Guest guest Posted December 13, 2007 Report Share Posted December 13, 2007 hare rama krishna dear group , yavanahi mlecha ---varahmihira says -- (he said only -the yavanas those who know astrology is respected like brahmins and not that astrology is from greek s ,also he was quoting garga hora which is more earlier than varahmihira ) and he says sidhantas were made by indian rishis ,but our western fed minds says one side varahmihira correct and other side were he said 18 sidhantas were popular -is wrong and we got from greece . This is a speculation as many of the mayan culture is similar to indian culture >this was approved by sri karan singh who was MP and minister of india who hails from kashmir and son of kashmir raja . i also read that in sidha philosophy which says old sidha land was far and wide and now reduced to modern south india . But sidhas were siva worshippers and from kailas to kanyakumari u can see siva worship all over india . so i am trying to see the missing links here we r under the house arrest of judo christian analysis of time frame . happy reading to all . I will try to see the jyothishs priciples availble in vedas and come out with my own version . regrds sunil nair om shreem mahalaxmai namah . ======================================= India on Pacific Waves The following article provides a brief look at the major accomplishments of India, many of which have also helped in the development of the Western or European culture. Baffling Links to Ancient India: History is full of misnomers; one such term is the New World, as applied to the Americas. The landing of Columbus in 1492 undoubtedly created a new life on the continents, but it neither created nor discovered a new world. Many centuries ago Asian migrants had come to the western shore in substantial numbers. What if the popular idea that Tibetans and American Indians have much in common in terms of their spiritual culture is largely a result of another historical scenario? What if Hindus and Hopis, Advantins and Aztecs, Tibetan Monks and Mayans were part of one world culture - a spiritual one? Baron Alexander von Humbolt (1769-1859), an eminent European scholar and anthropologist, was one of the first to postulate the Asiatic origin of the Indian civilizations of the Americas. Swami B.V. Tripurari asks, " What mysterious psychological law would have caused Asians, and Americans to both use the umbrella as a sign of royalty, to invent the same games, imagine similar cosmologies, and attribute the same colors to the different directions?" The first Maya Empire had been founded in Guatemala at about the beginning of the Christian era. Before the fall of Rome the Mayas were charting accurately the synodical revolutions of Venus, and whilst Europe was still lingering in the Dark Ages the Maya civilization had reached a peak of greatness. It is significant that the zenith of Maya civilization was reached at a time when India had also attained an unparalleled cultural peak during the Gupta period, and Indian cultural intercourse with Southeast Asia, the Gupta period had begun more than a century before the Mayan classical age in 320 and Buddhism and Hinduism had been well known in neighboring countries for centuries. If there was contact between Mayan America and Indianized Southeast Asia, the simultaneous cultural advance would not appear surprising. In marked contrast, this was the darkest period in Europe's history between the sack of Rome and the rise of Charlemagne. The most important development of the ancient American or Indo-American culture took place in the south of the United States, in Mexico, in central America, and in Peru. The early history of Indo-Americans is shrouded in mystery and controversy due to the absence of definitive documentary evidence, which was destroyed by the European conquerors in their misguided religious zeal. However, it appears that after the discovery of introduction of maize into Mexico, Indo Americans no longer had to wander about in search of food. Men in America, as in other parts of the world, settled down to cultivate food and culture, a by-product of agricultural life, inevitably followed. Of the Indo American civilizations, the best known are the Maya, the Toltec, the Aztec, and the Inca. The Mayas were possibly the earliest people to found a civilization there; they moved form the Mexican plateau into Gauatemala. They were later pushed out, presumably by the Toltecs, who, in turn were dislodged by the Aztecs. Similarities: 1. Astrology Baron Alexander Von Humboldt, whilst visiting Mexico, found similarities between Asian and Mexican astrology. He found that the systematic study of ancient American cultures and was convinced of the Asian origin of the American-Indian high civilization. He said,: "if languages supply but feeble evidence of ancient communication between the two worlds, their communication is fully poved by the cosmogonies, the monuments, the hieroglyphical characters and the institutions of the people of America and Asia." In 1866, the French architect, Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, also noted striking resemblances between ancient Mexican structures and those of South India. 2. Hindu-Mexican Trinity Scholars were also greatly impressed by the similarity between the Hindu Trinity - Brahma-Visnu-Shiva and the Mexican Trinity - Ho-Huizilopochtli-Tlaloc-as well as the likeness between Indian temples and American pyramids. The parallels between the Hindu Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva Trinity and the Mexican Ho-Huitzilopochtli-Tlaloc Trinity, and the resemblances between the attributes of certain Hindu deities and those of the Mayan pantheon are impressive. Discussing the diffusion of Indian religions to Mexico, a recent scholar, Paul Kirchhoff, has even suggested that it is not simply a question of miscellaneous influences wandering from one country to the other, but that China, India, Java, and Mexico actually share a common system." Kirchhoff has sought "to demonstrate that a calendar classification of 28 Hindu gods and their animals into twelve groups, subdivided into four blocks, within each of which we find a sequence of gods and animals representing Creation, Destruction and Renovation, and which can be shown to have existed both in India and Java, must have been carried from the Old World to the New, since in Mexico we find calendaric lists of gods and animals that follow each other without interruption in the same order and with attributes and functions or meanings strikingly similar to those of the 12 Indian and Javanese groups of gods, showing the same four subdivisions." E. B. Taylor also found the counterparts of the tortoise myth of India in ancient America. Donald A. Mackenzie and other scholars, however, are of definite opinion that the ancient Mexicans and Peruvians were familiar with Indian mythology and cite in support close parallels in details. For instance, the history of the Mayan elephant symbol cannot be traced in the local tradition, whereas it was a prominent religious symbol in India. The African elephant has larger ears. It is the profile of the Indian elephant, its tusk and lower lip, the form of its ear, as well as its turbaned rider with his ankus, which is found in Meso-American models. Whilst the African elephant was of little religious significance, it had been tamed in India and associated with religious practices since the early days. The Mexican doctrine of the World's Ages - the universe was destroyed four consecutive times - is reminiscent of the Indian Yugas. Even the reputed colors of these mythical four ages, white, yellow, red and black are identical with and in the same order as one of the two versions of the Indian Yugas. In both myths the duration of the First Age is exactly the same, 4,800 divine years. The Mexican Trinity is associated with this doctrine as in the Hindu Trinity with the Yugas in India. Later, two English scholars Channing Arnold and Fredrick J.Tabor Frost, in their The American Egypt, made a detailed examination of the transpacific contacts, reinforcing the view of Buddhist influences on Central America. The most recent and by far the most systematic well-reasoned, and effective case has been advanced by the eminent archaeologist, R. Heine-Geldern and Gordon Ekholm, who favor Indian and Southeast Asian cultural influences on ancient America through migration across the Pacific. According to the Mayan calendar, which is extant, the time record of the Mayas began on 6 August 613 B.C. It is an exact date based upon intricated astronomical calculations, and prolonged observations. To work out this kind of elaborate calendar must have taken well over two thousand years of studying stars, and the IndoAmericans must have been remarkably shrewd observers. 3. Use of Zero The Mayas of Yucatan were the first people besides the Indians to use a zero sign and represent number values by the position of basic symbols. The similarity between the Indian zero and the Mayan zero is indeed striking. So far as the logical principle is concerned, the two are identical, but the expressions of the principle are dissimilar. Again, whilst the Indian system of notation was decimal, as was the European, the Mayan was vigesimal. Consequently, their 100 stood for 400, 1000 stood for 8000, 1234 for 8864. While the place of zero in the respective systems of the Indians and Mayans is different, the underlying principle and method are the same, and the common origin of the Mayan and Indian zeros appears to be undoubted. Disputes continue amongst scholars in the absence of conclusive evidence. As chronological evidence stands today, the Mayan zero appears to be anterior by several centuries to its Hindu counterpart. 4. Other similarities In 1949, two scholars, Gordon Ekholm and Chaman Lal, systematically compared the Mayan, Aztec, Incan, and the North American Indian civilizations with the Hindu-oriented countries of Southeast Asia and with India herself. According to them, the emigrant cultures of India took with them India's system of time measurement, local gods, and customs. Ekholm and Lal found signs of Aryan civilization throughout the Americas in art (lotus flowers with knotted stems and half-dragon/half fish motifs found commonly in paintings and carvings), architecture, calendars, astronomy, religious symbols, and even games such as our Parchessi and Mexican Patilli, which have their origins in India's pachisi. Both the Hindus and Americans used similar items in their worship rituals. They both maintained the concept of four Yuga cycles, or cosmological seasons, extending over thousands of years, and concieved of twelve constellations with reference to the sun as indicated by the Incan sun calendar. Royal insignias, systems of government, and practice of religious dance and temple worship all showed remarkable similarities, pointing strongly to the idea that the Americas were strongly influenced by the Aryans. The theory is found in the Vedic literature of India. The ancient Puranas (literally, histories) and the Mahabharata make mention of the Americas as lands rich with gold and silver. Argentina, which means "related to silver", is thought to have been named after Arjuna (of silver hue). Another scholar, Ramon Mena, author of Mexican Archaelogy, called the Nahuatl, Zapoteca, and mayan languages" of Hindu origin." He went to say, "A deep mystery enfolds the tribes that inhabited the state of Chiappas in the district named Palenque....their writing, and the anthropological type, as well as their personal adornments...their system and style of construction clearly indicate the remotest antiquity...(they) all speak of India and the Orient." Still another scholar, Ambassador Miles Poindexter, a former ambassador of the United States to Mexico, in his two-volume 1930s treatise The Arya-Incas, called the Mayan civilization "unquestionably Hindu." He proposed that primitive Aryan words and people came to America by the island chains of Polynesia. The Mexican name for boat is a South Indian Tamil word, Catamaran, and Poindexter gives a long list of words of the Quechha languages and their analogous forms in Sanskrit. Similarities between the hymns of the Inca rulers of Peru and Vedic hymns have been pointed out. A. L. Krober has also found striking similarities between the structure of Indo-European and the Penutian language of some of the tribes along the northwestern coast of California. Recently, an Indian scholar, B. C. Chhabra,in his "Vestiges of Indian Culture in Hawaii", has noticed certain resemblances between the symbols found in the petroglyphs from the Hawaiian Islands and those on the Harappan seals. Some of the symbols in the petroglyphs are described as akin to early Brahmi script. Indeed, the parallels between the arts and culture of India and those of ancient America are too numerous and close to be attributed to independent growth. A variety of art forms are common to Mexico, India, Java, and Indochina, the most striking of which are the Teocallis, the pyramids, with receding stages, faced with cut stone, and with stairways leading to a stone sanctuary on top. Many share surprisingly common features such as serpent columns and bannisters, vaulted galleries and corbeled arches, attached columns, stone cut-out lattices, and Atlantean figures; these are typical of the Puuc style of Yucatan. Heine-Geldern and Ekholm point out that temple pyramids in Cambodia did not become important until the ninth and tenth centuries, a time coinciding with the beginning of the Puuc period. 