To Believe or Not to Believe?

Fake-news pandemic

Do you use social media? Do you watch news and debates on TV? Do you read newspapers? How do you manage to sieve mountains of chaff to find the elusive kernels of truth? How do you handle the half-truths, the untruths, and the blatant untruths which bombard you daily?

I asked a few friends. One said: I no longer read newspapers. Another has no social media account. A total waste of time, she said. But, I guess, you may not have resorted to such extreme measures.

Press Information Bureau (PIB)  has issued an advisory (@PIBFactCheck) regarding misinformation and a fake video claiming to pertain to the unfortunate Air India plane crash at Ahmedabad on 12 Jun, 2025. Why would anyone circulate a fake video on the terrible accident in which so many lives were lost, and for which the whole country mourns and grieves? Maybe, the person forwarding the video believed it to be true, and was eager to share it with his contacts at once. It was an old video from Lebanon.

Who creates these viral posts and why? Fake-posts are  by design sensational, exciting, manipulative; and circulate six times faster than simple, unadorned, dull truth. Some are fabricated in pursuance of an explicit or hidden evil agenda - to whip up communal or mob frenzy. Others are to confuse, confound, misinform, and misguide. Many posts are promotional; marketing a product, a political ideology, or an idea. A few may be just for fun while others may be pranks and jokes – usually at the cost of the ‘other.’ Maybe, a do-gooder believes in a magic therapy or solution, and resolves to spread it for the benefit of humankind, as was widely noted during Covid 19. World Health Organisation (WHO) termed it as infodemic.

Social media, with about 5.4 billion subscribers, is truly big, all-pervasive, and impacts the lives of users in more ways than they realise. Billions of messages, photos, videos, and audios are circulated 24x7, swiftly manufactured by creators including AI-enabled Deepfake fabricators, and lapped up by credulous, unquestioning consumers. Sadly, it suffers from a pandemic of fakes. If modern life is a city, and social media its high-streets; it is littered with garbage everywhere, and more is dumped every second with no garbage cleaners in sight. The putrid smell is insufferable except for those who now accept it as the new normal.

Fables on Untruth & Truth

All cultures have their morality tales about Truth and Untruth. Aesop’s tale about the shepherd boy who cried wolf is cautionary: Telling a lie can be dangerous, for the person who often lies will not be believed even when he tells the truth. Panchatantra has a contrarian tale: the Brahmin with a goat who was persuaded by three charlatans that the goat was a dog! Untruth repeated by many begins to sound like truth!

Puranic Fake-news

Fake news is not an invention or a  fabrication of the sick, convoluted modern mind. Puranic fake-stories are quite well-known. Yudhisthira lied to Drona about Ashwatthama’s death, and the lie was orchestrated by none other than Krishna. Truth alone does not win a war!

Samba - Krishna’s son, dressed up as a pregnant woman, and his playmates asked a rishi, all in jest, about the gender of the baby in the womb. The rishi saw through the prank and cursed that the prankster would give birth to a mushala (an iron mace) which would decimate the Yadava clan.

In Ramayana, a washerman made a slanderous remark about Sita’s character, based on a rumour that was going viral in Ram Rajya. It was fake-news. Ram knew the truth since he had already subjected Sita to agni pareeksha. Yet, he banished his pregnant wife to the forest believing that to be his Rajdharma.

Dictators have  a different Rajdharma: Kill those who doubt the untruth promoted by the state, and those who dare tell the truth.

Puranic fake-news had significant consequences. Drona quit fighting after hearing Yudhisthira’s lie, and Kauravas lost the Mahabharata war. Samba’s fake-pregnancy resulted in decimation of the Yadava clan including Krishna’s death by Jara’s arrow, the sharpened, deadly tip of which came from the cursed mushala. Malicious, slanderous rumour about Sita’s purity led to the banishment of the innocent Sita and the innocent children in her womb.

Recent Fake-news

You may have read one or more of the following Fake-news:

·      When transporting elephants by plane, the cabin is filled with chicks. The elephants are so concerned about crushing the chicks to death that they stay immobile for the entire duration of the flight!

·      Horses are immune to the poison of the deadliest cobra, owing to which these animals are used to manufacture anti-venom vaccine!

·      BHU Foundation was laid by Sant Attar Singh, a Sikh saint!

·      Newton made two holes in a wall in his house for the convenience of his cats – a small one for the smaller cat, and a big one for the bigger cat!

