Former Director General of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), BB Lal, who is known for his controversial statements on Ayodhya, is now propagating the fact that Manu's flood, largely believed as a mythological phenomenon is a real event, by linking it to the disappearance of the river Saraswati through archaeological evidences.
Lal said this during the first session of a three-day seminar hosted by the Indian Council for Historical Research (ICHR) in the national capital.
"Archaeologically, the deluge of Saraswati river took place around 2000-1900 BC or say broadly in the first quarter of the second millennium BC. This was exactly the time of Manu's flood, which occurred after the Rig Veda but before the beginning of second millennium BCE (before common era). Should we still call Manu's flood a myth?," the paper presented by Lal read.
Lal was presenting a paper on — 'Testing Ancient Indian Literary Traditions on the Touchstone of Archaeology: Manu's flood'.
Manu is a term found with various meanings in different mythologies of Hinduism. In early texts, it refers to the archetypal man, or to the first man. According to Hindu texts, Manu was warned of flood by a fish after which he he built a boat to save the vedas, the myth is similar to other flood myths like that of Noah in Christianity.
"Saraswati died around 1900-2000 BCE after tectonic movements that created a ridge obstructing the river's path, caused the river to deluge and create havoc in the adjoining region. This is around the same time that Manu's flood also happened. So can we call it a myth?" said Lal.
ICHR is holding a three-day seminar on Antiquity, Continuity and Development of Civilization and Culture in Bharat upto 1st Millennium BC. Historians and researchers working on various subjects will be presenting their papers on development of culture and civilisation in India under various parameters like Yoga, Language and Literature and others.
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