ब्लॉग ...

Cutting the nose..... history, myths to archaeology..in a spectrum Ever wondered, "ह्याने तर माझे नाक कापले, इसने तो मेरी नाक कटवा दी!", He has cut my nose (literal translation), ever came in colloquial use, laymans language...or day to day language?

Let's find out the history, the story, the archeology of this phrase..let's go deeper (deeper than molecules and atoms in these days of quantum physics, for some of my friends, I shall keep digestive medicine ready...)
Let's begin from what we know..to have a timeline.

*Ancient History and cutting off the nose*
*Ramayana Period*

Ancient days, and we are here,. .......Lakshamana cutting the nose of Shurpanakha,(suparnakha), a sister of demon king Ravana. This happened when Rama and Lakshamana and Sita were at Panchawati, Nashik, which was a part of Dandakaranya (Dandak-Aranya). Shurpanakha, a widow of Vidyujinha (विद्युज्जिन्ह) , wanted to have a marriage alliance, with either Rama or Lakshamana which both of them refused, and when she went out of control in her demands, to marry atleast Lakshamana, he then cut her nose, and she went crying to her brother, Ravana, who was aspiring vishwa -vijaya, (विश्वविजय)or control of whole world, asking for revenge of this episode.

Here,Ravana takes away Sita, asking her to cross the Lakshamana rekha (Literarily signifying boundaries of behaviour or maryada मर्यादा).
*Ancient Ethics*
This cutting of a person's nose ,was an established act of punishment, ....in ancient era,...unless someone finds out...no one would believe..for sure!

*Linguistic approach*
Nose was supposed to be a status of pride, as depicted in some marathi phrases...नाक कापणे; pride slashed, pride taken away.
नाक मुठीत धरून शरण येणे, to surrender with all pride, (नाक घासत येणे) नाक दाबणे...make someone very uncomfortable with his life, perhaps equal to his oxygen (प्राणवायू) demand.
आली मोठ्या नाकाची meaning boasting
नाकाने कांदे सोलणे overpride
नाक वर करून चालणे, नकचढी,... self pride, बकबक मत कर ..नाक तेरा लंबा है (गाण्याचे बोल)

*Western ethics(beliefs)*
Napoleon Bonaparte's army (armee de orient, अरमी, अरामी), which invaded Egypt, 1798-1801, (with 167 technical experts known as Savants), destroyed mainly the noses of sphinxes of Egypt, the world renowned emblems of Egypt's pride......, near Gijah (read जिजा, geo= jio), which culminated in the discovery of Rosetta stone / रशीद, (sure, someone is getting ready to beat me...) which dates 15 /7 /1799 , thus creating a scientific foundation for Egyptology!!!!

*Other Exemplary practices*
There is a whole region, where the practice of nose cutting was prevalent or rather introduced. The region itself is named by the same meaning, Rhinocorula, in Greek, Rhinocorutitanus in Latin. It is a desert region,town /towns , between ancient Egypt and Land of Israel, as mentioned by historians of that era. It was founded by Ethiopian (Abyssinian ) king Actisanes. It was a place for exile, for those found guilty of robbery, were punished by cutting their noses, and sent to this land , for rest of their lives. It was also a land, of stay, for those Ethiopians ,who revolted against Egypt, or tried to invade Egypt, after cutting their noses, and letting them live in this region, for rest of their lives, suggesting, this practice was followed in neighbouring Egypt also.

*Location*
Rhinocoruna (राय-नु-करुणा), is identified near Gaza(गाज),Raphia(राब्या),and Anthedon(the= d,द, end=अंत द=त, thus, अंतदवन). Pelusian, an easternmost branch of Nile river, which got dried later, and roughly represents the Suez canal, was identified with this region. Here ,the Egyptian officials ,who were found guilty of community crime, were banished off, after cutting their noses,and then they habituated the Egyptian border fortress , Tjaru, for rest of their lives (till their jara, जरा , वार्धक्य in मराठी, or संस्कृत, meaning अंतिम दिवस)
Today this place goes with the name Arish , or El Arish , (El Arish in Arabic, Hrinokoruna in coptic), which is a capital and largest city of Egyptian governerate of north Sinai in Sinai peninsula, bordering Gaza strip and Israel.(heard of frequent clashes here? Now also?)
Theodor Herzi ,who founded Zionism, wanted Arish as a Jewish homeland(Israel), which was turned down. It was many times a battle ground between Egypt and Israel ,before peace treaty, as per records.