·      New York Times published a Front-Page article in praise of PM Modi!

Not all fake-news are malevolent!

Did you watch the adorable video of two Hiroshima survivors – Kenji on violin and Sayuri on the piano - performing after 80 years of the 1945 holocaust; in a huge auditorium before a live audience with several breaking down to tears?

Had you checked for the source, you’d have easily found the You Tube link which candidly states that it is an AI-generated video created for ‘fun.’ There was no evil agenda, and no wish to hurt anyone; but rather to evoke human sympathy for the unfortunate victims of the man-made disaster.

Fact-check Tools & Portals

Social media giants (Meta, YouTube, TikTok, X) have adopted fact-checking, content removal, demotion algorithms, warning labels, and improved policies to tackle misinformation. Governments and other global organisations have also formulated laws, regulations, and policies to contain the infodemic.

CoPilot’s list of leading Fact-Checking Platforms:

Global Fact-Checking Platforms

• FactCheck.org – A non-partisan fact-checking site focused on U.S. politics and misinformation.
• Snopes – One of the oldest fact-checking websites, debunking myths, hoaxes, and viral misinformation.
• PolitiFact – Specializes in verifying political claims, using a "Truth-O-Meter" rating system.
• Reuters Fact Check – A global news agency fact-checking viral claims and misinformation.
• AFP Fact Check – Operated by Agence France-Presse, focusing on international misinformation.
• Full Fact – A UK-based fact-checking organization covering politics, health, and social issues.
• Lead Stories – Uses AI-powered tools to detect false claims and viral misinformation.
• Africa Check – A leading fact-checking organization focused on African news and misinformation.

Global AI Fact-Checking Tools

• LongShot AI – Uses advanced AI to cross-reference text with trusted sources, ensuring accuracy.
• Detecting AI Fact Checker – Provides real-time fact verification and error detection.
• EarthCheckr – Focuses on environmental fact-checking using AI-driven verification.
• Indicator Media – Offers investigative tools for detecting misinformation and digital manipulation.

These tools leverage machine learning and natural language processing to analyse claims and verify sources.

Fact-Checking Platforms in India

• Alt News – A well-known Indian fact-checking site debunking misinformation and fake news.
• Boom Live – Focuses on verifying viral claims, political statements, and social media misinformation.
• Factly – Provides fact-checks on government policies, social issues, and viral news.
• The Quint WebQoof – A fact-checking initiative by The Quint, debunking fake news in India.
• India Today Fact Check – A dedicated team verifying viral claims and political misinformation.

These platforms are part of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), ensuring credibility and transparency.

Conclusion

We’re condemned to swim in a sea filled with the floating garbage of fake news, stories, and videos. How do we stay afloat and alive?

Long ago, S.T. Coleridge explained why the audience enjoyed a drama which they knew was entirely fictional. They created for themselves a ‘willing suspension of disbelief’ for the duration of the play. In a fictional world, animals could talk, and monkeys could fly. That is also the world of Super-man, Spiderman, James Bond, and the invincible Bollywood hero.

However, today in the world of social media, a contrarian attitude to ‘willing suspension of disbelief’ is required. What should we call it? Shining searchlight of scepticism?

Should scepticism be our main course, or just a modest daily dose of iodised salt?

For every post that is forwarded to us, what may we ask? True or False? Wolf, Goat, or Dog?

Maybe True, or Not? Maybe Untrue, or Not?

To believe or not to believe? That’s the question.

***

 

A Divine Gift

Handing over charge of the universe to Shiva, Vishnu had retreated for Anant Shayan. Parvati suggested an aerial survey of the earth, Shiva readily agreed, and they rode the multi-talented Nandi who could also fly.

All is well with the world, don’t you think so? Shiva asked.

Yes, I concur; but can you please help that very poor man down there who’s struggling to feed his family?

Shiva kept silent.

O Lord, O Bhole Shankar, you’re unfailingly compassionate. Why can’t you help that distressed person?

Of course, I can. But he has never asked for anything. No petition or prayer for self or family. Man’s mind is inscrutable, you know. Even I can’t figure out what he wants.

Why don’t you make him wealthy? That’d eradicate his hunger and poverty.

Darling, Gods do not run poverty-alleviation programmes; governments do. Also, it’s not my policy to shower boons without a prayer; but I’ll make an exception to please you.

The poor man was in a forest which was bountiful, and a few hours of foraging gave enough food for a day. He knew the forest like the back of his hand, and knew where to look for fruits and roots.

