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The most important Indian astronomer and mathematician, born in 476 CE, was Aryabatta. He belonged to Pataliputra (present-day Patna), and Kusumapura played an important role in his studies.
His major work includes Aryabhatiya. He also introduced the number zero and place value system and other mathematical concepts like trigonometry.
The content of Aryabhatiya contains 13 introductory verses and 108 following verses. It is bifurcated into four chapters which discuss:
- Gitikapada: (13 verses): Large units of time
- Ganitapada (33 verses): Cover mensuration
- Kalakriyapada (25 verses) — Talks about deciding the positions of planets and units of time.
- Golapada (50 verses) — Talks about the geometric view of celestial spheres, characteristics of the ecliptic, node, configuration, and shape of the Earth.
Aryabhatta: The composer of Aryabhatiya
The founder of zero and the place value system, the great astronomer and mathematician Aryabhatta, was born in 476 CE and lived up to 550 CE. He was an inhabitant of Pataliputra, present-day Patna in Bihar. He acquired knowledge from the University of Nalanda.
The great astronomer described the happenings of the lunar and solar eclipses, taught everyone approximations for Pi, and made an effort to figure out the Earth’s circumference.
In one of the chapters of Aryabhatiya, Golapada, Aryabatta explains the reason why day and night occur and also enlightens us with the rising of each zodiac sign on the horizon which is responsible for our physical appearance.
Aryabhatiya
Composed in Sanskrit, the book is bisected into four parts. It consists of 121 verses and explains different moralities. It uses a geometric model of the solar system, which has the Sun and Moon carried by epicycles that revolve around Earth; the epicycles also rule the motion of planets. The book was composed in 510 CE.
Golapada (50 verses)
This part of Aryabhatiya talks about the rising of zodiac signs on the horizon, celestial equator, geometric view of celestial spheres, node, configuration and shape of the Earth, characteristics of the ecliptic, and causes of day and night.
- Rising of zodiac signs on the horizon: The rising of zodiac signs on the horizon is called Ascendant. It is considered of great importance in all schools of astrology as it is specific to a time and place and reflects an individual’s physical appearance.
- Celestial equator: It is an imaginative celestial sphere that refers to equatorial coordinates and hence, is an innovative reference to the equator in the outside world.
- Geometric view of celestial spheres: It has an infinite radius which indicates that all parallel lines in the solar system will intersect at a single point called celestial spheres; hence, all observers observe the same thing in the same direction when seeing through the celestial sphere
- Node: In astronomy, a node is a crossing of one celestial body’s orbital with the ecliptic plane. Mostly, a reference to the Earth’s orbital is taken.
- Configuration and shape of Earth: The Earth is not a uniform sphere which at times brings faults in the accurate coordinate points of a particular place by astronomers
- Characteristics of the ecliptic: The trail taken by the Moon, Sun, and other planets over the sky can be noticed from the Earth. The ecliptic is inclined at 23.44° to the plane of the celestial equator; this inclination is called the obliquity of the ecliptic.
- Causes of day and night: The reason for day and night is the rotation of Earth around the Sun on its axis; hence, “one day” is the time taken by the Earth to complete one rotation on its axis around the Sun.
Conclusion
The great mathematician and astronomer, Arybhattaa, was born in 476 CE and lived up to 550 CE. He put forward the terms like algebra, trigonometry, sidereal periods, heliocentrism, cube root, square root, areas of triangles, the volume of spheres, and many more such concepts.
He introduced zero and many more significant terms in the world of maths and astrology. One of his famous books is Aryabhatiya, written in sutra literature in 510 CE. The book is bisected into four parts consisting of 121 verses, and it explains different moralities.
Golapada is the fourth chapter which talks about the rising of zodiac signs on the horizon, celestial equator, geometric view of celestial spheres, node, configuration and shape of Earth, characteristics of the ecliptic, and the causes of day and night.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ireland on September 23, 2015. It was the second time an Indian Prime Minister had visited Ireland. The first being Jawaharlal Nehru’s visit in 1956. Ireland is an island nation located in Northwestern Europe and surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean.
The Prime Minister of Ireland, Enda Kenny, had hosted PM Modi during his visit. The PM was attended by other dignitaries such as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charles Flanagan, and Ireland’s Ambassador to India, Feilim McLaughlin. The main aim of the visit was to create stronger ties and improve trade and cultural relations. Described below is the impact of the PM’s Ireland visit.
