Nani Rayan

Author(s): Pulin Vasa
Publisher: Kalikal Sarvagya Shri Hemchandracharya Navam Janmashatabdi Smruti Sanskar Shikshannidhi Ahmedabad

Page 8

Chapter 1
Introduction
Never was there a time when I was not nor you nor these lords of men, nor will there ever be a time hereafter when we shall cease to be. -Bhagavad-Gita
Civilizations have thus been born, thrived and given place to new ones. In this endless process of time, stands man intrigued by his past. Probably every generation, knowing as if, leaves some monuments, some broken pieces of pottery, some evidences for the generations to come and explore.
I am wandering in the recently harvested fields of Nani Rayan. A few young boys from the village accompany me, and together, we look for the evidences of a rich artistic heritage left over for us by our forefathers, before more than two thousand years. I stumble over a piece of Roman amphorae the inner side of which is blackened by the deposits of dried liquid. Picking up the amphora I am lost in to a reverie.
"A boat sails in to the port of Nani Rayan thru river Rukmavati on a quiet evening of the year 100 BC. She has brought with her wine in the Roman amphorae along with other merchandise.”
Is it the same piece of amphorae, which I am holding in my hands?
For last 25 years I have wandered in these fields, walked behind the farmer's plough. I have looked for evidences of a long drawn human civilization, and have found practically every thing men used except textile and food grains. The area of about two kms.is strewn with pot shreds, shell bangles, shell ornaments, coins, statues, hoard of stamped pottery with lovely iconographic features and many other interesting things. The locals, aware of my passion, inform me whenever they dig a pit for their house or a dig a well.
I distinctly remember my first visit to the village. It was the year of 1979. I was working as a physician in a near by village. I went there to see a very sick person. After completing my work as I was coming out of that hut a young boy gave an earthen bead to me and told “look, doctor, look at this bead. It was a golden bead once upon a time and has turned into earth due to the curse of Dada Dhoramnath." He, then, narrated the mythology.
"Once upon a time this Nani Rayan was a very rich town and a great saint Dada Dhoramnath was performing penance. His disciple was insulted and refused alms by the local people. Infuriated by this Dada gave a curse 'Dattan so pattan maya so mitti 'which means may the town be buried and may the wealth be converted to earth".
I examined the bead carefully. It was a baked earth bead. During my school days I had read that people in ancient times wore ornaments
of baked earth. 'Wow' I told my self. It seems to be some thing very interesting.' 'What else do you find? I asked the boy. He said "We find some Thikra (potsherds) some shell bangles, are you interested doctor? Come with me to my field. You will find so many things."
Since that day I have explored the fields of Nani Rayan and have conducted an in-depth study of the finds.
Introduction
www.ainelibrary