Shiva dropped a brick of gold a few steps ahead of the lonely forest path the man was presently taking. Exactly at the same moment, a thought occurred to the poor man. I know this forest so well; can I walk this path with my eyes closed?

He closed his eyes, continued walking, and when he stumbled against the brick of gold, he bent down, picked it up, and threw it into the bushes, all without opening his eyes.

Did you note that? Shiva asked Parvati.

Are you suggesting that he is fated to be poor?

Not at all. Only, he must be ready and willing to accept a boon!

***

 

Counting Blessings in 70 Words

·      Life-expectancy at birth: 37; still alive at 70! Survived Covid infection. No diabetes, high BP, or any serious disease, yet.

·      Woke up this morning. Alive. Breathing normal. No heart or brain stroke during sleep.

·      Brisk morning walk; uncompromised mobility.  

·      Trees blushing green after a night shower; vision unclouded.  

·      Heard Koel’s sweet song; hearing unimpaired.

·      Enjoyed breakfast; healthy appetite.  

·      Mind still working; uplifting thoughts and pleasant memories pouring in.

How Blessed!

***

Postscript

Gratitude Quotes

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it." - William Arthur Ward

"He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has." - Epictetus

"The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness." - Dalai Lama

Two Contrarian Quotes

“Gratitude is a sickness suffered by dogs.” - Joseph Stalin

“Does not the gratitude of the dog put to shame any man who is ungrateful to his benefactors?” - Saint Basil

Readers’ Comments

Aditi Das Rout

"When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done."

 

I asked Gemini for the source. It’s reply:

The quote you provided is from the well-known hymn "Count Your Blessings." The lyrics were written by Johnson Oatman, Jr. in 1897, and the music was composed by Edwin O. Excell in the same year.

For the lyrics and the song, here’s the link:

https://www.thetabernaclechoir.org/articles/_count-your-blessings-is-a-reminder-to-be-grateful.html?lang=eng&hl=en-IN#:~:text=%5B1939%5D%2C%20262).,Excell

Ambika Khatua

Nazar mat lagaiye apne aap ko !!

Me: Alas, if my mother were around, she'd rush to apply a kala tika on my forehead!

Ambika: True! Therefore, in her absence, the onus is on you!

S.P. Tucker

You are 55 not 70 !!

Me: Thanks, SP. I'll add that to my blessings. Maybe, I should say it in 55 words!

SP: Do so. Encourage the group.

Me: I dabble with words; you work hard to help people.

SP runs two Free Wellness Clinics at Hyderabad with focus on Type-II Diabetes Reversal through diet, herbal medicine, exercise, and yoga. He plans to launch a Wellness Boutique in a few months.

Best wishes, Dear SP, for your commitment to healthy living and tireless endeavour to help people.

 

 

Apsaras of Angkor Wat

March had just begun, summer was still a few weeks away, but the sun was harsh and the temperature had climbed to 36 C. After an enjoyable though hectic day of visit to Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm, and Bayon temples, and a forgettable visit in the afternoon to the Floating villages; the tourists heaved a sigh of relief when they were ushered into Marakot Restaurant for dinner over a cultural performance culminating in Apsara Dance.

Queen Sisowath Kossamak had revived and modernised the Khmer Classical dance form, and her grand-daughter Norodom Buppha Devi had established the Royal Ballet of Cambodia which in 2003 was included by UNESCO among World’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. As Prima Ballerina, Norodom Buppha Devi herself led the dance troupes to several countries in the world.

Apsara dance is heavily influenced by Indian classical dances including Odissi and Bharatanatyam.

“Renowned for its graceful hand gestures and stunning costumes, the Royal Ballet of Cambodia, also known as Khmer Classical Dance, has been closely associated with the Khmer court for over one thousand years. Performances would traditionally accompany royal ceremonies and observances such as coronations, marriages, funerals or Khmer holidays.”[i]

The auditorium-cum-dining hall was large enough to sit 250 diners with enough space for the buffet tables at the far ends of the hall. In the courtyard outside the hall, live food counters took orders from customers and served a variety of hot dishes – local as well as international cuisine.

The dining tables were not theatre style; but ran along the length of the hall perpendicular to the elevated stage. Every diner had a clear view of the stage, though they had to  crane their necks to catch vignettes of the show while enjoying the multi-cuisine dinner. Those who were rather excited paused eating, and stood up briefly to capture a few photos or a video.

