Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel has claimed that the idea of the aircraft was not presented by the Wright brothers but by the Vedic period sage Bhardwaj. He also refuted the statement of Kumbhakarna sleeping for six months and being awake for six months and said that he was a ‘technocrat’ and he used to make machines secretly to prevent other countries from taking the technology to their country. Let us tell you that Anandiben Patel, Governor of Uttar Pradesh and Chancellor of State Universities, said these things while addressing the ninth convocation ceremony of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Language University, Lucknow on Monday. The Governor also asked the students to study ancient Indian texts to appreciate the unique research and discoveries made by their ancestors.
According to the statement issued by Raj Bhavan, in her address Anandiben Patel highlighted the rich heritage of Indian culture and ancient knowledge. During his speech, Patel said that it has been shown that Kumbhakarna slept for six months and remained awake for the next six months. He said, “No, that is not true.” Kumbhakarna was a technocrat.” Patel said, ”He (Kumbhakarna) knew technology. He used to make machines secretly to prevent other countries from taking the technology to their country. It was Ravana’s wish that he should not come out of his workshop and do his work for six months. But it was spread that he slept for six months and remained awake for the next six months.
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In his address, the Governor mentioned the heritage of Indian culture and knowledge and said that our ancient sages have done many researches and inventions, the benefits of which the world is taking advantage of today. Citing the example of Rishi Bhardwaj, the Governor said, “He (Rishi Bhardwaj) had conceptualized the aircraft but the credit for it went to another country and now it is considered to be the invention of the Wright Brothers.” It is noteworthy that during the Vedic era, The prominent ‘sage’ Bharadwaja is mentioned in both the Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.
Let us tell you that Orville Wright and Wilbur Wright – known as the Wright Brothers, are credited with flying the first self-propelled aircraft on December 17, 1903 in North Carolina, USA. However, some leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have been arguing that the concept of this flying machine is inspired by the ‘Pushpak Viman’ of Ramayana. Interestingly, a research paper presented during the 102nd Indian Science Congress claimed that Shivkar Bapuji Talpade had flown a flying machine over Chowpatty in 1895, eight years before the Wright brothers. This research paper, presented by the retired principal of the Pilot Training Institute, was sharply criticized by some scientists, who argued that this research paper weakens the primacy of empirical evidence, which has been the foundation of the 102 year old Congress.
Governor Patel said in the convocation ceremony on Monday that there is countless knowledge hidden in our ancient texts, which students should be motivated to read and understand. He directed the University to encourage students to study our ancient books, so that they can understand what unique research and inventions were done by our ancestors, as these books are storehouse of knowledge. Referring to Rampur Raza Library, the Chancellor said that this library has a priceless collection of ancient books, which have illustrations which are still intact. He said that the colors used in these paintings were produced through plants, which have not deteriorated even today. The Governor directed the University to study these books and translate them into different languages, so that this knowledge reaches everyone.
He said that India, the land of Buddha, has always chosen peace instead of war and under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country is today touching new heights in the field of education and research. He said that the Prime Minister is efficiently guiding this country with a population of 140 crores and due to his policies, today India is getting a different identity in the whole world. Referring to the huge amount allocated for education in the current budget, the Governor directed the universities to make projects in this direction and provide its benefits to the students. He also said that the universities of Uttar Pradesh are performing well in national and international rankings. The ranking of universities in the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) shows that “even better results can be achieved with hard work.”
