 |
From Africa to India
For more than a century, the only human migrations to India that were discussed at length ware based on AIT and AMT theories. AIT (Aryan Invasion Theory) and AMT (Aryan Migration Theory) had its merits. But they had lost all the strength due to lack of solid evidence. The genetic studies conducted all over the world, has revealed that there has been no large scale genetic addition to India and regions around it, from other regions (except from Africa) to signify an invasion or migration. This is especially true for the 2000 BC to 1000 BC time period, which is mentioned as the time period within which the Aryans invaded or migrated to India. There was some migration from north or north west to India occurred as per genetic analysis, but earlier than 15000 BC. This time period is too early and the AIT or AMT theorists themselves have problem to choose such an early date for Aryan invasion or migration to India, since it will shatter other assumptions of the theory related to the spread of Indo-European languages to Europe and those related to other civilizations in Central Asia, West Asia, Greece and Eastern Europe.
On the contrary, the genetic studies as well as analysis of Ancient Indian literature, points to a large scale outflow from India to rest of Asia. Though there were some minor movements of people from north of Himalaya to India (which also is indicated in the literature, like I mentioned in the article Migration of the Aila tribe), the major movement of people was from India to the rest of Asia.
See this excellent illustration of Human Migration from Africa to the rest of the world through India by Stephen Oppenheimer:- Stephen Oppenheimer provides a virtual global journey of modern man over the last 160000 years.
Our species of humans Homo Sapiens originated in Africa around 150,000 years ago. Human migrations from Africa started 100,000 years ago and moved out of Africa around 70,000 years ago. A major portion of that migration, was received by India starting from 50,000 to 40,000 years ago. This is the only large scale migration to India. It is this migration that populated India with humans for the first time.
Human Migration along sea coasts and mighty rivers
The population that migrated from Africa, towards India, traveled along the eastern sea-coast of Africa, then along the eastern sea-coast of Arabian peninsula, and then spread into the western sea coast of India and the finally eastern sea coast of India. Thus the entire coastal region of India was populated. From the eastern sea coast of India it spread to the sea coasts of south-east-Asia and beyond, to Australia. When the population reached the western sea coast of India, they also migrated along the large rivers that drained into Arabian sea. One among the mighty rivers that drained thus into sea was the river Saraswati and the other was the river Sindhu. The ancient Indian population thus migrated from the western sea coast of India to northwards along these rivers. They spread along the valleys of these rivers and then spread along its tributaries also. Thus they spread all around the five rivers of Punjab. They also traced Saraswati river and its tributaries originating in the Himalayas and thus crossed the Himalayas reaching the Manasa Lake (the Manasa Saras of Mahabharata) in Tibet, which is considered to be the northern origin of ancient Saraswati and Sindhu rivers. Along the tributaries of Sindhu, like the Kabul River (Sanskrit: Kubha) they also spread to north-western regions of India like Afganistan. From Saraswati river this ancient people spread to river Yamuna and Ganga and its tributaries. Similarly along the sea shores of India, the population spread into the interior of India along the rivers like Narmada, Tapati, Kaveri, Krishnavenna, Godavari and Mahanadi that drained into sea, and penetrated further along the tributaries of these rivers. People from these rivers and those from Sindhu, Saraswati, Yamuna and Ganga were then completely mixed giving rise to the ancient population of India.
Manu, Satyavati, Vyasa, Saraswata, Matsya and the fish
People migrating from Africa predominantly depended upon sea food. Fishing was a major occupation. So they always sought sea shore. They found the big rivers like Saraswati and Sindhu also suitable for their living, since these rivers also contained plenty of sea food, especially fish. Some of the ancient kingdoms or settlements were thus created by the fishermen community. They were called the Matsyas in Mahabharata and in other ancient Indian texts. Matsya means 'fish' in Sanskrit. As per Indian texts (the epics and the Puranas), Manu is mentioned as the earliest king of humanity. It is from the name 'Manu', that the words Manushya' (Sanskrit), 'Manava' (Sanskrit), 'Man' (English) and 'Human' (English) arose. All of them is used to denote a member of the human race. Manu was one among the ancient Matsya chiefs. He is mentioned as escaping from the great flood. The Great Flood was an important event kept in the memory of all humans who migrated from Africa. It is found in the oral traditions and literature of almost all civilizations. It happened around 7000 BC to 5000 BC). The location of this incidence could be anywhere along the many migratory paths taken by humans. Probable locations are, the eastern sea shore of Africa, western sea shore of the Arabian peninsula, the Mediterranian_Sea, the Black_Sea or the western sea shore of India where the Saraswati river joined the sea. It is also possible that this flood like situation occurred in all of these places at the same time or at different times. Flood could be a reason for people to migrate from one place to other. In any case, Manu is informed about the coming of the flood by a certain 'Matsya'. Later Indian texts interpret this 'Matsya' to be a fish, and in much later texts, this Matsya is mentioned as an incarnation of Vishnu. I consider the Matsya who informed Manu about the flood to be a fisher-man, or a member of the fisher-men tribe (the Matsya tribe).
