The Enigma of Saraswati I A Scholar's Perspective

Described in the oldest texts of the Rigveda, Saraswati surpassed in majesty and might all other rivers. Pure in her course from the mountains to the ocean, she descended with a roar down the slope, her fierce current gurgling through its canyon course, containing ~powerful floods inside her. She was the “perfect mother, unsurpassed river, supreme goddess” (Sindhumata).

She finds repeated mentions in Brahamanas and the Mahabharata, in the Puranas and the Smritis. Saraswati intrigued philosophers and poets for generations.

Over thousands of years, as no such river flowed in the physical form, she assumed an other-worldly or mythical status in the minds of Indians, who continue to venerate her as the goddess of knowledge, learning, wisdom, music and the arts.

For centuries people have believed her to be an invisible river that merges into the holy rivers of Ganga and Yamuna at the Triveni Sangam. Millions of Hindus believe that taking a dip there will wash away their sins and free them from the cycle of rebirth.

There are legends that tell us that Saraswati flows underground. One such legend has it that the beautiful goddess Saraswati sprung from the forehead of her father Brahma, the god of creation. It is said that as soon as Brahma looked at her beauty, he was filled with desire for her. Unhappy with the amorous attentions he bestowed upon her, she tried to dodge and hide. This is why the river Saraswati flows underground.

However these #myths  and #legends  are not sufficient to satiate the curiosity of modern Indians. Since the 20th century, numerous searches have been undertaken for the lost physical river.

Why does a river not seen for thousands of years evoke so much interest? Because according to many in resolving the mystery of #saraswati  is the key to understanding our beginning, as a people, as a #culture  and as a #civilisation  .

While the mystery still endures, in recent years major breakthroughs have significantly expanded our knowledge about #saraswati  — These include satellite imagery of ancient river channels, population genetic studies and #archeological  discoveries. 

So what do we know now? And how to make sense of it? 

To address this we are joined by renowned scholar Dr. Lajwanti Shahani, an archaeologist specialising in Harappan and Mesopotamian cultures. 

SPEAKER: 
Dr. Lajwanti Shahani, an archaeologist with a PhD (from Deccan College,
Pune) in Harappan sea trade of 5000 years ago with another ancient civilization Mesopotamia, and two local cultures of the Persian Gulf region called Dilmun (Bahrain and Qatar), and Magan (Oman Peninsula).
For her fieldwork, she have travelled across Gujarat and Kutch in India, plus the UAE and Oman in the Oman Peninsula identifying markers, and artefacts, of the trade connect:

Apart from her PhD thesis and Master’s dissertation, she has a number of published papers, presented at various conferences on archaeology and marine archaeology, both national and international.

Explore More at - www.argumentativeindians.com

DISCLAIMER:
We invite thought leaders from across the ideological spectrum. The guests in our sessions express their independent views and opinions. Argumentative Indians does not profess to subscribe, agree or endorse the same or be in anyway responsible for the stance, words and comments of our guests.