The Show which lasted for about one and a half hours - more than enough time for food, second and third helpings, chat, pics, and videos - comprised a series of performances, some by a few, and others by a larger group. Traditional Martial Art, folk stories, and Reamker (as Ramayana is known in Kamboja Desha) episodes. The Apsara Dance was the final performance, the icing on the cake. Seven beautiful Apsaras in traditional costume with the Prima Ballerina in the middle gracefully enacted classical mudras and gently swayed to the beats of the band playing on ancient instruments.

When the Show ended, the diners having already feasted lavishly stood up and applauded enthusiastically as the Apsaras assembled at the front of the stage in a row and bowed gracefully. The troupe’s helper brought out from the side-wings a Tip Box with glass panes revealing the USD, Euro, and Pound notes presented by previous customers.

“You’re welcome to come up to the stage for a photo with the Apsaras,’ the organiser announced.

‘I want a pic,’ said a senior citizen to a friend. ‘A souvenir, actually,’ he added, a bit apologetically.

‘Why not?’

‘Is there a charge for that? How much?’

‘No idea. Why don’t you go up and do what other souvenir-hunters are doing?’

The gentleman, seated towards the back of the hall raced up to the stage by when all slots had been taken except the last one beside the seventh Apsara at the farthest right. He had given his excellent camera-phone to his friend in the hall who clicked several pics.

From the stage, the souvenir-collector beckoned to his friend to get ready for the next pic, moved speedily to the Prima Ballerina, and finding beside her a hefty gora who had already been clicked, tapped him on his shoulder with as much politeness as possible under the circumstances, and before the hapless tourist comprehended the scene, had parked himself beside the PB. His friend did click the memorable pic for the souvenir.

‘How much did you pay?’

