Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav will inaugurate the national workshop on “Astronomy and Indian Knowledge Tradition” in Ujjain on Yoga Day 21 June

Bhopal: Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav will inaugurate the national workshop on “Astronomy and Indian Knowledge Tradition” on Saturday, June 21 at Varahamihir Astronomical Observatory, Dongla, Ujjain. Eminent scientists and educationists of the country will participate in the workshop. During this, many educational and scientific activities will be organized. These include yoga camps, zero shadow observation, science show, STEM workshop, lectures and discussions. The workshop will focus on the tradition of Indian astronomy and its scientific relevance. Experts will have detailed discussions on the coordination of Indian knowledge system and modern science. In the workshop, along with astronomy, efforts will be made to connect the ancient knowledge traditions of India with modern science. The workshop is being organized under the joint aegis of M.P. Science and Technology Council, Bhopal, Vigyan Bharti, Acharya Varahamihir Trust Ujjain, Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Vikram University Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh Hindi Granth Academy Bhopal and Veer Bharat Trust.

Chief Minister Dr. Yadav will observe zero shadow through the cone instrument at Padmashree Dr. Vishnu Shridhar Wakankar Observatory. Along with this, Acharya Varahamihir Trust and Avada Foundation will also inaugurate the ultramodern planetarium. During this, a planetarium show will also be performed. Chief Minister Dr. Yadav will address the inaugural session of the national workshop in the auditorium located in the observatory. Astronomy and Indian knowledge tradition will be discussed in the discussion session. It is worth mentioning that Acharya Varahamihir Trust has established ultramodern digital planetarium in village Dongla with the financial support of Avada Foundation and technical support of Deep Sky Planetarium, Kolkata. The purpose of establishing the planetarium is to provide information related to astronomy and to satisfy the curiosity of natural phenomena among the common people and school children of rural areas. In this planetarium, E-Vision 4 digital projector and digital sound system have been installed in the 8 meter diameter FRP dome. In this air-conditioned spherical planetarium, 55 people can sit together and enjoy the thrilling experience and enjoyment of the events happening in the astonishing and curiosity-provoking universe of the celestial theatre. The cost of this planetarium is approximately Rs 1.6 crore.

Varahamihir Astronomical Observatory, Dongla: The Tropic of Cancer passes through the historical village Dongla, located in Mahidpur tehsil of Ujjain district, which is the leading centre of astronomy research in Central India. It has special significance from the point of view of astronomy and astrology since ancient times. Taking forward the glorious knowledge tradition of India, Varahamihir Astronomical Observatory was established in village Dongla in the year 2013 by the Science and Technology Council of the Government of Madhya Pradesh. Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav has made a special contribution in the process of conceptualizing this ambitious project, from land selection to construction. Technical support has been received from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bangalore and Aryabhatta Training Science Research Institute (ARIES), Nainital in the establishment of this observatory. The 20-inch modern telescope installed in the 5 meter dome in the observatory is promoting research and astronomy activities. This facility is providing a platform for study and research in the field of astronomy to the students, researchers and academicians of the state and the country. A winter school based on astronomy is organized here and under the “Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat” scheme, students from other states are also visiting this observatory. Recently, this telescope has been provided with automation facility in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology, Indore. This is a historic initiative in line with the new education policy and the National Space Policy. With this, students from remote areas will also be able to connect to the observatory through online medium.

The Padma Shri Dr. Vishnu Shridhar Wakankar Observatory, established in Dongla itself, which focuses on ancient astronomical instruments, is keeping the cultural and scientific heritage of this region alive. This effort is a historic initiative towards developing Dongla as the center of the concept of “Dongla Mean Time (DMT)” as a coordination of modern technology and ancient knowledge. Scientists and educationists of the country will participate in the workshop. National Organization Minister of Vigyan Bharati Dr. Shivkumar Sharma, Additional Chief Secretary of Science and Technology Department Sanjay Dubey, National Convenor of Indian Knowledge System Government of India New Delhi Prof. Ganti S. Murthy, Director of National Innovation Foundation Gandhinagar Dr. Arvind Ranade, Executive Director of Indian National Science Academy New Delhi Dr. Brajesh Pandey, Former Chairman of MP Pollution Control Board Dr. N. P. Shukla, Former Vice Chancellor of Deccan University Pune and CSIR Bhatnagar Fellow, CCMB Hyderabad Dr. Vasant Shinde, President of Acharya Varahamihir Trust Ujjain Hemant Bhawalkar, Vice Chancellor of Vikram University Ujjain Prof. Arpan Bhardwaj, Director General of Madhya Pradesh Council of Science and Technology Dr. Anil Kothari, Director of Avaada Foundation Mrs. Ritu Patwari and Senior Scientist of Indian Space Research Organization along with other eminent scientists and educationists will participate.