would catch up every other Saturday and read the Raghu-vamsham of Kalidasa. 

I started attending the study circle. This went on for close to a year and I learnt a great deal. Owing to various reasons I became irregular in attending the sessions and after I shifted to another end of the city, I practically stopped going. During the years 2013–16,  I moved around quite a bit and finally I shifted to Malleswaram in November 2016.

There came an inflection point in my Sanskrit study in 2017. Around that time, my good friend Raghavendra G S had started his PhD program in IISc. and my house happened to be a sort of midpoint between the metro station and his lab. One day I casually suggested that we should meet once a week and read a Sanskrit work together. He readily agreed and we started reading the Krishna-karna-amritam (a poetical work by Lilashuka). By the time we finished reading the text in early 2018, a few other friends showed interest in coming together to form a study circle. And so, in April 2018 we formed our Sanskrit study circle and have continued ever since. I also got the opportunity to join a few other study circles and this ensured that my Sanskrit study is ever fresh; over the past three years, not a week has gone by without a few hours of Sanskrit reading (unless I was travelling or unwell).

So if you want to learn Sanskrit, try to find even one other like-minded friend and get started. Even better if you can find more friends – especially those who know more Sanskrit than you. The ideal is a group of four to six, meeting once a week, for about an hour or ninety minutes. (You can meet in person or online – it shouldn’t make too much of a difference.) There are ample online resources and translations available for various Sanskrit works. Start reading a work together. Take turns to read the verses aloud. (Even when you’re reading Sanskrit by yourself, it’s useful to read aloud). Then look at the translation. Discuss. Read the original verse again. Then move forward. In the first few sessions, you may read just three or four verses in an hour but as you go forward, your speed will drastically improve and you’ll start getting comfortable. After a while, refer to the translations only after you’ve made an attempt to understand the original. This will slowly push you to rely on your memory and learning.

And once in a while, when there’s an opportunity to meet during a long weekend, you can take a short poetical work like Niti-shataka or Kali-vidambana and read the whole thing in one marathon session.

There are many possibilities with study circles. In fact, it can prove to be the mysterious ingredient to accelerate your learning. That’s been the case with me for sure. I’ve still got a long way to go before I can say that I’ve learnt Sanskrit but the journey itself has been incredible so far. Dr. Ganesh and friends have been largely responsible for what little Sanskrit I know. And for that I’m ever grateful.

Hari Ravikumar August 2020

Thanks to my friends Pratap Simha (for getting me to write this piece), Arjun Bharadwaj (for his valuable inputs), and Sudheer Krishnaswami (for his review and feedback).

[aftaabmagazine]

The Lost Treasures

By Mir Hekmatullah Sadat From the October - December 1997 issue of Afghan Magazine | Lemar - Aftaab

[caption: Kabul Museum with no roof.  Photo September 2002, photo by Farhad Azad]

At the climax of the Afghan civil war of the 1990s, it was unknown what had happened to the Kabul Museum. Mir Hekmatullah Sadat wrote about the topic.

It was the chivalry of courageous Afghans led by Shah Amanullah Ghazi (r. 1919-1929) that made Afghanistan the first Muslim nation to be liberated from the tentacles of colonialism. It was this great individual who built the foundations of the Afghan National Museum at Dar-Al-Aman (Rowland, 1976). The National Museum once covered 50,000 years of history and holds one of the worlds most significant multicultural antique collections: Persian, Indian, Chinese, Central Asian, Greco-Roman, Arab and more.

The book Ancient Art from Afghanistan makes this remark about the museum: "An institution unique in the world in being composed entirely of objects acquired, not by purchase, but by excavations in the native soil" (Rowland, 1976, p.15).

[caption: The Bost Room, Kabul Museum. This was from the Ghaznavids era, 10th Century, Helmand, looted and burned during the 1990s civil war. Photo September 2002, photo by Farhad Azad]

Rowland (1971) explains, "the Kabul collections begin with the work of the French archaeological mission in 1922...The Italian mission at Ghazni continuing the work begun by the French in 1948, has added a precious collection of objects reflecting the splendors of the great Islamic civilization of the Ghaznavids" (x-xi).

German and Russian expeditions also took part in the excavation of priceless artifacts for the Kabul Museum. The Begram collection discovered in 1939, dating from the 1st century, comprised of 1,800 lacquers, bronzes, ivories, statutes and glassware items from Ancient Rome, Greece, India, China, Egypt, and Central Asia. Begram was the site of Kapisa, the summer capital of Kanisha, King of the Kushans. Rashid (1995b) cites Nancy Dupree (Vice-Chairperson of the Society for the Preservation of Afghanistan’s Cultural Heritage) referring to the Begram collection as "The most spectacular archaeological find of the 20th century" (p.51).

According to Rashid (1995a), another excavation was the Bactrian gold discovered in 1978. A Russian expedition made the Bactrian discovery. Dupree (1996) suggests that the 21,000 gold objects dating from 100 BC to 100 AD discovered in 1978 at Tilla Teppe, northern Afghanistan were displayed in 1991 to Western Diplomats in Kabul. Rashid (1995a) adds, "The gold was then packed into crates and moved for safety to a vault in the Presidential Palace in central Kabul" (p.61).

However, today the first Afghan National Museum is just crumbled walls and mere rubble. Magnificent palaces and mansions have been destroyed; historical monuments have been shelled. Afghanistan has lost its past to war, and its future is merely ruins and devastation. Every item of state treasure has been smashed, sold, or stolen. Its people and foreign powers have so systematically raped few countries.

The warring parties in Kabul saw those treasures in the museum as ready cash, to be blasted out of their vaults and hauled away to buyers across the world. According to Rashid (1995b), "A trail of looted artifacts stretching from middlemen and antique dealers in Kabul, Peshawar, and Islamabad to provide art collectors in Tokyo, Islamabad, Jidda, Kuwait, London, and Geneva exists" (p.51).

Rashid (1995a) firmly believes that the looters knew precisely what to take, what to break and to find the arts as if they had a sketched map. Each new victor would come to the museum doors to collect their spoils. Dupree (1996) estimates, "about 70% of the museum's collections are now missing"(p.42). It is a saddening occasion for a nation, one that was so victorious against many foreign hands, to fall to the knees of international art dealers. In the process, more unreplaceable and precious antiquities and monuments are lost along the way.

The collection can never be reassembled, or even located. Clara Grissmann (American art historian) suggests: "If new artifacts are dug up, they will be disconnected from the past because the record here has gone" (Rashid, 1995a, p. 62).

This loss destroys significant periods in not only Afghanistan’s cultural heritage but also others it has come in contact with. Pottery from prehistory was bundled into bags like cheap china; ivory statues of Indian courtesans from the 2nd century AD stuffed into the pockets of gunmen and carted off to Pakistan to be sold for a song, eventually turning up on the worlds antique art markets for huge sums.

Global organizations are unsuccessful in trying to recover the looted artifacts, such a piece held by Nasurullah Babur (Pakistani official) who bought an object from the Begram collection for $100,000 (Rashid, 1995a).

