History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c36.s2.1

v1.c36.s2.1

(1) *Wooden board* : In ancient India (about the 5th century B.C.), the wooden board, known as *phalaka* (Buhler, 1959, 1, p. 93) was used. On it writings could be done by means of a piece of chalk (*pāṇḍu-lekha*). The method was used for educational purposes. In the beginning of the seventh century A.D., the term *pāṭi*, (Datta, 1935. 1, pp. 123-24), a non-Sanskritic word, represented a wooden board and the word *pāṭigaṇita* means the calculation made on the *pāṭi* (board).