5. The lotus motif The buildings of Chichen Itza show certain influences from Southeast Asia; for example, the lotus motif occurs in the Mercado (covered market). The Mercado is strikingly reminiscent of the galleries so typical of the Cambodian architecture that eventually blossomed into the galleries of Angkor Vat. The lotus motif, interspersed with seated human figures, which has a deep symbolic meaning in Hindu and Buddhist mythologies and as such is an integral part of early Indian art, especially of Amaravati, is found at Chichen Itza as a border in the reliefs of the lower room of the Temple of Tigers. The similarity between the art of Amaravati and that of Chichen Itza is particularly noticeable in reclining figures holding on to the rhizome of the lotus. The Mexican Lion-throne and Lotus-throne remind one of Indian Simhasana and Padmasana. The parasol, a mark of royalty amongst the Mayas, the Aztecs, and the Incas, may be an adaptation of the royal Chatra in us in India and Indianized Asia from the earliest times. A kind of caste system prevailed amongst the Incas of Peru. Peruvians worshipped an omnipotent and invisible Supreme being, Viracocha, creator and preserver of the world. Imprints of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata have been noticed on the poetry of Peru. The official history of Mexico officially admits that "those who arrived first on the continent later to be known as America were groups of men driven by the mighty current that set out from India". Lopez, Spanish author of The Aryan Races in Peru writes : "Every page of Peruvian poetry bears the imprint of Ramayana and Mahabharata." In Indian art the lotus rhizome frequently protrudes from the mouths of makaras, sea monsterswith fish-like bodies and elephants-like trunks. At Chichen Itza, stylized figures of fish are found at both ends of the lotus plant, in the same position as the makaras in India. "Such a combination of highly specific details cannot be accidental. It suggests the existence of some kind of relationship between Maya art and not only Buddhist art in general, but the school of Amaravati of the second century A.D. in particular." Ancient America was as rich in gods and temples as was India. The Indo American term for god, "teo," is close to the Sanskrit 'deva". E. G.Squire noted similarities in both major and minor features of Buddhist temples of South India and Mexico they were round and different colors were used on each of the four quarters. In "It would be ridiculous to assert that such a strange doctrine was of spontaneous origin in different parts of the Old and New worlds." says D.A. Mackenzie, in his book Myths of Pre-Columbian America. Scholars who insist that pre-Columbian American religion and civilization was of independent origin are obliged to explain why the myths, beliefs, and practices of ancient America assumed such complex features at the very beginning, whilst in Asia they resulted from the fusions and movements of numerous peoples after a period of time much greater than that covered by American civilizations from beginning to the end. Swami B.V. Tripurari states in his book, Ancient Wisdom for Modern Ignorance - "Who discovered America" . Broadly speaking, cultural historians of Asiomerica are divided into two camps, "diffusionists" and "Isolationists". Diffusionists maintained that after this occurred civilized Asiatic people distributed themselves via the Pacific, thereby bringing civilization to the Americas. Isolationists insisted that after the nomadic tribes crossed the Bering Strait, a homogenous race of "Indians of the Americas' was formed, and the American tribes-people went about reinventing all culture, duplicating in two thousand years what originally took about six millenniums in the Old World! By the same token, No archaeologist today would attribute to prehistory Europeans the independent invention of bronze casting, iron work, the wheel, weaving, pottery, writing, and so many other cultural elements that were derived from the Middle East. What then would cause one to insist that what was not possible for the Europeans (duplicating culture independently) was possible for the American Indians? Especially when at the same time we are taught that the Europeans were of superior stock? Will Durant, eminent American historian, in his book Our Oriental Heritage, described India as the most ancient civilization on earth and he offered many examples of Indian culture throughout the world. He demonstrated that as early as the ninth century B.C. E. Indians were exploring the sea routes, reaching out and extending their cultural influences to Mesopotamia, Arabia, and Egypt. Although modern-day historians and anthropologists might prefer to accept Egypt or Babylon as the most ancient civilization, due to various archaeological findings, their theories are by no means conclusive. The popular theory in the academic community that the Aryans invaded India has also been disproved. Perhaps itis easier for modern people to accept ancient Egypt and Babylon, whose ancient civilizations have no living representation and thereby pose no threat or challenge to the status quo. But India is alive and kicking. If we recognize with ancient India as the spiritual giant, we would have to reckon with her modern-day representations. No wonder the Vedic literature and spiritual ideology loomed as the greatest threat to the British Raj in India in their imperialistic conquest of India. Gene Matlock, author of India Once Ruled the Americas! states: The people of India have long known that their ancestors once sailed to and settled in the Americas. They called America 'Patala,' The Underworld,' not because they believed it to be underground, but because the other side of the globe appeared to be straight down." Skilled Seafaring Men The only plausible argument against cultural diffusion from southern Pacific is the distance involved. It is asserted that it would have been unlikely for a large number of people to have crossed the vast expanse of the Pacific without well-equipped boats and skillful voyagers. The argument, however, falls, upon close scrutiny. It would not be at all difficult for a large canoe or catarmaran to cross from Polynesia to South America even at the present time, and the ancient Asians were skilled and enterprising seafaring men. However, Asian ability to cross the seas during this period is undoubted. The art of shipbuilding and navigation in India and China at the time was sufficiently advanced for oceanic crossings. Indian ships operating between Indian and South-east Asian ports were large and well equipped to sail cross the Bay of Bengal. When the Chinese Buddhist scholar, Fa-hsien, returned from India, his ship carried a crew of more than two hundred persons and did not sail along the coasts but directly across the ocean. Such ships were larger than those Columbus used to negotiate the Atlantic a thousand years later. According to the work of mediaeval times, Yukti Kalpataru, which gives a fund of information about shipbuilding, India built large vessels from 200 B.C. to the close of the sixteenth century. A Chinese chronicler mentions ships of Southern Asia that could carry as many as one thousand persons, and were manned mainly by Malayan crews. They used western winds and currents in the North Pacific to reach California, sailed south along the coast, and then returned to Asia with the help of the trade winds, taking a more southerly route, without however, touching the Polynesian islands. In ancient times the Indians excelled in shipbuilding and even the English, who were attentive to everything which related to naval architecture, found early Indian models worth copying. The Indian vessels united elegance and utility, and were models of fine workmanship. Sir John Malcolm wrote : "Indian vessels "are so admirably adapted to the purpose for which they are required that, not withstanding their superior science, Europeans were unable, during an intercourse with India for two centuries, to suggest or at least to bring into successful practice one improvement. " It was also known that in the third century a transport of horses, which would require large ships, reached Malaya and Indo-China. Emilio Estrada, Clifford Evans, and Betty J. Meggers, who have pointed out many striking similarities between Ecuadorian archaeological remains of the early Bahia and early Jama-Coaque cultures with relics of approximately the same period of Japan, India and SoutEast Asia, also support the feasibility of trans-pacific voyage. The New Zealand pre historian, S. Percy Smith, tries to show in his Hawaiki - the Original home of the Maori that the ancient Polynesian wanderers left India as far back as the fourth century B.C. and were daring mariners who made, more often than not, adventurous voyages with the definite object of new settlements. A people who reached as far east as Easter Island could not have missed the great continent ahead of them. What was the motive that urged Indians and Asians to undertake long journeys to America? It was probably gold, which initially attracted Indian adventurers and merchants to Southeast Asia. Southeast Asia was a region broadly referred to by ancient Indians as Suvarnabhumi (Land of Gold) or Suvarnadvipa (the Island of Gold). Arab writer Al Biruni testify that Indians called the whole Southeast region Suwarndib. Hellenistic geographers knew the area as the Golden Chersonese. The Chinese called it Kin-Lin; kin means gold. The mariners were probably looking for gold or were prospecting for precious metals, stones and pearls to cope with the demand in the centers of ancient civilizations. This view is substantially reinforced by W. J Perry who was the first scholar to point out that the distribution of the pearling beds of the world and why, wherever pearls are found similar complex religious beliefs, myths, beliefs, and practices are also found. It is therefore significant that the mythology of the pre-Columbian American civilizations "was deeply impregnated by the religious beliefs and practices and habits of life that obtained amongst the treasure-seekers of the Old World. " Equally significant is the fact that the Mayas preferred to settle in that part of Central America which was unhealthy but rich in precious stones and gold. Like Indians, Indo Americans accumulated stones and gold and made symbolic ornaments from them. Mexican temples and idols, as in India, were lavishly decorated with gold and precious stones. In Conclusion, it may be said, that whatever the motive, transpacific traffic would seem to have gone on regularly for about two thousand years, from about the eighth century B.C. to the twelfth century. In view of so many parallels in fundamental conceptions and detail, in mythology, ritual, iconography, architecture, religious beliefs, crowns, thrones, plants, together with the evidence of migration, it appears incredible that isolationists should continue to insist on the independent evolution of Indo American civilization. Source of Information: 1. India and World Civilization - By D. P.Singhal. 2. Myths of Pre-Columbian America - By Donald A. Mackenzie 3. Ancient Wisdom for Modern Ignorance - By Swami B. V. Tripurari European Conquest and Atrocities: The Mayans were the earliest people to have found a civilization there, they moved from the Mexican plateau into Gauatemala. They were later pushed out, by the Toltecs, who, in turn, dislodged by the Aztecs. This was an era that saw the blossoming of a unified Central American civilization. The Toltecs were very prosperous. They were accomplished architects, carpenters and mechanics. The Aztecs also made some striking cultural advances. They developed a lake civilization based on the island in Lake Texcoco, where they built their remarkable city. Mexico-Tenochtitlan, which was surrounded by the colorful Chinampas, or floating gardens. The city was described by Bernal de Diaz, the companion of the Spanish commander Cortes, as a dreamland which inspired the Spanish invaders to lyrical adulation and murderous plunder. Diaz wrote that the Mexicans were like the Romans, and that there was nothing in Spain to match the royal palace of Montezuma. Hernando Cortes is said to have slaughtered, in less than two hours, six thousand people who had gathered in a temple patio. Destruction of Aztec cities was so complete that almost everything lay in ruins. The elite of the Asiomericans were put to death almost to the last man. After his entry into the conquered capital Tenochtitlan, Cortes wrote that "you could not put down your foot without stepping on an Indian corpse." In addition, his soldiery, a few years later in the Inca Empire, driven by lust for gold, melted down irreplaceable works of art by the ton to get the precious metal. Thus, the Aztecs civilization came to violent end. Burning of Libraries and records: If the history of pre-Columbian America, is obscure, it is because after the Spanish conquest, the first Bishop of Mexico, Juan de Zumarraga, burned all the records of the Library of Texcoco in Tlateloco market square as "the work of the Devil," and religious fanatics destroyed temples and statues. Zumarraga, gloating over his success, wrote to his superiors in 1531 that he alone had five hundred temples razed to the ground and twenty thousand idols destroyed. Fray Diego de Landa, the second Bishop of Yucatan, following the pattern, reduced the Maya Library in Yucatan to ashes in 1562. Post-Columbus history of America for 300 years was the story of ruthless destruction and fanatics like Bishop Diego da Landa burnt a huge bonfire of valuable documents and nothing but the three codices of 'Chilam Balam' could survive the holocaust.... He wrote Relación de las cosas de Yucatán, A Narrative of the Things of Yucatan in 1566, Therein the states, "We found a large number of their books of these letters, and because they did not have anything in which there was not superstition and falsehoods of the devil, we burned them all, which they felt very sorry for and which caused them grief." Landa, in his religious zeal, ordered all their idols destroyed and all Mayan books to be burned; he was surprised at the distress this caused the Indians. His orders to destroy all icons and hieroglyphics obliterated the Mayan language forever, helping to undermine and destroy the civilization he so vividly described. It was Landa that gave the orders for all the Mayans to bring all manuscripts to the public squares in Mani to be burned. All these books contained what would now be priceless information on astronomy, medicine, religion, and philosophy. What Emperor Theodosious of Constantinople did to the library at Alexandria to save Christianity from the Greek and Oriental pagan knowledge deposited there, these priests did in Central America with similar motives but larger success. The burning of manuscripts continued for decades. Soldiers were encouraged to ransack palaces, public buildings, and private houses to find manuscripts. Pablo Jose de Arriaga, the head of the Jesuit College in Peru, in almost unparalleled fanaticism, caused the systematic and wholesale destruction of all state archives, customs records, royal and imperial archives, codes of laws, temple archives, and historical records. Less than a score of manuscripts escaped annihilation. These libraries contained records of ancient history, medicine, astronomy, science, religion, and philosophy. The Spaniards destroyed whatever they could, but they could