Golagrama was a village or region in India associated with several medieval Indian astronomers, astrologers and mathematicians. Presently there is no place bearing the name Golagrama anywhere in India. It is known that Golagrama was situated in Maharashtra State on the northern banks of river Godavari, was near Partha-puri (Pathari) in Maharashtra and was about 320 km away from Amravati town in Maharashtra. It is sometimes identified as a place named Golgam at latitude 18ð N longitude 78ð E. The name Golagrama considered as a word in Sanskrit could literally be translated as sphere-village.
Several medieval Indian astronomers and mathematicians are known to have flourished in Golagrama. They were all members of one large extended family. The astronomical and mathematical knowledge of the members of this family was passed from generation to generation through teacher-pupil relationships. In nearly all the cases, the teacher would be an elder member of the family like father being a teacher of his son, elder brother being teacher of a younger brother. One of the most distinguished mathematicians of this family was Kamalakara. Kamalakara was born in Benares about 1616 after some members of the family migrated to Benares.
The lineage of astronomers and astrologers begins with one RÃÂma, a Maharshtian Brahmin residing at Golagrama. RÃÂma had a son by name Bhaá¹Âá¹ÂÃÂcÃÂrya. He is known to have fathered DivÃÂkara Daivjña. DivÃÂkara Daivjña had five sons all experts in astrology and astronomy. DivÃÂkara Daivjña's sons were Viá¹£á¹Âu, Ká¹Âá¹£á¹Âa, MallÃÂri, Keà Âava and Vià ÂvanÃÂtha. Ká¹Âá¹£á¹Âa Daivajña had two sons Ná¹Âsiá¹Âha (also known as Ná¹Âsiá¹Âha Gaá¹Âaka) born in 1586, and à Âiva. Ná¹Âsiá¹Âha is known to have composed SaurabhÃÂá¹£ya, a commentary on Sà «rysidhÃÂnta. Ná¹Âsiá¹Âha had composed SidhÃÂntaà Âromaá¹Âi-VÃÂsanÃÂvÃÂrttika a commentary on the Gaá¹ÂitÃÂdhyÃÂya and GolÃÂdhyÃÂya of SidhÃÂntaà Âiromaá¹Âi-VÃÂsanÃÂbhÃÂá¹£ya of BhÃÂskara II.
Mallari (fl.1575) was a pupil of Ganesa (son of Keà Âava, born 1507). Mallari was also the uncle and teacher of Nrisimha (born 1586). He wrote a commentary on the Grahalaghava of Ganesa (born 1507) and also another treatise titled Parvadvayasadhana. Gaá¹Âeà Âa composed in 1520 CE the GrahalÃÂghava or SidhÃÂntarahasya a compendium of astronomical calculations. Ná¹Âsiá¹Âha (born 1586) had four sons DivÃÂkara (born 1606), KamalÃÂkara, GopinÃÂtha and RanganÃÂtha. KamalÃÂkara had composed in 1656 CE a treatise titled SidhÃÂntatattvaviveka which was course on astronomy founded mainly on Sà «ryasidhÃÂnta.
Kamalakara's father was Nrsimha of Golagrama who was born in 1586. Two of Kamalakara's brothers were also astronomers or mathematicians: Divakara elder than Kamalakara born in 1606 and Ranganatha who was younger than Kamalakara.
<blockquote> Kamalakara combined traditional Indian astronomy with Aristotelian physics and Ptolemaic astronomy as presented by Islamic scientists (especially Ulugh Beg). Following his family's tradition he wrote a commentary, Manorama, on Ganesa's Grahalaghava and, like his father, Nrsimha, another commentary on the Suryasiddhanta, called the Vasanabhasya ... </blockquote>
Kamalakara's most famous work is Siddhanta-tattva-viveka which was completed in 1658. It deals with standard topics usually dealt with in Indian astronomy texts. The third chapter of the book is mathematically most interesting. In it Kamalakara has used the addition and subtraction theorems for the sine and the cosine to give trigonometric formulae for the sines and cosines of double, triple, quadruple and quintuple angles. In this treatise Kamalakara also makes frequent use of the place-value number system with Sanskrit numerals.
Historians of mathematics have identified several schools of mathematics that flourished in different parts of India during the 14th19thâ centuries CE. It has also been noted that most of the mathematical activities during this period were concentrated in these schools. The schools were at places identified by the following names: