Students must be inspired to learn history, says author Nilesh Nilkanth

He spoke on Heroines of Dharma: The uncompromising spirit of women from Indian epics.

In his one-hour-long talk, Nikesh spoke about his meticulous research and compelling arguments which shed new light on the timeless stories, challenging conventional narratives and offering fresh perspectives on our rich cultural heritage.

The history of Ramayana is not 5000 years old as it is perceived and believed. Mahabharat is 7000 years old, Ramayana 14000 years old, and Rig Veda 21000 years old, he said much to the surprise of 200 plus gathering.

I have a connection with the erstwhile unified Andhra Pradesh. My ancestors who lived around Kurnool during the 17th century moved away from that place, he said.

He gave a brief account of various timelines of important events in our ancient literature

He decoded the Epics: Mahabharata and Ramayana. My research suggests that Ramayana and the Mahabharata, the two of India's great epics that tell stories of triumph over evil and rivalry between groups of cousins, are much older than most of us have been reading till now, he said. His revelation challenges many traditional academic perspectives and also makes us relook at our historical timelines and their accuracies.

Nilesh is the author of three books - 1. When did the Mahabharata War Happen, 2. The Historic Rama, 3. Bhishma Nirvana was extensively written on ancient Indian history.

He spoke among many other aspects of history and lesser-known but unsung personalities in history. One such personality was Tarabai Bhonsle. If we remain Hindus and if Hinduism is surviving because of her he said. Her 27-year-long war saved Hinduism, he said. She defeated the Mughal forces of Aurangzeb in several battles and expanded the Maratha Empire. Her role in keeping alive the flame of Maratha's resistance against the invading Mughal Empire is highly laudable, he said

Replying to a question on astrology in our day-to-day life, in business and matchmaking its relevance he said Astrology or Jyotish Shastra is an empirical science which means a type of research that uses empirical evidence to gain knowledge. Empirical evidence is information that comes from observation or experimentation. So one must be careful who you go to and consult rather than going to every Tom, Dick, and Harry.

Speaking on how to make History interesting for students he said history must be told like a story so that it will not be confusing and seem so scary. Teachers must inspire students with stories of the past. So that students will study history with the same kind of enthusiasm with which they watch movies or cricket.

Referring to The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 which was introduced a couple of years back he said if the right version of history has to be presented to the students, let students know different versions of the same subject. He gave an example of Mahabharata. There are many different versions of timelines about the Mahabharata, with each researcher using different methods and arriving at different dates. They may be right or wrong. Let students know all their different research outcomes. And leave that thing open for them to think over it.

He also spoke about the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) that combines ancient wisdom with contemporary knowledge and global perspectives to promote a holistic approach to learning. It is based on the principles of Jnan, Vignan, and Jeevan Darshan, which have evolved through observation, experimentation, and analysis. And that is the best way he said.

Earlier welcoming the gathering, Priya Gazdar, Chairperson of FLO said we all are assembled to listen to Nileshji who will discuss the crucial role played by our Heroines of Dharma. And how ‘doing the right thing’ has stayed in currency for millennia and will continue to be the North Star for generations to come.