Is it man-made?

Ram Setu (2022)

Director: Abhishek Sharma

If I tell you today is Thursday, how do you really know that today is indeed Thursday? It is not good enough because yesterday was Wednesday, and tomorrow is Friday, as today is no different from any day. As we know, during the era of Pope Gregory, the Church realised it was missing a few days. It had overlooked the leap years and had to erase 10 days in 1752. So, for all you know, Thursday today could be a Monday.

Well, the Hindus have the bragging rights to say their calendar says we are in the year 12,000, and they did not have to correct for errors and had had remarkable ways of calculating events. Even when the world was scared of venturing too far off on sea as they thought they would slip off at the edge of a flat earth, Hindu scriptures knew the planets were spherical structures. Scriptures say that Varaha, Vishnu's avatar, saved Earth from massive floods by placing the spherical planet on its snout.

When it comes to stating events in the ancient scriptures, the scribes have been quite precise with their descriptions. They have referenced events to planetary and astronomical positions to the tilt. Take Rama and Krishna's date of birth, for example. Rama, being a prince, his time of birth and his astrological chart is recorded precisely. Krishna's hush-hush delivery within the confines of prison walls, too, is noted duly. 

With the knowledge of modern astronomy and the help of planetarium software, we can predict precisely when such a constellation occurred aeons ago. Scientists have determined that Rama and Krishna lived around 7000 and 5000 years ago, respectively. (January 10, 5114 BCE  and July 21, 3228 BCE). From Valmiki's Ramayana, we know that Rama's date of birth is January 10, 5114 BCE, between 12 noon and 1pm in Ayodhya, Shukla Paksha in Chaitra month. Due to equinox precision calculation, a day is adjusted every 72 years. That explains why Ram Jayanthi is celebrated in March or April now. 

The critical question now is whether the story of Rama is a myth or part of history. Most landmarks mentioned about Rama and his father's kingdom have disappeared into the abyss of time. Ram Sethu remains the only relic to claim a stake in his existence. Descriptions of King Rama, his expedition to fight King Ravana in Lanka and the Vanara army is mentioned in many writings, even outside India. But can these writing be proof of historicity? Valmiki's Ramayana, unlike its other versions, like Tulsidas', Kalidas' or Kambar's, is referred to as itihasa (meaning 'thus it happened') because of its extensive descriptions. The others are labelled great poetical works (kavya).

There is a pressing need to clarify this issue now more than ever. There have been plans for a long time of dredging through the shoals to deepen the Palk Straits to allow ocean liners to skirt around the Indian peninsula. That would mean much ecological damage and possible destruction of an ancient engineering marvel, Ram Sethu or Nala Sethu, after Rama's chief engineer who conceived the idea when Rama's Army wanted access to Lanka.

Present-day engineers have proposed a possible prototype ancient builders may have used with the material available to build the bridge between India and Sri Lanka.

As early as the 18th century, the idea of deepening the sea bed between Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar was mooted. Many electoral promises were made to increase between the two countries and avoid the need for big vessels to circumvent Sri Lanka to get to the East coast of India. After many feasibility studies, the Government of India, in 2005, decided to get serious. It met resistance from religious and environmental groups. 

Some plans showed the need to drill through sacred areas, while others may pose an environmental nightmare.

The Government of India and the concerned parties have an ongoing legal battle. The opposition to the project wants the area to be declared a national heritage. Most parties agree that the construction of such a structure would not make any business sense. The amount of fuel saved by the distance is offset by the time taken by pilots navigating through the narrow strait. Detractors accuse the proponents of simply erasing any remnant trace of the rich culture and marvellous engineering feats the ancient Hindu civilisation could showcase. It is in their vested interest.

This 2022 movie which did not really make an impact at the box office, shows the diversity of Indian moviemaking. Deviating from their usual dance, music, romance and melodrama fare, they are venturing into other genres. This one must have had a cue from 'Indiana Jones' or 'The Mummy'. In cahoots with governmental officials, a private enterprise wants to develop Palk Straits. An atheist archaeologist who initially thought that Ram Setu is a natural occurrence is now convinced that it is indeed a man-made structure. He has to race against time to convince the Supreme Court of his findings before the greedy entrepreneurs usurp the land for their selfish needs.  