not, for instance, burn the great Pyramid of the sun and the remains of Teotihuacan, which speak of the splendid bygone civilization. This is one of the great crimes of world cultural history No matter how much historians stretch their imagination, it will never be possible to reconstruct a picture of these advanced civilizations which would do them justice, and yet be held historically acceptable. Beyond Mexico, the ancient Andean or Peruvian civilization also suffered an even worse fate at the hands of the Spainards than did their neighbors in Central America. The Spanish assault on the Incas, the Spanish avarice of gold, and barbarities perpetrated in the wake of victory, including the inhuman tortures publicly inflicted on the Inca King, Atahuallpa, are illustrations of savagery seldom surpassed in history. The Story of Betrayal The Spaniards were mistaken by Indo Americans for their legendary white gods, who were to be made welcome and it they inflicted suffering it was to be accepted as a divine judgment. And by a tragic coincidence, the Spanish conquerors invaded Mexico at about the time, in 1519, as the Aztec priests and tradition had predicted the return of the white gods. The Aztecs even offered the Spanish conquistadores the vestments of Quetzalcoatl and other gods and considered performing human sacrifice to them in case they were fatigued after such a long journey. Through out the Incas Empire, the Spainiards were greeted as Viracocha, the Inca name of the great White God they had been waiting for. It is only when the Indo Americans were completely horrified and disillusioned by the brutalities and merciless killings, that they recognized their mistake. The realization that the Spainard's were not gods, but popolocas (barbarians), however, came too late. The European conquerors of South and Central America not only destroyed practically all the records and literature of Indo America, but created an utterly distorted images of the American past by taking some of its ugly features out of context and magnifying them out of proportion. For instance, the human sacrifice practiced by the Aztecs was repeatedly stressed without explaining its extenuating features, and without pointing out that human sacrifice had not been unknown to other peoples, such as in Europe and Rome. Taking their technique a step further they contrasted this picture with that of their own deeds in Indo America in which European misdemeanor, caprice, and criminality were soft-pedaled and civilized and human behavior emphasized. Most people believe that Indo Americans were uncivilized hordes with an occasional freak of knowledge, who had contributed nothing of permanent value to civilization by 1492. Despite a good deal of information to the contrary, there is resistance to accepting a change in this image. Misconceptions multiply fast but die slowly. The Mexican Indians and the Incas of Peru were primarily vegetarians. They were of high moral character and hospitable and generous as a habit. They practiced astrology, and mental telepathy was common among them. It was perhaps their peace-loving disposition that, like the Hindus, allowed them to be ruled by Europeans. The Europeans, through book burning and bayonet, successfully, "converted" them, leaving very little trace of their noble civilization. Maya Civilization of Mexico. Baffling Links with Ancient India The archaeological remains of ancient Maya civilization of Mexico are lying scattered in the parts of Yucatan, Campeche, Tabasco and eastern half of Chiapas as well as in the territory of Quintana Roo of the republic of Mexico. Covering an area of about 125,000 square miles, its traces are to be found in the western section of Honduras Republic, Peten and adjacent highlands of Guatemala and practically in the whole of Honduras. Admiral Christopher Columbus mistakenly called the New World inhabitants as Indians. Although he corrected himself subsequently, the natives of Americas continued to be called 'Indians'. During the course of his third journey, Columbus came into contact with 'Maya' people. Many theories have been advanced by scholars to explain the origins of these American Indians and if there were any links between the ancient civilizations of the Old World and the New World. There are historians who believe that the American civilizations were purely native in origin and also those who maintain the theory of Asians crossing over through Bering Strait via Alaska and reaching the American continent some 12,000 - 15,000 years ago. However, the antiquity of American Indians remains shrouded in the veil of mystery. In spite of a great deal of investigations, explorations and deep study by scholars and innumerable historians during the last many centuries, what we know about pre-Columbus Americas is very little in comparison to what we do not know. To quote Glyn Daniel from his book 'The First Civilizations', "within 15 years, between 1519 to 1533, the Western world discovered and brutally destroyed three civilizations - the Aztecs of Mexico, Maya of Yuacatan and Guatemala and Inca of Peru." Aztec is Asthaka, Maya is Maya, and Inca is Anga in the native languages. The unique elaboration of the Mayan civilization has been a challenge to the imagination of explorers and students of history. The Mayans had attained the highest maturity in art, craft, sculpture and hieroglyphs. Innumerable theories exist about these ancient people. Their magnificent achievements in social, economic, political and religious fields, their calendar and hieroglyphic writings, reasons of the sudden collapse of their classic culture everywhere in Mesoamerica, the reality of 'Kulkulkan Quetzal-Coatl' myth are some of the riddles of Mexican history challenging modern research. The 'Maya' Indians spent thousands of years in building their magnificent monuments and Mayapan, Palenque, Copan, Tikal, Kaminalijuyu and Piedras Negras were the centres where Mayan culture flourished in splendour. How and why these places were deserted in the past is still a mystery. Although modern scientists have achieved significant success in deciphering Maya calendar system, none has been able to decipher their hieroglyphic system of writing. The possibility of links of these people with Old World civilizations and particularly with ancient India is not acceptable to many historians. However, there are those who hold a different view. Eminent scholar-writers like Mackenzie, Hewitt, Tod, Pococke and Mrs. Nuttal have collected plenty of data to show that ancient American civilizations were influenced by Old World civilizations. We have to remember that the post-Columbus history of America for 300 years was the story of ruthless destruction and fanatics like Bishop Diego da Landa burnt a huge bonfire of valuable documents and nothing but the three codices of 'Chilam Balam' could survive the holocaust. There are two specific archaeological discoveries pertaining to 761 AD, about which most Mexican historians are silent, that attract our attention as possible links of Maya civilization to ancient India. The first one is a wall panel (Panel No. 3 of Temple 0-13, at Piedras Negras, Guatemala; reproduced as Plate 69, page 343 of 'The Ancient Maya' by S.G. Morley) belonging to the Later Classic Stage of Mexican history, associated with the peaking of Maya architecture and sculpture. Mexican historians have not given any interpretation of this panel. It appears that the scene depicted in the panel relates to the great Indian epic 'Ramayana'. It shows a king sitting on the throne and one maidservant with two children standing on the right side of the throne. A guard stands behind the three. On the other side of the king, three important personages are standing whereas the vassal chiefs and important feudatories are sitting in front of the throne. The king on the throne is believed to be Suryavanshi Ram with his three illustrious brothers standing by his side. The two little children are his two sons with a maid and a guard behind them. Amongst the three persons on the right, two are engaged in a discussion whereas the third one, apparently Lakshman, is standing with a bold, brave and confident demeanour which was characteristic of him. The above panel is a beautiful piece of sculpture and an evidence of great Mayan heritage, their artistic taste and superior creative ability and, above all, an archaeological evidence to prove India's link with Mexico in the 8th century at least. The artistic design and postures of the figures carved can be compared to those found at Ajanta and Ellora caves in India. This interpretation, however, remains only a plausible one till the hieroglyphics and frescoes surrounding the wall panel are deciphered. Another archaeological discovery at the same place i.e. Piedras Negras, Guatemala, is a stone stela (No. 12, Plate No. 18, page 61 of 'The Ancient Maya' by S.G. Morley). A mythological scene has been carved in this stela, depicting the architectural and artistic maturity of the Maya people of the Classic Stage (594 - 889 AD). There is a beautiful image of a deity with eight hands (ashtabhuja). The art style is discernibly Indian as in no other religion of the world deities of this type were worshipped. It may be mentioned that the ruling dynasty of Mexico at the time of the conquest by Spaniards was 'Aztec' or Ashtak (Eight). The evidence in the form of such images leaves little doubt about the presence of Indian culture amongst the ancient Mexicans. The stela pertains to the period of more than eight centuries before Columbus set foot on the soil of the so-called New World. The place where these pieces have been discovered - Piedras Negras - appears to be a distorted form of 'Priyadarsh Nagraj' in Sanskrit, as has been the case with so many words distorted by European pronunciation. These stone sculptures are adornments of a Mayan temple and depict some popular mythology prevalent amongst the people of the time. Both human sacrifice and idolatry were much in practice amongst Maya people. Morley has given a detailed and vivid account of Maya culture and society in his book 'The Ancient Maya', profusely quoting Bishop Diego de Landa. Bishop Landa states that Maya people ".had a very great number of idols and temples which were magnificent in their own fashion and besides the community temples, the lords, priests and leading men also had oratories and idols in their houses where they made their prayers and offerings in private". Not only of gods but idols of even animals and insects were prepared by Maya people, who believed in immortality of soul and afterlife. This definitely smacks of an Indian connection. More serious efforts to connect the ancient American civilizations with those of ancient India have to be made. The Trans-Pacific contacts of the people of south-east Asia with the people of ancient America have been established beyond doubt. It is also a well-proven fact of history that Indians of ancient times were great sea-farers. In pre-Mahabharata era as well as in the subsequent period, the kings of southern India possessed large fleets used for trade with the Arabian and European countries where Indian merchandise was much in demand. India's links with south-east Asia and other far-off islands of the Pacific Ocean are an established fact of history. The conquest of Malaya by Rajendra Chola, the story of Buddhagupta the Great Sailor (Mahanavik), the religious expeditions of Indians to preach the gospel of Buddhism in the distant lands of Cambodia, Annam, Bali, Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Japan, Korea, Mongolia and China are proofs of the impact of Indian culture. A remarkable feature of the Indian culture has been that colonial domination was never identified with economic exploitation. The Buddhist Jatakas (folk tales) narrate many stories relating to maritime adventures and daring sea journeys which establish that such activities were an essential part of Indian life at that time. The author is a historian settled in Vienna. Ancient Architects Employed Analogous Design Doctrines and Masonry Methods "Sri V. Ganapati Sthapati," read Deva Rajan's fax to our Hawaii editorial office from Machu Picchu high in the rugged Andes Mountains of Peru, South America, "has just measured with tape, compass and a lay-out story pole, two ancient Incan structures at Machu Picchu: a temple and a residence. He has confirmed that the layout of these structures, locations for doors, windows, proportions of width to length, roof styles, degree of slopes for roofs, column sizes, wall thicknesses, etc., all conform completely to the principles and guidelines as prescribed in the Vastu Shastras of India. Residential layouts are identical to those found in Mohenjodaro. The temple layouts are identical to those that he is building today and that can be found all over India." These startling discoveries came during a March, 1995, visit of the master builder to the ancient Incan and Mayan sites of South and Central America. Ganapati Sthapati is India's foremost traditional temple architect and perhaps the first true expert in sculpture and stone construction to personally examine these ancient buildings. To do so has been his dream since the 1960's. To fulfill this life-long ambition to visit the Mayan and Incan sites, our publisher, Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, arranged for California builders and architects Deva Rajan and Thamby Kumaran to accompany Sthapati on a three-week trip through South and Central America. "Like boys on holiday," they described their exciting trek of discovery which began 11,000 feet high in central Peru at the famed Incan site of Machu Picchu which remained hidden until 1911. It is Sthapati's theory that Mayan, the creator of Indian architecture, originated from the Mayan people of Central America. In Indian history, Mayan appears several times, most significantly as the author of Mayamatam, "Concept of Mayan" which is a Vastu Shastra, a text on art, architecture and town planning. The traditional date for this work is 8,000bce. Mayan appears in the Ramayana (2000bce) and again in the Mahabharata (1400bce)-in the latter he designs a magnificent palace for the Pandava brothers. Mayan is also mentioned in Silappathikaram, an ancient Tamil scripture, and is author of Surya Siddhanta, one of the most ancient Hindu treatises on astronomy. The fundamental principle of Mayan's architecture and town planning is the "module." Buildings and towns are to be laid out according to certain multiples of