‘On my way up, I had checked with the theatre staff. No charges, but a tip was welcome. I had a  10-US dollar note in my front pocket which I put in the box.’

~~~

Every year more than 2.5 million tourists visit Angkor Wat, reckoned the largest temple complex in the world, with an area of 402 acres. For perspective, St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City has a total area of about 120 acres.

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Angkor Wat temple - originally dedicated to Vishnu and later converted to a Buddhist temple - was built in the 12^th century AD by the Khmer king Suryavarman II, the name meaning ‘He who is protected by the Sun’; but he was not related to any Indian dynasty! 

Indian tourists feel justifiably proud since this largest Hindu temple in the world was built in a country which had never been a colony or a vassal of any Indian kingdom. Remarkably, Indian culture deeply influenced life and culture in several south-east Asian countries – Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malayasia, Myanmar, and others; without any political dominion or ambition by the traders from India. William Dalrymple in his book The Golden Road calls this Indo-sphere.

Angkor Wat is a massive temple complex with exquisite sculptures, particularly the large carved wall panels with scenes from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Tourists are also enamoured by the sculptures of graceful Apsaras reminding them of the wizardry of India’s master sculptors of Konark, Khajuraho, and other architectural monuments who had scripted poetry in stone.

Apsaras are water-nymphs (Aps means water in Sanskrit) symbolising fertility (Water is the prime source of life); celestial entertainers in Indra’s Swarga; spouses and partners of Gandharvas, the heavenly musicians; and prominently feature in Hindu and Buddhist mythology. Bharat-Varsh is named after Bharat, son of  Shakuntala who was abandoned by her mother Menaka, an Apsara, and raised by Kanva, a rishi.

Ta Prohm

Ta Prohm (Grandfather Brahma) temple is known for the gigantic tree roots that dangle down over its entryways, walls and terraces, and is popular with tourists after Hollywood star Angelina Jolie filmed here part of her movie Tomb Raider.

                                (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Ta Prohm is under renovation by Archaeological Survey of India[ii]. Mr. Chittaranjan, Assistant Director, and his six colleagues graciously took the visitors around the monument a few parts of which they have renovated with several years of meticulous expertise and dedicated work.

Shri D.S. Sood, who spent nearly fifteen years at Angkor Wat for the ASI project had made an excellent presentation to ‘Saturday Club’ at Bhopal a few months ago.

‘Before Ta Prohm was assigned to ASI for restoration, it was managed by the French archaeologists. They had recovered several broken statues of Apsaras in the premises and had concluded that these statues were in the Hall of Entertainment in Indra sabha, and they had named it the Apsara Hall. However, our work revealed that Avalokiteswara presided over the Hall, and not Indra. Sadly, the statue had been decapitated during the years of rampage and plunder, though the headless statue still seats in his iconic meditative asana. Instead of Apsara Hall, a more apt name for the hall may be ‘Hall of Meditation’ since the apsaras on the walls were paying homage to Avalokiteswara. Apsaras in this hall were not placed for entertainment, they were auspicious symbols of water, clouds, rain, fertility and life.’

***

---

[i] UNESCO: https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/royal-ballet-of-cambodia-00060

 

[ii] The conservation and restoration of Ta Prohm is a partnership project of the Archaeological Survey of India and the APSARA (Authority for the Protection and Management of Angkor and the Region of Siem Reap).

 

Lesson Made Easy!

The dance teacher had a busy schedule and could fit in only brief, sporadic sessions for his new student who was a clumsy dancer, a poor learner, and seldom completed his homework which comprised practising twenty rounds of each new dance move he had been taught.

Each session began with the student performing the steps he had learned in the previous sessions, and the exasperated teacher admonishing him for the poor progress; after which the teacher taught new steps.

Now, do this dance, the teacher asked, after performing a 30-second move.

The pupil’s performance was clumsy as usual, and the unsurprised Master hectored, ‘Be attentive. I’ll demonstrate one last time for you. Repeat it ten times.’

The obedient student did what he was ordered to do, doing a little better each time, but not good enough to satisfy the stern, demanding teacher.

Teacher: How can you be so dumb? Why is it so difficult to do a basic move? It’s really very simple. Just bring your chunmun forward, then take it back fast. Repeat. Like this!

Dance Teacher, just promoted to KG II, was teaching his grandpa the pelvic thrust, so ubiquitous in hot Bollywood dance numbers; a move he had recently learned at the Dance School he attends twice a week after school, homework, and before evening tuition!

***

 

Bharhut: Early Indian Art & Sculpture

You may never have visited Bharhut or even heard of it. Where is Bharhut and why am I writing about it?

