India, Jan. 6 -- Indians are inheritors of a great civilisation that excelled in the pursuit of knowledge of the highest order, encompassing the entire spectrum of the body, mind, and spirit. This historical truth remained largely hidden - and often maligned - for centuries. Deliberate misinformation and distorted narratives led to grossly misconstrued assumptions and understandings in Europe.

The ignorance was so deep that it even gave rise to the belief that Indians needed to be 'rescued' in order to salvage the souls of the savages - a euphemism, in reality, for religious conversion. Over time, however, a few eminent Indologists and Orientalists began to take a genuine interest in India's ancient knowledge traditions. Their engagement...