All Things Archaeology

I have been meaning to write about this since it was requested sometime during the last year (yes, that long!). My apologies for the delay - I was so excited about getting back to writing the blog, but probably from writing the thesis I ended up having what they call a writer’s block. A few days ago I was reading an article on another blog I follow, and suddenly I felt inspired to write again, so here we are!  The name Elephanta brings back a lot of memories from different years of life. I remember visiting it as a picnic spot with my family when I was a school kid some twenty odd years ago. The Island is located about 10 km off the coast of Mumbai and is accessible by ferries and launches during the day; these can be boarded from the Gateway of India. It roughly takes an hour-long boat ride to get there. After alighting on the pier, there is an option of boarding a toy train which drops the tourists upto the foothill from where the ascent to the island begins. Imagine my excitemen...

Sun, one of the primordial elements of Nature, is present as a revered deity in so many cultures. He is considered a life-giver and as many of us know and understand today is also known to cause heat waves. His role in Indian mythology is rather important and has a well-established cult in the country. We have very beautiful and elaborately planned temples dedicated to Surya. There’s more to Surya than just a life source and heat waves. Surya, according to Vishnu, Matsya, Kurma, Markandeya and Devi Bhagavata Puranas has an entire family tree, with wives and children. The solar deity is the father to many of minor deities like Manu, Yama, Yami, Shani, etc. The youngest of his children is Revanta or Raivata.    Mythology It is common to note that Indian deities are known to shape-shift and Surya is no exception. According to the story, his wife Saranya or Sanjna is said to have been unable to bear the heat of Surya (just like the summer months of today) and took the form of a ma...

When one thinks about the maritime trade of ancient India, the first ports that come to mind are usually Lothal, Bharuch, Bassein, Muziris, Pattanam, etc. Today let’s explore the lesser-known tales of the ports of Odisha from the eastern coastline, and their role in shaping India’s maritime past. Due to poor preservation conditions, the earliest reported shipwrecks from the Indian coastline all date post 16 th century CE (Common Era). In the absence of direct evidence, indirect sources inform us about Odisha’s contacts with the Southeast Asian and Roman regions. These sources are often in the form of literary texts, inscriptions, coins, pottery and iconographic evidence. In the historical sources, Odisha has been referred to by various names as Udra Desa, Kalinga, Utkal and Orissa. The significance of Odisha in the maritime trade is observed in the popular literary works such as Raghuvamsa (an epic poem written in 19 cantos), in which Kalidasa refers to the king of Kalinga as ‘ Mahoda...