Aryan Books

GEOGRAPHY, PEOPLES AND GEODYNAMICS OF INDIA IN PURANAS AND EPICS : A Geologist's Interpretations

By :- K.S. Valdiya

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Type: English

Pages: xxxii+244

ISBN-13: 978-81-7305-422-8

Place: New Delhi

Edition: 1st

Publisher: ARYAN BOOKS INTERNATIONAL

Size: 19cm x 25cm

Product Year: 2012

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Written by a geologist who read the texts of the Pura?as and the Epics in conjunction with a mass of studies on geological history of the larger Indian continent and his own extensive field work in different parts of the country, this illustrated book endeavours to demonstrate that the narratives by scholarly sages embodied in these ancient Sanskrit works do not represent figments of poetic imagination, but provide ? if shorn of metaphors, idiomatic phrases and allegories ? the revealing facts and invaluable information on the geography and geomorphological layout, the ethnicity of the people who lived in different parts of the country, the flora and fauna that peopled the land of Bharatvarsha, and the drastic geodynamic events and climatic changes that overtook the land particularly in the last 12,000 years of the Holocene Epoch ? called the Chaturyuga in the Pura?as and Epics. The scholars of the Pura?as and Epics time were quite knowledgeable about the origin, evolution and progression of life, including the coming of man, the interior of the earth, the dynamics of crustal upheavals, the occurrence, mining and metallurgy of minerals, the tapping of natural gas, reclaiming land from seas, and building bridges across even a sea. The relevant original Sanskrit text given in the Devanagari script is accompanied by the author?s interpretation, rigorously tested on the anvil of incontrovertible evidence adduced from scientific studies on geological phenomena, human genetic markers, climate changes and backed up by tell-tale photographs.