a standard unit. Floor plans, door locations and sizes, wall heights and roofs, all are determined by the modular plan. More specifically, Mayan advocated the use of an eight-by-eight square, for a total of 64 units, which is known as the Vastu Purusha Mandala. The on-site inspection by Sthapati was to determine if the Incan and Mayan structures did follow a modular plan and reflect the Vastu Purusha Mandala. He also intended to examine the stone working technology-his particular field of expertise. Sthapati was born in 1927 into a family whose ancestors, members of the aboriginal tribe of Viswakarmas, built the great temple at Tanjore in the 10th century ce at the request of Raja Raja Chola. He learned the craft from his father, Sri M. Vaiydyanatha Sthapati and his uncle, Sri M. Sellakkannu Sthapati. He spent 27 years as head of the Government College of Architecture and Sculpture in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, and is responsible for India's significant resurgence in the ancient art of stone carving. After his retirement in 1988, he continued building temples and founded the Vastu Vedic Research Foundation to explore the ancient origins of the temple craftsmen. He is responsible for the construction of dozens of temples in India, plus others in Chicago, Washington D.C., Kentucky, Boston, Baltimore, San Francisco, and Hawaii in the USA as well as in the UK, Singapore, Fiji, Malaysia, Mauritius and the Seychelles. Machu Picchu The moment Sthapati approached an ancient Incan residential building at Machu Picchu on March 15th, he pointed at the wall and said, "That is a thickness of one kishku hasta"-33 inches, a standard measure in South India first promulgated by Mayan. He proceeded to measure the buildings in detail and discovered each was indeed built on a module-based plan , following the system of Mayan's eight-by-eight squares. The module method was followed within small fractions of an inch, according to Thamby Kumaran, who was taking the measurements. The buildings were oriented toward certain points of the compass, also a principle of Mayan, rather than randomly placed. Also the lengths of buildings were never more than twice their width, as Mayan stipulated. From Machu Picchu the three adventurers traveled to Saqsayhuman, an Incan site dated from 400 bce to 1400 ce. Here are the famous stone walls made of rocks weighing up to 160 tons and fitted together so expertly that a knife blade cannot be put in any joint. "Nobody knows how these stones were put in place," offered their guide when they first arrived on the site. Sthapati politely differed, and pointed out the insets chiseled into the base of many stones, as well as small knobs left on their faces. "These are for the use of levers, the exact same system we continue to use in India to move large stones. Thirty to forty men can move these very large rocks with this method," he explained to the guide's astonishment. He could see other details of the stone working were identical to what is practiced in India, such as the method of quarrying stones by splitting off slabs . So too was the jointing and fitting of stones, the use of lime mortar, leveling with a plumb line and triangle, and the corbeling for the roofs. Corbeling is the method by which stones are drawn in layer by layer until they meet or nearly meet to allow a roof slab to be placed on top. Sthapati considers the similarity of this technology to that used in India to be very significant. The use of the horizontal lintel and the absence of the arch are additional noteworthy points of correspondence between the two traditions. Land of the Mayans From the high Andes the threesome flew to Mexico's Yucatan peninsula.They and forty-five thousand other Mayan aficionados arrived at Chichén Itzá in time for the summer equinox on March 21st. At the moment of sunset on the equinox, a shadow is cast by the steps of the Pyramid of the Castle [photo right and on page one, where the shadow can be seen] upon the side of the staircase to the top. The shadow creates the image of a serpent's body which joins a stone carving of a serpent's head at the bottom of the stair case. It is a stunning demonstration of Mayan astronomical and architectural precision. Archeologists, tourists and New Agers all gathered for the event, each with their own agenda. Since the publication of The Mayan Factor-A Path Beyond Technology by José Arguëlles, the Mayans and their advanced calendar, astronomy, philosophy and architecture have enjoyed a wide following in the West. Sthapati too has found much of interest in Arguëlles' book. Standard academia archeologists consider the New Age interest as bordering on superstition and refuse to even talk to anyone partial to Mayan mysticism. A recent book, Copan and Tikal, the Secrets of Two Cities, by Honduran author Ricardo Agurcia Fasquelle and archaeologist Juan Antonio Valdes of Guatemala, claim that the Mayan pyramids were actually castles for the wealthy and that what were once thought to be monuments to the Gods were in fact tributes to the dynasties of various kings. Not likely. Native Mayan teachers such as Hunbatz Men, whom Sthapati met while in the Yucatan, are taking advantage of the interest to spark a revival of the original Mayan religion among the Mayans themselves. Since their brutal conquest and forced conversion to Catholicism by the Spaniards in the 16th century, Mayans have lived an oppressed and impoverished existence. Amidst the crowds, Sthapati, Deva and Thamby again unsheathed their tape measures and closely examined the Pyramid of the Castle . It too conformed to the Vastu Vedic principles of Mayan. The temple structure at the top was exactly 1/4th of the base. And the stepped pyramid design derived from a three-dimensional extension of the basic eight-by-eight grid system. The temple room at the top was also modular in design, with the wall thickness determining the size of doorways, location of columns, thickness of columns and the width and length of the structure. Most interesting was the name of this structure-chilambalam, meaning a sacred space. It is Sthapati's theory that the Mayans worshiped the very concept of space, specifically a space made according to the modular system. This same idea is found in Hinduism in the sacred room in the center of the Chidambaram Siva Temple in South India, where space or akasha is worshiped-there is no idol. Chidambaram, Sthapati finds suspiciously like chilambalam, means "hall of consciousness." The concept of sacred space is at the center of the mystical shilpi tradition of India The richly decorated Mayan buildings provided a feast for a sculptor's eye. There is a very common feature called a "mask" by the archeologists, but known to the Mayans as "Big Nose." A nearly identical face is a common feature of Hindu iconography, seen, for example, at the top of the arch placed behind a deity. "It is the very same thing in India," chuckled Sthapati, "we call it `Maha Nyasa'-Big Nose!" Several other details of the sculptures were similar or identical to India, such as the earrings, ear plugs, teeth, head dresses, even buckles around the waist. There are bas reliefs of priests sitting in lotus posture meditating. From Chichén Itzá, they traveled on to Uxmal where they observed the snake and "bindu" designs on the wall faces [picture right]. They were astounded by the thousands of pyramids at Tikal and Uxacturn in Guatemala, all laid out to conform to a grid pattern and oriented in astronomically significant directions. As in Mayan buildings, Indians have been using lime mortar for all of their stone and brick buildings. This can been seen in the monumental creations in Mahabalipuram and also in the stone temples of Tanjor and Gangai Konda Choleasuram in Tamil Nadu. The outer surfaces were plastered, embellishments worked out in lime mortar, then painted. This method was strongest among the Mayas at Tikal and Uaxactún, where all of the structures once had a plaster coating painted with many colors. What is the Connection? Sri Ganapati Sthapati postulates, after deep thought from his journey to the land of the Mayans and a lifetime study of South Indian architecture, that Mayan, the divine architect of Indian tradition, came from Central America. Ancient Tamil literature speaks of lands to the south of India 30,000 years ago, at the time of the first Tamil Sangam. According to scientists 160 million years ago India did lie physically close to Africa, South and Central America, but has since moved away as a result of continental drift. At that date, it would have been dinosaurs and not Mayans who wandered from the Americas to India, but perhaps the time frame for the continental drift is not correct. Architecture aside, there are significant similarities between Hinduism and the native religions of both Africa and the Americas. There are other explanations. The simplest is boats. In 1970 the Norwegian Thor Hyerdal sailed a reed boat from Africa to the Americas in 57 days using no modern equipment. The boat, Ra II, was built for him by the Aymaro Indians of Lake Titicaca, Peru, neighbors of the ancient Incans. The double-hulled catamarans of India are also capable of long sea voyages. Historians discount contact between ancient people, but many cultures, such as the ancient Hawaiians, had remarkable sea-faring skills. Perhaps the coincidences of stone working are just that, coincidence -a favorite "explanation" of archeologists. Stone workers will discover the same techniques naturally, without need for outside help, they say, and can point to historical incidents of simultaneous discovery. But this explanation hardly accounts for the similarities in motifs and modular design. The Vastu Vedic Tradition Text: V. Ganapati Sthapati spoke eloquently during our interviews of the deep mysticism of his tradition. Here is an excerpt from his paper, "Synthesis of Science and Spirituality in the Vastu Vedic Tradition of Art and Architecture." The Vastu Shilpa tradition of Indian origin has made a scientific approach to the problems of spirit and spiritual realization. This scientific tradition of Va-stu perceives Shakti [energy] as all-pervasive and as the casual substance for all the manifestations of visual and aural phenomena in the universe. They have named their Shakti as Paravastu in Sanskrit and the universal objects as Vastu. The word Paravastu means the quintessence or the ultimate substance. This phenomenon of Vastu and Va-stu can be equated to gold turned into gold ornaments, the shilpi acting as the agent for the transformation. Further, this Vastu is recognized by the Vastu tradition as one dwelling in the inner space of individual beings as well as in the outside space, the universal being. The science says that it is space, because of its self-propelled vibration, that turns into forms-the vibration force acting as the working agency. To do this is its unquestionable nature. This agency is designated as Absolute Time, emerging out of space. This is analogous to the vibration of the instrument of the vina developing into sound space. Here, sound space turns into sound form, and this when set to rhythmic vibration turns into musical form. There is also another space responsible for the sound space. It is called luminous space. This pervades the entire universe (cosmos). This is the ultimate space wherein lie the Absolute Time and Absolute Energy. This is filled with luminous substance (Vastu) consisting of Paramanus, the minute particles of space. This luminous space is supersensitive, capable of becoming conscious of itself and vibrating into objects that it becomes conscious of. This action is its intrinsic nature and responsible for the forms that occur in the inner space of individuals as well as in the outer space of the universe. The experience of this form, in terms of space, is Spiritual Vision. This phenomenon is nothing but abstract science held by the Vastu tradition. The Vastu tradition designates the inner being as Shilpi and the inner manifest subtle form as Shilpa, and as such the whole inner and outer universes are filled with shilpas. The gross visual forms are projected outside from the inside, by the inner being. This is the transformation of the subtle inner form into the gross visual, through the fingers exactly in tune with the subtle in terms of time and space. That "the sculptor becomes the sculpture and the poet becomes the poem" is therefore a powerful Vaignanic statement of the Vastu Vedins, and it is of pure advaitic tone. The projected visual form has the touch of a lyric, depending upon the individual inner culture. The Linguistic Similarities Text: Chacla in Mayan refers to force centers of the body similar to the chakras of Hinduism. K'ultanlilni in Mayan refers to the power of God within man which is controlled by the breath, similar in meaning to kundalini. Mayan chilambalam refers to a sacred space, as does Tamil Chidambaram. Yok'hah in Mayan means "on top of truth," similar to yoga in Sanskrit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 13, 2007 Report Share Posted December 13, 2007 Resp. Sunil ji, Namaskaar, Siddha tradition is much hyped one, those who were against integrity of India, has painted the tradition in their favorite colors. Sometimes, this tradition is sometimes used to counter vednata philosphy, I have recently seen some of the books in various book shops, while visiting them and i didnt find one line's difference btwn siddha way of spirituality and vedanta way of spirituality. India is the sole resource of every civilization of the world, mother of the humanity. regards, Lalit. Vedic Astrologyandhealing , " sunil nair " <astro_tellerkerala wrote: > > > hare rama krishna > > dear group , > > yavanahi mlecha ---varahmihira says -- (he said only -the yavanas > those who know astrology is respected like brahmins and not that > astrology is from greek s ,also he was quoting garga hora which is more > earlier than varahmihira ) > > and he says sidhantas were made by indian rishis ,but our western fed > minds says one side varahmihira correct and other side were he said 18 > sidhantas were popular -is wrong and we got from greece . > > This is a speculation as many of the mayan culture is similar to > indian culture >this was approved by sri karan singh who was MP and > minister of india who hails from kashmir and son of kashmir raja . > > i also read that in sidha philosophy which says old sidha land was far > and wide and now reduced to modern south india . > > But sidhas were siva worshippers