In the week leading up to Ram Navami, either Rama Katha is conducted or worship of Devi is performed. The question is - Is Rama a historical person? In the Indian tradition, Ramayana and Mahabharata were always looked upon as history, itihaasa. Not mere mythology or stories. Even if you look at Ramayana as mythology, one has to understand that fact becomes history. History becomes legends and legends become myths. Therefore, on the back of every myth is always some historical fact. The problem in understanding Rama, Krishna, and other avatars is they were so long, long ago belonging to a different era that it's very difficult for the modern mind to think about them as history. The modern idea is that if it's historical, traces must be found.
One has to understand that we are a living tradition. As an ancient civilisation but living, a lot of ruins which are typically used to unearth historic evidence will not be available. Why? Because we are reusing ancient building materials after tearing down old structures and building new ones. Therefore, many of these ruins will not be available because we are living in the same place. There is certain evidence available. Like the Rama Setu that links India at Rameswaram to Sri Lanka or the city found off the coast of modern Dwaraka, which is Krishna ‘s ancient kingdom. Somehow the westernised mind doesn't want to accept these facts, which may be a result of colonial thinking. Additionally, there are certain planetary configurations mentioned at various events of the Ramayana and Mahabharata including Rama’s birth. This is not astrology. Astrology is prediction of karma. But the position of the planets is concerned with astronomy which is scientific. These dates are so ancient, that the modern mind conditioned by stories of other civilisations cannot imagine our civilisation that is so ancient. Therefore, there is a tendency to dismiss all of it as prehistoric stories and myths, which is not true. It is high time that we looked upon our heritage and past from a truly Indian perspective unconditioned by our colonial past.
(The writer is the founder of Aarsha Vidya Foundation. You can write to him at aarshavidyaf@gmail.com)