*Archaeology and linguistic synthesis*
Archaelogists deny prehellenistic occupation of Arish, though Mediterranean coast and middle East has been habitated since ages (Levant ...atleast...and those days of agriculture dicovery..).
El Arish (ar ish... ur ish...ur=ar, urge= अर्ज ,आर्जव,अरज, El=god), when thought over, for its Etymology , from Rhinokoruna to El Arish, must have some tangible or intangible, heritage, in folk stories, or myths, which meant, there came some god, or king , mostly from ar or Ur( अर ,उर),a city from Sumeria in ancient Mesopotamia(now in south Iraq), who became the healer (कैवारी) ,the care taker (king, ish ईश), by pardoning their sins, showed mercy (करुणा), and was worshipped then by people over there (El),and the people enjoyed happiness and joy under his merciful treatment and rule, so that the region stayed, inhabitated.
Ur (उर)in marathi means, heart( हृदय), which gives us phrases like "have a heart", or think softly, or in a humanitarian way....with principles of pardon and let's move together for better, (चला मानवीयतेने घेऊ).... my way of linguistic interpretation!!!!
The mythological importance of this region gets substantiated archaeologically when, one knows that, Tjaru, the Egyptian fortress of nose cut people in exile, was on Horus's military road (Egyptian mythology ) from Egypt to Cannan (biblical archaeology). (Cannan,= कान्ना, कान्हा, sure someone is ready with a stick in hand ...now going out of patience!), It was also known as Tjel or silu ( जेल). Archaeolgically this place is identified as Tel el Habua ,near Qantarah ,in Sinai Peninsula, egypt. Horus was worshipped here as Lion.(Horus is Egyptian God in mythology)
The Amarna letters (egyptian archaeology @ El Amarna) mention Tjaru or silu , around BC 1350 to 1335, along with Turbazu's death.

The question still remains ,how and why at all we came to be related to a distant place punishment act, which got imbibed in our myths,got into the very vein of culture,....... lets start thinking!!!!... yet a long way to go.... ........maritime archaeology related to distant trades and old world empires conquest,may help.....!!!!

Stay connected!!!
Dr. Anubhuti Metkar Patil

उपवास हा कित्येक धर्मातील उपासना पद्धती चा एक भाग आहे ,जसे हिंदू,मुस्लिम,यहुदी,ख्रिश्चन ,बहाई....हे धर्म आहेत ज्यात उपवास केला जातो. विशिष्ट दिवशी, पूर्ण दिवसभर एकतर न खाता किंवा कमी खाऊन ,शरीराचे पुनरुज्जीवन करणे ते अध्यात्मिक अनुभूती चे काही क्षण अनुभवणे ,असा या उपवासांचा अर्थ असतो. मुळ अर्थ मर्यादा असावा..खाणे,पिणे ते वागणे ,प्रत्येक गोष्टीतील मर्यादा घडते ..शिवाय तितकीच सामूहिक बचत घडते आणि संघटन दिसून येते...(काही लोक एकादशी अन दुप्पटखाशी करतात,तो भाग अलाहिदा). जे लोक कमी खातात,विशेषतः महाराष्ट्रात ,ते लोक साधारणतः नेहमीच्या जेवणातील पदार्थ टाळून अन्य काही खाऊ पाहतात, ज्यात साबुदाणा , किंवा कंदमुळांपैकी रताळी यांचा समावेश होतो.साबुदाण्याच्या खिचडीला विशिष्ट उपवासाची चव देण्यासाठी शेंदे, सेंदे मीठ किंवा सैंधव मीठ वापरतात. हे पदार्थ पंधरवाडी एकादशी,चतुर्थी,पौर्णिमा,साप्ताहिक एखादा उपवास या छोट्या आणि नेहमीच्या उपवासाच्या दिवशी, हलके अन्नाच्या रुपात खाल्या जातात.कधी कधी तर " वहिनी, अजूनही वाढली तर चालेल,तुमच्या हातची साबुदाण्याची खिचडी,आणि फ्रुट सॅलड.. हं!!" (कापलेल्या फळांच्या तुकड्यावर सैंधव मीठ टाकून तयार केलेले)......असे ....म्हणणारे कमी नाहीत, इतकी यामुळे पदार्थांना चव येते . चविष्ट जलजीरा ही, त्यातलाच!!!

