[INDOLOGY] Controversy over Indian Science Congress to include panel On Pushpaka Vimanas

[Michael Witzel]

Modi was serious. And that at a scientific meeting!

<http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2014/10/30/42161/>

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbVyrYrsQP8>
(starts after a few seconds)

<www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeIWu1NLuzE>
(in Hindi)

He also talked about genetics (artificial insemination and birth outside the womb)….

As for Vedic "plastic surgery,"  an Indian colleague remarked: 

a human neck is maximally only about 8 inches thick, but an elephant's... How did the Vedic plastic surgeons manage that? 
 
Cheers!
Michael

On Dec 29, 2014, at 8:46 AM, Harry Falk wrote:

> Aeroplanes are not the only outcome of science of ancient India.
> According to a south-asian friend it was PM Mody who in a very recent
> speech said that cosmetic surgery was invented in India and gave Ganesh as
> a prime example of it!
> With ample scope for refining the science, meseems.
> Does any one know if the PM was serious about this or was this meant as a
> joke?
> H. Falk
> 
> 

============
> Michael Witzel
> witzel at fas.harvard.edu
> <www.fas.harvard.edu/~witzel/mwpage.htm>
> Wales Prof. of Sanskrit,
> Dept. of South Asian Studies, Harvard University
> 1 Bow Street,
> Cambridge MA 02138, USA
> 
> phone: 1- 617 - 495 3295, fax 617 - 496 8571;
> direct line:  617- 496 2990