Vedic River Sarasvati and Hindu Civilization Edited by S. Kalyanaraman Aryan Books International New Delhi Sarasvati Research and Education Trust Chennai Foreword The hoary and sacred River Sarasvati played a great role in the simple lives of the Vedic people of India of the recent centuries. It was indelibly associated with the collective consciousness of the community, the precursor of the later Hindu civilization. The achievements of the people of the Sarasvati region were extraordinary. The great Vedas, the Vedic Sanskrit language and the cultural symbols, practices and achievements have formed a continuum over thousands of years. It is in the fitness of things that erudite scholars from diverse fields of scientific knowledge came together in a Conference recently to exchange their knowledge and insights on different aspects of what is rightly known as Sarasvati River Civilization. The papers read and the discussions in the Conference should remove any lingering doubt on the reality of the great River Sarasvati. I do hope that those who have been propagating that Sarasvati was only a mythological river, and persisting with the colonial myth of ìAryan invasionî, which has now turned into ìAryan migrationî, will turn a new leaf. It is a matter of great satisfaction that thanks to the efforts in the State of Haryana, Sarasvati stands rejuvenated above the ground right into Rajasthan. Those who take pride in their civilizational identity will indeed be happy when the river finally joins the sea waters on the west of our country, after traversing through Gujarat. The ancient symbol will then once again acquire renewed significance in the memory and rituals of the people of the country. I compliment and congratulate the organizers and sponsors of this Conference. October 23, 2008 Swami Dayananda Saraswati Preface This compilation contains multi-disciplinary papers presented at the Conference held from Oct. 24 to 26, 2008 on ëVedic River Sarasvati and Hindu civilizationí based on researches and studies carried out during the last 50 years which throw a new light on the origins of civilization and accounts of a remarkable cultural continuum in India, exemplified by Hindu civilization as a linguistic area. This work has to be read with a critical review of the work published in 2007 tracing, from a euro-centric indologistís perspective, the roots of Indo-European languages. This presentation of an euro-centric view-point is intended to be a prelude to the presentation of an alternative view of the continuum of cultural traditions, evolution of languages in ancient India, thus challenging the received wisdom of euro-centric origins of Hindu civilization (as exemplified by the much-debated Aryan invasion/migration theories). Search for European homeland has engaged many scholars for over 200 years; a 2007 account of main facets of this scholarship appears in a book by DW Anthony, The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the EurasianSteppes Shaped the Modern World, Princeton University Press. A critique of this book appears elsewhere in this compilation. 24 October 2008 Dr. S. Kalyanaraman Sarasvati Research Centre [email protected] Contents Foreword v Preface vii List of Contributors xiii EARTH AND LIFE-SCIENCES 1. River Piracy: Sarasvati that Disappeared 3 ó K.S. Valdiya 2. Vedic Sarasvati: Scientific Signatures on its Origin from the 14 Himalaya ó V.M.K. Puri 3. Peopling of India: Genetics Markers Speak Out! 36 ó Gyaneshwer Chaubey 4. Sarasvati Drainage System of Haryana ñ Satellite Based Study 46 ó A.K. Gupta, B.K. Bhadra and J.R. Sharma 5. Ecological Issues in the End of the Indus-Sarasvati Civilization 65 ó Michel Danino 6. The Saga of the Quest for the River Sarasvati 81 ó M.A. Jayashree, M.A. Narasimhan and Haribhau Vaze 7. Use of Sarasvati Palaeo-Channels in Reclamation of 88 Water-Logged Areas of Punjab and Haryana ñ A Concept Note ó R.N. Athavale x VEDIC RIVER SARASVATI AND HINDU CIVILIZATION CULTURE AND ARCHAEOLOGY 8. The Sarasvat∂: The Mother of Indian Civilization 95 ó B.B. Lal 9. Where Lived the §Rgvedic §Rishis, Rulers, and Artisans, the 118 Founders of Bhårat∂ya Sanskæiti? ó Shivaji Singh 10. Sarasvati River and Chronology: Simulations using 146 Planetarium Software ó B.N. Narahari Achar 11. Chronology of Bhµarata: Reckoning Time 170 ó B.N. Narahari Achar 12. A New Aspect of Sarasvat∂ Civilization 179 ó T.P. Verma 13. Mother Divinity: River Sarasvat∂, Hindu Civilization Traditions 196 and Metaphors Created by °R¶is and Artisans ó S. Kalyanaraman 14. Sarasvati Civilization: Past, Present and Future 230 ó Gauri Mahulikar 15. Vedic Rites Flourished on the Banks of Sarasvati 236 ó A.K. Sharma 16. GVC to IVC to SVC (Ganges Valley Civilization to Indus Valley 247 Civilization to Sarasvati Valley Civilization) ó K.V. Ramakrishna Rao 17. Indus-Sarasvati Civilization: In Search of the Truth 275 ó Bhu Dev Sharma 18. Sarasvati and Her Vedic Symbolism 282 ó Sampada Savardekar 19. Democratic Assemblies in the Vedic Era 294 ó Shashi Tiwari 20. The Incredible River, Sarasvati ñ 303 A Journey from Myth to Reality ó Rajesh Purohit 21. Search