The name Manu also can be seen as transforming into Manoah, which can then transform into Noah, the Bibilcal equivalent of Manu, in saving the human race from the flood. Among the sons of Manu, was Uttanapada 1, mentioned in many ancient Indian texts. In Mahabharata he is mentioned as the father of Dhruva. In the Babylonian flood-story, he is mentioned as Utnapishtim or Uta-na-pistim, the king of Shuruppak / Shurrupak (Surupaka?) and as the savior of Babylonians from the great flood!. Thus the great flood witnessed during the time of Manu became the story of the flood witnessed by his son Uttanapada. Thus the history of flood might have spread to the whole world through generations of oral traditions. But the person who saved people from the flood, or urged them to migrate to safer places, changed from somebody to Manu, from Manu to Uttanapada, from Uttanapada to somebody who was contemporary to or lived in recent times, with respect to the time period of each generation. Thus it became Noah mentioned in the Bible too. Uttanapada's son, Dhruva became very famous. The pole star, which the ancient astronomers found to be remaining constant in the sky was named 'Dhruva'. It was this star that is mentioned in the Bible, as the guiding star, which guided the travelers from the east on their way to meet Jesus in Jerusalem. The pole star was used as a navigational aid in those days by travelers, since it indicates the direction of the north accurately.
The Matsya culture and the Matsya settlements in India were spread through out the coastal region of India as well as across the Saraswati, Sindhu river valleys. This culture later matured into a great civilization that generated the Vedas on the banks of river Saraswati. Vyasa the sage who is considered as the arranger (classifier or divider) of the Vedas is mentioned as the son of a Matsya woman or princess Satyavati. Thus the connection of the Vedas to the Matsyas is very strong. Another sage Saraswata is mentioned in Mahabharata, as teaching the Vedas to many thousand sages after a long period of gap. The long period of gap is mentioned as due to the drying up of the river Saraswati. Due to this drying up people who lived along the banks of Saraswati, had to leave and hence created a break in the oral transmission of the Vedas. Sage Saraswata, who stayed on the banks of Saraswati is mentioned as re-establishing that oral tradition again.
Emergence of a civilization
In the whole of the region near Saraswati, now in Rajasthan, there were many Matsya kingdoms, as mentioned in Mahabharata. One among them was the kingdom of king Virata. It lied to the east of the dried up Saraswati river, indicating a migration from Saraswati to the east. Kuru kingdom lied to the north of this Matsya kingdom. There were many Matsya kingdoms that lied along the northern course of Saraswati river and along the Yamuna river, which lied close to Saraswati. Satyavati, who became the queen of the Kuru king Santanu was from one of these kingdoms, since she is mentioned as a daughter of a Matsya chief who ruled in a Matsya settlement on the banks of river Yamuna.
The lineage of the Kurus are traced to Tibet again close to the Manasa lake in Tibet which I have referred in the article on the Origins of Aila Kings. This lineage thus is the same people who migrated to Tibet along the northern course of Saraswati and Sindhu rivers. Thus in the union of Satyavati and Santanu we find the union of two tribes, the Matsyas who migrated slowly along Saraswati to north and the Aila-Puru-Bharata-Kurus who migrated quickly to north to reach the north-west and Tibet following the northern course of Saraswati, Sindhu and their northern tributaries, who then migrated again southwards crossing the Himalayas from the Tibeten side to Saraswati in Kurukshetra as well as to Ganga and Yamuna.
