Sarnath is a World Heritage Site outside Varanasi. It is the site where Gautam Buddha delivered his first sermon.
On a recent trip to Varanasi, which happened to be my second trip to the city, I was very keen to visit Sarnath. Finally, my local host and friend decided to take me along for a trip.
We went to Chaukhandi Stupa first, which is a little outside the main site. Our guide, a senior official of the Archeaological Survey of India, pointed out the central structure- an octagonal structure of red bricks with a tower at the centre. This was built by Goverdhan, the son of Raja Todarmal (the then Maharaja of Varanasi) to commemorate the fact that Emperor Humayun, the second of the Great Mughals, had spent a night here in a poor woman's hut when he was on the run after being defeated by Sher Shah Suri in a battle. Our guide who had a sound knowledge of Hindi literature, pointed out that this is the very monument referred to in Jayshankar Prasad's short story Mamta.
The mention of the Jayshankar Prasad's story Mamta, transported me to my student days at the Film and Television Institute of India from the early 1980's. I had read this short story in my school days and was very fond of it. When it was time to make a Diploma Film (the final thesis film at FTII), I wrote a few drafts of a script based on this story. Finally, I gave upon it as I couldn't think of the cast and in terms of production design it was too complex a story to handle as a student film. But the story has stayed in my mind ever since, a wonderful example of what could be possible with a closer relationship between Hindi literature and cinema.
And here suddenly was the real monument, the actual structure that had inspired Jayshankar Prasad's story! It was a moment beyond moving to me and became a deep reminder of where I should be going.
In a sense, the whole of BHU and Varanasi were a trip to connect me with what is lying dormant inside me, the deep connect with literature, arts and culture of Hindi that exists within. Somewhere I have to acknowledge that, only then will I be able to grow and move on.
On a recent trip to Varanasi, which happened to be my second trip to the city, I was very keen to visit Sarnath. Finally, my local host and friend decided to take me along for a trip.
We went to Chaukhandi Stupa first, which is a little outside the main site. Our guide, a senior official of the Archeaological Survey of India, pointed out the central structure- an octagonal structure of red bricks with a tower at the centre. This was built by Goverdhan, the son of Raja Todarmal (the then Maharaja of Varanasi) to commemorate the fact that Emperor Humayun, the second of the Great Mughals, had spent a night here in a poor woman's hut when he was on the run after being defeated by Sher Shah Suri in a battle. Our guide who had a sound knowledge of Hindi literature, pointed out that this is the very monument referred to in Jayshankar Prasad's short story Mamta.
The mention of the Jayshankar Prasad's story Mamta, transported me to my student days at the Film and Television Institute of India from the early 1980's. I had read this short story in my school days and was very fond of it. When it was time to make a Diploma Film (the final thesis film at FTII), I wrote a few drafts of a script based on this story. Finally, I gave upon it as I couldn't think of the cast and in terms of production design it was too complex a story to handle as a student film. But the story has stayed in my mind ever since, a wonderful example of what could be possible with a closer relationship between Hindi literature and cinema.
And here suddenly was the real monument, the actual structure that had inspired Jayshankar Prasad's story! It was a moment beyond moving to me and became a deep reminder of where I should be going.
In a sense, the whole of BHU and Varanasi were a trip to connect me with what is lying dormant inside me, the deep connect with literature, arts and culture of Hindi that exists within. Somewhere I have to acknowledge that, only then will I be able to grow and move on.
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