In 1995, the historic pistol of Wazir Akbar Khan that was used to kill Gen. McNaughton at Bala-Hissar marking the end of the 1st Anglo-Afghan War was discovered in the hands of another Pakistan official (Arif, 1996). In November of 1996, other artifacts like Babur Shah's (founder of the Mogul dynasty) and Ahmad Shah Baba's (founder of the Afghan Nation) swords were looted and sold to high ranking foreign officials.

During September of 1997, the Pakistani newspaper NNI wrote about former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto being linked to looted art treasures from Afghanistan: Wajid Shamsul Hassan is accused of having given customs clearance to eight crates flown by PIA, without charge from Karachi to London in April last year. The contents are said to have included swords and antique guns.

According to an article in the French paper Le Monde, Benazir said to be a keen collector of antiquities, visited Peshawar last year, accompanied by an academic advisor, to authenticate relics from Afghanistan artifact amassed by Zardari (Bhutto's husband) left the country. According to a journalist who visited a close friend of Zardari found at his house several pieces, including guns and other weapons, that he thought might have come from[Afghanistan].

Not only antiquities, but contemporary arts such as Afghan music, films, photographs, and great Islamic literature were also among the destroyed. Also, ancient graves are being dug up for the jewels they contain. Loyd (1997) points out that the gravediggers go further to even selling the bones of Afghans for money obtained in Pakistan (p.30).

A civilization that once flourished from the land of the Afghans is presently not noticeable, and the future looks even grimmer. We might have won lots of wars, but we are losing the battle to preserve Afghanistan. The country has disintegrated socially, economically, and regionally but arguably as disastrous has been the destruction of its heritage. This unique heritage was due to Afghanistan’s position at the crossroads of commerce and conquest for thousands of years yielding to a culture that has transformed into a legendary myth and fantasy.

When will we speak out and say enough is enough? It is now our time to address our nation and the world. We must reassure our brothers and sisters in Afghanistan, that we will not let them become mere myth or legend. We must struggle to keep Afghanistan alive in every shape and form.

To do that, we need to get rid ourselves of the chips on our shoulder. If we, in the West, away from the bloodshed and misery in Afghanistan cannot come together for our nation; then we should not blame our people back home for perpetually fighting a stalemate war. We must set a model for our people we must unite for our people back home.

Afghan educators, elders, and students from all side of the political and social spectrum must get active in efforts to bring together the largest immigrant population of the world. Otherwise, we will succumb the same fate as the people and treasure back home.

References

Arif, G. (1996, November).  "Endless Tragedy."  TASSWIR(dari text), p. 13.

Dupree, N. (1996, March/April).  "Museum under Siege." ARCHAEOLOGY, p.42-51.

Loyd, A. (1997, January 12).  "A Market in Human Remains." THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE, p.30.

Rashid, A. (1995a, September 21).  "Crime of the Century." FAR EASTERN ECONOMIC REVIEW, p. 60-62.

Rashid, A. (1995b, December).  "Plundered Afghan Treasures."  WORLD PRESS REVIEW, p. 51.

Rowland, B. (1971).  "Art in Afghanistan."  London: Penguin Press.

Rowland, B. (1976). "Ancient Art from Afghanistan."  New York: Amo Press.

Staff Writer.  (1996, November 11).  "Afghanistan: Artifacts Plundered." LOS ANGELES TIMES, A6.

Staff Writer. (1997, September).  "Trial may link Bhutto to stolen Afghan treasure."  NNI (Pakistan).

About Mir Hekmatullah Sadat

Mir Hekmatullah Sadat has a BA from the University of California, Irvine and an MA the California State University, Fullerton, and a Ph.D. at Claremont Graduate University.

[y3s2-20192020]

MuangSing,Kanchanaburi 

In order to preserve the historical of Khmer period at Kanchanaburi by propose a new experience of Muang Sing in terms of living and tourism for both torists and people in the neighborhood.This project is developing the new gathering space for everyone by using the vegetation as a architecture. 

Kanchanaburi is one of the provinces in the western side of thailand.It has a lot of temples and archaeological sites there since the history of kanchanaburi has begun since the period of time before becoming Thailand. The timeline of kanchanaburi has started with the prehistoric time which found the skeleton of the prehistoric human then Dvaravati which has found an old religion place then the Khmer period and after that it started to becoming Thailand started since the Sukhothai period, Ayudayu period and Rattanakosin which is the present day.

After all this research, I became interested in Muang Sing which is an old Khmer city from the Khmer period around 1700BC. It used to be an actual city for maschent who come to stay for a while before going to another city nearby. It found out that the city has contacted the roman by finding the old roman lamp at this place. 

After that time, Khmer,as known as Mon people,influenced kanchanaburi around 1700 bc which is in  the era of Jayavarman VII of Khmer and brought the bahyon art to thailand after the khmer left due to the same reason as the Dvaravati. The main prasada remained only a base and some kopura ,yet it is the most complete khmer prasada type in the west part of Thailand. Muang sing  is the first historical park in Thailand by the order of King Rama VIIII. It is a tourist place. Not only the archaeological site and museum but also  some food streets and kaew noi river views that were provided for tourists.

My personal experience when i was there is that the weather is so hot that most tourists barely walk through the ancients remain buildings since the environment around is not comfortable for people to walk and enjoy the history. The rock park and most ponds were arid and dried . Most trees are spread in a wide area and the shadow does not cover the walkway. The waste of this huge space can be more valuable. So this could become a one of the problems which might happen in the future. 

Another problem I found is the vegetation issue. Another archaeological site in Kanchanaburi which is called Muang Pong Tuk  from the  Dvaravati period. Dvaraviti comes to Kanchanaburi by trade route from India to three pagoda passes. This city is now the ancients remain located at tha ma ka district. This city was flourishing 1000 years ago in order to be a resting area for the maschent from different places. Muang Pongtuk was left since the change of river route. Nowadays, one of its ancient remains was only a base of the religion space and the others were covered by vegetation again due to the delayed protection law from the fine art department of Thailand. 

These Two predictions could lead to the issue that no one wants to come to Muangsing anymore and it will be left as a blank huge wasting space. Since the long way from downtown to Muang sing and the provided activities might  not be worth the time to come, the problem of nature would also happen in case none of us are interested in protecting and come visit it anymore. Therefore,the proposal for the future of this city is to give a new experience of Muang Sing in terms of living and tourism. The idea is basically from the history of the city itself because it used to be a city where properly sustains people to live and trade as the previous time. 

So, in case the vegetation would come back It would be great to use these trees as my architecture in this proposal by selecting a 10 new types of tree to create a forest garden as a main part of the Muang sing again. Not only bring the connection between people and nature back but also nature becomes a part of it from now in order to not destroy the historical area in the future. So, The 10 selected type of tree which are Indian oak ,white meranti ,Purple Bauhinia ,Calabash tree, White Cheesewood ,Cajuput tree, Iron Wood ,Horsetail,Eucalyptus are separate into different space of the city by their specific benefits. The benefits of these trees are for the shading, thai traditional medicine ingredient, crafting and furniture and economic system.  For example, the co-living space will be surrounded by the shading and thai medicine ingredients so that people could climb on the tree and use their leaf or flowers in traditional drug formula.