and from kailas to kanyakumari u can > see siva worship all over india . > > so i am trying to see the missing links > > here we r under the house arrest of judo christian analysis of time > frame . > > happy reading to all . > > I will try to see the jyothishs priciples availble in vedas and come out > with my own version . > > regrds sunil nair > > om shreem mahalaxmai namah . > > ======================================= > > > > India on Pacific Waves > > The following article provides a brief look at the major accomplishments > of India, many of which have also helped in the development of the > Western or European culture. > > > > Baffling Links to Ancient India: History is full of misnomers; one such > term is the New World, as applied to the Americas. The landing of > Columbus in 1492 undoubtedly created a new life on the continents, but > it neither created nor discovered a new world. Many centuries ago Asian > migrants had come to the western shore in substantial numbers. > > > > What if the popular idea that Tibetans and American Indians have much in > common in terms of their spiritual culture is largely a result of > another historical scenario? > > > > What if Hindus and Hopis, Advantins and Aztecs, Tibetan Monks and Mayans > were part of one world culture - a spiritual one? > > > > Baron Alexander von Humbolt (1769-1859), an eminent European scholar and > anthropologist, was one of the first to postulate the Asiatic origin of > the Indian civilizations of the Americas. Swami B.V. Tripurari asks, " > What mysterious psychological law would have caused Asians, and > Americans to both use the umbrella as a sign of royalty, to invent the > same games, imagine similar cosmologies, and attribute the same colors > to the different directions? " > > > > > The first Maya Empire had been founded in Guatemala at about the > beginning of the Christian era. Before the fall of Rome the Mayas were > charting accurately the synodical revolutions of Venus, and whilst > Europe was still lingering in the Dark Ages the Maya civilization had > reached a peak of greatness. > > > It is significant that the zenith of Maya civilization was reached at a > time when India had also attained an unparalleled cultural peak during > the Gupta period, and Indian cultural intercourse with Southeast Asia, > the Gupta period had begun more than a century before the Mayan > classical age in 320 and Buddhism and Hinduism had been well known in > neighboring countries for centuries. If there was contact between Mayan > America and Indianized Southeast Asia, the simultaneous cultural advance > would not appear surprising. In marked contrast, this was the darkest > period in Europe's history between the sack of Rome and the rise of > Charlemagne. > > > > The most important development of the ancient American or Indo- American > culture took place in the south of the United States, in Mexico, in > central America, and in Peru. The early history of Indo-Americans is > shrouded in mystery and controversy due to the absence of definitive > documentary evidence, which was destroyed by the European conquerors in > their misguided religious zeal. However, it appears that after the > discovery of introduction of maize into Mexico, Indo Americans no longer > had to wander about in search of food. Men in America, as in other parts > of the world, settled down to cultivate food and culture, a by- product > of agricultural life, inevitably followed. Of the Indo American > civilizations, the best known are the Maya, the Toltec, the Aztec, and > the Inca. The Mayas were possibly the earliest people to found a > civilization there; they moved form the Mexican plateau into Gauatemala. > They were later pushed out, presumably by the Toltecs, who, in turn were > dislodged by the Aztecs. > > > > Similarities: > > > > 1. Astrology > > > > Baron Alexander Von Humboldt, whilst visiting Mexico, found similarities > between Asian and Mexican astrology. He found that the systematic study > of ancient American cultures and was convinced of the Asian origin of > the American-Indian high civilization. He said,: " if languages supply > but feeble evidence of ancient communication between the two worlds, > their communication is fully poved by the cosmogonies, the monuments, > the hieroglyphical characters and the institutions of the people of > America and Asia. " > > > > In 1866, the French architect, Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, also noted > striking resemblances between ancient Mexican structures and those of > South India. > > > > 2. Hindu-Mexican Trinity > > > > Scholars were also greatly impressed by the similarity between the Hindu > Trinity - Brahma-Visnu-Shiva and the Mexican Trinity - > Ho-Huizilopochtli-Tlaloc-as well as the likeness between Indian temples > and American pyramids. The parallels between the Hindu > Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva Trinity and the Mexican Ho-Huitzilopochtli- Tlaloc > Trinity, and the resemblances between the attributes of certain Hindu > deities and those of the Mayan pantheon are impressive. Discussing the > diffusion of Indian religions to Mexico, a recent scholar, Paul > Kirchhoff, has even suggested that it is not simply a question of > miscellaneous influences wandering from one country to the other, but > that China, India, Java, and Mexico actually share a common system. " > > > > Kirchhoff has sought " to demonstrate that a calendar classification of > 28 Hindu gods and their animals into twelve groups, subdivided into four > blocks, within each of which we find a sequence of gods and animals > representing Creation, Destruction and Renovation, and which can be > shown to have existed both in India and Java, must have been carried > from the Old World to the New, since in Mexico we find calendaric lists > of gods and animals that follow each other without interruption in the > same order and with attributes and functions or meanings strikingly > similar to those of the 12 Indian and Javanese groups of gods, showing > the same four subdivisions. " > > > > E. B. Taylor also found the counterparts of the tortoise myth of India > in ancient America. Donald A. Mackenzie and other scholars, however, are > of definite opinion that the ancient Mexicans and Peruvians were > familiar with Indian mythology and cite in support close parallels in > details. For instance, the history of the Mayan elephant symbol cannot > be traced in the local tradition, whereas it was a prominent religious > symbol in India. The African elephant has larger ears. It is the profile > of the Indian elephant, its tusk and lower lip, the form of its ear, as > well as its turbaned rider with his ankus, which is found in > Meso-American models. Whilst the African elephant was of little > religious significance, it had been tamed in India and associated with > religious practices since the early days. > > > > The Mexican doctrine of the World's Ages - the universe was destroyed > four consecutive times - is reminiscent of the Indian Yugas. Even the > reputed colors of these mythical four ages, white, yellow, red and black > are identical with and in the same order as one of the two versions of > the Indian Yugas. In both myths the duration of the First Age is exactly > the same, 4,800 divine years. The Mexican Trinity is associated with > this doctrine as in the Hindu Trinity with the Yugas in India. Later, > two English scholars Channing Arnold and Fredrick J.Tabor Frost, in > their The American Egypt, made a detailed examination of the > transpacific contacts, reinforcing the view of Buddhist influences on > Central America. The most recent and by far the most systematic > well-reasoned, and effective case has been advanced by the eminent > archaeologist, R. Heine-Geldern and Gordon Ekholm, who favor Indian and > Southeast Asian cultural influences on ancient America through migration > across the Pacific. > > > > According to the Mayan calendar, which is extant, the time record of the > Mayas began on 6 August 613 B.C. It is an exact date based upon > intricated astronomical calculations, and prolonged observations. To > work out this kind of elaborate calendar must have taken well over two > thousand years of studying stars, and the IndoAmericans must have been > remarkably shrewd observers. > > > > 3. Use of Zero > > > > The Mayas of Yucatan were the first people besides the Indians to use a > zero sign and represent number values by the position of basic symbols. > The similarity between the Indian zero and the Mayan zero is indeed > striking. So far as the logical principle is concerned, the two are > identical, but the expressions of the principle are dissimilar. Again, > whilst the Indian system of notation was decimal, as was the European, > the Mayan was vigesimal. Consequently, their 100 stood for 400, 1000 > stood for 8000, 1234 for 8864. While the place of zero in the respective > systems of the Indians and Mayans is different, the underlying principle > and method are the same, and the common origin of the Mayan and Indian > zeros appears to be undoubted. Disputes continue amongst scholars in the > absence of conclusive evidence. As chronological evidence stands today, > the Mayan zero appears to be anterior by several centuries to its Hindu > counterpart. > > 4. Other similarities > > > > In 1949, two scholars, Gordon Ekholm and Chaman Lal, systematically > compared the Mayan, Aztec, Incan, and the North American Indian > civilizations with the Hindu-oriented countries of Southeast Asia and > with India herself. According to them, the emigrant cultures of India > took with them India's system of time measurement, local gods, and > customs. Ekholm and Lal found signs of Aryan civilization throughout the > Americas in art (lotus flowers with knotted stems and half- dragon/half > fish motifs found commonly in paintings and carvings), architecture, > calendars, astronomy, religious symbols, and even games such as our > Parchessi and Mexican Patilli, which have their origins in India's > pachisi. > > > > Both the Hindus and Americans used similar items in their worship > rituals. They both maintained the concept of four Yuga cycles, or > cosmological seasons, extending over thousands of years, and concieved > of twelve constellations with reference to the sun as indicated by the > Incan sun calendar. Royal insignias, systems of government, and practice > of religious dance and temple worship all showed remarkable > similarities, pointing strongly to the idea that the Americas were > strongly influenced by the Aryans. The theory is found in the Vedic > literature of India. The ancient Puranas (literally, histories) and the > Mahabharata make mention of the Americas as lands rich with gold and > silver. Argentina, which means " related to silver " , is thought to have > been named after Arjuna (of silver hue). > > > > Another scholar, Ramon Mena, author of Mexican Archaelogy, called the > Nahuatl, Zapoteca, and mayan languages " of Hindu origin. " He went to > say, " A deep mystery enfolds the tribes that inhabited the state of > Chiappas in the district named Palenque....their writing, and the > anthropological type, as well as their personal adornments...their > system and style of construction clearly indicate the remotest > antiquity...(they) all speak of India and the Orient. " > > > > Still another scholar, Ambassador Miles Poindexter, a former ambassador > of the United States to Mexico, in his two-volume 1930s treatise The > Arya-Incas, called the Mayan civilization " unquestionably Hindu. " He > proposed that primitive Aryan words and people came to America by the > island chains of Polynesia. The Mexican name for boat is a South Indian > Tamil word, Catamaran, and Poindexter gives a long list of words of the > Quechha languages and their analogous forms in Sanskrit. Similarities > between the hymns of the Inca rulers of Peru and Vedic hymns have been > pointed out. A. L. Krober has also found striking similarities between > the structure of Indo-European and the Penutian language of some of the > tribes along the northwestern coast of California. Recently, an Indian > scholar, B. C. Chhabra,in his " Vestiges of Indian Culture in Hawaii " , > has noticed certain resemblances between the symbols found in the > petroglyphs from the Hawaiian Islands and those on the Harappan seals. > Some of the symbols in the petroglyphs are described as akin to early > Brahmi script. > > > > Indeed, the parallels between the arts and culture of India and those of > ancient America are too numerous and close to be attributed to > independent growth. A variety of art forms are common to Mexico, India, > Java, and Indochina, the most striking of which are the Teocallis, the > pyramids, with receding stages, faced with cut stone, and with stairways > leading to a stone sanctuary on top. Many share surprisingly common > features such as serpent columns and bannisters, vaulted galleries and > corbeled arches, attached columns, stone cut-out lattices, and Atlantean > figures; these are typical of the Puuc style of Yucatan. Heine- Geldern > and Ekholm point out that temple pyramids in Cambodia did not become > important until the ninth and tenth centuries, a time coinciding with > the beginning of the Puuc period. > > > > 5. The lotus motif > > > > The buildings of Chichen Itza show certain influences from Southeast > Asia; for example, the lotus motif occurs in the Mercado (covered > market). The Mercado is strikingly reminiscent of the galleries so > typical of the Cambodian architecture that eventually blossomed into the > galleries of Angkor Vat. The lotus motif, interspersed with seated human > figures, which has a deep symbolic meaning in Hindu and Buddhist > mythologies and as such is an integral part of early Indian art, > especially of Amaravati, is found at Chichen Itza as a border in the > reliefs of the lower room of the Temple of Tigers. The similarity > between the art of Amaravati and that of Chichen Itza is particularly > noticeable in reclining figures holding on to the rhizome of the lotus. > The Mexican Lion-throne and Lotus-throne remind one of Indian Simhasana > and Padmasana. The parasol, a mark of royalty amongst the Mayas, the > Aztecs, and the Incas, may be an adaptation of the royal Chatra in us in > India and Indianized Asia from the earliest times. A kind of caste > system prevailed amongst the Incas of Peru. Peruvians worshipped an > omnipotent and invisible Supreme being, Viracocha, creator and preserver > of the world. Imprints