Ancient Inquiries: Indian Cultural Diffusion

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Orion, Taurus, Pleiades and the Legends of Kartikeya, Horus, Nergal and Apollo

Bibhu Dev Misra on June 07, 2021 8

Orion and Kartikeya

Of all the constellations that embellish the night sky, it is Orion which is probably the most conspicuous and easily recognizable one. Since the Orion constellation lies on the celestial equator, just south of the ecliptic, it can be seen from any part of the world.

Article Cosmic Wisdom Indian Cultural Diffusion

The Egyptian Ankh and the Hindu Pasha are Equivalent Symbols

Bibhu Dev Misra on May 09, 2019 6

The Ankh was one of the most popular symbols of Egypt, symbolizing “life” or the “breath of life”. It’s a very ancient symbol, dating from the Early Dynastic Period (c.3150 – 2613 BCE), and appears widely in inscriptions and iconographic art. Relief carvings often depict gods holding the ankh at the nose of the pharaoh and conferring on him the “breath of life” or “eternal life”. It, thus, represented the life-giving powers of the deities.

Article Earth Mysteries Featured Indian Cultural Diffusion

12,000-Year-Old Petroglyphs in India show Global Connections

Bibhu Dev Misra on October 05, 2018 39

Note: This article has been published in the New Dawn Magazine, Issue 172 and the Graham Hancock's website.

Recently, on Oct 1, 2018, the BBC ran a story [1] about the discovery of hundreds of petroglyphs i.e. rock carvings in the Ratnagiri and Rajapur area of the state of Maharashtra in western India. Many of these petroglyphs are very large, which have been etched on the rocky, flat hilltops.

Article Indian Cultural Diffusion Indus Valley Civilization

Indus Valley cultural elements in Minoan Crete: Was it due to Migration?

Bibhu Dev Misra on March 29, 2017 30

Bull-Leaping

My interest in the Minoan civilization of Crete was sparked when I noted a conspicuous parallel between the Indus and Minoan cultures – that of the popularity of the sport of bull-leaping. Indus seals from c.2600 BCE onwards show acrobats leaping over a bull, while in Cretan art bull-leaping appears at the beginning of the Late Bronze Age in c.1700 BCE.

Article Indian Cultural Diffusion Indus Valley Civilization

Bull-Leaping: Did it spread from the Indus Valley to Syria, Egypt, and Crete?

Bibhu Dev Misra on January 13, 2017 16

Note: This article has been published in Esamskriti.

Bull-Leaping on Indus Seals

Jumping over a bull was a popular sport amongst the Indus people. A seal from Banawali (c.2300 – 1700 BCE) shows an acrobat leaping over a bull. Another seal from Mohenjo-Daro (c.2600 – 1900 BCE) depicts two people participating in the sport simultaneously: one person jumps from the back of the bull and lands in front, and is shown in various stages of leaping, while another person jumps from the front.

Article Indian Cultural Diffusion Trans-Pacific Contacts

The Turtle supporting Mount Meru in Asian and Mesoamerican Art

Bibhu Dev Misra on November 22, 2016 5

Note: This article has been published on Esamskriti.

In the Hindu legend of the Churning of the Milky Ocean, the gods and the demons churned the Milky Ocean in order to acquire the Nectar of Immortality. In this grand spectacle, Vishnu, the preserver of the cosmic order, had taken the form of a massive tortoise (Kurma Avatar) in the middle of the Milky Ocean. His humped shell acted as a pivot for Mount Mandara or Mount Meru, which served as the churning stick, while the serpent Vasuki was the cord for the churn.

Article Indian Cultural Diffusion Trans-Pacific Contacts

The Olmec Heads: Are they related to the Dvarapalas of the Hindu-Buddhist shrines?

Bibhu Dev Misra on October 14, 2016 7

The Olmec Heads

A long-standing enigma surrounding the Olmec civilization is the significance of the colossal stone heads found at the Olmec sites. Till date, 17 monumental stone heads have been recovered; 16 from the Olmec ceremonial centers at San Lorenzo, La Venta, and Tres Zapotes, and a solitary one - the La Cobata head - which is also the largest, from a mountain pass in Sierra de los Tuxtlas. The La Cobata head weights nearly 40 tons while the smallest one is close to 6 tons.