For the expectation of the growth of the new forest garden of MuangSing, it would be more shade and people would be able to walk around easily than the present day.

For the design of the muangsing system, it needs to change something to prepare for a tree. So, it starts with the old plan of it showing some religion element inside, the wall and the waterway around the city. Then, the present plan with the main prasada and another religious place nearby,also,the walkway and the rock garden. The waterway of today is no longer used anymore. So the step of the proposal has to do in case adding more activities and managing it to be a better space. Firstly, reintroduce the waterway in order to prepare the soil for planting. Then adding the connection to the outside so that it would be easier to go there as well as the walkway inside to be more connected. Then the living space which inserts between  the old wall to beas a new type of city’s wall. After that,the activities for people such as an art stadium, a  relaxing area,playground, crafting space and historical and cultural zone. People can do things such as a picnic, play and learn, learning crafting things such as a traditional basket which is an OTOP product of kanchanaburi. After all the conditions, this space is ready to plant the trees. As the tree arranged by the benefit which is fit to the each space of new Muang Sing. Therefore,the first group of trees is the tree with the medical traditional tree and shading so it is planned around the area of living and playground. Secondly,The tree in the crafting area would be about the shading and economic tree that can transform to the material.The last group of trees is the fast-growing tree for the shade, medical and crafting.

The objective of this space has changed through time. At 1700Bc it used to be the city with the religion space for today, it is a historical park. For this proposal, this space could be a historical community space where people go there with or without the knowledge of khmer history. It could be a new recreation space for people both tourists and people around the neighborhood.

[tripstations]

Best places in Asia to visit for your next holiday

(CNN) — Two centuries ago, trips to Asia were reserved for wealthy merchants, ambassadors and colonial elite who could afford grand and expensive voyages.

But that travel scenario has been turned on its head.

With a proliferation of affordable flights, versatile accommodations, high-speed rails and increased international connectivity, it’s easier than ever to visit Asia.

Why go? The world’s biggest continent has long captivated travelers with its natural beauty, distinct cultural traditions, ancient architecture and absolutely delicious food.

Here are 17 of Asia’s best destinations — a diverse mix of cities, islands and entire countries — to consider for your next adventure.

Bhutan

Paro Taktsang — also known as Tiger’s Nest Monastery — is one of Bhutan’s most famous sites.

ED JONES/AFP/AFP/Getty Images

Anchoring the eastern end of the Himalayas, Bhutan showcases the very best of mother nature — picture dense forests, deep valleys and cloud-piercing peaks.

Travelers typically land in Paro, home to the country’s only international airport. The historic town is nestled in a verdant valley, surrounded by ancient Buddhist temples and monasteries.

The most notable is Paro Taktsang (also known as Tiger’s Nest Monastery), a sacred site that seems to cling to a cliff in the upper Paro Valley.

Aglow with white facades, gold-plated domes and rust-red accents, the 17th-century temple sits alongside a cave network, known as a sacred meditation site.

The steep, two-hour pilgrimage to the monastery is challenging, but the payoff is unforgettable.

Penang, Malaysia

Penang’s capital offers culture, cuisine and so much more.

Located off the western coast of Malaysia, the island of Penang is a mecca for food and architecture lovers.

George Town, the island’s main city, makes for an ideal home base thanks to a dynamic cityscape that’s punctuated by British colonial architecture, Buddhist temples and ornate Chinese manor houses.

This seaside city is known as one of the world’s top food destinations, serving up a delicious mix of Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisine.

You’ll crave dishes like Hokkien mee (fried prawn noodles), roti canai (an Indian-influenced flat bread dish with dal or curry) and Penang laksa for years after visiting.

El Nido, Philippines

Philippines’ El Nido, located in Palawan, is home to some of the world’s most beauitful beaches.

courtesy El Nido

Searching for tropical paradise? You’ll find it in El Nido. Located on the northern tip of Palawan Island, in the southwestern Philippines, the archipelago plays host to turquoise waters, mysterious lagoons, dozens of beaches and secret caves.

Surrounded by dramatic limestone cliffs, Bacuit Bay is the crown jewel. It’s here where you can explore the mysterious lagoons via nimble kayaks.

Travelers spend their days snorkeling and diving, or cruising around remote and hidden beaches across the archipelago.

Many tour operators arrange adventure-packed boating trips, complete with grilled seafood lunches served on board.

Bali, Indonesia

Bali’s Nyang Nyang beach is a mile-long strip of golden sand, framed by jungled cliffs, green meadows and blue ocean.

Shutterstock

Beautiful Bali, Asia’s most famous wellness getaway, sits in the center of Indonesia’s vast archipelago. Of the country’s 18,000-some islands, Bali is easily the most famous, drawing more than 5.6 million foreign visitors every year.

Even amid the popularity, the island oozes relaxation and a sense of spirituality. It can be felt across the territory — in the imposing cliffs in Uluwatu, tranquil waves in Nusa Dua, trendy beach clubs in Seminyak and dramatic rice paddies and temples in Ubud.

For those who love an adventure, the island’s mountain trails and secret coves will showcase a more remote side of this well-trodden paradise.

Then there’s the food: from healthy juice bars to beachfront seafood barbecues, the dining scene will spoil you for choice.

Seoul, South Korea

Seoul is filled with impressive Buddhist temples.

Korea Tourism Organization

Seoul might have a well-deserved reputation as one of Asia’s more futuristic cities, but the capital of South Korea is also home to a wealth of ancient landmarks that provide a peek into the past.

There’s the sprawling Gyeongbok Palace, Changdeok Palace, Deoksu Palace and elegant hanok (traditional wooden homes), just to name a few.

After exploring the city’s imperial history, travelers can get a sense of what makes modern Seoul tick in upbeat neighborhoods like Hongdae.

As the creative heart of Seoul, this is where you’ll find popular K-beauty boutiques, restaurants, bars, street performers, karaoke and an endless array of clubs.

Rajasthan, India

The facade of the Hawa Mahal or “Palace of Winds” in the old walled city of Jaipur.

ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP/AFP/Getty Images

An arid desert region in northwestern India, Rajasthan has long been considered the land of kings and colors.

Most first-time travelers trace the rainbow through the regal region, starting with Jaipur, aka the “Pink City.”

So named for its salmon-hued buildings of the Old City, Jaipur showcases Rajasthan at its best: ornate palaces, buzzing bazaars and the UNESCO-listed Amber Fort.

A deeper dive will take you to Jodhpur (the Blue City), Udaipur (the Gold City) and Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, where Royal Bengal Tigers rule the land.

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Cambodia’s Angkor Wat temple is on many travelers’ must-see lists.

MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP/AFP/Getty Images

Over 2.5 million tourists descend on the city of Siem Reap in Cambodia every year with a common purpose: to see Angkor Wat.

Dating to the 12th century, this UNESCO-listed Khmer temple, part of the massive Angkor complex, is a staple on every bucket list for good reason.

The incredible architecture features distinct towers, intricate carvings and stone corridors that feel cool underfoot.

And within the Angkor Archaeological Park, you’ll also find two other major temples — Angkor Thom and the Bayon Temple — all surrounded by dense jungle.

After seeing the sites, travelers will want to explore Siem Reap’s chic restaurant scene or head farther afield to less-frequented temples.