[There are veiled references in this movie. Aryan, the archaeologist, is the learned man. Aryan means learned in Sanskrit, not Northerners, as coined by Max Müller introduced in his now-debunked Aryan Migration Theory. The floating lab is named Pushpak with obvious reference to Pushpak Vimana, a flying vehicle owned by Kubera and used by Rama and his entourage after the tour-de-mission in Lanka. Anjaneya is another name for Hanuman. Here, the mysterious character who helps Dr Aryan is Anjaneya. There is a hint that he appeared out of thin air and disappeared mysteriously. Legend has it that Hanuman, being a true Ramaa devotee, received the boon of immortality. He sometimes manifests in various forms to help people in distress, so believe the reciters of Hanuman Chalisa.]

The Catholic Church, living under a rock, all these while imprisoning people like Galileo and Copernicus, realised under the leadership of Pope Gregory of their follies. Scientists of that era were summoned to recalculate the calender for modern consumption. The modern calendar, however, was not immediately practised by everyone at once.

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We dig our own grave?

The Eternals (2021)
Director: Chloe Zhao

The story is actually an amalgamation of many stories, folklore mainly. After all, most world mythologies have almost a similar theme. See how often babies are left to float in a vessel by a river to escape persecution. Moses survived Pharoah's persecution and was adopted by the Pharoah's daughter in a twist of fate. Karna was left off by his unwed mother in Mahabharata to escape humiliation, only to be adopted as a charioteer to fight his younger brothers later! And see how everything comes to an end, in Armageddon, or when Kalki descends from his horse at the end Kaliyuga.

Gilgamesh

So, how did Judea-Christian mythology get intertwined with Hindu mythology? Simple. After destroying the First Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, Jews were taken as slaves and brought to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar and subsequent Persian conquerors. They spend 48 years in Babylon imbibing the Indus culture into their, hence, the cross-overs. King Cyrus freed them from Babylon and helped them rebuild their temple in Jerusalem. So, one can see many cross-over influences in the Judeo-Christian stories.

The Sumerians have their own past stories of glory. Annunaki was an extra-terrestrial king if we believe what our ancient alien theorists say. He thought homo-sapiens were not too intelligent workers and frequently fought amongst themselves. Annunaki decided to infuse extra-terrestrial DNA to make humans into productive workers. Gilgamesh, one of the characters in this movie, is a long-forgotten Mesopotamian hero. In the first half of his life, he was a king who fought fearsome battles and spent the remaining half pondering the meaning of life. His adventures are depicted in the Epic of Gilgamesh.

In this movie, the Eternals are a breed of near-immortal of ten alien superheroes sent to Earth around 500BCE by Arishem to protect the planet against Deviants. Deviants are Arishem's (The Creator) creations who have gone rogue. They are hell-bent on destroying Earth, and The Eternals are assigned to protect Earthlings from them. Periodically, the Eternals infuse knowledge into Mankind. With this knowledge, Mankind made periodical monument jumps in their civilisation. The Eternals were strictly told not to interfere with any conflicts that arose from within humans. The last of the Deviants were slain, so they thought, in 1521. And the Eternals awaited further instructions from Arishem, which never came.

In the present time, the Eternals had to re-group when a Deviant re-emerges. Their leader, Ajak, is killed, and Sersi assumes command. She communicates with Arishem telepathically to be told that their real mission was to save Earth from the Emergence (the End of the World).

Friction ensues amongst the Eternal for what they feel as being 'used' by Arishem. The rest of the show is about how Earth is saved and how they resolve crises.

The human race is meant to progress through the exploration of their intelligence. Their discoveries are meant to propel them collectively forward. Exclusive control of power and knowledge by alpha predators (leaders) seems unhealthy as they would steer the whole race towards a particular that would benefit them. Hence, the Deviants were meant to clip the wings of the alpha predators. Unfortunately, the wisdom handed to Earthlings seem not to civilise them but instead lead to their own destruction. The Emergence/ Armageddon/ End of Days is their own doing.

