Author and researcher of ancient civilizations Dr. Sam Osmanagich is in India again. This time he explores the north-west of this great country where in the distant past there was a large-scale civilization known as the Indus Valley Civilization. It was located in the territories of the present-day states of Pakistan and India and is known for its two largest centers: Harrapa and Mohenjo Daro.
This time the object of his interest is the town of Lothal, which was a port from where trade was conducted with the Middle East, and especially with Bahrain and Mesopotamia. For example, weights that were used in Lotal have been found in Bahrain, indicating the same units of measure that were used in both areas.
Lotal is famous for its recently discovered large wooden river dock. It is one of the oldest ports. The wharf was more than 220 meters long and ships docked there, then loaded/unloaded, then went out by river to the Indian Ocean and sailed west.
The large well-organized settlement above the pier was built of brick and there were found the remains of a furnace for making various ceramic and metal objects, but also a residential settlement, the ruler’s palace, a cemetery, etc.
What is interesting about this civilization are the claims that it had several periods, beside for the last one, which is well researched and refers to the era of 4-5,000 years ago. Namely, it is assumed that here was the scene of the first thermonuclear war several tens of thousands of years ago, described in ancient Indian epics. Some researchers see the evidence in the extremely high temperatures to which objects, buildings and people were exposed in Mohenjo Daro, which reached more than 600 degrees.
In addition, Dr. Osmanagić visited Gandhi’s temple (‘Sabarmati Ashram’) in ten million Ahmedabad, from where the great Indian spiritual and civil leader Mahatma Gandhi led the non-violent resistance against the colonizers of Great Britain. The on-site museum explains the stages in the development of Gandhi’s personality and his philosophy of non-violence that brought down the greatest world power of the time.
Dr. Osmanagich also visited a fantastic ancient underground well in Ahmedabad called ‘Rudabai Step-well, Adalaj’. It is a great combination of Hindu-Islamic architecture and shows how much attention Indians paid to water centuries ago.
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