A few worthy side trips include Banteay Srei (nicknamed the “Pink Temple” for its sandstone structure) or 12th-century Beng Mealea where encroaching foliage and vines create an eerie, mysterious atmosphere.

Hong Kong

The 120-year-old Star Ferry is Hong Kong’s oldest form of public transport. The origins of this commuter service can be traced back to one man.

A former British colony with deep Cantonese roots, Hong Kong embodies the urban jungle archetype.

The architectural density, narrow city streets, soaring skyscrapers and fast-paced way of life set the tone for an action-packed visit.

Victoria Harbour flows through it all. The famed Star Ferry cruises across the jade green water — a peaceful scene that’s starred on many a postcard.

Hong Kong’s cosmopolitan charms reveal themselves in Central, where glamorous bars, restaurants and art galleries await.

And across the harbor, Tsim Sha Tsui’s museums and mega malls boggle the mind. Meanwhile, more traditional districts such as Yau Ma Tei and Sham Shui Po showcase mom-and-pops cha chaan teng (post-World War II diners) and lively outdoor markets.

No matter which district you explore in Hong Kong, there’s always something new to uncover — whether it be hidden down an alley or up inside a commercial tower.

Hanoi and Phu Quoc, Vietnam

Heading to Hanoi? Here’s a look at five of the top dishes every visitor needs to try while in the Vietnamese capital — egg coffee included.

As the capital of Vietnam, Hanoi is a hub of history, culture and endless energy.

For first-time travelers, the Old Quarter is the best place to start. This labyrinth of lanes reveals French colonial architecture, hardworking hawkers, artisanal crafts and no shortage of restaurants.

It’s busy and chaotic but navigating the crowded streets, where motorbikes reign, is half the fun.

After soaking up the history of Hanoi, travelers can chase the sun to Phu Quoc.

The 28-island district, located off the coast of Cambodia but still part of Vietnam, is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in Southeast Asia — not to mention the world’s longest oversea cable car.

Whether you stay on more developed Phu Quoc Island or ultra-remote Hon Xuong, the region promises island hopping, snorkeling, diving, sandy shores and more.

The Great Wall and Xi’an, China

Xi’an’s Islamic heritage is best observed in the Muslim Quarter, or Huimin Jie in Mandarin, located in the center of Xi’an old town.

A remarkable feat of engineering, The Great Wall is a must-see when in China.

Stretching for anywhere from 1,500 to 13,000 miles (estimates vary), the fortified wall runs across northwestern China like an stony spine.

While carefully restored areas like Mutianyu make for an easy stroll, forgotten stretches like Jiankou feel wild and steep.

The latter provides an unforgettable adventure across crumbling corners and overgrown watchtowers, but it’s more suitable for experienced hikers.

Continuing the historic tour of China, Xi’an is another highlight. Southwest of Beijing, this ancient city once played host to merchants, poets and warriors in the heyday of the Silk Road.

You can cycle atop the city’s beautiful Ming-era city walls, explore the leafy lanes of the Muslim Quarter and experience the famed Terracotta Warriors.

As one of the world’s most revered archeological sites, the lifelike stone warriors serve as guardians of the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the founder of the Qin dynasty.

Chiang Rai, Thailand

Chiang Rai’s Wat Rong Khun — better known as the “White Temple” — is a popular city attraction.

Taylor Weidman/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images

Located near the Golden Triangle (at the confluence of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos) in northern Thailand, the city of Chiang Rai is often overshadowed by its neighbor, Chiang Mai.

But for those who appreciate unspoiled natural scenery and a slow-paced lifestyle, the atmosphere is just right.

Among the highlights around town, the ornate Blue Temple and 14th-century Wat Phra Kaew temple showcase historic Lanna architecture, while photogenic Wat Rong Khun (aka the “White Temple”) serves as a modern gem.

The blinding white facade is covered in glittering mirrored chips, while unexpected contemporary artwork lines the interiors.

Chiang Rai also draws travelers to sample its northern style of Thai food, best enjoyed at no-frills local restaurants and markets.

Staples include ubiquitous grilled pork sausages, khao soi (northern noodle curry) and gaeng hung lay (pork curry with ginger), but there’s a whole world of food to explore.

Luang Prabang, Laos

The former capital of Laos, beautiful Luang Prapang is home to colorful temples and dramatic natural scenery.

It’s hard not to fall in love Luang Prabang. Surrounded by mountains, the UNESCO-protected ancient capital of the Lan Xang Kingdom feeds the soul both figuratively and literally.

You’ll be surrounded by sacred rivers and golden wats, robed monks and silent meditation — an ideal getaway for those who need to unplug.

And then there’s the food. Laotian cuisine is famously fresh and excellent, drawing largely from local produce and ingredients.

The most popular dishes include fish or pork laap (akin to a spicy meat salad), khao jee pa-tay (banh mi-style sandwiches), paeng pet (spicy fried duck meat mixed with blood, organs, and herbs), herb-stuffed sausages and buffalo jerky.

Kathmandu, Nepal

The Bouda Stupa is the centre of Buddhist spirituality in Kathmandu.

Frank Bienewald/LightRocket/Getty Images

As the most likely starting point on an adventure through Nepal, Kathmandu captivates travelers from the moment they touch down.

The labyrinth of little lanes, kaleidoscopic bazaars, speeding rickshaws, the scent of simmering chilies… it’s a sensory experience like no other.

In the center of it all is Durbar Square, a UNESCO-listed palace complex that marks the heart of Old Town and serves as an extraordinary example of Nepal’s traditional architecture.

All the while, the mighty Himalayas loom in the distance. With Kathmandu as a base, you can tackle various trails, including the one-day Champadevi Hill hike which weaves through a pine forest toward a spectacular summer.

For something more intense, the five-day Shivapuri circuit traverses the namesake national park (famed for its diverse flora and fauna) and rewards travelers with excellent views of the Himalayas.

Yogyakarta, Indonesia

A Buddha statue at Indonesia’s Borobudur Temple.

Oscar Siagian/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images

While Bali might be Indonesia’s go-to beach destination, Yogyakarta lures history enthusiasts from all over the world.

Located on the island of Java, this ancient city is considered the cultural capital of Indonesia thanks to its vibrant art scene, indie boutiques, deep-rooted rituals and religious sites.

This is where you’ll find two of the country’s most important UNESCO-listed archaeological sites: Prambanan and the Borobudur temples.

Built in the 9th century, beautiful Borobudur is said to the largest Buddhist temple in the world and is particularly majestic at sunrise. Meanwhile, imposing Prambanan features ornate spires and Hindu architectural elements.

As a long-standing tradition, Prambanan hosts nightly Ramayana ballet performances — an unforgettable dance-drama that taps into the roots of Javanese culture — that are both enriching and entertaining.

Kyoto, Japan

Tokyo might be the commercial heart of Japan, but Kyoto embodies its heritage. The city is home to no less than 1,600 temples and 17 UNESCO sites, not to mention postcard-worthy scenes everywhere you go.

Most notably, the traditional district of Gion is where you’ll find kimono-clad geishas strolling across bridges, while chefs meticulously prepare multi-course kaiseki meals. It’s not a movie — it’s real life.

