12-Oct-2019: This site may be a royal burial site of Chalukya dynasty
Inscriptions found on an ancient temple at Huligemmana Kolla near Pattadakalu indicate that the place may have once been the royal burial site of the Chalukya dynasty. The inscriptions may have been scripted during the rule of the Chalukyas at Huligemmana Kolla, 7km from Pattadakal.
There are eleven temples with lingams and a tower developed during the Chalukya dynasty and another Linga without the tower, which has an inscription on it stating that it served as the funerary casket-bearing shrine of Vikramaditya-II. This inscription claims the spot served as a royal burial site.
There is a misconception that they portray 12 jyotirlingas (a devotional representation of Lord Shiva). But in reality, these are the royal graves where the lingams are usually placed on top of a cremation site, a common practice in the Hindu tradition.
Excavation at the Chalukyas burial site should be done. This will serve as scientific proof in the future. After excavation, if we find skeletons with the help of carbon dating, we can easily identify which era it belonged to. A research has claimed that Pulkeshi-II stayed at Huligemmana Kolla.
20-Sep-2019: Joint Unveiling of Buddha Statue by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and President of Mongolia HE Mr. Khaltmaagiin Battulga
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and H.E. Mr. Khaltmaagiin Battulga, President of Mongolia, jointly unveiled a statue of Lord Buddha and his two disciples, installed at the historic Gandan Tegchenling Monastery in Ulaanbaatar.
Prime Minister had offered prayers at the Gandan Tegchenling Monastery during his visit to Mongolia in 2015 and had announced to gift a statue of Lord Buddha to the monastery, underlining the common Buddhist heritage and civilizational links between our two countries and peoples.
The Statue depicts Lord Buddha in a sitting posture along with his two disciples conveying the message of compassion along with peace and co-existence. The statue was installed and consecrated at the Gandan Monastery earlier this month during the third edition of SAMVAAD dialogue held in Ulaanbaatar from 6 – 7 September 2019. Third edition of SAMVAAD dialogue brought together Buddhist religious leaders, experts and scholars from different countries to deliberate on contemporary issues related to Buddhism.
Gandan Tegchenling Monastery is a prominent centre of Mongolian Buddhists and a treasure house of valuable Buddhist heritage. It hosted the 11th General Assembly of Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace (ABCP) from 21-23 June 2019 marking the 50th anniversary of the Conference. Over 150 guests from 14 countries including India, South Korea, Russia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, North Korea, LPDR, Thailand, Japan etc. had participated in the event.
The Statue unveiled by Prime Minister and Mongolian President H.E. Khaltmaagiin Battulga symbolizes the shared respect of our two countries for the universal message of Lord Buddha.
29-Aug-2019: Oldest parasite DNA recorded
Scientists found the oldest parasite DNA ever recorded. The discovery was made in the “coprolite” of a prehistoric puma in Argentina. Coprolites are fossilized faeces belonging to animals that lived millions of years ago.
Scientists can analyse and study their shape and size and depending on the location they were found in, they can figure out the animal from which they came as well as uncover what those animals ate. For instance, if there are bone fragments in the faeces, it tells scientists that the animal might have been a carnivore. Tooth marks can reveal how the animal ate.
A team of scientists from Argentina’s National Council of Scientific and Technical Research studied a prehistoric puma’s coprolite taken from a rock-shelter in Catamarca province. With the help of carbon dating, they were able to estimate the age of the coprolite at between 16,500-17,000 years.
Using ancient mitochondrial DNA analysis, they were able to confirm that the coprolite came out of a puma. This led to the identification of the oldest parasite DNA found yet. Parasite DNA has been found in coprolites before, but this is the oldest since the evidence found earlier dated back to a few thousand years ago only.