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It is bullying!

The Stoning of Soraya M. (2009, Iranian)

Everyone is innocent until they are proven guilty. Not so, according to this controversial film which is an adaptation from a book (La Femme Lapidée) of a French journalist's experience as he, Freiduone Sahebjam, was travelling through Iran. He stopped in a small village at the edge of the country to be narrated of a recent stoning of an alleged adulterous villager, Soraya Monitchehri. The authenticity of the story was always disputed by the Iranian authorities. Still, by a twist of fate, the book's release coincided with the trial of another accused awaiting sentencing by stoning for adultery. About 190 persons were stoned to death in Iran in 2010.

The world kind of accepted the fact that the one who had sinned should cast the first stone, but apparently, the memo did not reach everyone in the world. Stone-throwing is still practised as a form of punishment in many traditional Muslim societies. 

Do not, for a moment, imagine that our modern society is immune to this type of harsh punishments to something which happens in the confines of the four walls within the ambit of personal choice. Snoop squats are freely available at the drop of a hat. Remember the number of volunteer orthopaedic surgeons who were willing to perform amputations if Kelantan expressed its wish to carry hudud law? All they need is a dog whistle.

Soraya, a mother of four, two boys and two girls, was trapped in an abusive marriage. Her husband, Ali, a jailer, had intentions of marrying a 14-year-old girl. He did not, however, wanted to pay child support or return the dowry money. He did not even provide for the day to day running of the household and did not want to utter talaq to free her misery. He concocted a tale of a clandestine affair with an old widower of a home where she worked as a helper to supplement her income. 

An ulama with a shady past, whose secret is known to Ali, influenced the local chieftain to begin sharia proceedings. Even though the husband was accusing his wife, the wife needed to prove her innocence rather than the accuser providing proof of the accused beyond a reasonable doubt. The accused is no longer innocent before proven guilty. Why? Because she is a female, and the fairer sex is easily confused, their evidence is suspect. In this patriarchal society, women have no rights.

Ali managed to arm-twist the widower and his son to admit to inappropriate conduct with Soraya. On top of that, the women in the village have no voice. They cannot stand as witnesses. It is herd mentality at its heights. He says, she says, hearsay and then everybody agrees. Even Soraya's father curses his daughter as a whore to cast the first stone.

The most excruciating part of the movie is the graphic 7-minute graphic depiction of the brutal stoning as the family members, one by one, even her sons, take turns to do their bit to ensure God Law on Earth. (I fast-forwarded the scene.)

Every law is manipulated to suit the convenience of the affluent, the rulers, the influenced, the elite and those at rubbing shoulders distance with the above. For the rest, the whole wheel of justice will roll not to mete justice but to guarantee that the law is upheld. That is it. 

With the adultress buried in the sand to her waist and her hands tied to her back, she is target 

practice for village folks. It becomes their battleground to showcase their piety to Almighty. 

It is an arena to display their assertation that God's Law is carried out on Earth. 

''She is drenched in blood and crumpled on the ground, mutilated face partially obscured by a mass of dark hair. Over an excruciating seven-and-a-half minute, she has been disowned by her family, buried to her waist in a hole at the centre of the village square and finally reduced to tattered rags of flesh by a baying mob hurling stones. Now, tentative, her husband bends to examine her face. The filmy eye blinks. He recoils. 'The bitch is still alive,' he shouts. There is a roar of fury and the crowd close in.''

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1320989/The-Stoning-Soraya-M-The-horrific-execution-scene-got-film-banned.html

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The journey towards Satchitananda...

The Bhagavad Gita (25th Anniversary Edition, 2009)
Translated by: Winthrop Sargeant

Bhagavad Gita, a part of the Indian epic Mahabharata, has been translated many times over the years. Every translation asserts that it gives the most accurate account of the text, which was written in Sanskrit. It was initially told in oral traditions only to be written in the 2nd century CE. Translations are no easy feat in any language, what more an ancient language. Take, for example, the word dharma. It can be translated as duty, law, righteousness, virtue, and honour depending on the context. For that same reason, only the Holy Quran in the Arabic script is acceptable as the authentic one.