Exploring the city’s various temples could takes weeks, months, years…. But if you’re here for the highlight reel, must-visit landmarks include Nanzen-ji Temple, Fushimi-Inari-Taisha Shrine and Kinkaku-ji (the “Golden Pavilion”) — all promise beautiful gardens and traditional architecture.

Elsewhere in the city, the mystical Sagano Bamboo Forest draws its fair share of visitors, as does the 8th-century Fushimi Inari Shrine atop Mount Inari, famed for its photogenic orange torii gates.

Sri Lanka

The ancient rock fortress of Sigiriya is located in north central Sri Lanka.

ALEX OGLE/AFP/AFP/Getty Images

This teardrop-shaped island nation can be found off the southeast coast of India.

Despite its urban sprawl, capital Colombo feels slow-paced and approachable thanks to its colonial architecture, wide streets and serene Buddhist temples.

From there, most travelers head south to the colonial fort of Galle, which feels like a walled village on the coast, before tracing the southern coastline for whale watching, powdery sand beaches and perhaps an elephant safari in Uda Walawe National Park.

Then it’s up into the cool highlands, where winding roads zig through lush tea plantations and old British hilltowns, like Nuwara Eliya.

Up north, you’ll find what’s dubbed the Cultural Triangle for its ancient and natural wonders, including the iconic Sigiriya Rock — a former palace-fortress built atop a dramatic rock plateau — the Dambulla cave temples, and the beautiful imperial city of Kandy, just to name a few.

Maldives

Trans Maldivian Airways is the world’s largest float plane operator. We go on the job with one of its most experienced pilots, Canadian Andrew Farr.

Remote and romantic, the Maldives is a top choice for honeymooners for a reason. Set off in the Indian Ocean, the 1,929-island archipelago is home to consistently tropical weather with temperatures hovering around 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) throughout the year, though it’s best to avoid monsoon season from June to August.

It’s the kind of place where you can relax, unwind and tune out the world for as long as you like. Or you can snorkel and dive, surf and island hop — the experience is totally up to you.

But it would be a shame if you missed the rich marine life. In particular, areas like Hanifaru Bay and the Blue Hole, both in the northerly Baa Atoll, are known for incredible visibility and cyan water that’s teeming with manta rays, whale sharks, turtles, and colorful reef fish.

The post Best places in Asia to visit for your next holiday appeared first on Tripstations.

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History of Computer Education Technology

New Post has been published on https://giveuselife.org/history-of-computer-educational-technology/

History of Computer Education Technology

There is no written evidence which can tell us exactly who has coined the phrase education technology. Different educationists, scientists, and philosophers at different time intervals have put forwarded different definitions of Educational Technology. Educational technology is a multifaceted and integrated process involving people, procedure, ideas, devices, and organization, where technology from different fields of science is borrowed as per the need and requirement of education for implementing, evaluating, and managing solutions to those problems involved in all aspects of human learning.

Educational technology, broadly speaking, has passed through five stages.

The first stage of educational technology is coupled with the use of aids like charts, maps, symbols, models, specimens and concrete materials. The term educational technology was used as synonyms to audio-visual aids.

The second stage of educational technology is associated with the ‘electronic revolution’ with the introduction and establishment of sophisticated hardware and software. Use of various audio-visual aids like the projector, magic lanterns, tape-recorder, radio, and television brought a revolutionary change in the educational scenario. Accordingly, educational technology concept was taken in terms of these sophisticated instruments and equipment for effective presentation of instructional materials.

The third stage of educational technology is linked with the development of mass media which in turn led to ‘communication revolution’ for instructional purposes. Computer-assisted Instruction (CAI) used for education since the 1950s also became popular during this era.

The fourth stage of educational technology is discernible by the individualized process of instruction. The invention of programmed learning and programmed instruction provided a new dimension to educational technology. A system of self-learning based on self-instructional materials and teaching machines emerged.

The latest concept of educational technology is influenced by the concept of system engineering or system approach which focuses on language laboratories, teaching machines, programmed instruction, multimedia technologies and the use of the computer in instruction. According to it, educational technology is a systematic way of designing, carrying out and evaluating the total process of teaching and learning in terms of specific objectives based on research.

Educational technology during the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age

Educational technology, despite the uncertainty of the origin of the term, can be traced back to the time of the three-age system periodization of human prehistory; namely the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age.

Educational technology, despite the uncertainty of the origin of the term, can be traced back to the time of the three-age system periodization of human prehistory; namely the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age.

During the Stone Age, ignition of fire by rubbing stones, manufacture of various handmade weapon and utensils from stones and clothing practice were some of the simple technological developments of utmost importance. A fraction of Stone Age people developed ocean-worthy outrigger canoe ship technology to migrate from one place to another across the Ocean, by which they developed their first informal education of knowledge of the ocean currents, weather conditions, sailing practice, astronavigation, and star maps. During the later Stone Age period (Neolithic period), for agricultural practice, polished stone tools were made from a variety of hard rocks largely by digging underground tunnels, which can be considered as the first steps in mining technology. The polished axes were so effective that even after the appearance of bronze and iron; people used it for clearing forest and the establishment of crop farming.

Although Stone Age cultures left no written records, but archaeological evidence proved their shift from nomadic life to agricultural settlement. Ancient tools conserved in different museums, cave paintings like Altamira Cave in Spain, and other prehistoric art, such as the Venus of Willendorf, Mother Goddess from Laussel, France etc. are some of the evidence in favor of their cultures.

Neolithic Revolution of Stone Age resulted in the appearance of Bronze Age with a development of agriculture, animal domestication, and the adoption of permanent settlements. For these practices Bronze Age people further developed metal smelting, with copper and later bronze, an alloy of tin and copper, being the materials of their choice.

The Iron Age people replaced bronze and developed the knowledge of iron smelting technology to lower the cost of living since iron utensils were stronger and cheaper than bronze equivalents. In many Eurasian cultures, the Iron Age was the last period before the development of written scripts.

Educational technology during the period of Ancient civilizations

According to Paul Saettler, 2004, Educational technology can be traced back to the time when tribal priests systematized bodies of knowledge and ancient cultures invented pictographs or sign writing to record and transmit information. In every stage of human civilization, one can find an instructional technique or set of procedures intended to implement a particular culture which was also supported by a number of investigations and evidence. The more advanced the culture, the more complex became the technology of instruction designed to reflect particular ways of individual and social behavior intended to run an educated society. Over centuries, each significant shift in educational values, goals or objectives led to diverse technologies of instruction.

The greatest advances in technology and engineering came with the rise of the ancient civilizations. These advances stimulated and educated other societies in the world to adopt new ways of living and governance.

The Indus Valley Civilization was an early Bronze Age civilization which was located in the northwestern region of the Indian Subcontinent. The civilization was primarily flourished around the Indus River basin of the Indus and the Punjab region, extending up to the Ghaggar-Hakra River valley and the Ganges-Yamuna Doab, (most of the part is under today’s Pakistan and the western states of modern-day India as well as some part of the civilization extending up to southeastern Afghanistan, and the easternmost part of Balochistan, Iran).