Impact on trade and commerce
India and Ireland have strong bilateral trade and business relations. Before the PM’s visit, trades with Ireland were valued at €650 million in business in 2014. This included exports worth €248m and imports worth €402 million.
The indigenous exports increased from €32 million in 2012 to €55 million in 2014. In 2019, the total bilateral trade was around €1.2 billion. The exports and the imports have also increased to €636 million and €480 million respectively. Currently, the total trade between India and Ireland is valued at €4.2 billion. This resulted from improved bilateral ties between the two nations, owing to Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Ireland.
Indian Companies in Ireland
Many Indian companies carry out trade and commerce in Ireland. They provide services to Irish markets and consumers across various industries. Pharmaceutical giants such as Reliance Genemedix and Amneal Pharmaceuticals operate in Ireland. Major IT companies such as Wipro, Infosys, TCS, and HCL also have a strong presence in the country. The trade relations were bolstered after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ireland.
Other companies like Crompton Greaves, Deepak Fasteners, Jain irrigation systems, and Shapoorji Pallonji provide consumer goods and services. Likewise, many Irish companies conduct their business in the Indian market. These companies include pharmaceutical and nutrition players like ICON and Glanbia, IT firms like Globoforce and other companies like Keventer, CRH Taxback Group, and Connolly Red Mills.
Impact on Education
Ireland has been a coveted destination for higher education for Indian students. Over 5000 Indian students have enrolled for higher studies in various institutions in Ireland. The students are admitted to engineering, technology, medicine and management colleges. More than 30 research agreements have been signed between the two nations that allow institutes in both countries to collaborate.
Many reputed institutes like Trinity College, Dublin, and Thapar University, Patiala, have signed MOUs for engineering and science disciplines programmes. Thus, Ireland is an essential collaborator in graduate and doctoral research. This collaboration is also considered an impact of the PM’s Ireland visit.
Indian Community in Ireland
Ireland is diplomatically significant for India also due to the large number of Indian citizens residing there. The Indian origin population is approximately 45,000 people, of whom 18,500 are Non-Resident Indians (NRI), and others are Persons of Indian Origin (PIO). The majority of the residents are working professionals employed in engineering, healthcare and management positions.
It has helped in establishing many policies for the Indian origin population. Two such policies in practice are wearing hijab as a part of the police uniform and the non-requirement of obtaining an additional work permit for the spouse or the partner of Critical Skill Employment Permit holders.
Cultural Impact
As a result of a large population of Indian origin citizens in Ireland and the relationship between the two nations, Ireland promotes Indian culture in various forms. One such example is the celebration of Diwali in Ireland since 2008. The event is organised every year in collaboration with Irish and Indian committees.
Further, an annual contemporary film festival is also a part of the celebration of Indian culture. The promotion of such events indicates the importance of cultural exchange between the two nations. The Irish communities also take a keen interest in conventional practices such as cultivating and consuming Indian herbs and spices. This connects the agricultural practices between the two nations. The cultural ties between the countries were strong, and Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Ireland helped strengthen them further.
Another significant practice is the celebration of International Yoga Day in Ireland. The Irish communities have accepted Yoga as a form of a healthy lifestyle. The practice is similar to the Indian tradition.
Tourism
India attracts around 44,000 Irish tourists every year. Indian tourists too visit Ireland in similar numbers. This was facilitated by the introduction of the common British-Irish visa scheme. This scheme allows the tourists to visit the U.K. and Ireland under one visa, rather than applying for two separate visas. It is valid for short stays. India also extended its Electronic Tourist Visa facility to Ireland to digitally facilitate visa approval and generation. The impact of the PM’s Ireland visit was such that it has also helped establish the tourism sector in both countries.
Conclusion
The diplomatic ties between Ireland and India have been impacted positively after Prime Minister Modi visited Ireland in 2015. It was an essential step toward strengthening the bilateral relationship between these two nations. India and Ireland have been important to each other since the 1900s.
In 2010 and 2017, two honorary consulates were established in Chennai and Kolkata. Later in 2019, a formal and fully functional consulate general in Mumbai. Ireland and India have also shown their allegiance to fighting terrorism after the Pulwama attack. India has also hosted several Irish dignitaries on various occasions. These visits were directed toward engagement in business, education, health and tourism.
Further, many agreements were signed to provide opportunities for employment to people of both countries. Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Ireland helped revive relatively stagnant relations between these two nations. Several cultural and historically similar instances bind these two nations. From Yeats and Tagore to cricket and Diwali, the cultural semblance between these two nations has helped create a strong tie between them.
