In 1493, Columbus wrote a brief report concerning his discoveries of "Islands of India beyond the Ganges." It was intended as a public notice to announce his discoveries and to garner support for another voyage. The first edition of this letter was printed in Spanish in Barcelona in April 1493. Within the month a Latin translation of the letter was published in Rome by Stephan Plannck.(Ahh..The Ganges. I wonder why it still flows given the situation on both its banks but I digress too much on such trivialities)
The idea of sailing westward to India dates back to the early Romans. According to Dr. Irene Fischer, who studied this subject, the Roman writer Strabo, not long after Erathosthenes and Posidonius, reported their results and noted:
"Posidonius suspects that the length of the inhabited world, about 70,000 stadia, is half the entire circle on which it had been taken, so that if you sail from the west in a straight course, you will reach India within 70,000 stadia. "
The Egyptians seemed to know that India lies to the East. Ptolemy knew about Bombay as "Heptanesia". Cleopatra of Egypt reportedly sent her son to India before her suicide.So many other facts to mention here that permit me to say that people were looking for something since ages that was in India.Now please allow me to separate "the idea of india" with "india" itself. I dont know what they were looking for. There can be 'n' number of theories ranging from that of being the home of spices to the fact that spiritual equivalent of "Jerusalem" is in India. I cannot be sure of anything because there is no way to falsify these hypothesis.
There are only issues about which I wonder on this Friday Night.
(a) What if Columbus was right? (Gee..Then I am Home :-)
(b) If India is so badly sought from times immemorial , How come then its non-residents more or less think thats its such a safe proposition to be a citizen of any first world country.Have things altered so much that it was just a thing of the past and its only the "Idea Of India" that was ordained to remain in history books when the reality of "India" bore no resemblance to it?
(I understand that India is well sought now by companies that look forward to exploit the wage differential but lets say I am looking for something other than that..like why Madonna wants to go to Rishikesh,UP to be inspired to produce a number like "Frozen"?)
Let me chew on those thoughts for the rest of this night..
5 comments:
As you say, it's the "idea of india", mysterious and vast that attracts. perhaps the quest for india is the quest for soul..or the idea that the world is so much more that what we can see immediately around us..
or just that "the other side" always seems so much more inviting.
meanwhile for us, it's "ghar ki murgi dal barabar" because we know the frustrations and struggles of daily life in india.anyhow,"india" or the idea of it has been a profitable product for sometime now, thanks to some savvy marketing as well:)
personally, while accepting the commercial advantages, i still get very irritated when i see people selling the india of monks and snake charmers..selling a faux sprituality..
ok, shouldn't rant on somebody else's blog..so shall stop now! :)
I remember a story my mom did say
About a heaven far away
The idea in my memory did die
But I still like to believe its not a lie
7~
Seventh Wave,
I believe it.Just beacuse an instance failed to show up doesnt deter my belief in the Schema that there are other instances just waiting to replace the old ones.
-Paddy
[Priyanka]
Thats true about the soul-searching business and India in general is usually sought out despite the poor marketing.
>i still get very irritated when i see people selling >the india of monks and snake charmers..selling a faux >sprituality..
That feeling is mutual but kinda delivers what the "pop culture" wants.I think they are attending a specific need too :-)
>ok, shouldn't rant on somebody else's blog..so shall >stop now! :)
I like lengthy arguments..Please feel free to write in.
[Priyanka]
Thats true about the soul-searching business and India in general is usually sought out despite the poor marketing.
>i still get very irritated when i see people selling >the india of monks and snake charmers..selling a faux >sprituality..
That feeling is mutual but kinda delivers what the "pop culture" wants.I think they are attending a specific need too :-)
>ok, shouldn't rant on somebody else's blog..so shall >stop now! :)
I like lengthy arguments..Please feel free to write in.
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