There is a long-term controversy to be sure about the language that the Harappan people spoke. It is assumed that their writing was at least seems to be or a pictographic script. The script appears to have had about 400 basic signs, with lots of variations. People write their script with the direction generally from right to left. Most of the writing was found on seals and sealings which were probably used in trade and official & administrative work.

Harappan people had the knowledge of the measuring tools of length, mass, and time. They were the first in the world to develop a system of uniform weights and measures.

In a study carried out by P. N. Rao et al. in 2009, published in Science, computer scientists found that the Indus script’s pattern is closer to that of spoken words, which supported the proposed hypothesis that it codes for an as-yet-unknown language.

According to the Chinese Civilization, some of the major techno-offerings from China include paper, early seismological detectors, toilet paper, matches, iron plough, the multi-tube seed drill, the suspension bridge, the wheelbarrow, the parachute, natural gas as fuel, the magnetic compass, the raised-relief map, the blast furnace, the propeller, the crossbow, the South Pointing Chariot, and gun powder. With the invent of paper they have given their first step towards developments of educational technology by further culturing different handmade products of paper as means of visual aids.

Ancient Egyptian language was at one point one of the longest surviving and used languages in the world. Their script was made up of pictures of the real things like birds, animals, different tools, etc. These pictures are popularly called hieroglyph. Their language was made up of above 500 hieroglyphs which are known as hieroglyphics. On the stone monuments or tombs which were discovered and rescued later on provides the evidence of the existence of many forms of artistic hieroglyphics in ancient Egypt.

Educational technology during Medieval and Modern Period

Paper and the pulp papermaking process which was developed in China during the early 2nd century AD, was carried to the Middle East and was spread to Mediterranean by the Muslim conquests. Evidence support that a paper mill was also established in Sicily in the 12th century. The discovery of spinning wheel increased the productivity of thread making process to a great extent and when Lynn White added the spinning wheel with increasing supply of rags, this led to the production of cheap paper, which was a prime factor in the development of printing technology.

The invention of the printing press was taken place in approximately 1450 AD, by Johannes Gutenburg, a German inventor. The invention of the printing press was a prime developmental factor in the history of educational technology to convey the instruction as per the need of the complex and advanced-technology cultured society.

In the pre-industrial phases, while the industry was simply the handiwork at artisan level, the instructional processes relied heavily upon simple things like the slate, the hornbook, the blackboard, and chalk. It was limited to a single textbook with a few illustrations. The educational technology was considered synonymous to simple aids like charts and pictures.

The year 1873 may be considered a landmark in the early history of technology of education or audio-visual education. An exhibition was held in Vienna at international level in which an American school won the admiration of the educators for the exhibition of maps, charts, textbooks and other equipment.

Maria Montessori (1870-1952), internationally renowned child educator and the originator of Montessori Method exerted a dynamic impact on educational technology through her development of graded materials designed to provide for the proper sequencing of subject matter for each individual learner. Modern educational technology suggests many extension of Montessori’s idea of prepared child-centered environment.

In1833, Charles Babbage’s design of a general purpose computing device laid the foundation of the modern computer and in 1943, the first computing machine as per hit design was constructed by International Business Machines Corporation in the USA. The Computer-Assisted instruction (CAI) in which the computer functions essentially as a tutor, as well as the Talking Type writer, was developed by O.K. Moore in 1966. Since 1974, computers are interestingly used in education in schools, colleges, and universities.

In the beginning of the 19th century, there were noteworthy changes in the field of education. British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), right from its start of school broadcasts in 1920 had maintained rapid pace in making sound contribution to formal education. In the USA, by 1952, 20 states had the provision for educational broadcasting. Parallel to this time about 98% of the schools in the United Kingdom was equipped with radios and there were regular daily programs.

Sidney L. Pressey, a psychologist of Ohio state university developed a self-teaching machine called ‘Drum Tutor’ in 1920. Professor Skinner, however, in his famous article ‘Science of Learning and art of Teaching’ published in 1945 pleaded for the application of the knowledge derived from behavioral psychology to classroom procedures and suggested automated teaching devices as means of doing so.

Although the first practical use of Regular television broadcasts was in Germany in 1929 and in 1936 the Olympic Games in Berlin were broadcasted through television stations in Berlin, Open circuit television began to be used primarily for broadcasting programs for entertainment in 1950. Since 1960, television is used for educational purposes.

In 1950, Brynmor, in England, used educational technological steps for the first time. It is to care that in 1960, as a result of an industrial revolution in America and Russia, other countries also started progressing in the field of educational technology. In this way, the beginning of educational technology took place in 1960 from America and Russia and now it has reached England, Europe, and India.

During the time of around 1950s, new technocracy was turning it attraction to educations when there was a steep shortage of teachers in America and therefore an urgent need for educational technology was felt. Dr. Alvin C. Eurich and a little later his associate, Dr. Alexander J. Stoddard introduced mass production technology in America.

Team teaching had its origin in America in the mid of 1950’s and was first started in the year 1955 at Harvard University as a part of internship plan.

In the year 1956, Benjamin Bloom from the USA introduced the taxonomy of educational objectives through his publication, “The Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, The Classification of Educational Goals, Handbook I: Cognitive Domain”.

In 1961, Micro teaching technique was first adopted by Dwight W. Allen and his co-workers at Stanford University in the USA.

Electronics is the main technology being developed in the beginning of 21st century. Broadband Internet access became popular and occupied almost all the important offices and educational places and even in common places in developed countries with the advantage of connecting home computers with music libraries and mobile phones.

Today’s classroom is more likely to be a technology lab, a room with rows of students using internet connected or Wi-Fi enabled laptops, palmtops, notepad, or perhaps students are attending a video conferencing or virtual classroom or may have been listening to a podcast or taking in a video lecture. Rapid technological changes in the field of educational have created new ways to teach and to learn. Technological changes also motivated the teachers to access a variety of information on a global scale via the Internet, to enhance their lessons as well as to make them competent professional in their area of concern. At the same time, students can utilize vast resources of the Internet to enrich their learning experience to cope up with changing trend of the society. Nowadays students as well teachers are attending seminars, conferences, workshops at national and international level by using the multimedia techno-resources like PowerPoint and even they pursue a variety of important courses of their choice in distance mode via online learning ways. Online learning facility has opened an infinite number of doors of opportunities for today’s learner to make their life happier than ever before.

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Jackie Chan’s “Kung Fu Yoga,” Coming Soon To These Cinemas

WellGoUSA is bringing Jackie Chan‘s new film, “Kung Fu Yoga,” to select theaters on January 27, 2017, and February 3, 2017!

Plot

Jack (Jackie Chan), a world-renowned archaeology professor, and his team are on a grand quest to locate a lost ancient Indian treasure when they are ambushed by a team of mercenaries and left for dead. Using his vast knowledge of history and kung fu, Jack leads his team on a race around the world to beat the mercenaries to the treasure and save an ancient culture in this breakneck action-comedy that reunites Chan with acclaimed director Stanley Tong (Rumble in the Bronx, Supercop).

