(A thread) Let us tell you amazing story of an irrigation lake in the ancient India, which was continually operational for almost 8 centuries. Let us tell you the story of Lake Sudarshan and Junagadh Inscriptions.
History is a collection of stories: Stories which are told & remembered by civilisations. They are recited by generations. They are painted on walls & scribbled on paper. Sometimes they are etched on stones & copper.
Once upon a time, the great Emperor of Magadha, Chandragupta Maurya (324 BCE to 297 BCE) ordered his minister Pushyagupta to construct an irrigation lake in present day Junagadh, Gujarat.
Thus at the foothills of Mount Girnar, and the confluence of rivers "Suvarna Sikata" and "Palashini", lake Sudarshan was constructed.
Decades later, Emperor Ashok ordered his Greek governor, Tushaspha, to work on the dam, and to design and construct irrigation canals.
The lake continued to serve the people in the region for centuries to come, until an unseasonal cloudburst wrecked the dam around 150 CE.
At the time, the region was ruled by the Saka king Rudradaman. He repaired the lake again, and he did so against the advice of his royal advisors.
The dam was used for centuries to come.

Its use and existence are mentioned in the records of Emperor Skandagupta of Gupta dynasty, who ruled over India in the 5th century CE.
The historical records show that the dam was continuously operational for almost 8 centuries.
It is a unique story that has lived on for millenia through a unique inscription, which again is a story in itself.
Just imagine that there exists a large boulder, one which has withstood nature and man for millions of years.

Imagine that three kings, centuries apart, choose the same boulder as the immortal witness of their deeds and triumph.
Well, you don't have to imagine.

It exists near the now-extinct lake Sudarshan.

It is called "Junagadh Inscriptions".
Emperor Ashok, King Rudradaman and Emperor Skandagupta have inscribed their story on three sides of the single rock.

To think of it, few meters of a rock's circumference contain a history that spans 700 years.

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
 

Keep Current with Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune

Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @BhandarkarI

30 Dec 20
BORI's small contribution in authenticating Ayodhya’s history (A thread) –

As the home of rare manuscripts and as a publisher of historic works, BORI has played a small role in the verification of the history of Ayodhya & finds a mention in the verdict of the hon. Supreme Court
Ayodhya Mahatmya is a manuscript that describes and reveres Ayodhya. A literary work dating back to 1802, It provides salient details of the city which existed in the olden times. An authenticated copy of the manuscript was submitted as an evidence to the hon. Supreme Court.
The history of Dharmaśāstra, the epochal work of Dr. Pandurang Vaman Kane, however contributed more pointedly. Dr. Pandurang Vaman Kane is one of the greatest indologists
Read 7 tweets
28 Aug 20
We are extremely happy to announce the launch of a very special online course on Vedas.
It is a series of 18 lectures: 1 opening session, 5 lectures on Rigveda, lectures on Yajurveda and Samveda each, 5 lectures on Atharvaveda, and 1 concluding session.
The course is extremely diverse in nature. The lectures on Rigveda and Yajurveda revolve around literary tradition, religious and ritualistic elements, and philosophical aspects. The Samveda module delves into ritualistic aspects, and it also explores the possible parallels
between Saamgan (orthodox singing of Samaveda) and Indian classical music. The Atharvaveda module is very interesting. It looks at ritualistic and tantrik elements (magic and black magic), origins of Ayurveda, and also the society that existed during the time. This series of
Read 5 tweets
24 Aug 20
Ten days online lecture series on Sanskrit Drama.
With a view to providing a firsthand exposure of Dramatic literature in Sanskrit and an in-depth understanding of its aesthetic, literary, and theatrical quality, we have organized 10 days online lecture series.
It will give us a glimpse into the literary history of more than two millennia through the exploration of dramas such as:
1. Svapnavāsavadattaṃ
2. Abhijñānaśākuntalaṃ
3. Mṛcchkaṭikaṃ
4. Mudrārākṣasaṃ
5. Kundamālā
6. Uttararāmacaritam
7. Anargharāghavam
8. The four plays of Caturbhāṇī
9. Bhagavadajjukīyaṃ
10. Mattavilāsa
11. Prabuddharauhiṇeya and
12. Mallikāmakaranda
Read 4 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Too expensive? Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal Become our Patreon

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us on Twitter!