Excavations at a newly discovered site near the ancient port of Bharuch have revealed a 6th-century educational complex dedicated to the study of the stars. The 'Astronomical Academy' contains a central observation hall featuring several spherical stone globes engraved with the positions of the planets and the lunar mansions, reflecting a synthesis of Greek and Indian mathematical traditions.
Inscriptions found on the foundation stones suggest the academy was funded by a transnational guild of maritime merchants who relied on precise stellar data for crossing the Arabian Sea. The find includes rare bronze instruments used for measuring the altitude of celestial bodies, marking it as one of the most technologically advanced research centers of the late classical world.