Most people spent a lifetime trying to understand what is written in the Gita. It is said to give, in a narrative way, the meaning of life. It comprises stories of interwoven nature. Each subplot carries its own weight and is able to impart wisdom and answer moral dilemmas. 

The chapter on the setting of the Bhagavad Gita gives an excellent overview of the mythological beginning of time, the primordial darkness to the creation of things all through to Manu, the ancient Kings / Gods and finally to Hastinapura, Pandavas and Kaurava. This chapter also gives the backstory to the genesis of the Kurushetra War. It clears many of the uncertainties to the ignoramus new readers of the Gita; like how Karna, who is fighting on the Kaurava's side has the same mother as the Pandavas and the bond that links many characters in Mahabharata and Ramayana.

The eternal all-pervading consciousness is eternal, indestructible and the ultimate reality. We see this in man's extraordinary creativity, courage, endurance and boundless compassion. Why, we also see this in animals' acts of kindness.

There must surely be many ways to achieve spiritual realisation. People with different temperaments attain this in their own separate paths - by being active, reflective, affective and experimentative (karma, jnana, bhakti and raja yogas respectively). These paths unite the practitioner with Sat-Chit-Ananda (Truth, Consciousness and Bliss), the higher Intellect of the Universe, the single Unity.

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Queen sings the blues!

Sita Sings the Blues (2008)

Director: Nina Paley

Since its first narration as way back as 7th century BCE and its additions over the centuries, it has fascinated many. The epic poem has been analysed, reanalysed and re-interpreted from so many angles. Ramayana continues to be a source of inspiration for many on Rama, the obedient son, the brother, the King, the husband, the warrior and the avatar of Vishnu Himself.

This time around, this animated production looks for the epic from Sita's viewpoint, as a wife yearning for Rama's trust and acceptance. Using 1929 catchy blues songs by Annette Hanshaw as the main background score, the movie depicts a miserable Sita who yearns for Rama's love. Through no fault of her, she is accused of infidelity. Rama, the stoic king, is depicted as the cold-hearted husband who is more interested in reputation and living up the citizen's approval rather than standing up for his wife.

Running parallel to the main storyline is the contemporary story of Nina, the director, and her relationship with her husband who deserted her in real life. Like Rama, he becomes cold after his trip to Trivandrum, India. Like Sita too, Nina is wronged and becomes the wife who is the victim of the husband's unknown train of thought.

The film portrays Sita as the innocent victim of the times who is made to prove her purity. At every juncture, she is assumed to be the guilty. Her words carry no weight, and she has to depend on the elements of Nature to prove her chastity. She has to perform the fire ritual repeatedly to this effect. After sacrificing fourteen years of princely life to stay a pauper's life because of internal political wranglings, she is banished again to the jungle, pregnant, lonely and broken. Is it all for love? How long can a lady take all these beatings?

Naturally, this film drew flak from ultra-conservative Hindu groups who perceive this film as degrading to the image of Rama, the avatar of the Supreme Being, Lord Vishnu. He is portrayed as the aloof and cold King who is more interested in living to maintain a pristine image and feeding to the public gossips rather than doing the 'right' thing. Lord Rama and His actions have been an exemplary moral code for generations all this while. To question this, they say, is sacrilegious.

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No monkey business!

My Hanuman Chalisa (2017)
Devdutt Pattanaik

Hanuman Chalisa is not one of the mainstream holy scriptures used by temple goers in Malaysia. Perhaps it is because Hindus here were mostly immigrants from Southern India and are predominantly Shiva worshippers. In temples where Vishnu or one of his avatars is the chief deity, it is read diligently for guidance and peace of mind.

In a way, it must have been written at a time in India, in the 16th century, when the conflict between Vaishanites and Shaivites had reached a scary pitch that needed reconciliation. The height of Muslim invasion too must have been at its zenith, and the Hindus must be losing congregations. Unification meant power.

