SCIENCE AND SOCIETY

                               TIME CASTS A SHADOW ON THIS SUNDIAL                                                                                                       Nikunja Bihari Sahu               Known for its sculptural splendour and elegant stone arch, the 10 th century Mukteswar temple in the temple city of Bhubaneswar has one more attraction to offer.   In its picturesque lawn, stands an ancient sun-dial that has been ticking away quietly under the Sun for over a century.   However, most people ignore the sight assuming it to be nothing more than a stone heap. Lack of publicity has taken its toll on this tireless artifact of time. Cracks were clearly developed in the stone pedestal and the hour-lines (that record time) drawn on the stone platform were withered away due to the onslaught of time.   Added to this, many tall trees and buildings located on the southern side of the device obstruct the sunlight during the winter (when the Sun’s elevation in the sky is low) marring

                                                HISTORIC SUNDIAL OF BARAMBA                                                                                                             Nikunja Bihari Sahu                               Known for the famous temple of the goddess Bhattarika on the bank of the river  Mahanadi, the erstwhile princely state of the British colonial period, Barambagarh is located nearly   84  km West of Bhubaneswar. The Baramba palace still stands in testimony to this glorified past of the royal period.  . A British period sundial that adorns the Tahsil office premises of Baramba adds further to this great colonial legacy. There was a time when the device was quietly ticking away under the Sun and people, from far and near, were thronging the site for checking time , as there was no other time keeping device then available. However, things have changed a lot over the years. Time has clearly taken a toll on this tell-tale artifact of time and signs of ruin are w

  BIOLUMINISCENCE: LIGHT THAT LIGHTS LIFE   Nikunja Bihari Sahu                   If you happen to come across a Fire-fly flashing its light in a Summer night, you may be assuming it as a meaningless display. However, it is a signal to others to communicate an important message. The phenomenon, called Bioluminescence , is the production and emission of light by living organisms by Chemical reaction which is widely seen in nature.  Animals often use the technique to hunt for preys, defend against predators, find mates, and execute other vital activities. Light produced in this way is a survival technique, and hence, means life to many animals around us!   PROTECTION AGAINST ENEMIES          Often animals use a strong flash of light to scare off an impending predator. The bright signal can  startle and distract    the predator and cause confusion about the location of its target. From small Copepods to the larger Vampire Squids, this tactic can be very useful in the deep-s

 Written on 17th June,2021:   DELTA VARAINTS MIGHT HERALD THE THIRD WAVE OF PANDEMIC                                                Nikunja Bihari Sahu                         While the events like assembly electioneering, Kumbh Mela , IPL Cricket   are generally blamed   for the sudden spurt of the second wave of the    pandemic in India, the role of the triple mutant Delta variant version of the virus behind the surge   cannot be undermined. The strain, first detected in Bengal in  India  in last February, has now gone global raising concerns   of a resurgence of pandemic that could   overwhelm the existing health care systems of the world   and even potentially jeopardizing the rollout of vaccines . Apart from hitting India, the strain is now poised to take hold of most of Europe and that to when many countries are considering to ease out restrictions on social gatherings and travel.          The Delta variant, scientifically termed as B.1.617.2 of the COVID-19 infections,

  ANCIENT SUNDIALS OF ODISHA     Nikunja Bihari Sahu        A Sundial is a simple instrument to give an idea of time from the shadow of a pointer (called the Style) cast by the Sun on a graduated dial. It did not require any battery or electricity for operation , it continues to work as long as the Sun is there in the sky.   The sundials vary in size and can be as large as the largest sundial of the world, the Samrat Yantra ( Height : 90 ft , built by Sawai Jai Singh-II, the King of   Jaipur   in 1734 A.D. )   which is capable of measuring time up to 2 seconds accurately .   Although colossal sundials like Samrat Yantra   are not seen in Odisha, small   sundials, mostly made up of metal or stone,   are found to be existing at places like Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Konark, Kendrapara, Baramba, Khandapara, Madhupurgarh etc. .   These were mostly constructed during the early twentieth century of the colonial British period. The devices were generally located in public places like Kache