Tuesday, September 30, 2008

It is morning, God

Today's morning was not much different: of another Tuesday, of another day of office, in fact, of another 30th of a month. But it was not any other morning. Today after waking up, I did say, "It is morning, God"

Every other morning I was saying, "Oh God, it is morning". I had longed to say it the other way. But I could never muster enough enthu to say so. But today was different. Reason: I don't know, but it felt fantastic.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Kohinoor and Da Vinci


There is no co-relation between the two, however far you stretch your imagination. But I could strike one, even if in the most unusual of ways, today. I saw the Kohinoor, the diamond of immense fascination, in Jewel House in Tower of London today.

Long before entering the museum, I had set out my mind and eyes to look at it. Even then, I missed it among the other crowns and diamonds of the Queens, laid in a row. The stand containing these precious jewels is flanked by an automatically moving pathway on either side; so, if you miss what you are looking for, you can’t just stand and search for it. As soon as I reached the other side, I approached an attendant to ask about it. Before I could open my mouth, she said with a smile, “It’s there, beside the Mother Queen’s crown.” She would have answered about Kohinoor so many times, that she need not second guess what the question would be, coming from an Indian. Indeed, we Indians are so intrigued and involved by Kohinoor, that even after so much time, we consider it an Indian property, wrongfully looted by the British. The Kohinoor was given to Queen Victoria by the Nawab of Patiala in 1863 as a gift, and since then it has adorned the crowns of many Queens. At that time, its value was evaluated to be about 60% of the world’s wealth. I was simply astounded to read the same. I also read about Cullinan’s diamond, the world’ biggest diamond found in South Africa, and brought to UK subsequently by the colonial masters. I didn’t feel very highly of these larcenies by the British.

I went to the British Museum next. The entrance is free for the visitors, and it is really a welcome change from other museums which charge a lot for antiquities of significantly lesser worth. The Museum is so big that it is impossible to see and study everything in one week, leave aside one day. I went to the Egyptian section where the artifacts and antiquities, including mummies, were kept. I also saw the original Rosetta stone, the replica of which I had seen in Egypt. There are Greek and Roman sections too, containing these civilizations’ statues, writings etc. In fact, the Museum contains materials of almost all the Civilizations found till date, and you know what, most of them, if not all, are authentic materials. The British did a good job of amassing these. But still these don’t belong to them. “When I go to British Museum, I expect to see things from British culture, not things accumulated from different places.”-my accompanying friend fired this line, seemingly feeling the same. I had just moved to the corner of one section, when I espied one room, curiously secluded from other areas. I peeped inside it, and buoy, it was unexpected. There were people reading books, working on computers, writing notes etc, but all trying to look beyond the present into the past to educate themselves and the world. Needless to say, it was the library. I always had a dream about that kind of place after reading the novel, The Da Vinci Code, and I stepped into the hallowed room with excitement abound. There were materials of unlimited information, and on the basis of which, old world is unfolded before us.

There was a swift change of thoughts. If the British would not have gathered these, we would not have been even looking at them now. Lots of studies are funded by the Museum. There is always a prospect of someone finding something new here. Isn’t it a proverbial cradle of knowledge then? Ashamed a bit, I looked at the antiquities again for a while, and then quickly left. I could find the co-relation between Kohinoor and Da Vinci only for myself today; but if there is indeed one, it would be surely found out, if not today, then tomorrow- courtesy the all-embracing world we live in.