Other tribes mentioned as lying on the banks of Saraswati are Sudras and Abhiras. The Sudras were again can be considered as tribes similar in occupation to the Matsya tribe, probably more focused on farming rather than fishing on the banks of Saraswati and Sindu. They were also known as Suras, probably identical to the Sauviras (Sauvira > Sura > Sudra). The Abhiras were traders. We also know that trade, supported by agriculture was an important aspect of the Indus Valley or Saraswati-Sindhu-Civilization. In the remote past, the city of Kusasthali which later became Dwaraka that lied close to where Saraswati merged with the sea, became a great sea-port and center of trade and commerce. It was well connected with the regions later occupied by Indus valley cities and Saraswati valley settlements. It had trade-routes or roads linking it along the Sindhu river with kingdoms like Sindhu, Sauvira, Sivi, Madra, Kekaya, Gandhara and Kamboja as well as with other trade routes like the Uttarapatha. Thus a grand trading civilization flourished in the Sindhu-Saraswati river valley.
The missing link of Mount Meru
Thus we find all the element of the puzzle suddenly making sense. The human-migration from Africa to India, the fishing culture, the Matsyas, the Vedas, the Kurus, the Sindhu-Saraswati civilization, Dwaraka, the links between all these are now finally emerging. However my attention also shift to the Meru mountain. Meru is mentioned in Mahabharata and other epics as the center of the world. Thus ancient Indians gave a central place to Meru. Interestingly Meru is a mountain peak in Africa, from where the humans (including the would-be Indians) started their migration! It is not only Mount Meru, there are other place names like the Arusha_Region and the Usa River around Meru, that sounds like Sanskrit words. Mount Meru is the 5th highest peak in Africa and 2nd highest in Tanzania. It is 4566 meters in height. The Arusha region is a region surrounding the Mount Meru. In Mahabharata, Arushi is mentioned as a daughter of Manu. Arushi can also be translated as a person belonging to the Arusha region. The regional capital of Arusha region and its major city is Arusha. Towards the east of this city is the river Usa. In many Indic texts, Usha is mentioned as the goddess of sun-rise (which take place in the east). In Mahabharata Usha is mentioned as an epithet of the sun-god. Again in Mahabharata a lake named Usanasa is mentioned on the banks or Saraswati river. A great king named Usangava (also as Ushangu is mentioned in connection with Yama (and Shiva) who is connected to southern regions (an indication of Africa?). Another person Ushampa also is mentioned connected to Yama (thus with southern regions). A king in the line of Yadu also is mentioned by the name Ushadgu. Sage Usana or Usanas is mentioned as a priest of the Asuras, who is also known as Sukra. Another sage Ushango mentioned as from the western region (Africa also is to the west of India).
Thus there is a possibility that the group that migrated from Africa and settled in India, could be originally living close to (south of) Mount Meru of Tanzania. They might have taken the memory of Meru, of Arusha region and of Usa river while they migrated to India. Where ever they found a high mountain peak, they might have called it Meru. Thus when they reached northern Sindhu river banks, Afganistan and the Himalayas, they might have identified some mountain peak in Pamir_Mountains or in the Himalayas also as Meru.
There are also several place name in Africa, with the word 'Kam' forming part of the name. The word Kam in African dialects mean 'a place'. This word is also found in tribe names like Kamboja or Kamvoja. This also shows the African connection of the people migrated to India.
Share:-
Created by Jijith Nadumuri at 18 Feb 2010 18:45 and updated at 12 Dec 2011 12:52
Namaste Ji,
Great work and please continue.
Mewa.
Both Europe and Africa are vying to lay the claim that Vedic civilization originated from Europe/Africa. cant be true.
1. Vedas make absolutely no mention of alost ho,eland of the people who wrote Vedas anywhere in Europe or Africa. Vedas sing praises of the Saraswati rivers/ and the himalayan peaks.
2. In Vedic philosophy, moving away from your matre-bhoomi (Mother-land) is considered inauspicious. In vedic shastra, if in a person's horoscope, if it predicted that a person will leave his home and make a home away from were he was brn, was considered the result of negative energy from inauspicious planets.
3. A Nomadic/moving civilization cannot produce something as profound and as scientific a philosophy as that contained in the Vedas. the best art/literature comes from civilizations that are settled. Nomads do not produce philosophies. Even solely agricultural societies only produce, well, agriculture. Not art/music. Education and learning is a pre-requisite for producing refined arts,science, culture.
Appreciate your comments. 1) Let me assure you that this article is not making any claim that Vedas were written in Africa (or in Europe). We cannot, for example, rule out the possibility of the African place-names mentioned here as being the influence of the ancient Indian sea-traders who went to Africa.