Bharhut is a small village about 20 kilometres from Satna, Madhya Pradesh, where I had worked and lived for two years long ago during which I had once gone up the little hillock to find a signage which said it was a protected monument under the ASI. An ancient Buddhist stupa in ruins with a few stone fragments and broken bricks scattered around. There was no security guard since no tourists ever went there.

Then, I knew little about the significance of Bharhut in Indian and Buddhist art and sculpture. Browsing the Indian Museum, Kolkata’s portal the other day, I spotted the virtual Bharhut Gallery  and took a fascinating tour.

Bharhut: Significance

The Bharhut Stupa, built around the time of Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE and later expanded during the Shunga period, holds a seminal place in the history of Buddhist art and sculpture in India; and its relics—particularly the railing panels and gateways—offer one of the earliest and most detailed visual records of Buddhist themes.

Bharhut is especially notable for its extensive use of narrative reliefs that illustrate Jataka tales, episodes from the Buddha’s life, and scenes from Buddhist cosmology. These panels depict stories in a continuous narrative style, helping even illiterate devotees visually engage with Buddhist teachings.

The art of Bharhut follows the aniconic tradition, where the Buddha is not shown in human form but symbolically—through a footprint (Buddha pada), empty throne, or Bodhi tree. This reflects the early doctrinal hesitance to anthropomorphize the Buddha.

Bharhut set the foundation for later Buddhist art centres like Sanchi, Amaravati, and Gandhara. Its themes, iconography, and storytelling techniques continued to inspire Buddhist sculpture across Asia, from Sri Lanka to Southeast Asia.

‘Early Indian classical art passes slowly, but surely, from Bharhut through Bodh Gaya to Sanchi.’ (Remains of Bharhut Stupa In The Indian Museum, 2006-Arabinda Ghosh)

Bharhut Gallery: Indian Museum, Kolkata

Bharhut Gallery displays the red sandstone remnants of the stupa which were transported to Calcutta and re-created there by Alexander Cunningham , who excavated the site in 1874.

Considered the ‘Father of Indian archaeology,’ Cunningham was the 1st Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India, established in 1861. He had begun excavation at Sanchi in 1851. His book The Stupa of Bharhut (1879) is available at archive.org.

The architectural remains comprise railings and the only surviving Eastern Gateway or Torana, sculptures of Jataka tales, stories of Lord Buddha’s life, numerous animal and geometric motifs, and several demigods – Yaksha and Yakshi figurines.

Bharhut rail East Gateway, on the spot of excavation. 

Source: Ideals of Indian Art (1912) by E.B. Havell

Recovered carvings at Bharhut before removal from the site,

Photographs taken Cunningham’s assistant David Joseph Beglar in 1874

Mriga Jataka: Source: Indian Museum, Kolkata; reproduced in The Art of India by Stella Kramrisch

Link for Bharhut Gallery: https://indianmuseumkolkata.org/gallery/bharhut-gallery/

Mahakapi Jataka Medallion

The Mahakapi Jataka medallion in sandstone relief, a relic from the Bharhut Stupa, is a significant example of early Buddhist narrative art.

In the Mahakapi Jataka tale (Jataka No. 407), Bodhisatta, in a previous life as a great monkey king, leads a troop of eighty thousand monkeys residing near the Ganga who feast upon the delicious fruits of a mango tree as huge as a mountain. One day, a mango falls into the river and reaches the king of Varanasi, who, upon tasting it, craves for more. He discovers the tree and orders his archers to kill the monkeys. To save his troop, the monkey king forms a bridge with his own body across the river, allowing the monkeys to escape. However, a treacherous monkey (an earlier incarnation of the wicked Devadatta) climbs onto a high branch and jumps on his back, fatally injuring him. Witnessing this act of self-sacrifice, the king is moved, puts the monkey king on his own bed and tends to his injuries.

"Noble monkey, you made yourself a bridge for all the other monkeys to pass over to safety. What are you to them, and what are they to you?" the king asked.

The monkey explained, "Great king, I guard the herd. I am their lord and chief….

Because I could save them, I have no fear of death. Like a righteous king, I could guarantee the happiness of those over whom I used to reign. Sire, understand this truth! If you wish to be a righteous ruler, the happiness of your kingdom, your cities, and your people must be dear to you. It must be dearer than life itself."

("Jataka Tales of the Buddha: Part III", retold by Ken & Visakha Kawasaki.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/kawasaki/bl142.html)

Mahakapi Jataka Medallion: 

By Biswarup Ganguly - Detail of, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62327589

After teaching the king in this way, the monkey king died. He was given a royal funeral. The king built a shrine at the monkey's burial place, and made offerings of incense and flowers. He had the skull inlaid with gold..

For the rest of his life the king revered the skull as a relic, offering incense and garlands.

Bharhut Relics

Relics are the body parts (tooth, nail, hair, etc.) of Buddha or his chief disciples interred in stupas across India and the world, and held by the Buddhists as most sacred objects of worship. Sanchi stupa contains the relics of two prominent disciples of the Buddha – Sāriputta and Mahā-Moggallāna.

Temple of Tooth at Kandy, Sri Lanka, where the relic is believed to be the left canine of the Buddha has been temporarily opened for the first time since 2009, drawing a large number of devotees.  

