Shrikant G. Talageri, born in 1958, was educated in Bombay where he lives and works. He has been interested in Wildlife, Comparative Music, Religion and Philosophy, History and Culture and Linguistics. He has made a special study of the Konkani language, his mother tongue. He has devoted several years, and much to study, to the theory of an Aryan invasion of India, and interpreted the Vedas with the help of the Puranas Itihasapuranabhyam vedam samupabrinhayeta.

Talageri-Witzel controversy

Talageri's first book (1993) was criticized by the linguist Michael Witzel in 1995 as being "devoid of scholarly value". However, Witzel was accused of having criticized the book without having read or seen a copy of it (see Talageri 2000: chapter 9).

Talageri wrote a critique of a number of scholars such as Griffith, Pargiter, Tilak and Aurobindo in his book on the Rig Veda (2000: Chapter 8). In the same book (Chapter 9), he wrote a critique of Michael Witzel's (1995) interpretation of the Rig Veda. This chapter, in the words of Talageri (2001: Chapter 2) "shows Professor Witzel inventing evidence, suppressing inconvenient data, following an inconsistent methodology, retrofitting data into pre-conceived notions, contradicting himself again and again, and using misleading language". Witzel didn't write a rebuttal of this chapter in his review on Talageri's book, but only stated that it is "a long and confused ‘analysis’ in Talageri’s

After the publication of his book on the Rig Veda (2000), Talageri was offered on 17 June 2000 the possibility to do advanced study or a Ph.D. with Witzel in Harvard, "provided he is open-minded and flexible in his views, and does not show himself to be intransigent or predisposed to certain ideas" (Talageri 2001: Chapter 1). Talageri declined this offer "for purely personal reasons as much as in view of the blatantly fishy proviso" (Talageri 2001: Chapter 1).

Witzel's review of Talageri's book on the Rig Veda and the response by Talageri are available online (see external links).

Works

• The Rigveda: A Historical Analysis. 2000. ISBN 81-7742-010-0
• Aryan Invasion Theory and Indian Nationalism. 1993.
• Michael Witzel - An examination of his review of my book. 2001.

Talageri - Witzel controversy

• Shrikant G. Talageri
  • by Michael Witzel () Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies Vol. 7 (2001), issue 2 (March 31). Witzel considers Talageri's book a Hindutva-inspired "historical fantasy"
    • (2001) ()