of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata have been > noticed on the poetry of Peru. The official history of Mexico officially > admits that " those who arrived first on the continent later to be known > as America were groups of men driven by the mighty current that set out > from India " . Lopez, Spanish author of The Aryan Races in Peru writes : > " Every page of Peruvian poetry bears the imprint of Ramayana and > Mahabharata. " > > > > In Indian art the lotus rhizome frequently protrudes from the mouths of > makaras, sea monsterswith fish-like bodies and elephants-like trunks. At > Chichen Itza, stylized figures of fish are found at both ends of the > lotus plant, in the same position as the makaras in India. " Such a > combination of highly specific details cannot be accidental. It suggests > the existence of some kind of relationship between Maya art and not only > Buddhist art in general, but the school of Amaravati of the second > century A.D. in particular. " > > > > Ancient America was as rich in gods and temples as was India. The Indo > American term for god, " teo, " is close to the Sanskrit 'deva " . E. > G.Squire noted similarities in both major and minor features of Buddhist > temples of South India and Mexico they were round and different colors > were used on each of the four quarters. In " It would be ridiculous to > assert that such a strange doctrine was of spontaneous origin in > different parts of the Old and New worlds. " says D.A. Mackenzie, in his > book Myths of Pre-Columbian America. Scholars who insist that > pre-Columbian American religion and civilization was of independent > origin are obliged to explain why the myths, beliefs, and practices of > ancient America assumed such complex features at the very beginning, > whilst in Asia they resulted from the fusions and movements of numerous > peoples after a period of time much greater than that covered by > American civilizations from beginning to the end. > > > > Swami B.V. Tripurari states in his book, Ancient Wisdom for Modern > Ignorance - " Who discovered America " . Broadly speaking, cultural > historians of Asiomerica are divided into two camps, " diffusionists " and > " Isolationists " . Diffusionists maintained that after this occurred > civilized Asiatic people distributed themselves via the Pacific, thereby > bringing civilization to the Americas. Isolationists insisted that after > the nomadic tribes crossed the Bering Strait, a homogenous race of > " Indians of the Americas' was formed, and the American tribes-people > went about reinventing all culture, duplicating in two thousand years > what originally took about six millenniums in the Old World! > > > > By the same token, No archaeologist today would attribute to prehistory > Europeans the independent invention of bronze casting, iron work, the > wheel, weaving, pottery, writing, and so many other cultural elements > that were derived from the Middle East. What then would cause one to > insist that what was not possible for the Europeans (duplicating culture > independently) was possible for the American Indians? Especially when at > the same time we are taught that the Europeans were of superior stock? > > > > Will Durant, eminent American historian, in his book Our Oriental > Heritage, described India as the most ancient civilization on earth and > he offered many examples of Indian culture throughout the world. He > demonstrated that as early as the ninth century B.C. E. Indians were > exploring the sea routes, reaching out and extending their cultural > influences to Mesopotamia, Arabia, and Egypt. Although modern-day > historians and anthropologists might prefer to accept Egypt or Babylon > as the most ancient civilization, due to various archaeological > findings, their theories are by no means conclusive. The popular theory > in the academic community that the Aryans invaded India has also been > disproved. Perhaps itis easier for modern people to accept ancient Egypt > and Babylon, whose ancient civilizations have no living representation > and thereby pose no threat or challenge to the status quo. But India is > alive and kicking. If we recognize with ancient India as the spiritual > giant, we would have to reckon with her modern-day representations. No > wonder the Vedic literature and spiritual ideology loomed as the > greatest threat to the British Raj in India in their imperialistic > conquest of India. > > > > Gene Matlock, author of India Once Ruled the Americas! states: The > people of India have long known that their ancestors once sailed to and > settled in the Americas. They called America 'Patala,' The Underworld,' > not because they believed it to be underground, but because the other > side of the globe appeared to be straight down. " Skilled Seafaring Men > > > > The only plausible argument against cultural diffusion from southern > Pacific is the distance involved. It is asserted that it would have been > unlikely for a large number of people to have crossed the vast expanse > of the Pacific without well-equipped boats and skillful voyagers. The > argument, however, falls, upon close scrutiny. It would not be at all > difficult for a large canoe or catarmaran to cross from Polynesia to > South America even at the present time, and the ancient Asians were > skilled and enterprising seafaring men. > > > > However, Asian ability to cross the seas during this period is > undoubted. The art of shipbuilding and navigation in India and China at > the time was sufficiently advanced for oceanic crossings. Indian ships > operating between Indian and South-east Asian ports were large and well > equipped to sail cross the Bay of Bengal. When the Chinese Buddhist > scholar, Fa-hsien, returned from India, his ship carried a crew of more > than two hundred persons and did not sail along the coasts but directly > across the ocean. Such ships were larger than those Columbus used to > negotiate the Atlantic a thousand years later. According to the work of > mediaeval times, Yukti Kalpataru, which gives a fund of information > about shipbuilding, India built large vessels from 200 B.C. to the close > of the sixteenth century. A Chinese chronicler mentions ships of > Southern Asia that could carry as many as one thousand persons, and were > manned mainly by Malayan crews. They used western winds and currents in > the North Pacific to reach California, sailed south along the coast, and > then returned to Asia with the help of the trade winds, taking a more > southerly route, without however, touching the Polynesian islands. In > ancient times the Indians excelled in shipbuilding and even the English, > who were attentive to everything which related to naval architecture, > found early Indian models worth copying. The Indian vessels united > elegance and utility, and were models of fine workmanship. > > > > Sir John Malcolm wrote : > > > > " Indian vessels " are so admirably adapted to the purpose for which they > are required that, not withstanding their superior science, Europeans > were unable, during an intercourse with India for two centuries, to > suggest or at least to bring into successful practice one improvement. " > > > > It was also known that in the third century a transport of horses, which > would require large ships, reached Malaya and Indo-China. > > > > Emilio Estrada, Clifford Evans, and Betty J. Meggers, who have pointed > out many striking similarities between Ecuadorian archaeological remains > of the early Bahia and early Jama-Coaque cultures with relics of > approximately the same period of Japan, India and SoutEast Asia, also > support the feasibility of trans-pacific voyage. The New Zealand pre > historian, S. Percy Smith, tries to show in his Hawaiki - the Original > home of the Maori that the ancient Polynesian wanderers left India as > far back as the fourth century B.C. and were daring mariners who made, > more often than not, adventurous voyages with the definite object of new > settlements. A people who reached as far east as Easter Island could not > have missed the great continent ahead of them. > > > > What was the motive that urged Indians and Asians to undertake long > journeys to America? > > > > It was probably gold, which initially attracted Indian adventurers and > merchants to Southeast Asia. Southeast Asia was a region broadly > referred to by ancient Indians as Suvarnabhumi (Land of Gold) or > Suvarnadvipa (the Island of Gold). Arab writer Al Biruni testify that > Indians called the whole Southeast region Suwarndib. Hellenistic > geographers knew the area as the Golden Chersonese. The Chinese called > it Kin-Lin; kin means gold. The mariners were probably looking for gold > or were prospecting for precious metals, stones and pearls to cope with > the demand in the centers of ancient civilizations. This view is > substantially reinforced by W. J Perry who was the first scholar to > point out that the distribution of the pearling beds of the world and > why, wherever pearls are found similar complex religious beliefs, myths, > beliefs, and practices are also found. It is therefore significant that > the mythology of the pre-Columbian American civilizations " was deeply > impregnated by the religious beliefs and practices and habits of life > that obtained amongst the treasure-seekers of the Old World. " Equally > significant is the fact that the Mayas preferred to settle in that part > of Central America which was unhealthy but rich in precious stones and > gold. Like Indians, Indo Americans accumulated stones and gold and made > symbolic ornaments from them. Mexican temples and idols, as in India, > were lavishly decorated with gold and precious stones. In Conclusion, it > may be said, that whatever the motive, transpacific traffic would seem > to have gone on regularly for about two thousand years, from about the > eighth century B.C. to the twelfth century. In view of so many parallels > in fundamental conceptions and detail, in mythology, ritual, > iconography, architecture, religious beliefs, crowns, thrones, plants, > together with the evidence of migration, it appears incredible that > isolationists should continue to insist on the independent evolution of > Indo American civilization. > Source of Information: > > 1. India and World Civilization - By D. P.Singhal. 2. Myths of > Pre-Columbian America - By Donald A. Mackenzie 3. Ancient Wisdom for > Modern Ignorance - By Swami B. V. Tripurari > > > > > > European Conquest and Atrocities: > > > > The Mayans were the earliest people to have found a civilization there, > they moved from the Mexican plateau into Gauatemala. They were later > pushed out, by the Toltecs, who, in turn, dislodged by the Aztecs. This > was an era that saw the blossoming of a unified Central American > civilization. The Toltecs were very prosperous. They were accomplished > architects, carpenters and mechanics. The Aztecs also made some striking > cultural advances. They developed a lake civilization based on the > island in Lake Texcoco, where they built their remarkable city. > Mexico-Tenochtitlan, which was surrounded by the colorful Chinampas, or > floating gardens. The city was described by Bernal de Diaz, the > companion of the Spanish commander Cortes, as a dreamland which inspired > the Spanish invaders to lyrical adulation and murderous plunder. Diaz > wrote that the Mexicans were like the Romans, and that there was nothing > in Spain to match the royal palace of Montezuma. Hernando Cortes is said > to have slaughtered, in less than two hours, six thousand people who had > gathered in a temple patio. Destruction of Aztec cities was so complete > that almost everything lay in ruins. The elite of the Asiomericans were > put to death almost to the last man. After his entry into the conquered > capital Tenochtitlan, Cortes wrote that " you could not put down your > foot without stepping on an Indian corpse. " In addition, his soldiery, a > few years later in the Inca Empire, driven by lust for gold, melted down > irreplaceable works of art by the ton to get the precious metal. Thus, > the Aztecs civilization came to violent end. > > > > Burning of Libraries and records: > > > > If the history of pre-Columbian America, is obscure, it is because after > the Spanish conquest, the first Bishop of Mexico, Juan de Zumarraga, > burned all the records of the Library of Texcoco in Tlateloco market > square as " the work of the Devil, " and religious fanatics destroyed > temples and statues. Zumarraga, gloating over his success, wrote to his > superiors in 1531 that he alone had five hundred temples razed to the > ground and twenty thousand idols destroyed. Fray Diego de Landa, the > second Bishop of Yucatan, following the pattern, reduced the Maya > Library in Yucatan to ashes in 1562. Post-Columbus history of America > for 300 years was the story of ruthless destruction and fanatics like > Bishop Diego da Landa burnt a huge bonfire of valuable documents and > nothing but the three codices of 'Chilam Balam' could survive the > holocaust.... > > > > He wrote Relación de las cosas de Yucatán, A Narrative of the > Things of Yucatan in 1566, Therein the states, " We found a large number > of their books of these letters, and because they did not have anything > in which there was not superstition and falsehoods of the devil, we > burned them all, which they felt very sorry for and which caused them > grief. " > > > > > > Landa, in his religious zeal, ordered all their idols destroyed and all > Mayan books to be burned; he was surprised at the distress this caused > the Indians. His orders to destroy all icons and hieroglyphics > obliterated the Mayan language forever, helping to undermine and destroy > the civilization he so vividly described. It was Landa that gave the > orders for all the Mayans to bring all manuscripts to the public squares > in Mani to be burned. All these books contained what would now be > priceless information on astronomy, medicine, religion, and philosophy. > What Emperor Theodosious of Constantinople did to the library at > Alexandria to save Christianity from the Greek and Oriental pagan > knowledge deposited there, these priests did in Central America with > similar motives but larger success. The burning of manuscripts continued > for decades. Soldiers were encouraged to ransack palaces, public > buildings, and private houses to find manuscripts. Pablo Jose de > Arriaga, the head of the Jesuit College in Peru, in almost unparalleled > fanaticism, caused the systematic and wholesale destruction of