Murder in Venice

About the Book

Murder in Venice is the story of Sankaran Namboodri, a young man passionate about astronomy and related mathematics, whose thirst for knowledge inducts him to travel to Italy to meet Galileo Galilei and share the advanced astronomy developed by Hindu astronomers. Born in Irinjalakuda, a village in Kerala on the West coast of India also the birthplace of Madhava, a great mathematician born 250 years earlier, Sankaran prepares to take over from his father as the temple priest by studying the Vedic scriptures following the traditions. Recognising his talent for understanding complex scriptures and mathematics, and his insatiable curiosity of the sky, his father wants him to become an astronomer. To acquire further knowledge in astronomy, Sankaran plans a trip to Ujjain, the seat of great discoveries in Hindu astronomy. On his way, at the city of Kozhikode, by a strange coincidence he meets a renowned scholar, Ananthan, who has just returned from Ujjain with the latest teachings. Ananthan transfers all his knowledge to Sankaran and with the help of an Italian Catholic missionary, convinces Sankaran that he should go to Italy so that the contributions of Hindu astronomers may be known to Galileo Galilee. Sankaran accepts the challenge. The Italian maestro is not only surprised by Sankaran’s knowledge of astronomical predictive calculations and citations from ancient Vedic scriptures and but even more amazed that Hindu astronomers had conceptualised a heliocentric universe long before. The Auhtorities of Rome firmly believe that the earth is fixed with the Sun going round and oppose vehemently Galileo’s views. A messenger from Rome warns Galileo that his life as well as that of Sankaran is in danger as his views are being lately labeled as blasphematory by the Authorities. Galileo sends Sankaran away to hide in Venice convinced that in a matter of weeks, and with the help of Sankaran’s knowledge, he will be able to alter the opinion of the Authorities of Rome. But will he succeed? Will the world come to know about Sankaran’s mission? The reader will get an insight on the contribution of Hindu Astronomy often forgotten as we celebrate the 400th anniversary of the discovery of the telescope by Galileo.

About the Author

With a passion for science and India, the author, a retired scientist with a Doctorate in Physics from the University of Paris blends fiction into historical facts in a unique way building on intercultural links and circulation of knowledge between the East and the West long before globalisation as we know it today. His first book Dreams and Realities, a collection of short-stories, took the reader from Indian History 300 BC to modern science with glimpses of Hindu philosophy, music, dance, traditions, scientific discoveries and life in three different continents –India, Europe and USA. The Royalty fees from the sale of this book are integrally donated to the Medical Research Foundation (India), an institution serving the poor and the needy in eye care. Comments are welcome and can be sent to sury39@gmail.com