
Satya Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi anointed as 71st pontiff of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam
Vijayendra Saraswathi Shankaracharya Swamigal, the current seer, inducted Duddu Satya Venkata Surya Subrahmanya Ganesha Sharma Dravid as the 71st pontiff after performing the Sanyasa Deeksha Samaroh at the Ganga Theertham of the Sri Kanchi Kamakshi Ambal Devasthanam temple.
Ganesha Sharma Dravid is a Rigvedic scholar from Annavaram Kshetra in Andhra Pradesh and served at the Sri Gnana Saraswathi Devasthanam in Basara, Telangana. He was initiated into Vedic studies in 2006. In addition to the Rigveda, he has also completed studies in the Yajurveda, Samaveda, Shadangas, and Dashopanishads. He has also been pursuing Shastric studies.
Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi participated in the anointment ceremony.
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AP (Image for representation) Horse breeding in India came very late, after 1400 AD, in parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and Maharashtra. Colonial historians argued the 'Aryan invasion theory' that light-skinned chariot-riding people destroyed Harappan cities, conquered India, enslaved local dark-skinned people and created the caste system. To counter this, there was the 'out of India' theory popularised by many Brahmins, that Harappa was Vedic, that Aryans were originally India who migrated out of India, taking civilization to the world. Both were wrong. Neither explained what motivated these Aryans to move in, or out, of India. Now it seems increasingly clear that Aryans came for (newly smelted) iron, and they offered (newly domesticated) horses in exchange. Aryans were neither invaders nor migrants: they were traders. 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The Rig Veda does not mention this conch-shell; the Atharva Veda does. They are only found off the Gujarat coast, in the Indian ocean. Recent excavations in Keeladi, Tamil Nadu, are drawing attention to iron smelting technology that was invented in India, in regions associated with Dravidian and Munda languages. This requires very high temperatures. Sites in Deccan have ash-mounds indicating a long-standing enquiry into fire-technology. Along with Anatolia (modern Turkey) and Africa (Bantu people), India seems to be another site where iron was first extracted. This could be a good reason why Aryans came to India from the Oxus river basin through treacherous mountain passes (not flat enough for wheeled wagons).Horse breeding in India came very late, after 1400 AD, in parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and Maharashtra. So for nearly 3,000 years, every year, horse breeders would bring their horses from Central Asia for local Indian kings, who would use the horse in war, to conquer new lands, and even slaughter them as part of land acquisition ceremonies (Ashwamedha). Traders had no reason to 'invade' or 'migrate' to India. They had to go back to fetch more horses from Central Asia where horse breeding was easy. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. Tariffs, tantrums, and tech: How Trump's trade drama is keeping Indian IT on tenterhooks Good, bad, ugly: How will higher ethanol in petrol play out for you? 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