for Himalayan Antecedents of the River Sarasvati 310 ó C.R.B. Lalit CONTENTS xi 22. A Search for Lost Cities, a Lost Civilization and a Lost River: 326 A Letter to the Prime Minister of India ó Jagmohan 23. Sindhu-Sarasvati Traditions, Still Living with Us? 340 ó Adiga S. Sundara 24. Legacy of Sarasvati Sindhu Civilization 349 ó Ravindra Ramdas and Arun Nigudkar 25. Civilization along the Sarasvati River ñ A Scientific Approach 356 ó A.R. Chaudhri Abstracts: 1. The Lost River Sarasvati: Geological Evidence 381 ó K.S. Valdiya 2. Sarasvati River ñ No More a Debatable Issue 383 ó Darshan Lal Jain Bibliography 387 Index 393 List of Contributors K.S. Valdiya INSA Golden Jubilee Research Professor, Geodynamics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore - 560 064. V.M.K. Puri Director (Rt.), Geological Survey of India, 113, Kotwali Bazar, Dharamshala ñ 176215, District Kangra, H.P. E-mail: [email protected] Gyaneshwer Chaubey Department of Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu and Estonian Biocentre, Riia 23 Tartu, Estonia-51010. Tel.: (372) 7 375 052 Fax: (372) 7 420 194, E-mail: [email protected] A.K. Gupta Regional Remote Sensing Service Centre, Dept. of Space, CAZRI Campus, Jodhpur-342003. E-mail: [email protected] B.K. Bhadra Regional Remote Sensing Service Centre, Dept. of Space, CAZRI Campus, Jodhpur-342003. J.R. Sharma Director, Regional Remote Sensing Service Centre, Dept. of Space, CAZRI Campus, Jodhpur-342003. xiv VEDIC RIVER SARASVATI AND HINDU CIVILIZATION Michel Danino Author and Scholar, Convener, International Forum for Indiaís Heritage, 80, Swarnambal Layout, Ramnagar, Coimbatore-641 008 (Tamil Nadu). M.A. Jayashree Lecturer in Sanskrit, Banumih College, 384, Krishnavillors Road, Near Jagamohan Palace, Mysore-5770024 M.A. Narasimhan Research Scholar, Director, Itihåsa Bharti Research Centre, Mysore. Haribhau Vaze National Organizing Secretary, Akhil Bhårt∂ya Itihåsa Sankalan Yojna, Delhi. R.N. Athavale Formerly, Scientist, National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad, and Emeritus Scientist, CSIR, India. E-mail: [email protected] B.B. Lal Director General (Retd.), Archaeological Survey of India, New Delhi. Shivaji Singh National President, Akhila Bhårat∂ya Itihåsa Samkalana Yojanå, Delhi. B.N. Narahari Achar Professor of Physics, University of Memphis, Memphis TN-38152, USA. T.P. Verma 397 A, Ganga Pradushan C. Road, Bhagwanpur, Varanasi-221 005. S. Kalyanaraman Sarasvati Research Centre, Chennai, E-mail: [email protected] Gauri Mahulikar Reader and Head, Department of Sanskrit, University of Mumbai, Mumbai-400 098. A.K. Sharma Mahant Ghasi Ram Museum Raipur, Chattisgarh. LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS xv K.V. Ramakrishna Rao Independent Researcher, General Secretary, Bharatiya Itihasa Sankalana Samiti (Tamil Nadu). 25 (Old.9), Venkatachala Iyer Street, West Mambalam, Chennai-600 033. Ph: 044 ñ 2471 6580 (Resi.), 98402 92065 (Mobile) E-mail: [email protected] Bhu Dev Sharma Prof. of Mathematics, Clarks Atlanta University, USA. Founder President, WAVES. Sampada Savardekar Research Scholar (Sanskrit), Pondicherry University, Pondicherry. E-mail: [email protected] Shashi Tiwari Prof. of Sanskrit, Maitreyi College, University of Delhi. Rajesh Purohit Deputy Director, Srikrishna Museum, Kurukshetra. C.R.B. Lalit IAS, Adviser, PHD Chambers of Commerce, Room No. 205, Udyog Bhawan, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. Jagmohan Former Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, India. Adiga S. Sundara Former HOD, Archaeology and History, Karnataka University. Ravindra Ramdas Former Research Director, Shri Brihad Bhartiya Samaj, Mumbai. Arun Nigudkar Pitrukrupa, Block-2, 16th Road, Chembur, Mumbai-400071. Tel.: 25212996 A.R. Chaudhri Department of Geology, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra-136 119, Haryana, India. E-mail: [email protected] Darshan Lal Jain President, Saraswati Nadi Shodh Sansthan, Haryana. Earth and Life-Sciences 1 River Piracy Sarasvati that Disappeared K.S. Valdiya The legendary river Sarasvati, which flowed from the Himalaya and emptied finally into the Gulf of Kachchh, has vanished. Tectonic movements change river courses, behead streams and sometimes even make large rivers such as the Sarasvati disappear. MIGHTY RIVER OF VEDIC TIME There was this highly venerated river Sarasvati flowing through Haryana, Marwar and Bahawalpur in Uttarapath and emptying itself in the Gulf of Kachchh, which has been described in glowing terms by the §Rgveda. ìBreaking through the mountain barrierî, this ìswift-flowing tempestuous river surpasses in majesty and might all other riversî of the land of the pre- Mahabharat Vedic period. More than 1200 settlements, including many prosperous towns of the Harappan culture (4600 to 4100 years BP) and ashrams of rishis (sages) lay on the banks of this life-line. Where has that great river gone? It is today represented by the disproportionately wide and astonishingly water-less, sand-filled channels of Ghaggar in Haryana and Marwar, Hakra in adjoining Bahawalpur, and Nara in Sindh (Fig.