Indian scientists highlight global heritage, science of swastika

A three-day exhibition beginning here on Friday based on recent research by Indian scientists will highlights the universality of the swastika as a principle of sustainability and maps the heritage and science behind the symbol, organisers said.

The Swastika' exhibition is part of the mutli-dimensional Sandhi project - an initiative of IIT-Kharagpur sponsored by Union Ministry of Human Resource Development that seeks to "build a bridge between ancient Indian scientific heritage and modern science".

"Swastika is seen in civilisations in the Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia, central and west Asia, western Europe, the Mediterranean, sub-Saharan Africa, the Americas and Pacific and recurs in religion, philosophy, spirituality, science and technology as well. The team behind the research has identified the swastika as the universal principle of sustainability," Joy Sen, principal investigator of Sandhi and IIT-Kgp professor, told IANS.

The team representing Sandhi comprises of research scholars, 2016 summer interns and Sandhi cell technology student gymkhana, said Sen.

Through audiovisuals and publications, the exposition will focus on topics representing the recurrence of the ideogram (a graphic symbol that represents an idea or concept, independent of any particular language, and specific words or phrases) across the globe.

"There are topics like 'Swastika's Voyage: Where it All Started', 'heritage and science behind swastika in Americas' among others, based on image interpretation and the study of the meanings of words and phrases in language (semantics) and the study of signs and symbols as elements of communicative behaviour (semiotics)," Sen said.

The collaborators are the ICCR, Kolkata, Visva Bharati University and Kolkata Museum of Modern Art, said Sen.

According to an MHRD tweet, studies under Sandhi prove relevance of India's scientific approach through collaboration with modern science methodology.

--IANS

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