Living History

What is it about mummies that mystify us?

I’ve always wanted to go to Egypt and see the Pyramids. It is one of my life long dreams. That and seeing the Great Rift Valley – is what I plan to do in North Africa.

But coming back to mummies – there is something about them that captures our imagination – more so than anything else. I remember playing Tomb Raider when I was in University (Yes, I and my brother who is 7 years younger than me are BIG fans of Lara Croft – We’ve even seen a documentary on her on BBC). Many sequences in the game are based in Egypt and the clues and puzzles all centre around some macabre crypt.

Recently at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, I saw the Temple of Dendur – a Nubian temple built by the Roman governor Petronius in 1st century BC. This temple had been transported to the US after the construction of the Aswan dam in Egypt to prevent its destruction. It is an awesome structure and inarguably one of the best exhibits in the world. I spent around half an hour there in the Dendur Exhibit. The Met also has one of the largest collection of items from Egyptology.

In contrast though, the India section at the museum is less populated and most of the items there you can find anywhere in India. I thought a lot about why this is and have come to the following conclusion. While a lot has changed from the past in India, a lot has not changed. Sure, we don’t have Harappan seals anymore and Asoka’s rock edicts no longer are read – but we have a lot of living history. Our Gods and Goddesses have remained unchanged for centuries. The same mother goddess who was there in the Harappan civilization still exists today – in a varied form. We have been under Muslim rule for over 800 years but Hindu identity remained intact. Islamic art and architecture flourished with infusions from the Indian subcontinent – and we see this today alive in our monuments like the Taj Mahal, the city of Fateh pur Sikri and many more. The vast city of Delhi once had seven cities… and they all still exist. The Jama Masjid is the largest mosque in India and is still in use. The city of Tughlaqabad still has a large population living in the common area. (Tip though: Do watch out for the monkeys though if you’re planning to visit Ghiassudin Tughlaq’s tomb.)

Coming back to the issue of Pyramids – new pharaonic tombs are still being discovered in Egypt. Two were discovered recently in the area of Saqqara which is south of the capital, Cairo. Saqqara is a necropolis – a royal cemetery, and till recently archaeologists had thought that nothing more could possibly be found there. But they were proved wrong.

Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra lent a certain aura to the Egyptian civilization. Movies are still being made on what lies beyond the sands of the Sahara. In The Bucket List – which had a list of all the things you should do before you kick the bucket, seeing the Pyramids ranked on the “To Do” list, along with a visit to The Taj Mahal. Climbing Mount Everest was another one, as was driving a F-1 race car (what an awesome thing to do) and a visit to Italy (always recommended – it is a beautiful country and so are its neighbors Spain and France).

Now not everyone can be an archaeologist or an anthropologist – but one can spread the message of the beauty that surrounds us. Some organizations are doing this in India – like INTACH. Some organizations even take you on walks around the city. When I was in college, my society, Dhyana, organized a tour of the seven cities of Delhi and we would spend our weekends going around the city with a well informed individual who knew about the place. They were very interesting times. My sister, who was in school, once accompanied me to the Tuglaqabad fort (loadsa monkeys). We were told about the fort’s defensive structures, the layers and their significance and even visited deep wells around the exterior.

An experienced historian, even an amateur one, can ignite your imagination by introducing you to the possibilities that the space around you provides. They can help you picture Metcalf sitting sipping tea near the Qutub Minar, or Emperor Humayun climbing the steps towards his library in an opium-dazed state.

History can still come alive, even if it’s not living history.