Author: TNN
Publication: The Times of India
Date: May 3, 2009
URL: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Bangalore/A-century-of-cultural-calling-/articleshow/4479874.cms
The beautiful colonial piece of architecture
on Nrupatunga Road has dawned a new look. The Mythic Society, the premier
institute of Indology and path- breaking studies, has just completed 100 years.
The three-day valedictory celebrations were inaugurated on Sunday.
Formed in 1909 to study the culture of Mysore
state, it has now evolved into a national organization that nurtures anthropology,
epigraphy, numismatics, folklore, linguistics, south Indian history, archaeology,
ethnology, mythology and religion.
It's birth
The Mythic Society was founded by the then
collector of Bangalore F J Richards, chief architect of Mysore government
G H Krumbriel, professor at Central College S Krishnaswamy Iyengar and many
others.
"British officers wanted to know more
about Mysore state, our culture, language and architecture. Seventeen members
of the founding group were Britishers while only two were Indians. Later their
interest encompassed whole of India and its culture," explains managing
committee member and centenary celebrations convener V Nagaraj, who has been
with the society for over 30 years now.
Rare library
Mythic Society has one of the best libraries
in the world with over 40,000 books. These include some of the rarest books
on Indology that are over 100 years old. The library also has reports on Indian
life and culture, written by eminent British officers and scholars.
Distinguished speakers
Many renowned personalities have been associated
with the society. Scientist C V Raman used to be the president of the society;
in 1919, Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore delivered lectures on the influence
of art on the Indian mind. In 1927 Mahatma Gandhi delivered a talk on `Harijan
uddhara' or liberating lower castes.
Seminars a treat
The society is also known for its seminars
and sessions, like the one in 1983 on the scientific heritage of India. Many
international speakers from all over the world attended and debated the contribution
of ancient India to modern science. Sessions on the Aryan problem, whether
it is a myth or a reality, also opened up new areas of study.
A few years back, a seminar on the date of
the Mahabharata war based on astronomical calculations generated a lot of
interest. "The Mahabharata has more than 600 astronomical details. Scholar
Dr Narahari Acharya brought a planetarium software developed by Nasa, using
which sky configurations of 5000 years ago from Kurukshetra can be seen. All
the configurations tallied. "It was one of the most interesting seminars
that saw a response from all over the world," adds Nagaraj. Seminars
on Indian heritage, right from the Harappa Mohenjodaro period, Indian culture
and women and Indian culture and agriculture were held recently as part of
the centenary celebrations. Currently a seminar on the socio-religious movements
in India is being held.
The celebrations
On Sunday, the centenary honour was awarded
to scholar Kalyanaraman, who is known for his work on tracing the mythical
river Saraswati and the science behind Rama Setu. CM B S Yeddyurappa inaugurated
the ceremony and honoured Kalyanaraman who narrated his journey as an officer
for the Asian Development Bank to finding the reality of river Saraswati,
that has been referred in the Vedas innumerable times. He also spoke about
how he managed to get the right judgment on the Rama Setu issue after it was
under the threat of being demolished.
The chief minister said, "Indian culture
and religion have international interest and appeal. Scholars like Arya Bhatta
have been born on this soil. The Mythic Society over the years has played
a very important role in upholding our culture and preserving it for future
generations." He announced a fund of Rs 1 crore for the maintenance of
the building and the ongoingcelebrations.
Chancellor of Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana
Samsthana H R Nagendra; president of Mythic Society M K L N Sastry and home
minister V S Acharya were also present.