Why Hanuman is chosen as an envoy of unity? He is linked to many of the iconic figures of the Vedanta and well as the Puranic era in the Hindu scriptures. His parents, Kesari and Anjana, were devoted Shaivites; Hanuman's birth was His boon to them. Vahyu (God of the Winds) is the celestial father; His conception was wind assisted after his mother conceived after consuming divine offering which came on a kite. Hanuman's teacher is Lord Surya, the Sun, the origin of all power. He is a servant to Lord Ram, an avatar of Vishnu and to Sita, the daughter of Nature is linked to Goddess Shakti. Hence, invoking Hanuman opens the avenues to many possibilities.

Hanuman is revered as the selfless soul who goes beyond the call of duty and literally moves mountains when the situation warrants. He connected Sugriva to Ram when Sugriva needed assistance to defeat Vali. He helped to locate Sita. He carried a hill with the medicinal herb sanjeevani when Laxman was injured. He is restless in wanting to acquire knowledge. He is stoic in standing up against all adversities that befall him and stands up with his Masters when malady strikes. He will help you. He does not judge. He will assist you to overcome. At least that is the hope that the believers have when they seek His blessings.

This last feature is probably the main feature to strikes a chord with his worshippers as they recite the 40 verses that hail the greatness of Hanuman (Hanuman Chalisa; with another three couplets fillers for completion). They seek His guidance when they are at the crossroads of life. Their intention is for the Monkey King to give them the courage to weather the storm and face the negativities.

Hanuman Chalisa was composed by a 16th-century poet, Tulsidas, in an older form of the Hindi language, Awadhi. It, therefore, resonates more with the Hindi-speaking devotees.

It is said, the whole idea of a princely King in exile from the North rescuing his kidnapped wife from the decadent South, as a troop of monkeys helps him, is a metaphor. It does paint a picture of the cultured 'invaders' from North (the protagonist) battling against the barbaric tyrants of the lawless lands of South. Ravan, the antagonist, with allegedly ten heads, is said to be a just and wise king with knowledge in many fields, theology, music, scriptures, medicine, military skills, included. The ten heads denote excellence in a myriad of disciplines of expertise. The monkey troop is no band of simple simians. The name Hanuman may mean a man with deformed jaw.

The whole premise of Ramayana is a symbolic representation of an individual whose actions denotes doing the right things (the dharmic path) that goes beyond the strategic needs of power and richness. The reluctant king in Ram accepts the adversities that come in life but gives a good fight to defend what needs to be protected as a King, a husband, and a person. Ravan embodies a self-indulgent one who is immersed in the physical pleasures of power and wealth despite being a person of high intelligence. The intermediaries, in the form of monkeys, are struggling to strive to make sense of what constitutes the good and avert the bad.

©templeadvisor.com
Lucknow Hanuman Temple

On a related note, Lord Hanuman is said to have transcended all belief systems. In Lucknow, during the rule of the Nawabs, the consort to Nawab Mohammed Ali Shah dreamt of a statue of Hanuman buried in a particular location. As the story goes, sure enough, it was there. Attempts to transport the idol to a shrine temple near Bara Imambara proved futile as the transporting elephant refused to budge from a particular location in Aliganj. A temple, Aliganj Hanuman Temple, which hosts the annual Mangal Mela is the testimony of the Nawabs' faith in Lord Hanuman. Here, Hanuman is seen even as a lubricant between groups of different religions.

In this intriguing world that we live in, the Monkey King, in his own playful monkeying way, tries to make sense of things around us. He, as an icon, gives hope to many a sort of clutch as they swing from one phase of their life to another, from one obstacle to another in the metaphorical tree of life.

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Cast in stone or mere sculpturing?

Cast in stone at a local temple for all to see.

At one look, this passage, probably from the scriptures of Manu, must be the most patriarchal statement ever. This marble slab is plastered on the walls of a local Hindu temple. It is proudly placed amongst the many meaningful verses from the Gita. I wonder if anyone takes time to read it, understand its message. If they did, I wonder if they would state their dissatisfaction. Or perhaps request for other more appropriate messages in keeping with the demand of time, space and societal sensitivity! These words may have carried relevance in a different era and in a distinct community milieu. 

One would say that it is cherry-picking if certain parts of the scriptures are blanked out and the ones meeting our agenda are picked up. All words of wisdom should stand the test of time. It should be relevant to the end of times. 

