Dear Sir/Madam,

        I have great pleasure in presenting to you the annual calendar of the events for the year 2001. We have been keeping you informed of our activities since 1984, the year we started the Institute.

        Your response has always been enthusiastic, gives us courage to march forward. It is our effort to ensure that all the sections of our society are able to participate in our activities. The programs are planned with this aim in mind.

The activities are divided into Four Parts

• First Part is the monthly Lectures in two Series.
  The first series of eleven lectures will be on the First Sunday at 11.00 AM of every month from January to November. The speaker will be Dr. R.P. Kulkarni and he will enlighten us on "Irrigation in Ancient India and Medievel India". This is one subject where we can learn from our part.
  
  The second series of eleven lectures will be on the third Sunday at 11.00 AM. of every month from January to November. The speakers will be Dr. G.K. Pai, Dr. V.V. Bedekar, Mr. S.G. Dhopate and Dr. V.H. Bedekar. The subjects will range from Puranas, Science & Technology in Ancient India, Epigraphy and Museology.
• Exhibitions : There wil be two exhibitions in this year
  
• This year we are going to have an "Indology Orientation Programmes". This programme will be in collaboration with the Rambhau Mhalagi Probodhinis on 11th, 12th and 13th May 2001.
• The Annual Seminar will be on Saturday the 29th December 2001. The subject for the seminar this year is Dietetics in Ancient India. I am sure the subject is going to be a good food for thought for many scholars.
  
  We are adding many new books to our Library collection.
  Please visit the web site of the Institute and sign the guest book www.orientalthane.com
  If you need any more information please write to us without any hesitation.
  Thanking you and with warm regards.
  
  Yours Sincerely,
  Dr. V. V. Bedekar
  President, Institute for Oriental Study, Thane

Speaker : Dr. R.P. Kulkarni
Time : 11.00 AM.
Venue : Institute for Oriental Study, Thane,
Opp. Naupada Police Station, Shahu Mandai, 1st Floor, M. Gandhi Road, Naupada, Thane 400602
Subject : Irrigation In Ancient And Medieval India

India is well known for early achievements and progress in river-irrigation. India has the second largest irrigated area, the first being that of U.S.A. In the Rgveda there are copious mentions of flood-irrigation. Indra dug channels for flood waters to flow through them. Kareze, a sloping horizontal bore to bring underground water to the ground level was developed by Indra so as to use this water for irrigation purpose. The famous Dasarajna battle between king Sudasa and other tribal kings is described in the Rgveda. It reveals that changing of a river course was a technique well known to Indians even at that ancient time.
Quite a good information regarding irrigation activity of Indians from a century before the Christ to the medieval period could be obtained from the study of inscriptions. As most of the inscriptions, say seventy-five to eighty percent are from south India the information on irrigation practice collected from these inscriptions is mostly from that part of the country. Comparatively very few inscriptions from north India are available. Sudarsana lake built before the reign of Asoka, expansion of its irrigation system during Asoka's reign and its disastrous failure some hundreds of years later, is the subject of the famous Junagadh inscription. On the same big boulder, Asoka's edicts are also engraved. Important incidences during the service life of a few important dams are revealed by some inscriptions.
Inscriptions also inform us that most of the small dams were constructed by utilizing the fund obtained by donation of individuals whose aim was either to gain merit by the irrigation works or to give additional funds for the maintenance of a temple. In south India it was usual to construct a reservoir the revenue of which could be utilized for the maintenance of a temple and for performing different festivities and also for the settlement of a village. There are many other aspects that are revealed from the study of inscriptions, one of the major one being the management of irrigation system by committees.
The Kautiliya Arthasastra gives information on irrigation laws and irrigation cess. An interesting building called 'Himagriha' is described in the Kadambari of Banabhatta. It is an air-cooled house, the summer temperature being brought down by a flowing water channel and innumerable water-sprays. It reminds one the cooling system followed by Moghuls.
The Grand Anicut built by the Chola king across the river Kaveri is the best example of the great achievements of southern engineers in irrigation engineering. They have perfected flood irrigation method and took utmost advantage of the flat land slope in the Krishna, Kaveri delta systems. They have also created irrigation system in which there were innumerable interconnected small reseviors with their network of irrigation channels. This system not only ensured assured supply of water even in the summer season but also it was the best solution to avoid devastation by the river in spate.
The Phad system of irrigation is peculiar to both the khandesh, the east and the west. It is a method of management of irrigation water in the most economical way to as large a land as possible. The system is based on the co-operation of farmers whose fields are to be irrigated by that system. This brief survey of Irrigation in India may give some idea of the evolution of the system and its management.

