Connecting with Mahabharata: New coffee table book presents the epic as Indian 'itihasa'

The only regret that one has while reading the new coffee table book Connecting with Mahabharata from Garuda Prakashan is that it is so short. But, we can’t blame Neera Misra and Air Vice Marsal (retd) Rajesh Lal because this is a coffee table format and one has to be careful with the size of the content.

Within this limitation, the two worthies have done a commendable job. There couldn’t be a better homage to the doyen, the ‘Bhishmacharya’ of Bharatiya archaeology Prof B B Lal who stood alone against the Left cabal who tried to put him down because he dared to prove with enough evidence that Ramayana and Mahabharata were history and not myths. He refused to yield to false propaganda with dignity and penance and proved that truth ultimately wins.

The book is a rich treasure house of illustrations about history, geography, archaeology, culture and art. Both the writers have not just written well to help a lay reader understand the story, genealogy and various versions of Jay and Bharat that ultimately led to the magnum opus Mahabharata; they meticulously combined the charts, maps and other data from various sources and have honest to acknowledge each of the sources and contributors.

They dispel the notion that Mahabharata is only a philosophical treatise wrapped in a mythical story or a great literary work. They present well researched data to show how it is a real history or as Hindus say, Itihasa – as it happened and not someone’s ‘story’.

The importance of their presentation is that it establishes the deep cultural roots of our nation as well as its itihasa. Mahabharata established the value systems that we still follow in continuity.

The book summarizes the story of Mahabharata. It then goes onto establish the geospatial concepts and dimensions of ancient India with wonderfully illustrated maps showing the places and regions described in Mahabharata. Writers go on to describe the 18 parvas within Mahabharata and their importance in the narrative.

The book presents in graphic form the archaeology of some of the Mahabharata sites and go on to discuss the debates around the dating of Mahabharata. It presents the inscriptions that connect various parts of Mahabharata. The section presenting the Mahabharata in Art, its vast following in other countries, especially South East Asia is fascinating and so is the genealogy presented in easy to understand form.

As a critic I can’t help but point out that in a maps, the names of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal appear that did not exist that that time. It is a little jarring. If it was to help reader get a better geographical understanding, they could have been written as present day Pakistan, present day Bangladesh etc.

Connecting with Mahabharata is a fascinating way of looking at Mahabharata; more as a part of our itihasa and not a philosophical myth presented as a story that many ‘Indologists’ served us.

Beautifully presented book with finely presented facts and figures is sure to generate interest in the historicity of Mahabharata in the people educated in western world view and youth who are sceptics more out of reflex than serious study.

It is, indeed, a worthy tribute to the great intellectual warrior Shri B B Lal who dedicated his entire life in search of truth, wandering among ruins to help us get a better understanding of our past clouded by western mythmakers and their Indian fellow travellers. The authors Neera Misra and Rajesh Lal were best suited to take us through this journey and they have done a great job.

The writer is an author, columnist, TV panelist. Views expressed are personal.

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