My current conviction is that the Vedas were created by the people who settled on the banks of Saraswati river in western India who lived there for many thousand years. 3) Thus I agree with you that it is not the product of a nomadic tribe who was on the move (like the many tribes who migrated from Central Asia to Europe).
However it will be wrong to assume that there was no culture before the Vedas. Human migration from Africa to India happened taking several tens of thousands of years and hence does not impact the question of the origin of the Vedic civilization on the banks of Saraswati in India. Some of the concepts like the central mountain named 'Meru' and of several chiefs who lived thousands of years apart with the titular name 'Manu' and the Matsya lineage could all be part of a pre-Vedic culture.
2) On the point of considering foreign lands (lands other than India or motherland) as inauspicious. I believe all the countries and places in the world to be equally sacred. What you mentioned could be a superstition. Certainly I have not seen any mention of it in the Vedas or in the two epics. May be I have missed it (you could help me with some reference?) or it could be in the Puranas. Perhaps you are hinting at ancient people's preference to the fertile Indian lands against the mountainous neighborhoods or their fear of loosing their traditions in the foreign lands.
[[html]]
<a target="_blank" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AncientVoice-forum-posts/~6/1"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/AncientVoice-forum-posts.1.gif" alt="AncientVoice - forum posts" style="border:0"></a>
[[/html]]
My take on this post is that the assumption of Mt Meru being a mountain in africa is contradicting the description of this mountain along with other geographical locations mentioned by the ARYANS in the Mahabharata. The Out of Africa theory is just a hypothesis and has been debunked when human fossils dating much older than the ones found in africa has been found in europe , Siberia , east Asia and Russia . Also according to Manu , the only description of the only home he has known was land of the seven rivers synonymous with North india. This assumption of humans migrating out of africa to other regions of the earth is absolutely hilarious and has no sound scientific proof . The vedas also give accounts of dates as much as millions of years old. If Noah's ark did land on the highest mountain peak , from which he and his sons descend , then it is by all means a peak of the Himalayas ,being the highest mountain on earth and he would've mentioned his original homeland about geographical places in africa which is not coresponding with the descriptions given in the mahabaratas , vedas etc.
Great article… In a single shot it resolves a lot of riddles about our history and existing wrong assumptions.
Great research work. Explanations are so strong that no one can ridicule them so easily because they are interlaced with modern space and scientific knowledge. Young generation should go through this site..Thanks 12-7-2011
This site is such a wonderful resource for studying Rig Vedic culture! You have don't an amazing job of making this kind of research much easier and your level-headed, unbiased and clinical handling of the information is very much appreciated. Thank you. :D
I've been trying to collect together the locations of the hermitages/asylums/ashrams of the Rig Veda composers by sifting through the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Puranas and Rig Veda. I have a list of coordinates for 11 rishis (See below). Considering north to be Punjab, South to be the southern tip of the subcontinent, west to be the Arabian Sea coast near Gugarat and east to Assam, it seems that I've found more descriptive details on those Rig Veda sages who had their hermitages in the east. I haven't found any reference to specific locations within the IVC site range along the Indus, except for Kashyapa near Kurukshetra. Perhaps I will use the info from the AnukramanIs (…/books/rig/ch1.htm) to search on other RV sages.
Yet, at this point, it seems the RV was mostly composed in the east by rishis of the Somavanshi and the Kshatriya employed the services of the Brahmana sages to propitiate the deified ancestors for support in gaining booty and territory from other Somavanshi tribes or 'dasas'. The 'dasas' seem to be, like the 'mlecchas', simply tribes that didn't participate in the RV culture. A few hymns to Indra ask for aid in vanquishing other tribal leaders, pointing out that these leaders do not make ritual offerings. If the IVC tribes were living comfortably, they might not have had a need to bribe the deified ancestors.
Recent discoveries at IVC sites reveal very little RV-type rituals, but a good measure of foreign trade, civil planning and something of a rather flat social hierarchy, which makes it seem like the IVC were far more established and peaceable and thus distinctly different from the RV culture. There is evidence that they knew yoga, so maybe they were already living according to Sanatana Dharm principles.