Some Buddhists speculate that the Jagannath Temple, Puri was built upon the ruins of an ancient Buddhist stupa, and the ‘brahma padartha (object)’ inside the daru vigraha (wooden idol) is a Buddha relic. Hindus believe the ‘brahma’ to be Lord Krishna’s navel which fire could not burn.

Cunningham’s excavations did not reveal any such relic at Bharhut. If there was one, it might have been pilfered or lost during the centuries after abandonment of the stupa.

Where are the architectural pieces - the only Bharhut relics that remain? A quick search revealed that most of these relics are in the Indian Museum, Kolkata; a more detailed search produced fascinating results.

Out of 374 parts which have been located, most are in India - in Indian Museum, Kolkata, Allahabad Museum, Tulsi Sangrahalaya (Ramvan, Satna), and in 8 villages of Satna; and 19 parts are in 10 museums around the world at Berkley, Boston, Brooklyn, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Virginia, Washington DC, Berlin, Pasadena, and London.

(Bharhut: A Reassessment by Jason D Hawkes, source: academia.edu)

A vindication of the significance of Bharhut stupa in Buddhist art and sculpture!

A Sanskrit Subhashita thus laments the ruthlessness of Time, the great destroyer, who does not spare even avatars of Vishnu:

रघुपते क्व गतोत्तरकोशलः?
यदुपते क्व गता मथुरापुरि?

Transliteration:
Raghupate kva gata uttarakośalaḥ?
Yadupate kva gatā Mathurā-purī?

Translation:
“O Lord of the Raghus, where is now the kingdom of Uttarakoshala?
O Lord of the Yadus, where is now the city of Mathura?”

 

We may possibly wonder:

O Shakyamuni, where is now the great Bharhut stupa?

And where is the magnificent stupa of Amaravati?

Or, say in Sanskrit:

शाक्यमुनि कुत्र इदानीं महाभारहुत स्तूपः।

अमरावतीं च भव्यं स्तूपं कुत्र अस्ति ?

***

A few excerpts

The Stupa of Bharhut

A few excerpts from Alexander Cunningham’s book “The Stupa of Bharhut: A Buddhist Monument Ornamented with Numerous Sculptures Illustrative of Buddhist Legend and History in the Third Century B.C.”

Link for the book:

https://archive.org/details/stupaofbharhutbu00cunn/page/n4/mode/1up

Relic casket?

“The present village of Bharhut, which contains upwards of 200 houses, is built entirely of the bricks taken from the Stupa. The removal of bricks continued down to a late date, and I was told that a small box (dibiya) was found in the middle of the brick mound, and made over to the Raja of Nagod. This must have been a Relic casket ; but my further inquiries were met by persistent ignorance, both as to its contents and as to whether it was still in the possession of the Raja….”

Sculptures gifted by Raja of Nagod

“At my request the whole of the sculptures were liberally presented to Government by the Raja of Nagod, in whose territory Bharhut stands, and I am happy to say that they have arrived safely in Calcutta,…”

Cunningham's No to British Museum

“In his letter already quoted Professor Childers (London) expressed a “ hope that the “ sculptures may find their way to the India Office [in London] instead of being “ consigned to the peaceful oblivion of an Indian Museum.” In this hope I should most cordially agree were I not afraid that they might be consigned to the still more oblivious vaults of the British Museum, where some 10 years ago I discovered no less than seven Indian inscriptions in the full enjoyment of undisturbed repose, unseen, uncared for, and unknown.”

A washerman’s plank!

“…all the neighbouring villages within a circuit of 10 miles were carefully explored for portions of the missing sculptures. This search was rewarded with the discovery of two pillars of a second or outer railing of which portions had already been found in situ at Bharhut.   The bas-relief of the Indra Shala-guha, or “ Indra’s Cave Hall,” was then discovered at Batanmara, and the missing half of the famous Chhadanta Jataka at Pataora, 7 miles distant, degraded to the ignoble position of a washerman’s plank.”

Note: Para Headings by this blogger.

The Art of India Through the Ages by Stella Kramrisch

"In the five hundred years beginning with the second century B.C., narrative reliefs carved in stone are one of Buddhism's contributions to Indian sculpture. Although never shown before the late first century A.D., the Buddha inspired legends, symbols, actions and stories. In Barhut these have the simplicity of factual statements, in Sanchi, the exuberance of pageants and the form of idylls. But it was in the ... teeming compositions in Amaravati... (T)he limbs of the figures are those of dancers who reach out into the void. They bend over their mortal youth. At no other moment has Indian sculpture been so acutely sensitive."

***

 

Mesmerizing Mona Lisa

On Apr 15, World Art Day, I saw Mona Lisa* - the world's most discussed, most written about, and most famous painting at The Louvre, even though Tuesday is the weekly holiday for the museum - possibly the world’s most visited museum with about nine million visitors a year. How did I manage that? No prizes for guessing. I enjoyed a virtual tour at zero-cost! Seated at a cosy chair in my study room, I spent an hour or more up close with 12 Masterpieces at the museum’s portal.[i] To continue my immersive experience, I visited the museum through Google Arts and Culture[ii], to check what more this portal offered. Most renowned museums of the world now offer virtual tours and online exhibitions.

