Independence Day 2018: 11 Inventions by Indians That Will Make You Proud!

Indians have made notable contributions to the world of science and technology. From ancient to modern India, inventions made by intellectuals of the country continue to make lives simpler for people across the globe. It is ancient India where yoga originated and today the practice is prominent among people across countries. From construction, programming languages, games, metals manufacturing, medicine, mining, cloth and material production, Indians have contributed much to the modern civilisation.

While some of these are quite well-known as inventions by Indians, most of it continues to be unknown not just to the western world, but to Indian too. While it is not a finding, Sanskrit, a language of ancient India is the mother of Europe's languages from where even many words in the English language also originates. With Independence Day around the corner, we take a look at the great minds who made the country proud with their findings.

Here are some clever inventions by Indians:

1. Shampoo

It is a humble head massage oil that evolved into shampoo for the world. Around 1762 during the Mughal Empire, this oil was used for head massage for the Nawabs of Bengal. The word 'shampoo' is derived from the word champo.

2. Cataract surgery

Ancient Indian physician Sushruta (6th century BCE) is considered the popular literature as the "father of surgery". His works are said to have detailed accounts of cataract surgery among descriptions of other illnesses.

3. Diamond mining

Until the discovery of diamonds in Brazil in 1726, India was the source of all the world's diamonds. The industry of diamond mining originated in Indian between 800 and 600 B.C. in India.

4. Ruler

Ivory rulers were unearthed from ruins in areas of Indus Valley Civilisation in both India and Pakistan. The rulers found during excavation had decimal subdivisions on it showcasing their accuracy.

5. Snakes and Ladders

The game, Snake and Ladders was invented in India and later spread to England. It was introduced in the USA by game pioneer Milton Bradley in 1943. While today it is known as Snakes and Ladders, it originated in India as Mokshapat or Moksha Patamu. According to some historians, the game was invented by Saint Gyandev in the 13th century AD.

6. Water on moon

Indian Space Research Organisation ISRO’s Chandrayaan-1 discovered that moon was not just filled with rocks, but it had water. The discovery is credited to the Chandrayaan mission.

7. USB (Universal Serial Bus)

USB has today become an everyday item of use across countries. The device that makes the transfer of information easy was invented by Indian. Ajay V. Bhatt (an Indian-American computer architect).

8. Plastic Surgery

The world's first plastic surgery was performed on October 23, 1814. While the medical practice has evolved over centuries, the first surgery was done in India.

9. Zero

It is an Indian who gave the world 'zero'. In earlier times, blank space was used to denote zero which created confusion. In 500 AD Aryabhata, the mathematician gave zero a symbol which is the base of maths today.

10. Ayurveda

Ayurveda which is used widely in the West also has its roots in the Indian subcontinent. The use of Ayurveda medicines can be traced back to 500 BC which includes a complex blend of herbs, minerals and metal substances. Today outside India, it is a popular alternative medicine.

11. Buttons

Indian has gifted the world the concept of buttons. Buttons made from seashell were the first to be used in the Indus Valley Civilisation. They were considered ornamental and were carved in geometric shapes and had holes and piercings in them. Just like the modern day buttons, the one in the olden days were also attached to the clothing using a thread. The earliest-known button was found at Mohenjo-Daro about 5000 years old.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 13, 2018 07:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).