all state > archives, customs records, royal and imperial archives, codes of laws, > temple archives, and historical records. Less than a score of > manuscripts escaped annihilation. These libraries contained records of > ancient history, medicine, astronomy, science, religion, and philosophy. > > > > The Spaniards destroyed whatever they could, but they could not, for > instance, burn the great Pyramid of the sun and the remains of > Teotihuacan, which speak of the splendid bygone civilization. This is > one of the great crimes of world cultural history No matter how much > historians stretch their imagination, it will never be possible to > reconstruct a picture of these advanced civilizations which would do > them justice, and yet be held historically acceptable. Beyond Mexico, > the ancient Andean or Peruvian civilization also suffered an even worse > fate at the hands of the Spainards than did their neighbors in Central > America. The Spanish assault on the Incas, the Spanish avarice of gold, > and barbarities perpetrated in the wake of victory, including the > inhuman tortures publicly inflicted on the Inca King, Atahuallpa, are > illustrations of savagery seldom surpassed in history. > > The Story of Betrayal > > > > The Spaniards were mistaken by Indo Americans for their legendary white > gods, who were to be made welcome and it they inflicted suffering it was > to be accepted as a divine judgment. And by a tragic coincidence, the > Spanish conquerors invaded Mexico at about the time, in 1519, as the > Aztec priests and tradition had predicted the return of the white gods. > The Aztecs even offered the Spanish conquistadores the vestments of > Quetzalcoatl and other gods and considered performing human sacrifice to > them in case they were fatigued after such a long journey. Through out > the Incas Empire, the Spainiards were greeted as Viracocha, the Inca > name of the great White God they had been waiting for. It is only when > the Indo Americans were completely horrified and disillusioned by the > brutalities and merciless killings, that they recognized their mistake. > > > > The realization that the Spainard's were not gods, but popolocas > (barbarians), however, came too late. The European conquerors of South > and Central America not only destroyed practically all the records and > literature of Indo America, but created an utterly distorted images of > the American past by taking some of its ugly features out of context and > magnifying them out of proportion. For instance, the human sacrifice > practiced by the Aztecs was repeatedly stressed without explaining its > extenuating features, and without pointing out that human sacrifice had > not been unknown to other peoples, such as in Europe and Rome. Taking > their technique a step further they contrasted this picture with that of > their own deeds in Indo America in which European misdemeanor, caprice, > and criminality were soft-pedaled and civilized and human behavior > emphasized. > > > > Most people believe that Indo Americans were uncivilized hordes with an > occasional freak of knowledge, who had contributed nothing of permanent > value to civilization by 1492. Despite a good deal of information to the > contrary, there is resistance to accepting a change in this image. > Misconceptions multiply fast but die slowly. The Mexican Indians and the > Incas of Peru were primarily vegetarians. They were of high moral > character and hospitable and generous as a habit. They practiced > astrology, and mental telepathy was common among them. It was perhaps > their peace-loving disposition that, like the Hindus, allowed them to be > ruled by Europeans. The Europeans, through book burning and bayonet, > successfully, " converted " them, leaving very little trace of their noble > civilization. > > > > Maya Civilization of Mexico. > > Baffling Links with Ancient India > > The archaeological remains of ancient Maya civilization of Mexico are > lying scattered in the parts of Yucatan, Campeche, Tabasco and eastern > half of Chiapas as well as in the territory of Quintana Roo of the > republic of Mexico. Covering an area of about 125,000 square miles, its > traces are to be found in the western section of Honduras Republic, > Peten and adjacent highlands of Guatemala and practically in the whole > of Honduras. Admiral Christopher Columbus mistakenly called the New > World inhabitants as Indians. Although he corrected himself > subsequently, the natives of Americas continued to be called 'Indians'. > During the course of his third journey, Columbus came into contact with > 'Maya' people. Many theories have been advanced by scholars to explain > the origins of these American Indians and if there were any links > between the ancient civilizations of the Old World and the New World. > There are historians who believe that the American civilizations were > purely native in origin and also those who maintain the theory of Asians > crossing over through Bering Strait via Alaska and reaching the American > continent some 12,000 - 15,000 years ago. However, the antiquity of > American Indians remains shrouded in the veil of mystery. In spite of a > great deal of investigations, explorations and deep study by scholars > and innumerable historians during the last many centuries, what we know > about pre-Columbus Americas is very little in comparison to what we do > not know. To quote Glyn Daniel from his book 'The First Civilizations', > " within 15 years, between 1519 to 1533, the Western world discovered and > brutally destroyed three civilizations - the Aztecs of Mexico, Maya of > Yuacatan and Guatemala and Inca of Peru. " > > > > Aztec is Asthaka, Maya is Maya, and Inca is Anga in the native > languages. The unique elaboration of the Mayan civilization has been a > challenge to the imagination of explorers and students of history. The > Mayans had attained the highest maturity in art, craft, sculpture and > hieroglyphs. Innumerable theories exist about these ancient people. > Their magnificent achievements in social, economic, political and > religious fields, their calendar and hieroglyphic writings, reasons of > the sudden collapse of their classic culture everywhere in Mesoamerica, > the reality of 'Kulkulkan Quetzal-Coatl' myth are some of the riddles of > Mexican history challenging modern research. The 'Maya' Indians spent > thousands of years in building their magnificent monuments and Mayapan, > Palenque, Copan, Tikal, Kaminalijuyu and Piedras Negras were the centres > where Mayan culture flourished in splendour. How and why these places > were deserted in the past is still a mystery. Although modern scientists > have achieved significant success in deciphering Maya calendar system, > none has been able to decipher their hieroglyphic system of writing. > > > > The possibility of links of these people with Old World civilizations > and particularly with ancient India is not acceptable to many > historians. However, there are those who hold a different view. Eminent > scholar-writers like Mackenzie, Hewitt, Tod, Pococke and Mrs. Nuttal > have collected plenty of data to show that ancient American > civilizations were influenced by Old World civilizations. We have to > remember that the post-Columbus history of America for 300 years was the > story of ruthless destruction and fanatics like Bishop Diego da Landa > burnt a huge bonfire of valuable documents and nothing but the three > codices of 'Chilam Balam' could survive the holocaust. > > > > There are two specific archaeological discoveries pertaining to 761 AD, > about which most Mexican historians are silent, that attract our > attention as possible links of Maya civilization to ancient India. The > first one is a wall panel (Panel No. 3 of Temple 0-13, at Piedras > Negras, Guatemala; reproduced as Plate 69, page 343 of 'The Ancient > Maya' by S.G. Morley) belonging to the Later Classic Stage of Mexican > history, associated with the peaking of Maya architecture and sculpture. > Mexican historians have not given any interpretation of this panel. It > appears that the scene depicted in the panel relates to the great Indian > epic 'Ramayana'. It shows a king sitting on the throne and one > maidservant with two children standing on the right side of the throne. > A guard stands behind the three. On the other side of the king, three > important personages are standing whereas the vassal chiefs and > important feudatories are sitting in front of the throne. The king on > the throne is believed to be Suryavanshi Ram with his three illustrious > brothers standing by his side. The two little children are his two sons > with a maid and a guard behind them. Amongst the three persons on the > right, two are engaged in a discussion whereas the third one, apparently > Lakshman, is standing with a bold, brave and confident demeanour which > was characteristic of him. The above panel is a beautiful piece of > sculpture and an evidence of great Mayan heritage, their artistic taste > and superior creative ability and, above all, an archaeological evidence > to prove India's link with Mexico in the 8th century at least. The > artistic design and postures of the figures carved can be compared to > those found at Ajanta and Ellora caves in India. This interpretation, > however, remains only a plausible one till the hieroglyphics and > frescoes surrounding the wall panel are deciphered. > > > > Another archaeological discovery at the same place i.e. Piedras Negras, > Guatemala, is a stone stela (No. 12, Plate No. 18, page 61 of 'The > Ancient Maya' by S.G. Morley). A mythological scene has been carved in > this stela, depicting the architectural and artistic maturity of the > Maya people of the Classic Stage (594 - 889 AD). There is a beautiful > image of a deity with eight hands (ashtabhuja). The art style is > discernibly Indian as in no other religion of the world deities of this > type were worshipped. It may be mentioned that the ruling dynasty of > Mexico at the time of the conquest by Spaniards was 'Aztec' or Ashtak > (Eight). The evidence in the form of such images leaves little doubt > about the presence of Indian culture amongst the ancient Mexicans. The > stela pertains to the period of more than eight centuries before > Columbus set foot on the soil of the so-called New World. The place > where these pieces have been discovered - Piedras Negras - appears to be > a distorted form of 'Priyadarsh Nagraj' in Sanskrit, as has been the > case with so many words distorted by European pronunciation. These stone > sculptures are adornments of a Mayan temple and depict some popular > mythology prevalent amongst the people of the time. Both human sacrifice > and idolatry were much in practice amongst Maya people. Morley has given > a detailed and vivid account of Maya culture and society in his book > 'The Ancient Maya', profusely quoting Bishop Diego de Landa. Bishop > Landa states that Maya people " .had a very great number of idols and > temples which were magnificent in their own fashion and besides the > community temples, the lords, priests and leading men also had oratories > and idols in their houses where they made their prayers and offerings in > private " . Not only of gods but idols of even animals and insects were > prepared by Maya people, who believed in immortality of soul and > afterlife. This definitely smacks of an Indian connection. More serious > efforts to connect the ancient American civilizations with those of > ancient India have to be made. The Trans-Pacific contacts of the people > of south-east Asia with the people of ancient America have been > established beyond doubt. It is also a well-proven fact of history that > Indians of ancient times were great sea-farers. In pre-Mahabharata era > as well as in the subsequent period, the kings of southern India > possessed large fleets used for trade with the Arabian and European > countries where Indian merchandise was much in demand. India's links > with south-east Asia and other far-off islands of the Pacific Ocean are > an established fact of history. The conquest of Malaya by Rajendra > Chola, the story of Buddhagupta the Great Sailor (Mahanavik), the > religious expeditions of Indians to preach the gospel of Buddhism in the > distant lands of Cambodia, Annam, Bali, Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Japan, > Korea, Mongolia and China are proofs of the impact of Indian culture. > > > > A remarkable feature of the Indian culture has been that colonial > domination was never identified with economic exploitation. The Buddhist > Jatakas (folk tales) narrate many stories relating to maritime > adventures and daring sea journeys which establish that such activities > were an essential part of Indian life at that time. The author is a > historian settled in Vienna. > > > > Ancient Architects Employed Analogous Design Doctrines and Masonry > Methods > > > > " Sri V. Ganapati Sthapati, " read Deva Rajan's fax to our Hawaii > editorial office from Machu Picchu high in the rugged Andes Mountains of > Peru, South America, " has just measured with tape, compass and a lay-out > story pole, two ancient Incan structures at Machu Picchu: a temple and a > residence. He has confirmed that the layout of these structures, > locations for doors, windows, proportions of width to length, roof > styles, degree of slopes for roofs, column sizes, wall thicknesses, > etc., all conform completely to the principles and guidelines as > prescribed in the Vastu Shastras of India. Residential layouts are > identical to those found in Mohenjodaro. The temple layouts are > identical to those that he is building today and that can be found all > over India. " > > > > These startling discoveries came during a March, 1995, visit of the > master builder to the ancient Incan and Mayan sites of South and Central > America. Ganapati Sthapati is India's foremost traditional temple > architect and perhaps the first true expert in sculpture and stone > construction to personally examine these ancient buildings. To do so has > been his dream since the 1960's. > > > > To fulfill this life-long ambition to visit the Mayan and Incan sites, > our publisher, Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, arranged for California > builders and architects Deva Rajan and Thamby Kumaran to accompany > Sthapati on a three-week trip through South and Central America. " Like > boys on holiday, " they described their exciting trek of discovery which > began 11,000 feet high in central Peru at the famed Incan site of Machu > Picchu