The later Vedic culture seems to have emulated the IVC lifestyle, putting more emphasis on intellectual and civil application of spiritual practice. Yet, once Kaliyug began, the influence of Buddhism elevated ahimsa to a level that makes any comparison between RV culture and modern spirituality in India impossible. I was shocked to read that Bharata's wives killed nine of his sons because he wasn't pleased with their potential as heirs to the dynasty (Ref: …/src-mbh-01:section-94). Frankly, it seems to me that the RV kshatriya and brahmana were ill-tempered psychopaths. Yet, the oral tradition of transferring knowledge without the need for any tools is a feat of true genius. Given what we know of human migration due to climate change, I think the Brahmanic method of education should be preserved and promoted. Already, we're 13,000 years into a 10,000 to 20,000 year interglacial period and may find ourselves in an other ice age, unprepared and looking for new homes around the equator, just as the tribes that left Africa long ago.
The Stephen Oppenheimer slides presents a migration route that makes perfect sense to me. Yet, given the distinctly different lifestyles between the IVC and RV cultures, there may have been a remnant in India after Sumatra erupted. If not, then perhaps there were a few migration waves out of Africa afterward. The archaeological information from IVC just doesn't seem to correspond with the fratricidal, chauvinistic and acquisitive RV culture. If the two cultures were contemporary, they were starkly different. However, if the RV culture came before the IVC, the problem is solved. After a few thousand years of living comfortably the aggressiveness would dissipate and tribes with different practices would simply agree to disagree, and be capable of coexistence within an abundant environment.
Feel free to advise on any of the opinions express or recommend information.
Here's the list of rishi hermitage coordinates I mentioned.
1. Gotama Rahugana, who delivered verses in Mandala 1, settled in Janakpur (26°42′44″N 85°55′18″E).
2. Agastya, delivered verses in Mandala 1, 7, 8 and 10, was originally from Haridwar or Kasinagara, relocated to near Chengannoor (9°19′6.54″N 76°36′50.46″E). The reason for the migration is given as 'Earth started to Tilt. Lord Shiva then requested Agasthya Muni to rush to the then South India and balance the Earth from further tilting.'
3. Dirghatamas Aucathya (Kaksivan Ausija), who also was inspired with verses in Mandala 1, was a chief priest of King Bharata in Hastinapur (29.17°N 78.02°E).
4. Grtsamada Saunohotra (Suhotra), a Bharadwaja inspired with Mandala 2, and his son of Vitahavya, a king of the Haihayas, is dubiously placed in the capital of the Haihaya Kingdom, Maheshwar (22.11°N 75.35°E).
5. Vishvamitra (King Kaushika), known for Mandala 3 practised near the confluence of the Saptakoshi River (26°54′47″N 87°09′25″E) in honor of his deceased sister, whose title was Kaushiki.
6. Atri (Athri), inspired to deliver Mandala 5, was met by Ram and Sita at his hermitage near Chitrakuta (19°12'35.00"N 81°42'4.08"E).
7. Angiras (Bharadwaja Barhaspatya), inspired with the verses of Mandala 6 is recorded to have had his hermitage near Prayag (25°26'14.38"N 81°50'41.71"E), and his ashram can still be seen there in Allahabad.
8. Vasistha, attributed with Mandala 7, had his hermitage near Guwahati (26° 5'41.77"N 91°47'4.28"E).
9. Kanva, inspired with Mandala 8, dwelt in his hermitage near Kotdwar ( 29°45′0″N 78°31′48″E).
10. Kashyapa, inspired with Mandala 9, resided near Kurukshetra (29.965717°N 76.837006°E).
11. Bhrgu's son named Chyavana is recorded to have had his hermitage near Dhosi Hill (28° 3'33.75"N 76° 1'48.71"E ) and it is assumed that Bhrigu would have been there too.
One issue with the geographical location of sages I found is that, when their name is expressed as a single name such as Agastya, Vasistha, Atri, Angira, Gautama, Bharadwaja, Kanva etc, it cannot be pin pointed to a single individual; it can refer to any individual belonging to the respective gotra, since these names are used to refer to any individual belonging to the gotra or who is a descendant of the epynomous ancestor of that gotra. But ofcourse there is some accuracy when two names are involved such as Gotama Rahugana.
[[html]]
<a target="_blank" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AncientVoice-forum-posts/~6/1"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/AncientVoice-forum-posts.1.gif" alt="AncientVoice - forum posts" style="border:0"></a>
[[/html]]
Dear Jijith,
You are doing a great job analysing the ancient Vedic and Hindu scriptures. Thank you for all your dedicated work!
I'm also doing some research and would be delighted to hear your comment on the following questions.
1) ARYAS VS. MATSYAS MLECCHAS YAVANAS AND VAISYAS.