This trend of discussion is nothing new. Even during so-called 'Golden Age of the Islamic civilisation', such discourse apparently took place between the members of the Mu'tazila and Ash'ariyya schools of theology. On the Mu'tazilite end, they argued that the scriptures must only be a guide but the  God-given thinking faculty should prevail above all. Their detractors insisted that the divine inscriptions are beyond perfect. There was no place for human analysis.

I think most of the world problems involving religions are due to a literal translation of the text. No exemption is given to the circumstance it was mentioned. Everyone finds it more comfortable to say their peace, retreat into a cocoon and blame the divine forces if malady should strike. They have no guilt feeling and feel justified even if tragedies are associated with their actions or inactions. The silent God takes the blame.

 https://asok22.wixsite.com/real-lesson 

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It is all point of view!

The Hindus, An Alternative History
Author: Wendy Doniger

Everything that happens in life is seen from a particular perspective. One can say that a cup is half full or half empty, both indicating the same thing. A tiny structure that we see from the corner of our eye over the horizon is actually a mammoth ocean liner that dwarfs everything adjacent to it. It is all in its interpretation. It also depends on our understanding fueled by our past experiences and know how. We see what we want to see. We sometimes are blind to the elephant in the room. And the senses do not appreciate what the mind does not know!

From the outset, the author, a holder of doctorates in Sanskrit and India studies, qualifies her work as an alternative interpretation of the history of Hinduism in India.

Just like the picture of the markings on the moon which is depicted below, the impression on the moon can be interpreted as a man (Cain the wanderer and murderer), rabbit or duck, depending on his background, exposure and culture.

The author explores alternative narratives from the disadvantaged groups of the land, the non-Brahmins, the tribes, the second-class citizens like women and the outcasts of society. The Brahmins and the rulings clans were the privileged groups who had the access to knowledge and wrote the doctrines on how things should run in kingdoms. In essence, they decided what law is and what is divinity.

The kings and members of the warrior castes must have felt remorseful with all killings and the sufferings by people at their hands. The Brahmins, with their vast know-how on how to appease the Divine Forces, must have had pacified their bosses that recourse can be made via prayers which only the Brahmin can handle. In return, they received remunerations in the form of (holy) cows. Cows were revered commodities, and the priests were paid in cows. The success of a Brahmin is measured by the number of cows that he owned. They put divinity on it, prohibiting culling and consumption of its flesh.

Sacrifice, of the animal kind, is as old as politics. And politics is known as the second oldest profession in the world. Horse sacrifice is mentioned in the Rig Veda as the highest form of sacrifice that Man can perform for the Gods. The only caveat is that it can only be done by the King, and only the Brahmins have the knowledge this ritual. One can understand where this liaison is leading. The horse must be a white one, is let loose to roam freely for a year, under the watchful eyes of the royal henchmen. No one (peasants/ landowners) is allowed to disturb the movement of this 'sacrificial lamb' or bear the prospect of having his land possessed by the King's men. One can see where this ritual is going. It appears like a legitimate way to spread the Ruler's influence.

Little juicy snippets like these which easily excite troublemakers must have incurred the wrath the Hindutva movements which have been undergoing a renaissance of late. Hence, this book was withdrawn from the shelf after many legal wrangles. It only created a ready market and demand for it (Streisand effect). Hail internet marketing!

From the Sanskrit scriptures and oral traditions, the author managed to pen down, in a 770+ page paperback, the events that were supposed to have happened in a land blessed with rivers that started a civilisation way back about 4500 years ago all through the Invasion of foreign powers and dissemination of different faiths.

For a person who had been brought in the Hindu tradition who is receptive to logical explanations to the rituals, I found this book utterly enlightening. Some quarters who claim to be guardians of the religion look at the practice from a totally Brahmanic Northern Indian perspective. Lest one forgets that many non-Brahmins have inputs to enrich it. The Puranic movements and even the members of the lower rung of the society, through their the devotion did the same.

Many of the Hindu practices evolved over time in tandem with the change of times. In keeping with the growing influences of Jaina and Buddhists movement which provided an alternative to the Hindu's dogmatic social closeting, its practices were altered as a reactionary gesture.