which remained hidden until 1911. > > > > It is Sthapati's theory that Mayan, the creator of Indian architecture, > originated from the Mayan people of Central America. In Indian history, > Mayan appears several times, most significantly as the author of > Mayamatam, " Concept of Mayan " which is a Vastu Shastra, a text on art, > architecture and town planning. The traditional date for this work is > 8,000bce. Mayan appears in the Ramayana (2000bce) and again in the > Mahabharata (1400bce)-in the latter he designs a magnificent palace for > the Pandava brothers. Mayan is also mentioned in Silappathikaram, an > ancient Tamil scripture, and is author of Surya Siddhanta, one of the > most ancient Hindu treatises on astronomy. The fundamental principle of > Mayan's architecture and town planning is the " module. " Buildings and > towns are to be laid out according to certain multiples of a standard > unit. Floor plans, door locations and sizes, wall heights and roofs, all > are determined by the modular plan. More specifically, Mayan advocated > the use of an eight-by-eight square, for a total of 64 units, which is > known as the Vastu Purusha Mandala. The on-site inspection by Sthapati > was to determine if the Incan and Mayan structures did follow a modular > plan and reflect the Vastu Purusha Mandala. He also intended to examine > the stone working technology-his particular field of expertise. > > > > Sthapati was born in 1927 into a family whose ancestors, members of the > aboriginal tribe of Viswakarmas, built the great temple at Tanjore in > the 10th century ce at the request of Raja Raja Chola. He learned the > craft from his father, Sri M. Vaiydyanatha Sthapati and his uncle, Sri > M. Sellakkannu Sthapati. He spent 27 years as head of the Government > College of Architecture and Sculpture in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, and > is responsible for India's significant resurgence in the ancient art of > stone carving. After his retirement in 1988, he continued building > temples and founded the Vastu Vedic Research Foundation to explore the > ancient origins of the temple craftsmen. He is responsible for the > construction of dozens of temples in India, plus others in Chicago, > Washington D.C., Kentucky, Boston, Baltimore, San Francisco, and Hawaii > in the USA as well as in the UK, Singapore, Fiji, Malaysia, Mauritius > and the Seychelles. Machu Picchu > > > > The moment Sthapati approached an ancient Incan residential building at > Machu Picchu on March 15th, he pointed at the wall and said, " That is a > thickness of one kishku hasta " -33 inches, a standard measure in South > India first promulgated by Mayan. He proceeded to measure the buildings > in detail and discovered each was indeed built on a module-based plan , > following the system of Mayan's eight-by-eight squares. The module > method was followed within small fractions of an inch, according to > Thamby Kumaran, who was taking the measurements. The buildings were > oriented toward certain points of the compass, also a principle of > Mayan, rather than randomly placed. Also the lengths of buildings were > never more than twice their width, as Mayan stipulated. From Machu > Picchu the three adventurers traveled to Saqsayhuman, an Incan site > dated from 400 bce to 1400 ce. Here are the famous stone walls made of > rocks weighing up to 160 tons and fitted together so expertly that a > knife blade cannot be put in any joint. " Nobody knows how these stones > were put in place, " offered their guide when they first arrived on the > site. Sthapati politely differed, and pointed out the insets chiseled > into the base of many stones, as well as small knobs left on their > faces. " These are for the use of levers, the exact same system we > continue to use in India to move large stones. Thirty to forty men can > move these very large rocks with this method, " he explained to the > guide's astonishment. > > He could see other details of the stone working were identical to what > is practiced in India, such as the method of quarrying stones by > splitting off slabs . So too was the jointing and fitting of stones, the > use of lime mortar, leveling with a plumb line and triangle, and the > corbeling for the roofs. Corbeling is the method by which stones are > drawn in layer by layer until they meet or nearly meet to allow a roof > slab to be placed on top. Sthapati considers the similarity of this > technology to that used in India to be very significant. The use of the > horizontal lintel and the absence of the arch are additional noteworthy > points of correspondence between the two traditions. > > > > Land of the Mayans > > > > From the high Andes the threesome flew to Mexico's Yucatan > peninsula.They and forty-five thousand other Mayan aficionados arrived > at Chichén Itzá in time for the summer equinox on March 21st. At > the moment of sunset on the equinox, a shadow is cast by the steps of > the Pyramid of the Castle [photo right and on page one, where the shadow > can be seen] upon the side of the staircase to the top. The shadow > creates the image of a serpent's body which joins a stone carving of a > serpent's head at the bottom of the stair case. It is a stunning > demonstration of Mayan astronomical and architectural precision. > > > > Archeologists, tourists and New Agers all gathered for the event, each > with their own agenda. Since the publication of The Mayan Factor-A Path > Beyond Technology by José Arguëlles, the Mayans and their advanced > calendar, astronomy, philosophy and architecture have enjoyed a wide > following in the West. Sthapati too has found much of interest in > Arguëlles' book. > > > > Standard academia archeologists consider the New Age interest as > bordering on superstition and refuse to even talk to anyone partial to > Mayan mysticism. A recent book, Copan and Tikal, the Secrets of Two > Cities, by Honduran author Ricardo Agurcia Fasquelle and archaeologist > Juan Antonio Valdes of Guatemala, claim that the Mayan pyramids were > actually castles for the wealthy and that what were once thought to be > monuments to the Gods were in fact tributes to the dynasties of various > kings. Not likely. Native Mayan teachers such as Hunbatz Men, whom > Sthapati met while in the Yucatan, are taking advantage of the interest > to spark a revival of the original Mayan religion among the Mayans > themselves. Since their brutal conquest and forced conversion to > Catholicism by the Spaniards in the 16th century, Mayans have lived an > oppressed and impoverished existence. > > Amidst the crowds, Sthapati, Deva and Thamby again unsheathed their tape > measures and closely examined the Pyramid of the Castle . It too > conformed to the Vastu Vedic principles of Mayan. The temple structure > at the top was exactly 1/4th of the base. And the stepped pyramid design > derived from a three-dimensional extension of the basic eight-by- eight > grid system. The temple room at the top was also modular in design, with > the wall thickness determining the size of doorways, location of > columns, thickness of columns and the width and length of the structure. > Most interesting was the name of this structure-chilambalam, meaning a > sacred space. It is Sthapati's theory that the Mayans worshiped the very > concept of space, specifically a space made according to the modular > system. This same idea is found in Hinduism in the sacred room in the > center of the Chidambaram Siva Temple in South India, where space or > akasha is worshiped-there is no idol. Chidambaram, Sthapati finds > suspiciously like chilambalam, means " hall of consciousness. " The > concept of sacred space is at the center of the mystical shilpi > tradition of India > > > > The richly decorated Mayan buildings provided a feast for a sculptor's > eye. There is a very common feature called a " mask " by the > archeologists, but known to the Mayans as " Big Nose. " A nearly identical > face is a common feature of Hindu iconography, seen, for example, at the > top of the arch placed behind a deity. " It is the very same thing in > India, " chuckled Sthapati, " we call it `Maha Nyasa'-Big Nose! " Several > other details of the sculptures were similar or identical to India, such > as the earrings, ear plugs, teeth, head dresses, even buckles around the > waist. There are bas reliefs of priests sitting in lotus posture > meditating. > > > > From Chichén Itzá, they traveled on to Uxmal where they observed > the snake and " bindu " designs on the wall faces [picture right]. They > were astounded by the thousands of pyramids at Tikal and Uxacturn in > Guatemala, all laid out to conform to a grid pattern and oriented in > astronomically significant directions. > > > > As in Mayan buildings, Indians have been using lime mortar for all of > their stone and brick buildings. This can been seen in the monumental > creations in Mahabalipuram and also in the stone temples of Tanjor and > Gangai Konda Choleasuram in Tamil Nadu. The outer surfaces were > plastered, embellishments worked out in lime mortar, then painted. This > method was strongest among the Mayas at Tikal and Uaxactún, where all > of the structures once had a plaster coating painted with many colors. > > What is the Connection? > > > > Sri Ganapati Sthapati postulates, after deep thought from his journey to > the land of the Mayans and a lifetime study of South Indian > architecture, that Mayan, the divine architect of Indian tradition, came > from Central America. Ancient Tamil literature speaks of lands to the > south of India 30,000 years ago, at the time of the first Tamil Sangam. > According to scientists 160 million years ago India did lie physically > close to Africa, South and Central America, but has since moved away as > a result of continental drift. At that date, it would have been > dinosaurs and not Mayans who wandered from the Americas to India, but > perhaps the time frame for the continental drift is not correct. > Architecture aside, there are significant similarities between Hinduism > and the native religions of both Africa and the Americas. > > > > There are other explanations. The simplest is boats. In 1970 the > Norwegian Thor Hyerdal sailed a reed boat from Africa to the Americas in > 57 days using no modern equipment. The boat, Ra II, was built for him by > the Aymaro Indians of Lake Titicaca, Peru, neighbors of the ancient > Incans. The double-hulled catamarans of India are also capable of long > sea voyages. Historians discount contact between ancient people, but > many cultures, such as the ancient Hawaiians, had remarkable sea- faring > skills. Perhaps the coincidences of stone working are just that, > coincidence -a favorite " explanation " of archeologists. Stone workers > will discover the same techniques naturally, without need for outside > help, they say, and can point to historical incidents of simultaneous > discovery. But this explanation hardly accounts for the similarities in > motifs and modular design. > > > > The Vastu Vedic Tradition > > > > Text: V. Ganapati Sthapati spoke eloquently during our interviews of the > deep mysticism of his tradition. Here is an excerpt from his paper, > > " Synthesis of Science and Spirituality in the Vastu Vedic Tradition of > Art and Architecture. " > > > > The Vastu Shilpa tradition of Indian origin has made a scientific > approach to the problems of spirit and spiritual realization. This > scientific tradition of Va-stu perceives Shakti [energy] as > all-pervasive and as the casual substance for all the manifestations of > visual and aural phenomena in the universe. They have named their Shakti > as Paravastu in Sanskrit and the universal objects as Vastu. The word > Paravastu means the quintessence or the ultimate substance. This > phenomenon of Vastu and Va-stu can be equated to gold turned into gold > ornaments, the shilpi acting as the agent for the transformation. > Further, this Vastu is recognized by the Vastu tradition as one dwelling > in the inner space of individual beings as well as in the outside space, > the universal being. The science says that it is space, because of its > self-propelled vibration, that turns into forms-the vibration force > acting as the working agency. To do this is its unquestionable nature. > This agency is designated as Absolute Time, emerging out of space. This > is analogous to the vibration of the instrument of the vina developing > into sound space. Here, sound space turns into sound form, and this when > set to rhythmic vibration turns into musical form. There is also another > space responsible for the sound space. It is called luminous space. This > pervades the entire universe (cosmos). This is the ultimate space > wherein lie the Absolute Time and Absolute Energy. This is filled with > luminous substance (Vastu) consisting of Paramanus, the minute particles > of space. This luminous space is supersensitive, capable of becoming > conscious of itself and vibrating into objects that it becomes conscious > of. This action is its intrinsic nature and responsible for the forms > that occur in the inner space of individuals as well as in the outer > space of the universe. The experience of this form, in terms of space, > is Spiritual Vision. This phenomenon is nothing but abstract science > held by the Vastu tradition. > > > > The Vastu tradition designates the inner being as Shilpi and the inner > manifest subtle form as Shilpa, and as such the whole inner and outer > universes are filled with shilpas. The gross visual forms are projected > outside from the inside, by the inner being. This is the transformation > of the subtle inner form into the gross visual, through the fingers > exactly in tune with the subtle in terms of time and space. That " the > sculptor becomes the sculpture and the poet becomes the poem " is > therefore a powerful Vaignanic statement of the Vastu Vedins, and it is > of pure advaitic tone. The projected visual form has the touch of a > lyric, depending upon the individual inner culture. > > > > > > The Linguistic Similarities > > > > Text: Chacla in Mayan refers to force centers of the body similar to the > chakras of Hinduism. K'ultanlilni in Mayan refers to the power of God > within man which is controlled by the breath, similar in meaning to > kundalini. Mayan chilambalam refers to a sacred space, as does Tamil > Chidambaram. Yok'hah in Mayan means " on top of truth, " similar to yoga > in Sanskrit. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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