Journey Of Faith - Part 7: Of Old Ruins And New Beginnings

The Tamil Nadu registration on the Hyundai Tucson piqued Mr. Sarkar's interest. He quizzed us about what we were doing in the middle of nowhere. A professor of geomechanics, he's amongst the calmest people I've met in my life. "It's my sixth time here," he said. "Last time round, I had my students with me - it's quite a learning experience." 

He introduced us to an old gentleman who happened to be a guide for the excavation site. A vast expanse, there are geometric structures around that catch the eye immediately. There's a lot that displays human skill and ingenuity. The presence of sixteen water tanks that store rainwater, a natural water filtration system, drainages and town planning has to be seen to be believed. 

Unlike other civilizations where the township was divided into a upper and lower town, the ones at Dholavira have a unique "middle town." But, our guide tells us there's no evidence of the society being divided based on income or religion. A lesson the modern world could learn? Perhaps! The ones based on the fringes were simply the ones who couldn't find accommodation in the central areas. 

There's also a lot of evidence pointing towards the use of tools, the existence of a bazaar (and in effect, trade) and also domestication. About five thousand years ago, man had figured out the basics for survival. For what seems an impossible task today, had a simple answer back in the day. Harmony. The ruins are proof that everything and everyone has a purpose, and the only way to ensure peace is to put your faith in your fellow human beings. Because, that's all they are. Nothing more, nothing less. 

"Saat baar basa, saat baar ujada", our guide said this possibly almost every five minutes in the hour-long tour of the excavation site. He means mankind set up base at Dholavira seven times, only to be wiped off the face of the earth over and over again. Not even apocalypses caused humans to abandon the place. The will to rebuild always outweighed the will to give up. 

That sums up our Journey Of Faith quite well, doesn't it? For it is faith that makes you want to push harder and not call quits. It's the belief in new beginnings that makes one overlook the inevitable ends. Over the journey, we've seen that faith isn't limited to an idol or a religion. It's the absolute definition of the human spirit - that chooses to look beyond little stumbling blocks and prepares for the long haul. 

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The journey too was just that. Of course, we had a few gaps in planning, certain locations didn't turn out the way we expected them to be and we had quite a few disagreements among ourselves. What stood by us indifferent to our banters, was our faithful steed. It needed nothing more than a good wash at the end of a gruelling 2500kms.

Even though I didn't set out to find meanings and answers to my questions about faith, I have one. Weirdly enough, it's exactly what Annette told me on my flight from Delhi to Dharamshala.

"Go with the flow."

I think I'm ditching my habit of making lists. This works just fine.

Read all the updates of this journey here.