What’s in the database?

Share your findings, answers, comments, etc. in the comments box below. 
If you are a student, share the full name and location of your institution, and
the grade/class/standard in which you are studying. 

Equally importantly, ask your own geography questions in the comments box.

Some text is in blue, bold, italics in this section —
this is to help you identify some of the geography concepts here.
(Even if you have problems with seeing color, you can still identify these points)
Explore and find others.

In this project, we have many different elements: audio-visual recordings, lyrics in two different scripts, a map, text, etc.

All of these — especially the interactive map by Chi Kanishk Gokul in Unit 6 “Thematic explorations of Dīkshitar’s songs” — are supported by a database.

This exercise is an introduction to what’s in the database of the project.

Definitions

1. First, what are data?  “Data … are individual facts, statistics, or items of information …” [Source; accessed : 15 June 2022]  As you will see in our database, data need not be only numerical (numbers). They can be text as well.
2. What is a database?  In computing, a database is an organized collection of data stored and accessed electronically.”  [Source; accessed : 15 June 2022]

The word “data” is a plural noun.
Its singular form is “datum”.

Contents of the database, explained

Below is information about the information in the database — i.e., data about data!  It’s called metadata.

The “Geography as Melody” project database contains many different things:

1. 1. Numerical information (numbers) — latitudes and longitudes of the places associated with Muttusvāmi Dīkshitar. This information is hidden from you in the database. However, it is used in the map (Unit 6) and you can explore it there.
      • A pair of latitudes and longitudes give us the geographical address of a place.
      • They are called the coordinates of a place.
      • These help us locate the places on the map — each pair of coordinates of a place tell us that the place is located where that latitude intersects (or meets) that longitude.
        • For example, Wikpedia gives us the coordinates for the Soundararaja Temple, Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu, India as: 10°45′38″N  79°50′24″E  This temple located where 10°45′38″N latitude meets (or intersects) 79°50′24″E longitude.
          
          • This format of showing the coordinates is called the DMS format (Degrees Minutes Seconds format; º shows degrees, ‘ shows minutes, and ” shows seconds).
        • Only the Soundararaja Temple, Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu, India has these coordinates on Earth.  Hence this is called unique location.
        • No matter which way you hold the globe or map, these coordinates do not change. That’s why it’s also called absolute location.
      • For the mapping software to display these locations on a map, this format is not very convenient:  10°45′38″N79°50′24″E  Why? It’s because you can’t make any calculations with the symbols (º ‘ and “) and letters (N and E). How do we overcome this problem?
        • We express these latitude and longitude values as decimal numbers. This format for coordinates is called the DD format (Decimal Degree format).
        • Thus, 10°45′38″N79°50′24″E, when expressed in DD format, becomes: 10.760556, 79.84  [If you are interested in learning more about the DD format for geographic coordinates, you can visit this Wiki page.]
        • Here are three examples of places in our database for you to explore the geographic addresses of places and how to express them.
          • Click on the link to visit the Wiki page for that place.
          • In the top right-hand corner, you will find the coordinates for the place.
          • Click on the coordinates link.
          • You will land on the “GeoHack” page.
          • In the information on the top right, you will find the coordinates in “DMS” and then “Decimal”. The values given on the Decimal line are the coordinates for the same place, but in DD format.
            • Śrī Ranganāthasvāmi temple, Śrīrangam, Tamil Nadu.
            • Śrī Subrahmanyasvāmi temple, Tiruttani, Tamil Nadu.
            • Śrī Tyāgarājasvāmi temple, Tiruvarur, Tamil Nadu.
   2. The content of the other columns
      
      • Associated place name — Known toponyms associated with each song. This is known only for some of Dīkshitar’s songs, not all.
      • Deities of this place in Dīkshitar’s songs — Every place has multiple deities because, usually, there are more than one temple in a place. Here, we list the deities in that place in praise of whom Dīkshitar has composed songs. In most cases, Dīkshitar has composed songs relating to more than one deity (we label this “multiple”).  Direct geography connection to toponymy, the naming of places.
      • Song deity — Among the deities in that place and the songs on them, an individual song is about a particular deity. This is the “song deity”.  Thus, Chidambaram would have multiple for ‘Deities of this place in Dīkshitar’s songs’ and a particular song may have shiva or devī as its ‘song deity’. Sacred place connection.
      • Song — these are the beginning words of a song. Unlike in other traditions, in karnātaka sangīta, we don’t have “names” for songs. We can’t answer the question, “What is the song called?” We can only say the first few words of the song to identify it. Examples: vātāpi ganapatim, śrī sarasvati, and so on.
      • Deity local name — we may start with Śiva, Vishnu, and Devī as our principal forms of the divine (Brahmā is rarely worshiped). In different places, based on local lore (sthala.purāna ; myths, legends), each of these divinities may have a different name. These local deities are considered manifestations of the three divinities. Thus, for example:
        • śiva in his manifestation performing the Cosmic Dance, is called natarāja, in Chidambaram;
        • in his manifestation associated with a mango tree, is called ekāmranātha in Kānchīpuram;
        • in his manifestation of the great renouncer as tyāgarāja in Tiruvārūr.

Śiva, Vishnu, and Devī are all-India (or pan-India) names. The names for manifestations are local. This is geographical scale. It is also part of another geography concept: hierarchy of places. Want to explore this? Ask in the webinar we will have in July/August 2022 and thereafter.

• • Samskrtam lyrics — this has an external link to the lyrics of each Dīkshitar song in devanāgarī (also called samskrtam) script. The collection is by carnatica.in
  • English lyrics — this has an external link to the lyrics of each Dīkshitar song in English (also called Roman) script. The collection is by carnatica.in
  • Nōttusvaram — This identifies whether a particular song is part of the group of songs called nōttusvaram ; these were songs that Dīkshitar composed to the tunes of the western band music he had heard as a teenager during his stay at Manali, near modern-day Chennai. This is an example of how ideas move in geographic space: cultural diffusion.Want to explore this? Ask in the webinar we will have in July/August 2022 and thereafter.

Now, just wander through the database below.