सैंधव मीठ,सेंधा नमक,याला halite, हलाईट, म्हणतात,ज्याला इंग्रजीत रॉक सॉल्ट म्हणतात. याचाच एक प्रकार म्हणजे काळे मीठ,काला नमक,पादरी मीठ .बोलीभाषेतील नाव जरी असले,तरी,पाद्री हे गुजरातमधील प्राचीन गाव,(3000BC) मीठाच्या व्यापाराशी संबंधित आहे .जगात इतरत्र हे मीठ, मोठ्या प्रमाणात ,रस्त्यावरील बर्फ हटवण्यासाठी वापरले जाते. ग्रीक लोकांनी हेच मीठ greek fire या हमखास नौदलातील युद्ध नीती साठी वापरले...ज्याचा गुप्त निर्मिती चा इतिहास Bacchus,या ग्रीक लॅटिन देवापर्यंत जातो.

भारतीय उपखंडात,याला सैंधव मीठ म्हणायचा एक इतिहासच आहे. हे मीठ सिंधू नदीच्या खोऱ्यातून येते. तिथे या मीठाचे पर्वत आहेत,तशी जमीन आहे.आता हा भूभाग पाकिस्तानात आहे . या दगडांची जगप्रसिद्ध खाण आहे, पंजाब प्रांतात,खेवडा येथे. हा भाग भारतातील अमृतसर ते पाकिस्तानातील लाहोर मार्गावर येतो.फार प्राचीन काळापासून याचा व्यापार होता. हे मीठ पाकिस्तानातील सिंध,पंजाब ह्या सिंधू नदीच्या काठावरील जमिनीतून यायचे. शिवाय पेशावर भागातील खैबर पख्तुनवा, ह्या भागातील,(जिथे सिंधू नाही तरी),जमिनीतून यायचे.या भागातील पश्तो भाषा ही Indoeuropean भाषा आहे ज्याला भारोपिय भाषा म्हणतात . या भागातच भारतीयांना माहित असलेले गांधार गणराज्य होते, सरहद गांधी येथूनच होते. प्राचीन काळी या मीठ शोधानेच, पायवाट बनत गेली, जे पुढे मग रस्ते म्हणून नावारूपात आले . याला salt routes म्हणतात.मीठाचा व्यापार करणाऱ्यांनी जगाची संस्कृती बदलली, हे थोडे खोलात गेल्यावर कळून येते. इथिओपिया भागात तर मीठाची किंमत सोन्याएव्हढी होती .त्या मीठाच्या तुकड्याना ते amoles अमोल म्हणायचे .भारतातही मीठासाठी राज्यव्यवस्थेच्या विरुद्ध सत्याग्रह झाले आहेत..आठवा दांडीयात्रा, आणि त्याचा मार्ग!!

खेवडा या मीठखाणीच्या भागात तर जमीनीमध्ये फार मोठ्या खोल्या खोदल्या गेल्या आहेत.एक खोली तर मुघलकालीन आहे.दरवर्षी तेथून कित्येक लाख टन मीठ काढल्या जाते अन ती अजून 500 वर्षे पुरणार आहे. अजूनही आपल्या उपवासाला ती चव पुढील पाचशे वर्षे राहू शकते.

सैंधव मीठ रंगाने पांढरे ,कधी राखाडी,कधी काळे,तर कधी चक्क गुलाबी, निळे, जांभळे ,पिवळे, भगवे सुद्धा असते . अमेरिका इजिप्त मेक्सिको ,रशिया युरोप सगळीकडे हे बंदिस्त समुद्री पाण्यापासून बाष्पीभवनाचा वेगवेगळ्या पद्धतीने बनले आहे. म्हणून इथल्या मीठाला वेगवेगळे रंग मिळाले आहेत . मुगलांच्या आधी जेव्हा अलेक्सान्डेर च्या फौजा या भागात आल्या, तेव्हा त्यांच्या सैन्यातील घोडे, येथील दगडांना आणि जमिनीला वारंवार चाटताना पाहून, त्यांनी पुढे येथील मीठाचा व्यापार पुरवठा सुरु केल्याची पाकिस्तानच्या इतिहासात नोंदच आहे.