In 2005, I had seen Mona Lisa at The Louvre. Visitors appreciate the iconic painting from behind the barricade about twenty feet from the wall which is set up for a good reason; Mona Lisa had been stolen in 1911! A sizeable crowd of visitors, several much taller than me, had already gathered in front, and I had to peer through the shifting torsos and shoulders to catch fleeting glimpses of Mona Lisa’s enigmatic smile. I saw Leonardo da Vinci’s classic painting, but did I really see her?

(Credit: The Louvre Portal)

A visit to a world-famous museum is always overwhelming and a bit unsettling. You are suddenly reminded that life is too short with not enough time to enjoy all the good things in the world. You must quickly decide which exhibits to skip, which ones to see, and how much time to assign to which. Not unlike a grand, royal feast serving choicest cuisines of the world where you may eat all you can but must exit in an hour or earlier.

I recall having spent about two hours at the museum after waiting for an hour and a half for entry. Which masterpieces did I see then? Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo, I remember. Btw, the more famous Medici Venus, among about 5000 artworks seized by Napoleon’s troops, had to be returned to Italy under the Treaty of Vienna after Napoleon’s defeat at the Waterloo; and is now at Uffizi Gallery, Florence (Link: https://www.uffizi.it/en/artworks/medici-venus).

But I remember none of the other masterpieces listed by the museum in its virtual tour; not even The Winged Victory of Samothrace – the goddess Nike, the messenger of victory (yes, the footwear brand is named after the goddess!); Psyche revived by Cupid’s Kiss, or Michelangelo’s Slaves! Wasn’t my visit in the category of value-for money, photo-stop group-tour packages entitling the tourists to boast ‘been there, seen that?’

Those who are passionate about Art may draw up a detailed plan for their museum visits; but even they must skip most of the exhibits on display. The Louvre displays about 35000 exhibits in 400 rooms over an area of 72000 square metres; and an average visitor spends one to three hours in the museum. Should a visitor choose to visit every exhibit in the museum, how long would it take? At one minute per piece, it would take about 79 days to see everything, assuming 8-hour days, excluding the time to walk through 400 rooms at different levels.

Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City, USA) has over 2 million exhibits;  to see every exhibit it would take more than 11 years. State Hermitage Museum (St. Petersburg, Russia) has over 3 million exhibits.   It would take more than 17 years to see it all.

So, which museums are in your bucket list? How about the Indian Museum, Kolkata - established in 1814, and Asia-Pacific’s oldest and largest museum with about 2.5 million exhibits? If you’re visiting Amritsar, I recommend the Partition Museum; and at Bhopal the Tribal Museum.

I have a modest goal: to embark upon a virtual tour of top 10 museums in the world and see at least 10 masterpieces in each. That's not much; but dipping a toe in the ocean of art and sculpture is better, I suppose, than not venturing near the ocean at all!

Mona Lisa & India’s Nuclear Programme

Believe it or not, Mona Lisa had a little role in India’s nuclear programme.

India was getting ready to test a nuclear weapon for which  PMO was holding top-secret meetings with only a handful of senior officials. Naresh Chandra, senior Adviser in PMO, suggested to P.C Narasimha Rao, PM in mid-1994 that the Air Force be brought on board and the Defence Secretary be briefed.

“Cautious to a fault, Rao gave the go-ahead for Chandra to meet Defence Secretary K. A. Nambiar-but not in India. He suggested they meet in Paris…

Chandra and Nambiar decided to meet at the art gallery at the Louvre. When Nambiar arrived at the world's largest art museum, he found Chandra pacing up and down restlessly…

One could only imagine the two men, the serious, poker-faced, low profile, South Indian Nambiar, and the tall and portly Chandra standing in front of the portrait of the Mona Lisa, admiring her enigmatic smile, while Chandra briefed the defence secretary on the latest developments in India's nuclear programme. It was inconceivable that any surveillance agency would have picked up their lip movements!”

(Source: How Prime Ministers Decide by Neerja Chowdhury; pg. 361)

***

* Excerpt from The Louvre’s brief description of the painting:

“Portrait of Lisa Gherardini, Wife of Francesco del Giocondo, known as the Mona Lisa

Leonardo da Vinci

The painting’s special appeal lies in its technical excellence, the sitter’s famous smile, the fantasy background landscape and the sfumato technique that envelops the figure in a misty haze.

In 1966, this famous and fragile masterpiece was moved to the Louvre’s largest room – the Salle des États – where it is conserved in the best possible conditions, protected inside a temperature and humidity-controlled glass case.”

***

Postscript

Mona Lisa Song

An esteemed reader shared the following link for the Mona Lisa song by Nat King Cole which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for 1950, and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1992:

https://youtu.be/NIDX18Xl16s?si=_So7pWZFmKMASmnt

---

[i] Link for the 12 masterpieces:

https://www.louvre.fr/en/explore/visitor-trails/the-louvre-s-masterpieces/a-superstar-facing-a-crowd-of-132

 

[ii] Google Arts & Culture offers virtual tours and high-resolution images from over 2,000 museums worldwide. It enables one to explore exhibitions, view artworks up close, and even take 360-degree tours of museum interior.

Link: https://artsandculture.google.com/