An interesting thing that crops so often is the escape clause in the pre-destined journey of life. The soul is said to be paying back for the sins committed in previous births, and it cannot be altered. At the same time, the scriptures promise of certain prayers and ritual sacrifices (of milk and grain) that can offset this destiny!

Offshoots from the main way of life sprung in India over time. People who were unhappy with certain practices and explanations ventured to other belief systems. There was a time when kshatriyas started doing what the Brahmins were doing. Siddharta Gautama and Mahavir, both of fighters' stock, renounced their power to find the real meaning of life. Their path gained popularity, authority and wealth for some time till they began too big for their own shoes. Hinduism started modifying their way of doing things to draw back deserters. Even within Hinduism, Shaivaites and Vaishvanites were engaged in a popularity contest. A little later, invaders from the North brought in Islam to join in the foray to enjoy a piece of the action. These quests did, however, has its plus points. They each contributed in their own ways in the fields of literature, architecture, engineering, economy, knowledge, philosophy and much more.

The British Raj era bared open the long lost mysteries of this ancient civilisation. Not only they squandered this sub-continent of its gems and wealth, there destroyed an unusual symbiotic relationship that its people had shared over generations. On the other hand, they brought in industrialisation (?for self-interest) and re-discover lost ancient knowledge. The British archaeologists painstakingly found the lost kingdom of Shakya, the birthplace of Buddha and many Buddhist scripts.

Fast forward into the twenty-first century, the unique relationship that the ancient dwellers of Indus shared with his hostile environment and all the puzzling occurrences around him have changed course. Priorities have changed. From a feudalistic society where there were humans, sub-humans and barbarians existed, we have or try to put up an image of being an egalitarian society. Economic prowess is given precedence over matters like karma and after-life. Their ideology, have, on the other hand, fascinated people outside the subcontinent.

This book is an exhaustive overall of everything Indian. It is written in a very tongue-in-the-cheek way which picked a raw nerve with the ultra Hindutva. They feel that the sanctity of the religion held in high esteem for centuries is ridiculed. What they fail to understand is that Hinduism had never been known to be inclusive or to be over sensitive to barking dogs. Like in the stance of a deeply meditating Shiva, believers used to be turning a blind eye to temptations and distractions whilst trying to explore their own third eye. What gave? In the way of Jesus, Gandhi used to say, "Forgive them for they know not what they do!"

[P.S. It is such a compact book with so much knowledge. I would be doing a great disservice by trying to summarise it. Pick up a book, form your own opinion. You will never look at organised religion the same way again, ever!]

There was a time...

Saw two snippets this week about the greatness of ancestors of two lands of which, in the present world need to show a lot to prove themselves. One giant had just awoken from a long slumber after yoke of colonialism and another which was prophesying philosophy to the world at a time when the world was inhabited by savages.

Firstly, I found out about the engineering marvels of India in 1500 BCE when they could build a 35km bridge, Ram Sethu, between the southernmost peak of India and tip of Ceylon. In that age and time, they built a bridge with trees and flat stones that stood the test of time. The rise in sea-levels and priorities in other things in life made it a relic of the past. Now all that marvel is lost in the annals of time and its subjects live at the mercy of the international world for survival. Of course, there are tonnes of know-how too unevenly distributed around the country for comfort.

Epicurus

Next, turn to Greece. Now they seem the pariah who seems to be depending on hand-outs and write-offs from its neighbouring countries who are simply fed up with their lack of austerity. It seems to be to be a far cry from the times they used to be. At a time when their neighbours were in the wilderness trying to make sense of living and survival, the Greeks already had a cradle of civilisation so advanced that they were discussing metaphysical aspects of life. Epicureanism and Stoicism were concerned about the divine attitude towards human and philosophy of life. This advanced civilisation reached their pinnacle and now they are at the mercy of others, who were at one time, just plain savages! So what happened?

Time and tide waits for no man. Nothing lasts forever. It is the circle of life. There is a time for the dog and a time for the elephant. Big indestructible powers and gone. It is just the flavour of times....

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