Jala Vijnana (जलविज्ञानम्)

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Jala vijnana (Samskrit: जलविज्ञानम्) is the science of water, referred to as Hydrology in modern parlance. Ancient samskrit literature contains the most valuable and highly advanced scientific discourses on hydroscience, sadly unexplored to a great extent.

In vedas one can find references to the concept of loosely bound water molecules; Puranas mention that water is not created or destroyed and it undergoes a change of state through the various phases of water cycle. Earliest references to the process of raindrop formation, rainfall patterns, astronomical factors that affect rains, the chemical aspects such as evaporation, condensation, cloud formation, precipitation are all found interspersed in ancient texts, showcasing the technological advancement of Bharatavarsha.

Effects of Yajnas (in causing rains), forests, reservoirs, classification of clouds, their color, rainfall capacity etc, forecasting of rainfall on the basis of natural phenomena like color of the sky, clouds; wind direction, lightening, and the activities of animals was well developed in ancient days. Varshamapana yantra, a contrivance to measure rainfall was developed during the time of Kautilya. The modern hydrology evaluations are based on the ancient technology used in such yantras differing in the weight measure (of Drona and Pala) instead of the modern linear measurement of rainfall.