झेलम नदी ते सिंधू नदी, या पाकिस्तानातील पंजाब भूभागात, नमकपर्बत किंवा नमक कोह आहे . सध्या येथूनच जगाला सैंधव मीठाचा पुरवठा होतो . याच्याच जवळ , अंदाजे दीड हजार मीटर उंच एक मीठाचा पर्वत आहे, त्याचे नाव आहे, सकेसर पर्वत .इथूनही हजारो वर्षांपासून, खेवडा खाणी व्यतिरिक्त,मीठाचा भारतीय उपखंडाला पुरवठा होत आहे. या सर्व बाबींचा राजा हर्षवर्धन काळात आलेल्या चिनी प्रवासी युवान शांग ने उल्लेख देखील केलेला आहे. लाहोर मार्गे हे मीठ पुढे जात होते,म्हणून याला,लाहौरी मीठ म्हणायचे. महाराष्ट्रात सुद्धा हे मीठ यायचे .समुद्री मार्गावरील व्यापारासोबतच महानुभाव काळा पासून सुद्धा, लाहोर, जालंधर,मथुरा,खांडवा,खांदेश ते विदर्भातील रिद्धपुर पर्यंतचे प्राचीन रस्ते लोकांना ज्ञात आहेत.

इस्लाम पूर्व काळात, पाकिस्तानातील याच नमक कोह भागात, मीठाच्या पर्वताच्या भागात , पांडवांनी आश्रय घेतल्याच्या, तिथल्या आख्यायिका व नोंदी आहेत. याच भागात शंकराचे प्राचीन कटास राज सरोवर मंदिर आहे ,जे सतीच्या निधनानंतर शंकराचे अश्रू सांडल्याची आख्यायिका सांगतात.(असेच जवळच ब्रह्मसरोवर कुरुक्षेत्र,भारत येथील,कुरु पांडव वंशज ,राजाने बांधल्याची आख्यायिका आहे,जे कटास राज सरोवर सारखे मानव निर्मित आहे).आज ह्या कटासराज शिवमंदिर आणि सरोवराला अवकळा आली असून सरोवराचे पाणी आटल्याने,पाकिस्तानच्या न्यायालयाने सरकारला त्यात पाणी भरून,त्याला जपण्याचे आदेश नुकतेच काही महिन्यांपूर्वी दिले आहेत.
आपल्याला माहित असलेला यक्षप्रश्न आणि युधिष्ठिर , ज्यात युधिष्ठीर आणि पांच पांडव यांना गंधर्व रुपी यमराज किंवा युधिष्ठीर पिता कठिणातील प्रश्न विचारतो , शेवटी युधिष्ठीर धर्मराज योग्य उत्तर देऊन आपल्या भावंडांचे प्राण वाचवतो ,या कथेचा भाग इथेच घडतो. आहे ना गम्मत !!! साध्या साध्या गोष्टींतून , वाकप्रचारातून ,आणि दैनंदिन खाण्यापिण्यातून अलिखित इतिहास उकलल्या जातो . मानो ना मानो, भाषेतून प्राचीन इतिहास , मीठातून सुद्धा इतिहास , सिंधू नदीशी मंगलाष्टकांतून आलेली भावनिक जवळीक , धार्मिक महत्व ,आध्यात्मिक महत्व अगदी उपवासातून इतिहास.कळतोय......!!!

सैंधव मीठ,सिंधू सभ्यता,प्राचीन व्यापार ,व्यापार मार्ग,मीठ (लवण) मार्ग आणि जगावर सत्ता(लवणासुर ),रिद्धपूर ते लाहोर पेशावर महानुभावांचे मार्गक्रमण,मराठी भाषा, आणि मराठीतील रोजच्या भाषेतील शब्द..'यक्षप्रश्न...म्हणजे कित्ती मोठ्ठा प्रश्न या अर्थाचा!!!'..

