Interview, Fireside Chat
Below Delhi, the search for India's mythical past
The EconomistLeo Mirani, Rosie Bloor, Raghu Karnad, Vasanth Swankar, Barclay, Rathish Nanda, Richard Eaton
- The Mahabharata war is estimated to have occurred thousands of years ago within the last few millennia, potentially rooted in a true intra-family feud amplified by wandering bards over generations.
- Key epic locations such as Hastinapur and Kurukshetra are expected to remain identifiable on contemporary maps of India, while Painted Grey Ware deposits may confirm a continuous 3,000-year history at specific sites.
- The Archaeological Survey of India plans to continue excavations at Purana Killa for 75 years to build an accurate picture of the population 3,000 years ago rather than discovering the epic's "palace of illusions."
- The Sabyata Foundation intends to install sound and light shows at the Red Fort and Humayun's Tomb, aiming to shift the Purana Killa narrative from its Mughal origins under Emperor Humayun to the Hindu story of Indraprastha.
- Planned historical interpretations at these sites will likely omit Emperor Humayun's actual role at Purana Killa, ignore Mahatma Gandhi during independence segments at the Red Fort, and instead credit the emperor with establishing the Mughal School of Art at Humayun's Tomb.
- Future historical perspectives are expected to evolve as new evidence emerges from farmers discovering inscriptions and coins, or as the methodologies of historians shift over time.
- The Bhagavad Gita is anticipated to be framed as a discourse on the ethics of war and dharma, while archaeological evidence may support the existence of warring clans over resources without validating grand epic elements.
- A widening gap between scholarly research and public imagination is identified as a significant risk that could make the public more susceptible to demagogues, potentially leading to the surrender of historical sensibilities to myth-makers.