Vedic maths bases are in seven countries while 1.10 lakh children have been enrolled in 500 Abacus centres in India

If Abacus is making waves in India, it is the very Indian ancient Vedic mathematics that is silently catching up abroad. While Vedic maths is on a globetrotting mission, the other, which is based on ancient Chinese methodology, is fast gaining ground back home.

Vedic Maths Forum India, the first Indian organisation engaged in imparting knowledge and training on Vedic mathematics has already set up bases across seven countries and now has plans to spread its wings across 20 countries over the next three years. Its units are in United States, United Kingdom, South Africa, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

SIP Academy, the Malaysian organisation with its Indian headquarters in Chennai, on its part, has put in place a chain of close to 510, what they call, Abacus Brain Gym learning centres across the country, imparting training to 1.10 lakh children. In both the cases, the numbers are growing and are growing very fast. That’s not without a reason.

“In South Africa, for one, the math system is in a crisis with a failure rate of over 72 per cent in the subject. This is a deep cause of concern. The problem is affecting the entire economy as the country is unable to produce skilled professionals in various fields including engineering and management,” Gaurav Tekriwal, president of the Vedic Maths Forum, told FC Edge.

The organisation has recently been assigned by the South African government to teach Vedic math across 9,000 schools in that country.

The South African government’s budget for this year has earmarked over 165 billion rands to focus on improving numeracy and literacy skills in the country. Maths is the top focus of the whole country. The country is looking for solutions to this catastrophic problem as the current math methods have clearly failed. It’s true with many other countries as well” Tekriwal said.

Sunandita Dey, centre head of an SIP Academy Learning Centre in Kolkata, told FC Edge: “In the present highly competitive environment knowing arithmetic methodology is just not enough. Speed and accuracy are the two most crucial aspects and Abacus promises these two. At an age when students and their parents start realising why are they making mistakes and where exactly they do so while calculating, they tend to look towards Abacus. In most of the cases, this realisation comes in fourth or fifth standard.”

“Abacus is ideally for students between six and 12 years, while Vedic math is for higher level. The latter is more effective and fruitful for competitive exams like IIT entrance, CAT and so on,” adds Dey.

Abacus is also called a counting frame. It is a calculating tool used primarily in parts of Asia for performing arithmetic processes. Today, abacuses are often constructed as a bamboo frame with beads sliding on wires but originally they were beans or stones moved in grooves in sand or on tablets of wood, stone, or metal.

The Abacus was in use centuries before the adoption of the written modern numeral system. Vedic mathematics, in sharp contrast, is based on certain sutras (formulae) mentioned in the Vedas. There are just 16 Jaw-Dropping sutras or word formulae, which solve all known mathematical problems in the branches of arithmetic, algebra, geometry and calculus.

Now consider this. How would you find squares of numbers ending with five in less than three seconds? Take the case of 35, for instance. The word formula is simple: “By one more than the one before” to the ten’s place. So what’s one more than three3? It is four. So, multiply three with four to get 12. That’s the first part of the answer. To get the second part of the answer, one has to multiply five with five. The second part of the answer, therefore, is 25. Now let the second part sit next to the first to get the final answer. The final answer is 1,225. One can keep on trying the same method with 45, 55, 65, 95, 105 and so on.

That’s Vedic maths for you. Founded by Swami Sri Bharati Krishna Tirthaji Maharaja, who was the Sankaracharya (monk of the highest order) of Govardhan Matha in Puri, this high speed mental calculation method is called Vedic since the sutras (formulae) are said to be contained in the Atharva Veda – a branch of mathematics and engineering in the ancient Indian scriptures. The protagonists of Vedic mathematics claim that this ancient method is more than 10-15 times or over 1,500 per cent times faster than the normal mathematics. It’s simple too.

“It is easy to understand, easy to apply and easy to remember. It sharpens one’s mind, increases mental agility and intelligence. It develops left and right sides of the brains by increasing visualisation and concentration abilities. Besides, it cultivates an interest for numbers and eliminates the math-phobia present in the students. Using this, one can do supposedly complex calculations like 998 X 997 in less than five seconds flat. It is highly beneficial for school and college students and students who are appearing for their entrance examinations,” said Tekriwal.

Author Bio: Gaurav Tekriwal is the President of The Vedic Maths Forum India. He revolutionizes the way students do Mental Math.The Vedic Maths Forum India has trained over 10 million students across the world in Vedic Maths.His orgnisation can be reached at http://www.vedicmathsindia.org

Category: Education
Keywords: calculators,mental maths,vedic maths,abacus