सगळे सगळे जर विचार करून पाहिले तर
किती जवळचा अंतस्थ वाटतोय , दूरस्थ इतिहास सुद्धा ,नाही?

डॉ. अनुभूती मेटकर पाटील अमरावती

Some facts:
Fire evidences in the form of fossils go back to 420 millions years before present(MYBP) I.e. 42 crores years . Control of fire is evidenced by about 1.8 million years BP. That means 18 lakh years before, our ancestors were controlling fire ,in the stage of their evolution, as evidenced by Oldowan hominid sites, at Turkana region of Kenya,at Odulvai Gorge . Homo erectus, (a stage prior to humans) ,controlled fire around 4 lakh years before , as evidenced in Omo valley, near Nkalabong range,(Omo Kibish),Ethiopia....In lower paleolithic age ,which means ,early stone age.

Cultural aspects:
As human evolution changed habitat from dense forests to savanna( mixed grass and woodland),wild fires which were spontaneous, gained control ,by observation and measures to control. These wildfires were mainly started by lightnings, Volcano eruptions, rock frictions, and spontaneous combustion of dry forest leaves.
Australopithecus(between 3 to 4 million yearsBP), prior to homo erectus stage,who moved out of Africa some 2million years before present,(20 lakh years) and used stone tools (accepted out of Africa theory,as compared to multiple origin theory), needed almost further 1 million years ,to control fire,to get acquainted with the fire and it’s control. This taught them how to cook food, without letting it burnt or undercooked. Cooking of food became a cultural aspect of human evolution,which allowed working with foods, getting warmth in colder areas, especially at night, protection from animals,insects,caves- safety and sanitation. They developed deep familiarity for obligate fire needs, it’s anytime availability, and so many different uses.

Humans and fire:
At Zhoukoudien cave,a world heritage site near Beijing China, fire use by Peking man is dated atleast 2.5 lakh years, similar to Java man from Indonesia.(2 lakh years before present, anatomically normal humans called Homo Sapiens Sapiens , or modern man evolved)
Use of fire and it’s sharing led to group formation, collection of wood as taxation, to stay in Group.Increased cooking and taste, lead to increased protein and calorie intake, increased survival and increased reproductive rate. Greater brain development occurred with cooked diet with plenty of proteins and digestible starches, disease free diets with killed parasites and wishful hygiene.
Hunting and cooking led to societal stratification between cooking and( developmentally forward) and non cooking and only hunting class, as well as a separate cooking class within the developing class also.
With fire came tool making, where hot stone was easier to mould into a tool for hunting like arrowheads and sickle shaped blade for clearing meat.
Clearing caves on large scale made humans cave dwellers form forest or tree dwellers, and clearing of land made humans land dwellers.
Fire was used to create Venus figurines called mother goddesses, from stone and ivory. First pottery using fire was developed around 20000 years BP. With discovery of agriculture and it’s widespread use ,around 10000 years BP, clay pottery became essential thing along with fire.
With fire came power, to those who used it, knew how to keep it burning (at Rome, eternal flame or sacred fire is continuously burning, and is guarded by soldiers),societal hierarchy became prominent. Plenty of fire bound activity during daytime ,plenty of working during daytime around fire ,and community gathering , merrymaking, communication and language development occurred , leading to development of civilisation,from which humans are known........Fire made us human........!!!!
Old,frail,sick individuals stayed back in caves to maintain fire, the women with sick children,pregnant , parturients, and nursing mothers stayed back in land dwellings to maintain fire and hence food and safety,for all. This led to development of closed communities with evidence of cooked food,taste ,free time art and intellect, responsibility of everyone towards that community, societal development through communication, gatherings around fire and language development.
Faster evolution happened after development of agriculture and subsistence on it, energy efficient work from good food, safety, sharing of work and responsibilities, leading to power struggle between manual and intellectual world,using fire as weapon........ for perhaps control of whole world called Vishwavijaya.....Still the power struggle is going on....Albeit in a different attire......,(Lets make ourselves shy of saying ..”Fire! Don't make us...... inhuman!!!”)