By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Ancient Indian treatise 'Surya Siddhanta' is the basis of all space studies in Europe, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Friday said.

Traditional Indian science has been reduced to myths in the minds of the countrymen, he lamented.

The governor was speaking after presenting the Sree Chithira Thirunal Award to ISRO chairman Dr K Sivan here on Friday.

"Over the years we have become unfamiliar with our ethos and as the result, the scientific references in our own books were reduced into myths in our minds," he said.

Khan said 'Surya Siddhanta' was taken to the court of Al-Mansur of Baghdad, the second Abbasid Caliph by a man named Kanak. The caliph then assigned mathematician Ibrahim al-Fazari to translate it into Arabic. Thereafter, the then ruler of Spain obtained a copy of the book by paying a huge bribe to the scribe.

"Eventually, the book was translated into almost all European languages and became the basis of all space studies in Europe," he said.

"So, we are thankful to our scientists like Dr Madhavan Nair and Dr Sivan not only because they accomplished so much for us... we are grateful to them for reviving our own traditions and ethos," he said. ISRO's former chairman was also present at the function.

