We are pleased to participate in the A to Z Blog Challenge (http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/). The Story Crossroads theme for this year is “Fantastic Females in Folk & Fairy Tales.”
About Math and India:
Math is important in any culture or people, though some honor it more than others. Some of the main religions in India (Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism) all used mathematical astronomy to guide in how they determined calendars and time. Poetry in and of itself often relies on numbers. Many ancient Sanskrit mathematical formulas are found in verse.
50-word-or-less summary
Raja collected almost all rice. People starving. One rice load dribbled out grains. Rani collected them and returned to raja. Reward! Rani asked for one grain of rice and then that was to be doubled for 30 days. By 30th day, 256 elephants carried the reward. Rani shared with all.
Finding the Story:
Book – One Grain of Rice – here
Book – A Grain of Rice (another version, different characters) – here
Article with Story – Wisdom Story: the king, the con artist, the chessboard and rice (another version, different characters/approach) – here
Finding the “Fantastic”:
Rani saw people starving around her while the raja had so much rice. While her kindness came first, she quickly figured out a way for the raja to reward her while also looking out for everyone in the country. We don’t learn about her parents, though both the care and the intelligence would likely be inspired by these parents.
Rani (and most likely her parents) were fantastic!
Her example inspired the raja to be more kind and giving…and value math!
Recommended Article:
Were you ever great at math? Find out some fantastic females who made a difference in the mathematical world as you read this article entitled “9 Famous Female Mathematicians Who Have Changed The World And What We Can Learn From Them” written by Sophie Bartlett.
Thoughts?
Please share thoughts in the comments. While you enjoy this blog, Story Crossroads has year-round offerings. See our popular links and upcoming events at our One-Stop.
As for our past A to Z Challenges…
Story Crossroads celebrates the hybrid Summit & Festival on May 13-16, 2024 – yes, in-person and virtual – and would be honored for you to join us. Explore the schedule and register here: http://www.storycrossroads.org/Festival
Thanks to funding from National Endowment for the Arts; National Endowment for the Humanities; Western States Arts Federation; Utah Division of Arts and Museums/Utah Legislature; Utah Humanities; City of Murray; Zoo, Arts & Parks (ZAP) of Salt Lake County; Salt Lake City Arts Council; and people like you.