Foreword vii Preface xi Acknowledgement xv List of Illustrations xxiii 1. Purans: The Ancient History 1 Meaning of Puran 1 Mode of Narration 1 Transmission of History 2 Focal Themes 3 Encyclopaedic in Dimension 4 Authors of the Purans and Epics 6 Valmiki Ramayan: The Epic 7 Mahabharat: The Epic 8 Time of Composing Puranic Verses 10 2. Geography of Modern India and Changes of Landforms 12 with Time An Assemblage of Domains 12 Northern Mountain Girdle 13 Indo-Gangetic Plains 17 Peninsular India 18 Coastal Plains 22 Quaternary Tectonic Events: Landform Changes 24 Processes Leading to Landform Changes 24 Formation and Effacement of Lakes 25 Shifting of River Courses 25 Disappearance of Rivers, March of Deserts 26 Rise and Fall of Sea Level along Coasts 27 Changes in River Deltas 28 Tectonic Resurgence of Peninsular Plateaus 28 Increasing Heights of Mountains 28 Changing Face of the Land of India 29 Corruption and Change of Old Names 30 3. Puranland: Position and Extent 32 Mega Island Jambudweep 32 Position of Bharatvarsh 33 Extent of Bharatvarsh 34 Northern Neighbours 36 Greater Puranland 43 Ethno-geopolitical Provinces within Bharatvarsh 43 4. Mountains of Bharatvarsh 51 Seven Kulparvats 51 The Himalaya or Himvant 53 Latitudinal Subdivision 54 Mountains Beyond the Him?alaya 55 Mountains of Northwestern Frontier 56 Mountains of Western Coastal Belt 56 Mountains of Southern Bharatvarsh 60 Mountains of Lanka 64 Mountains of Southeastern Bharatvarsh 64 Mountains of Eastern Bharatvarsh 68 Mountains of Central Bharatvarsh 70 Patal Lok 71 5. Rivers of Bharatvarsh 73 Comprehensive Listing 73 The Saraswati River 77 The Yamuna River 82 The Ganga River 82 The Saryu and the Gandaki Rivers 88 The Lauhitya River 89 The Mahanadi River 89 The Narmada River 90 The Godavari River 92 The Sabhramati and the Mahi Rivers 94 6. Flora and Fauna of Bharatvarsh 95 Richly Endowed Land 95 Life in the Outer Himalaya 96 Flora of the Indo-Gangetic Plains 99 Flora and Fauna of the Dandakaranya 100 Floral Wealth of Malaya Giri 102 The Lankan Flora 103 Plants in the Northern Sahyadri 103 7. Peoples of the Puranland 105 Central Jambudweep Countries 105 The People of Ilavritvarsha 107 Ethnic Groups 107 Socio-political System 107 Archaeological Evidence 110 The People of the Countries Neighbouring Ilavritvarsh 111 The People of Bharatvarsh 112 Common Genetic Traits: Human Migration 113 Archaeological Evidence of Immigration 115 Ethnic Groups: Sur and Asur 117 Upward Mobile ?Sur? Group 120 Decline of a Civilization 122 People of the Himalayan Domain 124 The Kir?ats 124 The Khasas 126 The Nags 126 Integration of People 127 8. Teerths and Holy Shrines 129 Attempt at Integration and Unity of Bharatvarsh 129 Jyotirlings: God?s Celestial Symbols 130 Shrines in Himalaya 132 Western Indian Shrines 134 Holy Places in Indo-Gangetic Plains 137 Shiva Shrines in Central India 140 Shiva?s Celestial Symbols in South India 140 The Human Traits of Puran Gods 141 9. Ashrams and Purs 145 Objectives of Establishing Ashrams 145 Viewpoints of Aborigine Tribals 146 Some Well-known Ashrams 146 Cities and Towns: Purs and Puris 148 Elite-centric Settlements 148 Mathur?a 149 Dw?arka 150 Hastin?apur 152 Ayodhy?a 153 Other Towns 154 The Harappan Towns 155 10. Tectonic Movements and Natural Hazards 158 Manifestation of Tectonic Movements 158 Uplift of Vindhya Giri 159 Sinking of Western Coastal Tract 160 Earthquakes and Tsunamis 162 Rivers Changed Courses 169 Climate Changes 174 The Concept of Pralaya 177 11. Understanding of Geology and Knowledge of Engineering 181 Scholars? Grasp of Sciences 181 Nature of Earth?s Interior 181 Evolution of Life 183 Progression of Life 185 Anthropo-social Development of Humans 191 Natural Gases, Minerals, Metals and Metallurgy 192 Engineering of Bridge Building 194 Town Planning 196 Knowledge of Aerodynamics 197 12. Long Summary of the Book 200 References 223 Index 235

Recipient of many national awards, including S.S. Bhatnagar Prize (1976) of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, National Mineral Award of Excellence (1997) of the Ministry of Mines, Pitambar Pant Environment Fellow (1982-1984) of the Ministry of Environment & Forests, Hindi Sevi Samman (Atmaram Puraskar) (2007) of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Padmashree (2007) of the Government of India, National Lecturer (1977-1978) of the University Grants Commission, D.N. Wadia Medal (1995) of Indian National Science Academy and L. Rama Rao Gold Medal (1980) of the Geological Society of India, Professor K.S. Valdiya is a Fellow of all the three national Science Academies of India, the Third World Academy of Sciences, the Geological Society of America and the Geological Society of Nepal. Presently, he is Honorary Professor of Geodynamics at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru. He has held high positions as Additional Director in the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, as Professor of Geology, Dean Science and Vice-Chancellor in Kumaun University, and Golden Jubilee Research Professor of Indian National Science Academy at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research. He has also been a Distinguished Guest Professor at Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai and Visiting Honorary Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee. He has written several books and monographs, including Geology of Kumaun Lesser Himalaya (1980), Aspects of Tectonics: Focus on Southcentral Asia (1984), Environmental Geology: Indian Context (1987), Dynamic Himalaya (1998), Saraswati, the River That Disappeared (2002), Geology, Environment and Society (2005), The Making of India: Geodynamic Evolution (2010) and Ek Thi Nadi Saraswati (2010). He is a prolific writer popularizing earth science and general science.

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