DIRECTED BY Stanley Tong

STARRING Jackie Chan, Aarif Rahman, Lay Zhang, Sonu Sood, Disha Patani, Amrya Dastur, Eric Tsang

You can catch Kung Fu Yoga at the following locations

JANUARY 27, 2017

NEW YORK CITY AMC Empire 25 234 West 42nd Street New York, NY 10036

LOS ANGELES AMC Atlantic Times Square 450 N Atlantic Blvd Monterey Park, CA 91754

AMC Puente Hills 20 1560 South Azusa Avenue City of Industry, CA 91748

AMC Orange 30 20 City Blvd West Orange, CA 92868

BOSTON AMC Loews Boston Common 19 175 Tremont St Boston, MA 02111

CHICAGO AMC River East 21 322 East Illinois Street Chicago, IL 60611

PHOENIX AMC Centerpoint 11 730 South Mill Ave Tempe, AZ 85281

SAN FRANCISCO / BAY AREA AMC Cupertino Square 16 10123 N Wolfe Rd Cupertino, CA 95014

AMC Van Ness 14 1000 Van Ness Ave San Francisco, CA 94109

SEATTLE AMC Pacific Place 11 600 Pine Street – Ste 400 Seattle, WA 98101

FEBRUARY 3, 2017

INDIANA AMC Showplace Bloomington 11 1351 S College Mall Rd Bloomington, Indiana 47401

COLUMBUS AMC Lennox Town Center 24 777 Kinnear Rd Columbus, OH 43212

HOUSTON AMC Studio 30 2949 Dunvale Houston, TX 77063

SAN DIEGO AMC Mission Valley 20 1640 Camino Del Rio N San Diego, CA 9210

  �� (Source: WellGoUsa)

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Exploring Educational Pathways in Archaeology and Art History in Mumbai

Mumbai, a city rich in culture and history, offers numerous specialised educational programs for individuals passionate about archaeology and art history. Whether your interest lies in discovering ancient civilizations, unearthing historical artefacts, or studying the evolution of art, Mumbai is home to exceptional academic opportunities.

Diploma in Archaeology: A Gateway to Ancient Civilizations

One such offering is the Diploma course in Archaeology, which provides a solid foundation for students eager to explore archaeology. This program covers key aspects such as archaeological methods, excavation techniques and India’s rich ancient history. It is designed for those who want to start their journey with hands-on learning, offering both classroom knowledge and practical fieldwork. With opportunities to participate in excavations, students gain firsthand experience, making the Diploma course in Archaeology an ideal starting point for anyone interested in exploring India’s ancient past.

MA in Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology: Diving Deeper into the Past

For those wishing to pursue further studies, the MA in Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology offers a more in-depth understanding of India’s historical, cultural and social development. This advanced program dives into the study of ancient texts, historical monuments and archaeological discoveries that reveal the complexity of India’s ancient civilization. In addition to theoretical learning, the program includes opportunities for practical research, allowing students to apply their skills in real-world situations. The MA course in Ancient Indian History Culture and Archaeology is designed for those passionate about a career in historical research or archaeological fieldwork.

Art History Courses in Mumbai: Understanding the Evolution of Art

Mumbai is also known for its variety of Art History Courses in Mumbai, which attract students interested in understanding the development of art across different time periods and regions. These courses explore the evolution of Indian and global art, providing students with critical analytical skills. Covering everything from classical Indian art to modern and contemporary works, these courses are ideal for those who wish to work in galleries, museums, or art conservation. The interdisciplinary nature of art history courses in Mumbai allows students to gain expertise in various art forms while understanding their historical and cultural significance.

Why Somaiya Vidyavihar University Stands Out

Among the institutions offering these specialised programs, Somaiya Vidyavihar University stands out for its commitment to preserving and promoting India’s rich cultural and historical heritage. Somaiya offers both the Diploma in Archaeology and MA in Ancient Indian History Culture and Archaeology, as well as various Art History Courses in Mumbai. With a focus on delivering both theoretical and practical knowledge, Somaiya provides students with access to top-tier faculty, research opportunities and hands-on learning experiences. The university is known for organising seminars, workshops and field trips that provide students with real-world exposure to the fields of archaeology and art history.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Mumbai is a thriving hub for students interested in archaeology and art history, offering a range of academic pathways to explore. With programs such as the Diploma in Archaeology, MA course in Ancient Indian History Culture and Archaeology and Art History Courses in Mumbai, institutions like Somaiya Vidyavihar University ensure that students receive comprehensive education and practical training to excel in their chosen fields.

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Exploring Unique Language and Cultural Studies

In today’s globalized world, the study of ancient languages and cultures offers a unique perspective on history, philosophy and spirituality. Courses in Jainology, Tibetan language and Pali language are becoming increasingly popular among students who wish to delve deeper into these rich traditions. These programs not only provide academic knowledge but also foster a deeper understanding of the cultural and religious heritage of various communities.

The Intricacies of Jainology: A Deep Dive into Jain Philosophy

The Jainology course offers an in-depth exploration of Jain philosophy, ethics and history. Jainism, one of the oldest religions in the world, is known for its teachings on non-violence, self-discipline and the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment. A Jainology course covers various aspects of Jain literature, rituals and practices, providing students with a comprehensive understanding of this ancient tradition.

Key Topics Covered:

Jain scriptures and literature

The life and teachings of Tirthankaras

Jain art and architecture

Ethical and philosophical aspects of Jainism

This course is ideal for students interested in religious studies, philosophy and the historical impact of Jainism on Indian culture.

Mastering the Tibetan Language: A Gateway to Tibetan Culture and Buddhism

The Tibetan language course opens up a world of knowledge and cultural understanding. Tibetan is not just a language; it is a key to accessing the rich literary and philosophical traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. Learning Tibetan allows students to read and interpret classical texts, engage with Tibetan scholars and gain insights into the culture and religious practices of the Tibetan people.

Key Learning Outcomes:

Proficiency in reading, writing and speaking Tibetan

Understanding of Tibetan grammar and syntax

Ability to translate classical Tibetan texts

Insights into Tibetan Buddhist philosophy and culture

This course is particularly beneficial for those interested in Buddhist studies, anthropology and the preservation of Tibetan heritage.

MA in Pali Language: Unveiling the Ancient Language of the Buddha

The MA in Pali Language is an advanced program that delves into the language of the earliest Buddhist scriptures. Pali is the liturgical language of Theravada Buddhism and is crucial for understanding the teachings of the Buddha. This program equips students with the skills to read and interpret Pali texts, offering a direct connection to the roots of Buddhism.

Program Highlights:

Comprehensive study of Pali grammar and literature

Interpretation of the Tripitaka (Pali Canon)

Exploration of Buddhist philosophy and ethics

Research opportunities in ancient Buddhist texts

An MA in Pali Language is ideal for students pursuing careers in religious studies, archaeology and historical research.

Conclusion: Somaiya Vidyavihar University — A Hub for Unique Cultural and Language Studies

When it comes to pursuing specialized courses like Jainology, Tibetan language and MA in Pali Language, Somaiya Vidyavihar University stands out as a premier institution. Somaiya offers a unique blend of academic rigor and cultural immersion, making it an ideal place for students who wish to explore these ancient traditions in depth.