LECTURE TOPICS
1. Irrigation in India as revealed from the Vedic literature
2. Irrigation system as revealed from inscriptions.
3. Irrigation in the Kautiliya Arthasastra and other literature..
4. Irrigation system in south India- Advantages of small dams.
5. Phad irrigation in Khandesh.

Indology is a branch of knowledge which primarily deals with the study of Indian culture in it' totality. In the second half of the 18th century Sir William Jones established the Asiatic Society at Calcutta and the surch for "India" began. Prior to this, the information about Indian people and their life style was available to the western world primarily through traveler's accounts, traders and exported Indian goods. This information though inspiring to a curious man was not adequately satisfying the research methodologies and inquiries of scholars and academicians. Sir William Jones efforts brought these studies within an academic discipline and so he is rightly called as the father of Indology. This was also a period when Britishers were consolidating their colonial power in India. Obviously the earlier Indologist and Sanskritist were all Europeans.

In the second half of the 19th century Archaeological Survey of India was established. Many other surveys were undertaken during this period. They obviously had influence on the study of Indology. Many Indians by this time had contributions to Indological studies.
In the Western Europe, during the same period Scientific and Industrial revolution was underway. This added new vision to the study of positive sciences. Humanities borrowed these models and applied them to their study in toto. In the beginning of the 20th century Sociology and anthropology became inseparable parts of this Study. Sound knowledge of Sanskrit is inevitable for the study of Indology. All most in all major Indian and Western Universities Sanskrit or Indian cultural studies are undertaken. In the American Universities this study is included in the South Asian Studies Departments.

Europe was undergoing Renaissance during 15th century. This inevitably brought Europeans in closer contacts with non-European civilizations. By 19th century European States colonized much of Asia. European Scientific knowledge along with Military and Technological might helped them to hold these colonies by power. This brought in the relationship of the Conqueror and the Conquered. Concept of superiority of European race became inevitable. Indology was the heaviest casualty of this mind set. What began, as simple innocent inquiry became a handy tool and justification to rule. Indological study was giving a different picture of achievements of Indian Civilization in the past. However idea of any superior Civilization either in the past or present was just not acceptable to the European mind. Many distortions and biases creped in the study of Indology, which ultimately are reflected in the inferences and conclusions of Indological study. Very late in the 20th century Western scholars rather than Indian scholars realized this surprisingly. It is expected that 21st century will give due credit and justice to the achievements of this Ancient but living Civilization. This is also the reason why more Indians and their Institutions should undertake these studies seriously.

NAME OF THE ORIENTATION PROGRAMME
Introduction to Indology Organising Agencies Institute for Oriental Study, Thane and Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini, Mumbai.

Objectives
To educate and generate interest in this subject in the people of India. This will help them to get the factual picture of progress/failure and achievements of Indian Civilization in the past, in all fields of Culture, be it material or spiritual. This will also help to generate self-confidence and self-respect in them, which is essential to build a strong and vibrant India of the future.
Course Contents
Vedas, Epics and Puranas, Sindhu/Saraswati Culture,Classical literature, Darshanas, Achievments in Science and Technology, Archaeology, Museology and Art History.
Guidance & Expected Resource Persons
Dr. A.P. Jamkhedkar, Ret. Director Dept of Archaeology and Museums, Govt. of Maharashtra.
Dr G.K. Pai, Ret. Director Ananthacharya Indological Institute, Mumbai.
Dr. M.D.Paradkar, Noted Sanskritist and Hon.Chancellor Mumbai Hindi Vidyapeeth
Participation : 12th standard onwards Medium of the Orientation
Program : English/Marathi
Duration of the Training Program : Three days, 11, 12, 13th May 2001
Expected number of Participant : Forty (40)
Course Fees : Rs 1500/-
Venue:
Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini campus, Uttan, Mumbai
CONTACT ADDRESS
Institute for Oriental Study, Thane,
Dr.Bedekar's Hospital, M.Karve Road, Naupada, Thane-400602
E-Mail: vbedekar@bom3.vsnl.net.in

Subject: Dietetics in Ancient India
Date: Saturday, 29th December 2001
Time: 09.00 am onwards
Venue: Institute for Oriental Study, Thane
           Opp. Naupada Police Station,
           Shahu Mandai, 1st floor, Naupada,
           Thane (W).
Delegate Fees: Rs. 300/- Continue...