13 hours ago
- Science
- New Indian Express
Vijayanagara-era inscription refers to sighting of Halley's comet
'According to the inscription, the comet, referred to as Dhumaketu, was believed to herald great misfortune. To mitigate the ill effects of this celestial phenomenon, a traditional 'Santi Puja' (pacification ritual) was conducted. As part of the observance, King Mallikarjuna donated the village of Simgapura, located in the Kelajha sima region of Hastinavati Vemthe, to a Vedic scholar and astronomer named Limganarya from Kadiyalapura, likely present-day Kadiyapulanka in Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh,' Muniratnam said.
He elaborated that the appearance of a comet, the meteoric shower it causes and the traditional beliefs associated with it is well described in this inscription by the term 'Prakasyaya mahotpata santyartham dattavan vibhu?', which translates to 'In order to pacify the calamities that may arise due to the illuminating comets and meteoric shower on the king and his kingdom, this grant was made.'
He further added that though references to comets are found in ancient texts globally, this is the first epigraphical record that has been discovered and confirms that the 1456 appearance of Halley's comet was widely feared and considered a bad omen, with similar interpretations in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
It is worth mentioning that Halley's Comet was last seen from Earth in 1986 and will return in 2061 on its regular 76-year journey around the Sun.