With experienced faculty, state-of-the-art facilities and a commitment to preserving and promoting cultural heritage, Somaiya provides an enriching environment for students. The university’s focus on holistic education ensures that students not only gain academic knowledge but also develop a profound appreciation for the cultural and spiritual traditions they study.

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Introduction to Mesoamerica reading material

This list is drawn from old school syllabi, what I’ve read, and what I’ve seen others recommend. I will try to update this periodically with more books, journal articles, book chapters, and even documentaries. I’ll try and provide an open access (or limited access like a free JSTOR account) for the journal articles and book chapters.

Books

General

*  Mann, Charles C. 1491: New revelations of the Americas before Columbus. Alfred a Knopf Incorporated, 2005.

*  Coe, Michael D., and Rex Koontz. Mexico: from the Olmecs to the Aztecs. Vol. 29. Thames & Hudson, 2008.

*  Evans, Susan Toby. Ancient Mexico and Central America: archaeology and culture history. Thames & hudson, 2013.

*  Coe, Sophie D. America's first cuisines. University of Texas Press, 1994.

*  Matthew, Laura E., and Michel R. Oudijk.  Indian conquistadors: Indigenous allies in the conquest of Mesoamerica. University of Oklahoma Press, 2007.

*  Restall, Matthew. Seven myths of the Spanish conquest. Oxford University Press, 2004.

*  Miller, Mary Ellen, and Karl Taube. An illustrated dictionary of the gods and symbols of ancient Mexico and the Maya. London: Thames and Hudson, 1997.

*  Tiesler, Vera, and Andrea Cucina, eds. New perspectives on human sacrifice and ritual body treatments in ancient Maya society. Springer Science & Business Media, 2007.

Aztec

*  Smith, Michael E. The Aztecs. John Wiley & Sons, 2013.

*  Hassig, Ross. Aztec warfare: Imperial expansion and political control. Vol. 188. University of Oklahoma Press, 1995.

*  Soustelle, Jacques. Daily life of the Aztecs. Courier Corporation, 2002.

*  Lêaon-Portilla, Miguel. Aztec Thought and Culture. University of Oklahoma Press, 1963.

*  Anderson, Arthur JO, and Charles E. Dibble. Florentine Codex. School of American Research and University of Utah, Sante Fe, New Mexico, II(1950).

*  Portilla, Miguel León. The broken spears: The Aztec account of the conquest of Mexico. Beacon Press, 2006.

Maya

*  Houston, Stephen D., and Takeshi Inomata. The Classic Maya. Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*  Freidel, David, and Linda Schele. A forest of kings: The untold story of the ancient Maya. Harper Collins, 1992.

*  Freidel, David A., Linda Schele, and Joy Parker. Maya Cosmos Three Thousand Years on the Shaman's Path. (1993).

*  Martin, Simon, and Nikolai Grube. Chronicle of the Maya kings and queens: Deciphering the dynasties of the ancient Maya. Thames & Hudson, 2008.

*  Coe, Michael D. "Breaking the Maya Code, rev. ed." London and NewYork(1999).

*  American Anthropological Association. Ancient Maya Commoners. Eds. Jon C. Lohse, and Fred Valdez Jr. University of Texas Press, 2004.

*  Demarest, Arthur. Ancient Maya: the rise and fall of a rainforest civilization. Vol. 3. Cambridge University Press, 2004.

*  Sharer, Robert J., and Loa P. Traxler. The ancient maya. Stanford University Press, 2006.

*  Iannone, Gyles, and Samuel V. Connell. Perspectives on Ancient Maya Rural Complexity. The Cotsen Institute of Archaeology Press, 2003.

*  Scarborough, Vernon L., Fred Valdez, and Nicholas P. Dunning, eds. Heterarchy, Political Economy, and the Ancient Maya: The Three Rivers Region of the East-central Yucatˆn Peninsula. University of Arizona Press, 2003. 

*  Houston, Stephen, David Stuart, and Karl Taube. The memory of bones: Body, being, and experience among the Classic Maya. University of Texas Press, 2013.

*  Jones, Grant D. The conquest of the last Maya kingdom. Stanford University Press, 1998.

Olmec

*  Pool, Christopher. Olmec archaeology and early Mesoamerica. Cambridge University Press, 2007.

Teotihuacan

*  Moctezuma, Eduardo Matos. Teotihuacan. Fondo de Cultura Económica, 2009.

*  Sugiyama, Saburo. Human sacrifice, militarism, and rulership: materialization of state ideology at the Feathered Serpent Pyramid, Teotihuacan. Cambridge University Press, 2005.

* Manzanilla, Linda. Teotihuacan, ciudad excepcional de Mesoamérica.  El Colegio Nacional, 2017.

*  Headrick, Annabeth. The Teotihuacan trinity: the sociopolitical structure of an ancient Mesoamerican city, 2007.

West Mexico

*  Pollard, Helen Perlstein. Tariacuri's Legacy: The Prehispanic Tarascan State. University of Oklahoma Press, 1993.

*  Warren, Joseph Benedict. The conquest of Michoacan: the Spanish domination of the Tarascan kingdom in western Mexico, 1521-1530. University of Oklahoma Press, 1985.

*  Von Winning, Hasso, and Olga Hammer. Anecdotal sculpture of ancient West Mexico. Ethnic Arts Council of Los Angeles, 1972.

*  Von Winning, Hasso. The shaft tomb figures of West Mexico. No. 24. Southwest Museum, 1974.

*  Hosler, Dorothy. The sounds and colors of power: The sacred metallurgical technology of ancient west Mexico. MIT Press, 1994.

*  Townsend, Richard F. Ancient West Mexico: Art and archaeology of the unknown past. Thames and Hudson, 1998.

* Beekman, Christopher S. and Robert B. Pickering. Shaft Tombs and Figurines in West Mexican Society: A Reassessment. Gilcrease Museum, 2016.

*  Altman, Ida. The War for Mexico's West: Indians and Spaniards in New Galicia, 1524-1550. University of New Mexico Press, 2010.

* Williams, Eduardo. Ancient West Mexico in the Mesoamerican Ecumene. Archaeopress, 2020. 

Oaxaca

*  Flannery, Kent V. The cloud people: Divergent evolution of the Zapotec and Mixtec civilizations. Percheron Pr, 2003.

*  Byland, Bruce, and John MD Pohl. In the Realm of Eight Deer. (1994).

*  Joyce, Arthur A. Mixtecs, Zapotecs, and Chatinos. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell (2010).

*  Winter, Marcus. Oaxaca: the archaeological record. Editorial Minutiae Mexicana, 1989.

*  Joyce, Arthur A., ed. Polity and ecology in Formative period coastal Oaxaca. University Press of Colorado, 2013.

*  Spores, Ronald, and Andrew K. Balkansky. The Mixtecs of Oaxaca: Ancient Times to the Present. Vol. 267. University of Oklahoma Press, 2013.

*  Terraciano, Kevin. The Mixtecs of colonial Oaxaca: Ñudzahui history, sixteenth through eighteenth centuries. Stanford University Press, 2004.

Film

* The Dawn of the Maya

* Edgewalker: A Conversation with Linda Schele

*  Glyphers: Deciphering Mayan Society

* The Popol Vuh - English / Español