You mentioned in one of your essays that the Kurus were cultivating brahminical and ksatriya castes and had little sympathy for the trading and fishing communities surrounding their territories. The
arya brahmins dispise also the mlecchas and yavanas (Turks and Greeks) until today.
The reason for their disdain may be that the noble aryas disqualify them for their habit of meateating. Arya is about morality in life and spiritual advancement independent of bodily features, isn't it?
2) OUT OF AFRICA THEORY ABANDONED
The Out of Africa theory is no longer supported by intelligent scientists, except the mainstream, which turns the theory doubtfull anyhow. There have been two great scholars who maintain that the
arya nobility migrated from the North Pole.
One mystic is Lokamanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, the inspirator of Nehru and Gandhi, who analysed the Rg Veda in jail during British rule. In the vedik rituals he found proof of the Arctic home of the Vedas. They worshipped the dawn of the new sun (after half year of darkness) and celestial bodies at the intervals of natural seasons existent only on the North Pole. At that time that place consisted of a land mass with a subtropical climate and lush greens. So, the oral tradition of Rg Veda must be prediluvial at least 10,500 years ago. Gangadhar Tilak, 'The Arctic Home in the Vedas' 1903 - (guests and low-karma users are not allowed to post links)
The other mystic was Manly Palmer Hall explaining that scientient life entered earth on the North Pole in subtle bodies that were not physical yet. Every living being and all biological cells in nature are constructed with a north and a south pole. Even an egg has a north and a south pole beaming different electromagnetic charges. Therefore, entrance onto the earth was possible only due to the magnetic fields on the Arctic. Hall says, the arya community existed on earth at least one million years ago (guests and low-karma users are not allowed to post links) The archaeological artifacts discussed by Michael Cremo in his books and videos support Hall's theory empirically.
3) CALCULATION OF THE YUGAS
There is confusion about the duration of the yugas mentioned in the Puranas. Svami Sri Yukteshvara Giri from the Himalayas, the disciple of Haidakhan Baba and teacher of Yogananda, published a small
book entitled 'The Holy Science', in the Introduction of which he shows the correct durations of the four yugas. Reason for the miscalculation of the brahmins was, that after the War of Kuruksetra, Yuddhisthira left for the Himalayas and took with him the best of his astrologers and scientists. Those who were left behind on the subcontinent didn't possess enough knowledge to calculate the complex astrological systems in the galaxy. The result was that they inflated each yuga with a factor of 100.
The Puranas tell us that Kali-yuga will last for 432,000 years. In reality, it will last only 4,500 years. Kali-yuga began at the end of Kurukshetra War and had its darkest period around 500 BC. The
dark age ended around 1500 AD. So according to the calculation by the yogis in the Himalayas, where the correct knowledge still exists, we are 500 years in Dvapara-yuga now.
4) THE VEDAS WERE LOOTED FROM THE TAMILS
The Tamils however will say that the Aryan deities - Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma - were 'looted' from the Tamils. The Persian 'immigrants' Sanskritised ancient Tamil knowledge and modified their scriptures
according to taste. The man who's doing the research of Tamil and Aryan history says, "The Deities are Tamil, the stories are Aryan". Their original mystic system was called 'Aaseevaham'.
The knowledge of the Four Vedas was given by Shiva at the First Sangam 10-20,000 years ago. Shiva contracted four disciples (the Four Kumaras, his 'brothers') to hear and remember his teachings. The researcher shows that Shiva was from the Paleolithic era, Murugan Mesolithic and Vishnu Neolithic. All these 'deities' were human beings who later became deified in temples of worship for the common man. Vishnu was a keen astronomer who went to Meso-America to teach the Mayas. The Mayan Calendar was taught by Vishnu. Shiva started the first Sangam and introduced written language in images for the first time. Two Sangams followed in later times from which the Tamil language was generated. 'The Ancient Culture of Tamils' (playlist) (guests and low-karma users are not allowed to post links)
What are your thoughts on these subjects, please, Jijith?
Namasté
Iris
Iris , very informative post. I would've love to hear Jijith's reply to your questions. I couldn't agree more with you that the Out of africa theory has no scientific bearing. however , according to the Mahabaratas and vedas , It couldn't be more resounding that India was indeed the homeland of the aryans . Its also the only region where the culture and Sanskrit language has remained alive . There are also no artifacts, symbols eg swastika , monuments , religious practices or names of geographical places mentioned by the aryans anywhere in the world that resembles the homeland or origins of the aryans but India.